# Worried about Petey....



## minischn (Jun 5, 2011)

... It`s the same thing as my previous post a few weeks ago. Petey`s on the living world cockatiel granule pellets and I noticed in the past month or so he`s been coughing it up (sort of). I tried buying a new bag, as someone stated the bag of food might be bad, so I bought the little bag of it and he still does it. They also mentioned including seed in the diet, so I`ve mixed it in carefully (as he would just eat seeds if I let him) but he still coughs up the pellets. I`m in exams right now for my final year of highschool so I don`t know if it`s just me panicking or if I should get him checked out. 

This is the only thing he`s done weird. He acts perfectly normal and his appetite hasn`t changed so I guess that`s a good sign. And he only does it with the pellets. When he just eats the seeds he`s fine. Well, once he ate both, and coughed up the seeds and the pellets, but it`s always the pellets. And the thing is, it doesn`t look like anyone else has had this problem. So I`m wondering if I should just switch the brand or do I take him to a vet?

Which brings me to part two of this... does anyone have any recommendations for an avian vet in Southern Ontario, Canada? I`ve had a few bad experiences with the vets and my dog and it`s made me really nervous about vets altogether. I have one or two in the area that are apparently avian vets but there are no reviews or anything on whether or not they`re good. Petey still doesn`t particularly like people touching him, and I know this is going to be stressful for him, and I`m worried that one bad vet experience will revert him back to where he was when I first got him. 

Any advice?


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## xoxsarahxox (Dec 13, 2010)

I think I might know whats up with the pellets, my tiels eat the same pellets and once in awhile I will notice Cupid eat one whole and then he will do the regurgitating motion and regurgitate the pellet he just ate back up. So maybe the pellets are too small for your Petey, if Cupid did this more often I would switch pellet brands but he doesnt so I dont worry too much about it.


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## minischn (Jun 5, 2011)

Too small? Maybe... I mean, I don`t know whether to totally freak out or not because he seems totally fine except when he eats the pellets. I`m thinking of trying the Zupreem pellets... but I`ve bought so much food I dunno whether what to do with it all.


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## clem&peeps (Nov 17, 2009)

My guys will regurgitate pellets if they eat a lot of them with in a short time or if they eat them to fast. I was also very concerned about this but soon realized it's probably nothing to be worried about. I think that the pellets are so dry that cockatiels might have a hard time getting them down, and then they bring them back up. That's the conclusion I've come to anyway. 
I cut back on the amount of pellets i give my guys. Pellets take up about 20 percent of their diet, seeds 40 percent and fresh food (veggies, mash, cooked grains etc.) the other 40 percent.


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## minischn (Jun 5, 2011)

clem&peeps said:


> My guys will regurgitate pellets if they eat a lot of them with in a short time or if they eat them to fast.


by regurgitating do you mean the typical head bob? Because if he was just doing that I would be okay, but after he swings his head side to side more like vomiting. And I thought it might be because he eats too fast, that was my original feeling, because he doesn`t try to chew or break them down, just grabs and swallows like my dog. 

As for fruits and veggies, I`ve been trying so hard to get him to eat them. My biggest success is three bites of a carrot. But I`m bound and determined to get him to eat veggies, especially with his awkward reaction to pellets. But thank you for your advice, it`s much less terrifying when I know someone has had an experience like this.


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## clem&peeps (Nov 17, 2009)

Swinging the head side to side might be him trying to expel the regurgitated pellets out of his mouth.
Getting your tiel to eat veggies just takes time. Cockatiels aren't big on fruit. I don't no of to many that will eat it.
Does your tiel eat cooked rice? You can mix in organic baby food (peas, carrots, sweet potato) into the cooked rice.


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## clem&peeps (Nov 17, 2009)

Also sprouted seeds is a super food for tiels and are easily excepted because they resemble seeds. http://www.talkcockatiels.com/showthread.php?t=9019


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## bjknight93 (Nov 13, 2011)

My birds eat Zupreem Avian Maintenance pellets. We haven't had any issues so far. I know they sell the smaller bags of the Zupreem fruit blend if you'd like to try that without overloading yourself on food..


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## tielfan (Aug 31, 2008)

Some pellet companies give free samples, so pick a brand that you'd like to try and email the company with a request. You can ask for free samples of cockatiel-sized Nutriberries too, they're nutritionally equivalent to pellets but most cockatiels like them better than pellets.


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## minischn (Jun 5, 2011)

Awe thanks so much guys! I really appreciate the help! I`ll try your suggestions!


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## northernfog (Dec 14, 2010)

My birdy does the same thing but for the seeds. However I've seen her do it once with the pellets. She only does the head bobbing part though, and nothing comes out!  I showed a video to my vet and she said not to worry about it!


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## minischn (Jun 5, 2011)

Well... we can`t say our birds don`t keep us on our toes!

P.s I got petey to eat some carrot and bran flakes yesterday!


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## minischn (Jun 5, 2011)

Just thought I'd update you guys: I went to the petstore today and picked up some cockatiel sized nutriberries. I broke one up first so Petey wouldn't be so spooked at it then scattered the pieces in his empty food dish. He wouldn't touch it since the pellets were still in there, but once I emptied the pellets out he started eating them. It's such a relief that the mess he's making now is more natural then throwing up pellets. I'm still a bit worried about tweaking his diet, but we'll see what happens. For now, Nutriberries will probably make up the most of it.

But, in other news, any ideas on what to do with the extra pellets? I have half a huge bag, and about half a little bag now and I don't know what to do. I'm scared to keep it as I just finished cleaning up the mess my DOG made (for me, this is almost midnight so I was not impressed walking into my room to find that) from the last bag of spray millet that I was holding the fallen millet in. My dog makes more of a mess than Petey. What are the odds? I get the only parrot in the world who doesn't like to chew. 

Back on topic, I'm picking up Petey's new cage in a day or two. I think I'm going to try to keep the meals half and half until he settles in, because he seems to be a very stressed out bird. I mean, he's fine with the vaccuum but the broom is still from H-E- double hockey sticks. But I love him. 

So like every other bird lover, I decided to post todays happenings online, instead of going to sleep so I can properly clean up my millet littered room. But I guess that's what makes us unique.


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## DyArianna (Aug 7, 2011)

Good to hear Petey is eating better!  As far as the pellets go.. perhaps you could donate them to a local rescue or humane society that gets birds in?


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## minischn (Jun 5, 2011)

Great! The only one in the area is the SPCA... I'll see if they want it. Might as well go to use somewhere


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## tielfan (Aug 31, 2008)

If they don't want it, you can always toss it outside for the wild birds.


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## srtiels (May 1, 2009)

tielfan said:


> If they don't want it, you can always toss it outside for the wild birds.


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LOL....my geese gobble up any leftover pellets I toss out as soon as they hit the ground. 

If you have alot of wild birds and doves in your area, don't feed them close-by outside because you don't want wild birds hanging around, especially during a rainy time because red mites will hop off them and find their way inside to the domestic birds. Take them away from your house or a park.


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## enigma731 (Aug 12, 2011)

You can also grind them up and use them in birdy bread, if the size is the only problem. There's lots of recipes here if you do a search.


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## minischn (Jun 5, 2011)

I think I'll try the birdie bread with the newer stuff but that's a great idea. We have quite a few sparrows and other wild birds but we ran out of bird feed. It's nice to knows that's a safe replacement.


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