# Cockatiel Advice



## jesse1535

Hello all, I'm Jessica  I currently have one Cockatiel, but I have had them my whole life. I joined this forum because I want to take better care of my Cockatiel 









Meet Papito (Pito for short because I hate the name Papito xP) she is female despite her name, hence why I hate it. I didn't get to choose it. She's old, I'm not sure how old but I'm 17 and I really don't recall getting her. But I do know that we got her as soon as she was weaned. So I'm guessing she's 8 or 9 years old, maybe 10. I'm not sure about their life span (can anyone tell me?)

Anyways, truth be told I don't take care of her very well, I mean she gets food and water and her cage gets cleaned, but I don't take her out. Like at all; maybe once or twice a year and thats it. Her nails are very overgrown (never noticed up until a couple days ago) and I think her wings need to be clipped. But despite all this, she is so freaking sweet. :blink: She does take food from my hand, lets me pet her, and we actually "talk" back to each other. She is kinda iffy about the whole petting thing, but if I talk to her she puts her head down and "purrs" as I pet her. She never lunges or tries to bite or anything. She's also ok when it comes to her coming out, we have to work on that but as I said, no biting or anything. She does do this thing where she..I guess "tries" to bite but I think she's just trying to scare me cuz she just moves her tongue over my hand. She was hand raised (and given to us for free ) so I guess that is a factor as to why she is so darn sweet despite her not having much human contact.

So I want to make her life better and I'm gonna start taking better care of her. I feel so bad for her, she never gets a chance to fly around and stuff. Oh but she does LOVE looking into the mirror lol So are there any tips for making her..More people friendly I guess? She pretty much already is, but I'm desprite to get her 100% people friendly asap so I can cut those nails of hers. They look very uncomfortable. Not sure about their wings, I would like to cut them so I can have my fan on while she's out and about in my room. But it'll probably be a while before I do that. I don't know much about Cockatiels, I think she was given to us as an impulse cuz my previous Cockatiel ran away. I have very vague memories of that bird, she was soo sweet :3 
But anyways, so I've pretty much had Cockatiels my whole life, but know nothing about them xD So any advice? Any ways to make her more people-friendly fast? Any treats or toys they like? She's never had a bath before, how could I get around to doing this? She also doesn't have a house to sleep in, she sleeps on her perch. Would a house be better? 
Oh and in case I get asked this, her cage is pretty big. But it only has a perch and a toy she doesn't use in it -sigh- I'm going to the bird store tonight lol


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## geenz

Don't give her a house to sleep in or she'll get nesty and lay eggs  Tiels can happily sleep on their perches and anything "nesty" will stimulate them to lay  My brother has to watch when he has one of his girls out because she likes to go in the keyboard drawer of the computer desk since she thinks that it's a nest  Since she's already pretty tame you can probably just try having her sitting with you while you talk to her and pet her etc


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## geenz

As for baths, try a clean spray bottle with warm water in it and just gently mist her, it'll probably take a few tries before you see her get into it (get all fluffy and bend over lifting their wings up)


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## jesse1535

She lays about once every couple months in the corner of her cage on the floor. She's only nasty with me for a couple hours after she lays then after that she lets me remove them lol Thats another reason why I was considering getting her a house. 
Ok thank you, I'll try the bath idea in a couple days. I first want to get her more used to me before I do anything to her. Thank you for the advice


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## geenz

It might also be beneficial to get rid of the dowel perch and use some natural wood perches from cockatiel safe trees, i think there's a list in the "your cockatiels health" board, since dowel perches can make their feet hurt as they're all the one diameter, whereas natural branches vary. Plus they can have fun pulling the bark to pieces, as mine do


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## jessnry

What a beautiful cockatiel! Lol, my name's Jessica and I've had cockatiels since I was very little too! Cockatiels have a lifespan of about 20 years or so, btw, so Pito isn't that old at all  I'm so glad that you want to improve her life! So to start, here are a couple of little things you should get to really improve her cage: 

- At least three different perches/branches
- Several toys: you can make your own for very cheap! (cockatiels tend to love toys that they can shred, and drinking straws are also a hit)
- Millet! Most cockatiels love it. It's a great treat for them, and will also help you with training her. Very easy to find at any petstore
- Cuttlebone, if you don't have one. This is very important to get for Pito, as it is a vital source of minerals -- especially calcium! Also easy to find at the petstore

Well, get all the stuff on this list, and you'll be off to a good start! All the stuff listed here hardly costs a thing, and is easy to find. Your Pito will be very grateful!  Also, try to let her out every day to spend time with you (at least 1hr every day is ideal). That alone will really help in teaching her to enjoy human company.

So welcome to the forum! Hope I didn't just overwhelm you, lol. Everyone here is really supportive and helpful, and will be happy to give you more advice  Just ask away!


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## Belinda

She sounds like an absolute sweetheart. Just be careful making changes to her cage. Do it gradually so she doesn't get too freaked out. She definitely needs some perches other than the dowel and she might like some shiny toys with bells if she likes her mirror. So do you take her out of the cage at all? She might like to come out and have a tour of the house with you. She might be a little cage-bound but you can gradually work on this. She sounds like she is already very friendly and bonded to you.


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## jesse1535

Thanks for the help everyone :3 I haven't had access to a computer so this is a lil late sorry!

Geenz: I'll definatley go look for some natural ones, that perch she has does seem like it hurts. I can just go outside and get a branch? As long as its safe and big enough of course lol xD What about any buggys that may be in the branch  

Jessnry: Well I'm happy that she isn't too old, it gives us a lot of time to improve her life  I looked on the list of safe plants and saw that Magnolia and Orange trees were on the list and I have those growing in my yard so I'll run out and get a couple branches for her. Ah she loves her millet she does lol The other day I also discovered she likes corn flakes and not peanut butter  I'll get her cuttle bone as well, that was actually on my original list of stuff to get her haha. Thanks for the welcome 

Belinda: Yes, I was planning to do it slowly and gradually. This is gonna probably be so stressful on her, especially now with cage improvements hehe! Actually the toy she has in there now is shiny and has bells but she doesn't use it. I think she used to use it, but I'm not sure if that was Tweety, my first Cockatiel or her. They both looked the same and my memory is very foggy for a 17 year old xD It was probably Tweety though because one thing I do remember about her was that she loved toys. She had a swing and a bell and the toy Pito has now and she played with them all. She used to ring the bell at 6am to tell us to feed her lol! Pito was terrified of the swing and I don't think she ever used the toy she has now. Thats why I'm stumped as to what toys I should get her, cuz I dunno if she would know how to play with them :/ I picked some that I'm hoping will be easy enough for her to figure out which is http://www.petsmart.com/product/index.jsp?productId=2754278&lmdn=Price and I think that mirror will be way too small so I was also gonna buy her http://www.petsmart.com/product/index.jsp?productId=2754281&lmdn=Price as well as a cuttle bone and a couple bags of millet. I'm not really sure what she would like :/ No she really doesn't get taken out at all  As I said in my first post, sometimes maybe once or twice a year. I have no idea was possessed me to make that poor thing suffer for so long. I don't really wanna take her around the house as of yet, she doesn't even know step up and her wings aren't clipped. I always got her out by holding her against me and then when we were safely in my room she'd go up my shoulder or occasionally on my finger. Even on my head once or twice lol We have fans throughout the house which is why I hold her instead of having of her perched. I'm hoping once I clip her wings and she learns step up (I think thats what its called) she can start perching on my shoulder instead of me holding her lol

Speaking of which, any tips for clipping her wings and nails  I wanna do her nails asap because they're very long and look uncomfortable, but I dunno how I would do it. I've clipped my chickens wings before (its the same way?) but I've never done their nails.

Within the next couple days I'll post more pics of her for ya'll to see  Thank you again so much  Pito says thank you too!

Edit: Oh and I forgot to say! A couple days ago I was feeding her and I took her bowl out and left her cage open. I ducked down underneath her cage to get her food and when I come back up she was standing on the lip of her cage looking down at me  And she actually stepped up into my finger and let me pet her hehe. She's so sweet 
Sorry for the long message today lol


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## jessnry

Aw, it sounds like Pito is already quite bonded to you  She'll master the step-up in no time -- she clearly wants to be with you, which is so great! What a sweetie!

Branches are easy to clean: scrub them down and soak 'em in water with a bit of bleach. If you can, dry the branches off in the oven, or if it's not big enough, dry them in the sun. That'll kill off any nasty bugs or bacteria.

I like your choices of toys -- my birds like those balls a lot, and the mirror is cool too. Lol, it's always a guessing game, whether your bird will want to play with a new toy or not  When you start introducing a toy, try to tie a bit of millet to it, just to encourage Pito to investigate. That trick has worked for me before. Toys can be intimidating, so I would introduce the new perches first.

Here's an article on toe-nail clipping: http://www.talkcockatiels.com/showthread.php?t=448 And one for wing clipping: http://www.talkcockatiels.com/showthread.php?t=682 Hope these help!

If you don't think Pito is ready for being taken around the house, maybe try to let her walk around on top of her cage in a safe, closed room. Or just work on teaching her to step-up, just for a little bit, every day. Cockatiels are very smart and easy to train. Just keep the training sessions short, and reward Pito with millet and plenty of attention -- she will very quickly look forward to spending time with you!


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## jesse1535

I forgot to ask earlier, how exactly do you teach them to step up? :O

I just came back from the pet store (the bird store was closed ) and I bought her the two toys, millet and the cuttle bone. I still need to get her two perches, but I'm looking for them. She has no clue what to do with the cuttle bone. She was scared of it but once I took it and offered it to her she took a few bites so I hung it up but now she doesn't want anything to do with it lol Any ideas as to how I should get her to use it? She seemed it like it I think, so I don't know why she wouldn't be using it now.

Thanks for the articles  The bird store apparently does wing and nail clippings for $5 so I'll probably take her there once and watch them do it before I attempt it. I'm pretty sure I'll be able to do it eventually, but I learn better by watching others do it first ^^

Well her cage is in the laundry room, which is completely open. Its not even a room, it opens into the kitchen and my grandma's room. Thats why whenever shes out, she isn't around her cage. And I can't put her cage in my room because I already have a 10gal aquarium, two one gallon aquariums, two bearded dragons (10gal and 20 gal aquariums!), a chinchilla, a snail and caterpillars occupying my room with me xD So usually I just let her loose in my room and she does what she wants. 

I have a quick question about her though. She gets fresh food and usually a treat (crackers, cereal etc) everyday, but for some reason she eats her poop. :/ Why does she do that?


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## jessnry

Nice! I was gonna say, you could take her to an avian vet or to the petstore to have her nails and wings trimmed. That way you can see how it's done, plus you don't have to worry about straining her bond with you, as somebody else does the trimming 

This is how I teach step up: offer Pito your finger at about her tummy level, while holding a tempting piece of millet in your other hand. You want to position the millet so that Pito _has_ to step up onto your finger to get to it. Make sure to use the same motion and phrase ("step up" or just "up") every time. Since Pito has stepped up before, this won't take long for her to figure out. Just remember to work at it every day, give her lots of praise, and keep the sessions short -- like 10 min. 

I wouldn't worry about the cuttle-bone. She'll chew on it as she needs it. But her eating her own droppings is a concern  I'm no vet, but maybe it could be from her need to get some needed minerals? since she keeps on laying...? Or it could be like an anxious/bored thing  Sorry, maybe someone else on here can help you with that one. Does your cage have a grate? I would definitely use it.

Good luck with finding those perches (a nice comfy rope perch would be really good for her feet)! And OMG do you have a lot of animals!


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## jesse1535

ok thank you for the training advice, I'll start tomorrow (its 12am here and she hates being woken up lol)

i was thinking it could be that she is trying to get minerals, as you said. I didn't even think that it could be a bored thing...Whats a grate? that thing that seperates her feet from the bedding? if so she does have one :/ she reaches in between the holes and eats her poop. as i said before, i always assumed it was a nutrient thing (i raise bunnies and they eat their poop sometimes for nutrients) so i assumed it was normal. but what worries me which i just thought of today is that she may get her beak stuck or something. 

is there anyway to make a rope perch? perches are expnsive here lol i was even thinking about wrapping one in fleece so that its cozy on her feet and it would be fairly cheap to make lol


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## jesse1535

i just read in an article that when they eat their poop they need more nutrition. it also said to add brewers yeast to her food. is this ok? anything else i should add?


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## jessnry

Unfortunately, eating their own droppings isn't good for parrots, cockatiels included. They don't really have access to their own droppings in the wild, as they are nomadic, and eating them could make them sick. If it's a mineral issue, the cuttle bone should help. 

Yep, a grate is what seperates her from the bedding. Maybe you could rig the cage so that it sits higher? Maybe in the meantime though, give her something else to pick at on the cage floor. "Foraging trays" are very popular with cockatiels.  Just put a little shallow dish (i use a tubberware lid, lol) on the cage floor and put in stuff like bits of millet, shredded paper, buttons, dry pasta, etc. You may have to introduce it slowly, but it could help little Pito if she's just picking at her droppings out of boredom. If nothing else, it'll distract her.

Here is a great thread that explains what foraging is: http://www.talkcockatiels.com/showthread.php?t=11399
It has good toy ideas in it, and also explains how parrot minds work. 

I like the idea of wrapping fleece around a perch! It sounds soo comfy. And yep, store-bought toys and perches are WAY overpriced. Ugh. I think most of us here make our own.


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## jessnry

Oops! missed your last post, lol. Yes, cockatiels need a varied diet. Seeds are low in nutrients like calcium, vitamin A, and protein. Pellets can be a great addition to seeds and provide more nutrients. You'll find them at the petstore. Home-cooked foods are also popular. My cockatiels like hard-boiled egg, quinoa, broccoli, spinach, and string beans... but only if I cut everything up into tiny, seed-sized pieces 

Changing a cockatiel's diet can be tough. I was in a very similar situation to you with my cockatiels (starting when I was seventeen, strangely enough :blink! And I found that converting a seed-a-holic to a better diet was one of my bigger challenges. Your best bet would be to check out our Food and Nutrition thread. You'll find lots of help there. Start off slow, though. Pito is going through some awesome changes right now, but she may be stressed for a while. Improving her cage while slowly introducing good food is the way to go IMHO (and makes it easier on you, lol. Adding toys and perches is easier than changing a bird's diet!)


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## jesse1535

i found a low paper plate i'm gonna use for her forraging tray  i can't wait to try it out lol oh and no, there is no way for me to raise the grate. if i did that it'd be way up high and she wouldn't have much room. 

ok i'll try to go to the pet store to find pellets. i've never saw bird pellets at my pet store except for parrots though.
i can't look at the link now, i'm on my ds (hence my horrible grammer lol) and i can't open links on it. but once my computer gets fixed i'll look at it. thanks again  

yah here its anywhere from $6 to $11 O.O and honestly, i wouldn't mind spending that much on a perch if i had it. speaking of perches, my tree's branches are too small for her. i'm going to my dad's house on friday and he has an orange tree so i'll see if his has branches. 

i'll make a new thread then tomorrow, we have visitors over so i can't be on much. i've noticed that she has been gnawing on the cuttle bone and from what i've saw she hasn't been picking at her poop as much ^^

i think i can pretty much pet her now without any issues  when i open her cage she puts her head down and lets me rub it  i think thursday i'll try to take her out. or maybe even tomorrow, it depends on when the visitors leave. thank you so much for the help Jess


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## jesse1535

I made her a foraging tray and after a while she started to use it  I gave her her second one yesterday and this morning I caught her playing with the paper rather than eat her poop  She's also gotten into the habit of mimicking me  When I turn my head one way, she turns it that way as well lol Its so cute! I know females cannot talk, but can they whistle? I can't whistle, but maybe if I put some whistling birds on and act like I'm doing it will she? 

I put her mirror in today as well. She hasn't played with it yet, but she watches me when I move the beads around.


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## jessnry

Hooray! Sounds like the two of you are making excellent progress! :clap: Some females _might_ whistle. My last female could wolf-whistle. Oh, if Pito is starting to get a little nesty with the foraging tray, try to remove any paper, string, etc. that she might use for a nest. This may not happen though, as she is going through so many changes right now. Still, no good having her lay eggs if you can help it...

And this might seem like a strange suggestion, but have you looked for perches/toys at Wal-Mart? I was just there the other day, and wandered into the pets section, and they had some surprisingly nice perches and toys! :blink: Everything was under $4, and the toys were under $2. I bought a couple of rope perches and a toy for my birds for almost half of what I'd pay at the petstore. Maybe the Wal-Mart here just happens to have good stuff, but it's worth checking out for sure. Give Pito some head scritches for me!


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## jesse1535

Aw man I wonder if I could teach her how to whistle  That'd be so cool lol She doesn't use nest for some reason, I've tried to make her several and she never even went in them  I've also tried throwing strings and paper around and she didn't do anything with it lol But thanks for the suggestion, I'll keep an eye on it ^^ So far all of the paper has just wound up on the floor of her cage. And this morning, I saw she used her mirror  I had the beads in a set position and one of them was moved 

Yup I've checked Walmart. That was actually the first place I looked, and their perches were the same prices as the ones at Petsmart xD I went to the one by dad's house so I'll go to the one by my house and see if they're better cuz I reallllllly need perches lol

She was doing something really weird this morning :huh: I got a video of it and I'm gonna upload it after I post this, but I think she's been plucking herself which is what I think she was trying to do this morning. I'm not really sure what she was doing, but she was pissy because if it. Its the first time I've ever seen her do it, and because of whatever she was doing I realized she's plucked (or molted...?) herself in several places. Butttt the thing is I've never seen feathers on the cage floor, so I didn't even realize it  She's plucked a lil abover her vent area, almost completley under her wings, above her tail (her wings covered this part) and a lil bit along the top of her wing. As I said before, I've never seen feathers, although now that I think about it sometimes while preening herself she'll make a noise as if in pain...Is she plucking? I think I got a video of the noise she makes, not sure.

Edit: Just checked Walmart's site and it said that prices may vary from store to store for the perches xD That kinda sucks lol


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## jesse1535

Ok they finally uploaded, took a while..Anyone know wazzup or am I over reacting? 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y0ghVeEA2T8 
At :51 you can sorta see what she's doin' and you can really see it at 1:07, I'm not really sure what she's doin :/

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I6alXxeuSK0
She does it almost immediately in this one..


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## jessnry

Oh that's not good!  Pito needs to get to an avian vet asap!! Her appearance and behavior are very concerning. I think you should also repost this last bit in our Cockatiel Health thread. Several things could be going on here, including egg binding


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## lperry82

I totally agree get her to the vet asap as she don't look good at all


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## Virtue

What's going on Jess?

Your post is a bit contradictory "I think her wings need to be clipped" but at the same time "I feel so bad for her, she never gets a chance to fly around and stuff".

Remember she might get to be 25-30 years of age if taken care of. Some thing you'll need to buy to improve her life:

1. Big cage
2. Natural perches (the thicker the better) don't ever use any perches with sandpaper unless it is pumice stone which is natural
3. More toys (preferably shreddable), toys with bells and stuff
4. A swing
5. Cuttlebone and mineral block

She is eating her poo because she is lacking vitamin D3 which is produced by the body from exposure to natural sun from UVA UVB radiation. 

Also, nobody follows these birds around the bush in Australia with a nail clipper or with scissors so something like this would be best for her nails AND beak (medium size) http://www.petsolutions.com/storefr...perches/bamboo-perches/prodBambooPerches.html

Last but not least, I won't get into the clipping wings debate because opinions are like youknowwhat...everyone's got one but since birds or animals can't express themselves we decide what's best for them when each person and each animal is an individual but w/e I won't get into that.


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## MeanneyFids

if shes eating her poo and plucking under her wings.... those are signs of giardia. i would bring her to the vet...

and please virtue stop pushing your opinion against clipping on others. let them choose, its their choice, theres no right or wrong with it.

and nails in captivity SHOULD be clipped. no one follows them in the wild to be clipped because they walk on stone, branches, and generally keep their own nails down. in captivity they dont have that. and they are BORN in captivity... not the wild, so why should we treat them as such? in the wild they dont live in people's homes or in cages nor have toys... does this mean we should stop doing all of this?

and those perches ARE sandpaper perches and DO abrade the feet... theyre just as bad. the BEST perches to keep nails from over growing are natural branches. sandpaper perches and the like are terrible on the feet. and if they eat the abrasive stuff off those perches they can get crop impactions...


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## Virtue

DallyTsuka said:


> if shes eating her poo and plucking under her wings.... those are signs of giardia. i would bring her to the vet...
> 
> and please virtue stop pushing your opinion against clipping on others. let them choose, its their choice, theres no right or wrong with it.
> 
> and nails in captivity SHOULD be clipped. no one follows them in the wild to be clipped because they walk on stone, branches, and generally keep their own nails down. in captivity they dont have that. and they are BORN in captivity... not the wild, so why should we treat them as such? in the wild they dont live in people's homes or in cages nor have toys... does this mean we should stop doing all of this?
> 
> and those perches ARE sandpaper perches and DO abrade the feet... theyre just as bad. the BEST perches to keep nails from over growing are natural branches. sandpaper perches and the like are terrible on the feet. and if they eat the abrasive stuff off those perches they can get crop impactions...


*Giardia in birds*

What are the symptoms of Giardia in birds?
In some companion birds Giardia may induce pruritis (itching), causing a bird to scream and pull feathers. There is a common giardia picking pattern, which usually involves the chest, underside of the wings, insides of the thighs, shoulders and sometimes the lower back region. Some birds may show signs of dry flaky skin or act as though they have fleas. They may exhibit what is known as “pica,” appearing as if they are licking non-food items, like toys, perches, etc. The stools may be loose, foul smelling, or oily-looking, or they may be passing whole seeds or undigested foods in their droppings. Additionally giardia may cause mortality of baby birds in the nest. Often the babies will be very thin, have poor feathering and continually cry to be fed. Many won’t make it to fledging. 
Some birds may never display visual symptoms, yet may have signs of loose droppings, weakness, anorexia, depression, and weight loss. A solitary companion home may harbor giardia for long periods of time before showing signs of illness. A multiple companion family may all harbor this monster parasite with only a couple showing visible signs of distress. This is another reason Giardia is so hard to treat. Many times companions are treated individually. It is my personal opinion that the whole flock needs to be treated if it is a multiple bird home. At one time, Giardia was thought to be carried only by the smaller birds such as cockatiels, budgies, lovebirds, etc. However, in the past several years has it come to the attention of vets and caregivers that the larger species are susceptible as well. Unfortunately, Giardia thinks of them all as wonderful hosts. Another problem Giardia causes is the compromising of the immune system, leaving it unable to ward off secondary infections such as bacterial or fungal infections. (Source: Google search "Giardia in birds signs and symptoms).

*Why do Cockatiels eat their own droppings?
*

A bird eating its own droppings is a sign of a mineral deficiency. You should provide a mineral or iodine block which can be purchased from your local pet store. (Source: Dr. Hugh Upjohn

Dr. Upjohn graduated in 1979 from the Ontario Veterinary College. He enjoys handling chall- enging internal medicine cases, particularly cases involving exotic animal patients. As well as caring for dogs and cats, Dr. Upjohn is well trained in caring for birds, rabbits, reptiles and a wide range of exotic pets.
Dr. Upjohn is a past president of the Vancouver Academy of Veterinarians, and is a member of the following associations:
Canadian Veterinary Medical Association
British Columbia Veterinary Medical Association
American Animal Hospital Association
CARDIOPET (Cardiovascular Consultants)
Association of Avian Veterinarians
Association of Reptile and Amphibian Veterinarians)

*Nail clipping article*

Using a concrete perch in the cage can help to file nails. Don't use sandpaper perch covers -- they're irritating. Place a concrete perch in an area of the cage that will get a lot of use, such as near the food dishes.

When you notice that your bird's nails are getting too long, you can take him to the vet to have them trimmed. Vets generally charge $15 to $20 for a nail trim. There, your vet can show you how to trim nails at home.

Difficulty: Average
Time Required: 10-20 minutes depending on the size and temperament of the bird.

Here's How:

1. Locate the toenail's blood source, if you can. Like humans, the bird's toenail has a blood source (the quick) that will bleed if cut. If you're trimming at home, you'll need to take care to avoid cutting into the quick. In pink nails (such as on the Lutino Cockatiel) you can clearly see the quick (it's dark pink or red), but it's difficult or impossible to see on dark nails.

2. Use scissors made for dogs and cats (or birds if you can find them). These clippers will be rounded so that you can just put the tip of the nail through the hole and clip. Just be sure that if you have nail trimmers for your dog or cat that you get a separate trimmer for your bird. Don't use the same nail trimmer for all your pets. 

3. Obtain a good clotting powder, like Styptic Powder, or flour/cornstarch. You can use this to stop any bleeding. Do not use Styptic Powder on skin, as it will burn. Only use it on toenails. 

4. Get a towel large enough to wrap around your bird's body. Don't let it be so long that it gets in the way. 

5. One person should towel the bird. Take the towel and wrap it around so that each end meets near the bird's belly. Your index finger and thumb finger of one hand should be around the bird's neck, just under her beak. This will stop her from biting you. Do not compress the bird's belly! Birds do not have a diaphragm like humans, and if they cannot expand and contract their bodies to breathe, they can suffocate. Your other hand should be loosely around the bird's body just above her legs. 

6. The second person should gently extend one toe at a time for clipping. Do not pull too hard on the toes or foot; these limbs are so delicate and tiny that too much pressure can break them. Be very gentle. The bird will struggle. A gentle but firm grip can get the job done. 

7. Using the nail clippers, take off a very small amount of nail on each foot to avoid cutting into the blood supply. Taking off the sharp edge will help to dull the nail. 

8. If you do cut into the quick and the nail bleeds, wet the tip of your finger and dip it into the Styptic Powder, or the flour or cornstarch. Then dot the powder onto the nail, packing it in lightly. The bleeding should stop. If the blood flow is heavy and it doesn't stop after packing it with powder, call your vet. Birds can die quickly from blood loss. 

9. After each nail has been clipped, gently release the bird. She will probably be disoriented and stressed out. Keep her calm, return her to her cage and give her a treat. Make sure she's warm and comfortable. If you stopped any bleeding before, check on her periodically to make sure she hasn't started bleeding again.

Tips:

1. Use nail clippers designed specifically for birds. You can also use nail clippers for cats (the rounded kind), just make sure you buy a separate clipper for your bird. 
2. Keep a blood clotting powder on hand at all times, and not just for clipping. You can buy commercial Styptic Powder, or you can also use flour and cornstarch.
3. NEVER use Styptic Powder on skin! It will burn!
4. Always use two people when clipping nails. One will hold the bird, the other will clip the nails.
5. Give your bird a treat after the clipping is over. She'll be frightened from being restrained and need reassurance that everything is ok.

What You Need:

•Nail clippers designed for pets
•A towel just large enough to wrap about your bird's body
•A blood clotting powder like flour, cornstarch, or Styptic Powder










Source: http://thetrueparrot.homestead.com/howtonails.html

Now, do you _honestly_ believe the _average_ person knows how to do this properly? 

Here are a few examples: "Don't ingest a suppository" "Don't wash your electric toothbrush in the dishwasher" "Don't use spermicides as a bread spread as in don't eat it". You get my point, yes?

Also, there is a huge difference between sand paper and natural pumice stone. The word _natural_ comes to mind.

No, they do not abrade their feet in any way, shape or form and here is why:










Their feet touch the top part and only their nails will come in contact with the pumice stone. Pumice stone is safe to ingest as cockatiels are ground eaters. I've used these perches with budgies for 14 years and they would always grind their beaks on it after they ate veggies or fruits. 

It is made of 100% natural uncoated, untreated bamboo and also the pumice stone is NOT glued onto it.

*Pumice stone*

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pumice

*Sandpaper*

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sandpaper

I am not pushing my opinion on wing clipping on others. I am merely STATING the dangers involved and WHY it should not be taken as a joke! I am also discussing the pro and cons of wing clipping. I live in a free country where I can express my opinions freely. I am in no way putting a gun to anyone's head and say don't clip.


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## roxy culver

> appearing as if they are licking non-food items


Poop is considered a non-food item correct? So with the plucked looking feathers under the wing this could still be giardia and the bird should still see the vet.


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## Virtue

*Wing clipping*

Wing Clipping Techniques have been developed by a wide number of individuals around the world, this article is a summary of the better points which should be taken into consideration prior to clipping.

I have personally seen birds which look mutilated, birds with one wing clipped which disorientates the poor bird, and in one extreme case a bird which had its wing joint cut through in effect cutting off the end of the wing .

A Psittacine which has been correctly clipped should sustain no damage or ill effect from the process, and should glide gracefully to the ground and have enough feathers to break its fall. If too many feathers are clipped or even cut too short, the result can be injuries to the keel bone, leg fractures or even worse.

Veterinarians worldwide have long since realized that the very different environments and lifestyles in which parrot species are kept in captivity, can contribute to stress related disorders such as feather plucking and self mutilation, lack of exercise can cause obesity and fatty liver syndrome, so the reason for clipping a birds wings must be a balance between safety, breeding considerations and most of all the health of the bird.

It has been shown that if baby parrots are wing clipped before learning to fly , they may never develop takeoff and landing skills, which help the young birds develop balance and an overall grace and agility that is often lacking in birds that never fly prior to clipping.

The main purpose of wing clipping is not to render a bird flightless but to prevent upward and rapid flight, (i.e. a cock bird in breeding condition chasing and in some cases killing the hen, or a pet bird given free flight in the home with its many dangers to birds in full powered flight) It would also assist with the re-capture of any escaped birds, which in turn would stop non-indigenous species adapting and breeding in the countryside, which is against the law in most countries.

Wing clipping is safe when performed properly. Larger parrots typically require fewer feathers to be clipped than smaller birds, whose lift is more easily generated due to their size .

How do you clip your Parrot's wings? Assuming that your parrot is an adult and already knows how to fly, your best option is to find a Vet., who is experienced in the art of wing clipping.

However should you decide to carry out the clipping yourself, which is not recommended, some preparatory work is required.

Start by obtaining a competent assistant, who as well as yourself understands the wing shape and terminology of its feathers . The primary coverts, secondary feathers and secondary coverts on both wings should never be clipped.

When the wings are clipped, proper restraint should be applied. The bird's chest must not be restricted, because it cannot breathe. The head , both feet, and opposite wing should be well restrained for the bird's safety. This is best performed by your assistant who can gently wrap the bird in a towel and hold it by the neck, stomach down. Carefully extricate one wing so you are looking down on the top, this wing should be held at the base of the humerus, and not by the feathers, as injury could occur if the bird should flap this held wing.

Scissors of any description are not recommended for wing clipping for several reasons. If the bird flaps its wing while the feathers are being clipped, the point of the scissors can cause injury. It is also more difficult to obtain an accurate cut with scissors, as they can slide up and down the feather shaft, and also do not make a fast and clean cut. It has been found that using proper specialist animal claw clippers results in a fast, effective and accurate cut .

Improperly clipped parrots, especially African Greys and Cockatoos, appear to become irritated by half-clipped feather shafts poking them when their wings are at rest, this could lead to feather-plucking problems. Each feather should be clipped below the level of the first vein and barb, and well below the level of the primary coverts over them.

Some owners prefer that the last three primary feathers (P10, P9, P8) on each wing are left intact for aesthetic reasons. If these feather are left it gives the appearance of the wing being intact when the wings are at rest. However some parrots who are strong fliers may gain enough lift to still retain the ability to fly. Also, these primaries if left are likely to sustain damage or even break.

If you intend leaving the last three primary feathers, then clip the next four primary feathers ( P7, P6, P5, P4.), if not remove the first four primary feathers (P7, P8, P9, & P10.), carry out the identical process on the other wing.

Each feather shaft should be individually isolated and identified, then grasped by the clippers and swiftly cut, at the same time ensuring you do not cut the overlaying primary covert feathers.

After this initial clipping, the bird should be tested, to see if more primary feathers need to be removed. This is best carried out indoors over a carpeted area, start by holding bird on a perch or your hand, then quickly drop the perch or hand downwards, causing the bird to flap its wings and try to fly. Additional clipping should be based on the birds ability to gain lift or fly horizontally. It is essential to clip conservatively and remove additional feathers as needed, once removed they can only be replaced at the next moult.

If on the initial inspection of the wing prior to clipping , any blood feathers are found then clipping should not take place until these blood feathers have matured, usually several weeks. You will recognize these blood feathers from others as they contain a dark purple or black shaft which is blood.

*Wing clipping is not for the inexperienced, and is best carried out by a trained avian veterinarian, many will be prepared to give hands on experience.*

*Source* http://www.theparrotsocietyuk.org/index.php/Wing Clipping/178

The only thing I ever did was raise *self-awareness* in order to prevent accidents from happening in the first place (dog or cat biting your bird or stepping on it if its wings are clipped).


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## Virtue

roxy culver said:


> Poop is considered a non-food item correct? So with the plucked looking feathers under the wing this could still be giardia and the bird should still see the vet.


Not if the bird is lacking vital minerals. Cockatiels are known poop eaters as well. A various number of things could be wrong with a neglected bird but only tests can pinpoint the exact issue.


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## roxy culver

Exactly which is why the bird should see a vet, its better to be safe than sorry right? Whether its a lack of minerals or something worse its best to find out!


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## Virtue

Have fun and God bless. Let's let 17 year olds act as vets. All the best~


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## jesse1535

Virtue, what I meant by clipping her wings and feeling bad about how she can't fly around, I meant that while I do feel bad that she can't fly around, I may get her wings clipped anyways so that she'll be able to have free range of the house without me worrying about her flying into a fan; which she has done before and thank God she was fine. And I actually am planning on getting her a bigger cage  I'm just waiting for a job which I should be getting soon. And she hates swings, she had one in her cage for the longest time but was always afraid to use it lol And thank you so much for all of the info, it really helped a lot  

Since I gave her the cuttle bone her poop eating has decreased by a lot, I still see her do it but no where near as often as she used to. I'm gonna try to take her to the bird store Monday, I'll get her wings and nails clipped and then I'll see what they recommend for her (what mineral blocks would be good etc). I'll also see if they have pellets there because my pet store doesn't have them. I think they have a vet there also so maybe the vet will see her. If they don't have a vet, I'll talk to my mom about an appointment. I sold some rabbits yesterday so I have about $65, will that be enough for a vet? If not she may have to wait for the weekend cuz thats when my mom gets paid. Sooo while we're waiting for the vet what can I do to make her more comfortable? And how do I take her around with me :blink: Like in a pet taxi or something? 

Thank you so much for the help!!


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## MeanneyFids

a pet carrier will work just fine

and if you have to wait for the weekend, thats fine too, as 65 wont cut it. the vet appointment itself will use that money or more. plus if theres something going on and she needs medicine, it will cost more.

i would call your avian vets and find out how much they charge for a visit. and avian vets are better to go to in these situations


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## Virtue

jesse1535 said:


> Virtue, what I meant by clipping her wings and feeling bad about how she can't fly around, I meant that while I do feel bad that she can't fly around, I may get her wings clipped anyways so that she'll be able to have free range of the house without me worrying about her flying into a fan; which she has done before and thank God she was fine. And I actually am planning on getting her a bigger cage  I'm just waiting for a job which I should be getting soon. And she hates swings, she had one in her cage for the longest time but was always afraid to use it lol And thank you so much for all of the info, it really helped a lot
> 
> Since I gave her the cuttle bone her poop eating has decreased by a lot, I still see her do it but no where near as often as she used to. I'm gonna try to take her to the bird store Monday, I'll get her wings and nails clipped and then I'll see what they recommend for her (what mineral blocks would be good etc). I'll also see if they have pellets there because my pet store doesn't have them. I think they have a vet there also so maybe the vet will see her. If they don't have a vet, I'll talk to my mom about an appointment. I sold some rabbits yesterday so I have about $65, will that be enough for a vet? If not she may have to wait for the weekend cuz thats when my mom gets paid. Sooo while we're waiting for the vet what can I do to make her more comfortable? And how do I take her around with me :blink: Like in a pet taxi or something?
> 
> Thank you so much for the help!!


No worries, sorry if I came out a little rough...as for carrier I don't recommend you carry it in a cage and here's why: it will get scared on its way to the vet and start to flap its wings thus hurting or breaking them in the carrier bars. The carrier needs to be something like this: http://www.petsmart.com/product/index.jsp?productId=4328302

Even if it flaps or gets scared it's soft enough and it's dark, thus calming your bird. If you're short on money...you can use something like a box (make sure you drill holes in it) and place a soft cloth for her to sit on...an old cotton shirt works. She's a sweetheart your birdie.


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## jesse1535

Tis fine Virtue, you're just worried about Pito, its understandable 

Dally, how much do you think it would cost lol I was hoping the $65 and maybe a lil more would be enough xD I'll get some numbers and call around, I don't even know if there are any avian vets around me lol 

I have something like the pic you posted Virtue, but its narrow, she won't have room to flap her wings at all. Would that be ok? I'm not even sure if I'm gonna use that one because I think its a lil open at the top, I gotta check again. I use it to bring my Bearded Dragons into places where they're not allowed  If can't use that, I was thinking I could even put a perch in the pet taxi so that she would have something to hang onto in the car ride, and line it with fleece? If not I'll get a box.


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## Virtue

jesse1535 said:


> Tis fine Virtue, you're just worried about Pito, its understandable
> 
> Dally, how much do you think it would cost lol I was hoping the $65 and maybe a lil more would be enough xD I'll get some numbers and call around, I don't even know if there are any avian vets around me lol
> 
> I have something like the pic you posted Virtue, but its narrow, she won't have room to flap her wings at all. Would that be ok? I'm not even sure if I'm gonna use that one because I think its a lil open at the top, I gotta check again. I use it to bring my Bearded Dragons into places where they're not allowed  If can't use that, I was thinking I could even put a perch in the pet taxi so that she would have something to hang onto in the car ride, and line it with fleece? If not I'll get a box.


Yes, that's fine. She won't flap her wings if you're gentle with the box and since it's dark she'll just sit on the bottom and sleep. No need for any perch. Depends on where you live, do a Google search for a veterinary hospital and call and tell them your problem and ask for an avian vet. It shouldn't cost a lot. Here in Canada it's pretty cheap. Cats and dogs cost way more than a little bird such as a cockatiel. Box with a few holes on top (use a screwdriver to punch holes) and a shirt inside to sit on will be comfy enough. If it's just a check-up it should be less than $60...way less.


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## jesse1535

Ok then, I'll have a look at the carrier tomorrow (its at my mom's and I'm at dad's) but if not, I'll find a box somewhere. Thanks again for the help!

I'm planning on going to the pet store tomorrow since the bird store is closed on Sundays, and I was gonna get her this 
http://www.petsmart.com/product/index.jsp?productId=2752077
Do you think it would help her until I can get her to the vet? I know it won't cure it but maybe make it less itchy and such? What else should I get her that may help?
Pellets are on the list. I saw that Petsmart has this
http://www.petsmart.com/product/index.jsp?productId=3381590&lmdn=Pet+Type
I'm gonna go to a couple stores tomorrow so if I see this it'll be ok to get? Anything else? I'm also gonna go to Walmart and check prices on perches.

Oh and I forgot to ask, what causes giardia? I read that it was due to contaminated water but how would the water contain the parasite? She gets purified water and she's the only bird thats been in my house besides a Quaker Parrot we used to have..But they never had any contact and their cages were far apart from each other


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## roxy culver

How long have you had her? If only a short time she could've gotten it from the pet store. Or, it could be from the bowls you put her water in especially if they're plastic. Plastic bowls get scratches which will hold bacteria and can't be cleaned very well. Ceramic or steal ones work better.


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## jesse1535

i'm not really sure when i got her..i know i had her pretty much my whole life, so i've had her maybe 10 years. she came from my grandama's friend who used to breed them, we got her as a baby. she's had a water bottle her whole life and she still has the same bottle she's used all these years. its plastic though, could that be it? she does have a plastic food bowl though

i got permission from my mom to take her to the vet this weekend :3 we're gonna try to get her wings and nails done tomorrow as well. i'm going to the pet store and walmart now to get food and hopefully a perch as well


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## jessnry

Awesome!  I'm so glad you're getting her to the vet! The vet can also trim Pito's wings and nails -- some include it in the appointment price. How's little Pito doing, by the way? Still eating ok?

If Pito's water bottle is 8 or 9 years old, I imagine that might be where the germs could come from. We used to use water bottles too, but I found that they can be hard to scrub clean. Water bowls get dirtier quicker, but they're easier to clean, and allow the bird to bathe if they want (or just fling water everywhere like mine, lol). Oh! And you mentioned that you had chickens right? I used to have them too -- we had Americanas  I remember we had to very careful about exposing our tiels to any lice, disease, etc. that could come from the chickens. Maybe Pito could have caught something from them somehow...? 

Your vet will be able to answer a lot of these questions though. Good luck finding perches! And feel better, Pito


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## MeanneyFids

good information, jessnry!


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## Virtue

Excellent


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## jesse1535

Jess: Yup I have chickens but they're at my dad's house and Pito is at my mom's so they've never even seen each other. I have an Americana-Mix








I love her  She looks mean but she's actually a softy xD

Hmm so I should buy her a new water bottle? If so, I'll get one at the bird store tomorrow, stores are closed. I've raised squirrels and rabbits before so I have this hugeeee bottle scrub thing that I used to clean the bottles out. I can use to clean her water bottle in the mean time ^^ 

Ah I actually got her a perch today  Walmart had it for $5 hehe. Speaking of which, I also bought her a new ceramic bowl, a mineral block/cuttle bone, that feather/plummage thing I mentioned above and her perch  I didn't get food today, on the site it said it was $5 but it was $15 in store O.O Mom said the bird store may have it cheaper so I'll check if they have it cheaper there. If not I'll just get it online. I also gave her a foraging thing today. Anddddddd she had her one hour play date today  She's a natural at step up, she feels kinda insecure sometimes but she got it right from the start. Probably in a couple days she'll have it 100% mastered  While we weren't practicing that, she would itch and stuff so I tried to pet her as much as possible to get her mind off it. Mom came in and gave me some french fries and Pito surprised me by coming onto my lap and trying to get one xD It was funny cuz she only ate the corners (the crunchy parts lol!) After I put her away, I came back a couple minutes later and I saw her playing with the mirror again. After that she went over and started fishing around for paper towels  No poo-fishing this time lol

Here are some pics for ya'll 













































^ You can kinda see a bald spot right above the wing

And I dunno if ya'll wanted to see her poo just to make sure its ok  But I got ya'll some nice poop pics just in case 


























^ She was above the floor on my hand when I felt her getting ready to poo so I moved her over the bed and it splattered on the floor which is why its splattered and such lol 

Oh and about the vet. My friend's vet is free for your first visit, and they have an avian vet (supposedly) soooo I'm gonna check their site tonight and hopefully they'll have an avian vet. So that means I'll only have to pay for meds >w<

Edit: They do do birds there but I didn't see that coupon thing where your first visit is free  I hope she isn't lying lol I'll call tomorrow to check and to make her appointment for over the weekend


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## MeanneyFids

the chicken is adorable!!

and your tiel is cute too! im no poop expert so i cant really see anything too special there. its always good to get plucking checked out


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## Virtue

Wish her good health and long happy life!

On the other hand, that chicken looks just yummy...


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## jessnry

What a lovely chicken!  they make such great pets... well, the calm/nice ones do, anyway.

Aww Pito is just so cute!  She sounds so sweet too -- it's good to hear that she's making progress. How's she liking her new perch and the rest of her new cage setup? Yup, I'm no expert in poop-ology either, so I can't really say one way or the other. She definitely needs a vet visit, and probably medicine (lucky you for maybe getting a free first vet visit --that's a good deal!).

In the meantime with Pito, maybe you could try this to help with her discomfort: Either in her cage or with you, take Pito into a bathroom and run the shower so that it gets nice and steamy. Let Pito just relax for about 10min or so. Stay with her though, and make sure she doesn't get overheated. And don't try to get her near the shower or anything -- it might stress her out too much. The steam should soothe her skin and feathers, and the warmth is good for her too. I've done this before with my tiels when they were sick and it helps  I would also keep Pito away from any drafts (esp. open windows and swamp coolers). Keeping the temp. a little warmer than usual can go a long way in helping a sick tiel too -- they spend a great deal of energy regulating their body temp.


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## jesse1535

Dally: Aw thank you  Her name's Mallow hehe

Virtue: Thats so mean lol We don't eat ours, they're layers and pets  So no Mallow for you 

Jess: Luckily mine are all pretty calm ^^ My Silkie used to sit in my lap and watch tv with me. But then the flock accepted her so she likes to hang out with the cool chickens now lol

I haven't seen her on the perch, when I put her away today I put her on it and she very skillfully maneuvered herself up and off the perch xD But like the mirror and forage tray, I'm sure that will change over time. Although, the past couple times I've walked past her cage tonight, I noticed she was sleeping hanging onto the cage bars o.o I think its cuz the new perch is above her other perch which is where she sleeps so if she does it tomorrow too I'll move it cuz she seems very uncomfortable. I noticed that she'll do that every time I add something new to the cage so maybe its stress?

Oh and thank you for the advice, I'll definatley try that tomorrow  I'll probably do it after we get back from nail/wing clipping? Maybe it would help calm her down after going through all that. Or would it be better to let her calm down in her cage? :huh: And no worries about her being near a draft or open window, the room she is in has none of those and when she is in my room my window is always closed ^^

Although what you said about open windows reminded me of something :O Sometimes while I was at school, my grandma would clean her cage for me and sometimes she would put Pito outside while she was cleaning it. We have loads of wild birds out here, do you think she could've gotten it from them or something? Also, maybe being outside the water bottle got more bacteria


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## MeanneyFids

the wild birds are a possibility. water bottles generally are hard to keep clean. i hate them lol same with the silo style ones. hate them too. just breeding ground for bacteria. you can clean the glass or plastic, but can you clean the ball and metal part? thats the problem... so difficult lol

it could be from the water bottle, it can be from the wild birds. you may not ever know.


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## jesse1535

Mmm ok thanks for the info Tsuka  So then it would be better for me to get her a water dish? If so I'll try to talk mom into it, she's always been against having water bowls in a cage. Apparently her first Tiel fell off his perch sleeping and fell into his water dish and broke his neck and drowned. Or maybe it was a parakeet...Hmm..I dunno, I only know that it happened to one of her birds or something. Poor thing 

Oh and looking at your siggy reminded me of something, can Chinchillas get Giardia too? My Chinnie shares a room with me and thats where Pito is gonna start hanging out, and I can't afford another vet visit lol
And your kittie Gylfie is named from the Elf Owl in Guardians of Ga'Hoole? Love those books hehe  Movie kinda sucked though lol


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## MeanneyFids

ANY animal, including humans can get giardia. number one cause is usually dirty/contaminated drinking water (or bacteria in certain water dispensers). but i dont think the chin will get it as long as you dont let them share water or get into contact with the tiel's poop. but no garantee it is giardia, you will need to get some tests done at the vet (giardia doesnt always show on every test so keep that in mind) to confirm it. but its suspected.

i would suggest a different water system.

if shes worried about that happening again, here's a compromise. cant fall in it, but its easy to clean 
http://www.petsmart.com/product/index.jsp?productId=2754614


and yes, gylfie is named after my favourite character from guardians.


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## jesse1535

Okie dokie thanks for the advice! Hopefully a vet will be able to tell us whats wrong with her, and how to cure it. 

Oh my cousin has one of those for her parakeet! I didn't even think about that lol Thank you so much xD I'll grab one at the bird store tomorrow as well 

Aw I used to have two butterflies names Gylfie and Soren


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## MeanneyFids

thats awesome lol

good luck and keep us updated on what the vet says


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## Virtue

jesse1535 said:


> Okie dokie thanks for the advice! Hopefully a vet will be able to tell us whats wrong with her, and how to cure it.
> 
> Oh my cousin has one of those for her parakeet! I didn't even think about that lol Thank you so much xD I'll grab one at the bird store tomorrow as well
> 
> Aw I used to have two butterflies names Gylfie and Soren


I was only teasing you Jess ^.~ I had a pet chicken (hen) when I was a boy...grew up on a farm. Pito <3


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## jesse1535

Thanks for the luck Dally, of course I'll keep ya'll updated  I just wish I could take her sooner :/

Yah I knew you were teasing Virtue lol People joke with me all the time about eating my animals because I raise rabbits and now I have chickens  I get it a lot! I wish I grew up on a farm, I live in the city and I hate it here. I wanna hopefully move into the country once I graduate..Do you think Pito would like to live on a farm? lol!


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## jesse1535

Oh and btw, do Tiels like mealworms or crickets? My Quaker used to eat them when he was in the mood. When he wasn't he would just take the heads off and throw the bodies out of his cage xD


Edit: D'aw she's still hanging onto the corner of her cage 









Thats how she was all night and probably all morning


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## jesse1535

The bird store will do Pito's wings and nails on Saturday, apparently they only do cockatiels on certain days from 1-4pm and today and Saturday are the only days they can do her this week, but mom doesn't get off work until 5. But we're going today to try to find food and the water thingy. 

I tried the shower thing that Jess suggested yesterday. It worked awesome! I had her in my room for about 45min and all she was doing was itching and preening. So I let the water run for a couple minutes and then I took her in there with me and she loved it  I put her on the towel rack which is next to the shower, and she didn't itch once! I even flicked a little bit of water on her from time to time and she didn't mind it. She was kinda surprised by it, but she didn't freak out or fly away. She fluffed up once and then didn't do it again, cuz I think fluffing up hurts her sometimes. I'm gonna try to do this twice, if not once a day until she gets better (which will hopefully be soon!)


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## Virtue

jesse1535 said:


> The bird store will do Pito's wings and nails on Saturday, apparently they only do cockatiels on certain days from 1-4pm and today and Saturday are the only days they can do her this week, but mom doesn't get off work until 5. But we're going today to try to find food and the water thingy.
> 
> I tried the shower thing that Jess suggested yesterday. It worked awesome! I had her in my room for about 45min and all she was doing was itching and preening. So I let the water run for a couple minutes and then I took her in there with me and she loved it  I put her on the towel rack which is next to the shower, and she didn't itch once! I even flicked a little bit of water on her from time to time and she didn't mind it. She was kinda surprised by it, but she didn't freak out or fly away. She fluffed up once and then didn't do it again, cuz I think fluffing up hurts her sometimes. I'm gonna try to do this twice, if not once a day until she gets better (which will hopefully be soon!)


Hello Jess,

Mealworms are okay as a once in a while treat (as they contain a lot of proteins). Hope all is well with both of you. When are you taking her to see Mr. Bird Dr.? 

I suggest this food as it contains everything you can ask for a cockatiel:

I'd give it 6 stars if I could. Both are excellent and I have both the natural and fruit flavoured and my tiles LOVE it.

Here is the link Jess and it's called *Zupreem*

http://www.petsolutions.com/storefr...Bird-cfood-ccockatielLovebird-b100102-p1.html


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## MeanneyFids

i agree with what virtue said on the mealworms.

just if you give pellets remember no mealworms or egg because that will be too much protein


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## jesse1535

Sorry this late, our internet went BOOM and it just came back.

Ok so now for some updates! I went to the bird store on Monday and got Zupreem and the water thing. I'd actually been looking into getting Zupreem, I was just trying to get a cheaper price on it xD I bought her a lil bag of it at the bird store and I've been mixing it in with her food so I can slowly wean her off the seeds, is that ok? And I don't think she'd eat the worms anyways, I was just asking. A while ago I had bought a huge box of them for my lizards, but I had a bunch left so I fed some to the Quaker parrot and my squirrels. The Quaker would bite the heads off and throw the bodies out of his cage and the squirrels didn't really like them (they would normally bite the heads off and throw the rest out as well!) so I don't think I bothered to give any to Pito. She doesn't like fruits or veggies either, but its strange cuz one time she ate ham or turkey, I forgot what I gave her but she ate it lol 
Oh and about the vet, mom asked the people at the bird store if they could tell us what she has when we bring her in, and they said that they could probably help us so now mom wants to wait to hear what the they say before we take her. I'm gonna try to convince her otherwise, but we'll see <_<


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## SallyLovesMojo

I'm so glad you're finally wanting to take care of her more properly, it would be a shame for such a wonderful bird to not have a happy life that she deserves. I just got a cockatiel from a lady that didn't handle him much and didn't let him out of the cage much. within a week i was able to hand feed him, teach him to step up, and be more comfortable around everyone in the house. I still have a lot of training to do because he's still not completely comfortable with us but we definitely have a wonderful start. I was in your shoes just a week ago and i fallowed the same exact advise these wonderful people have given you. It takes time and patients but i promise you it's totally worth it. Good luck!


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## MeanneyFids

pet stores dont know much about birds, theyre not vets. she needs to be seen by a proper avian vet and they would have to do tests to figure out if theres any medical cause for the baldness on her wings. the petstore, hate to say it, will likely tell you mites and try to sell you some product thats not safe to use on your bird. regardless, i would not go to the pet store. they will not help you if theres something medically wrong with your bird. theyre just people, not certified vets


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## jesse1535

Thank you Sally, she is wonderful and she's getting along great due to the help of everyone 

My exact thoughts Dally, believe me when I say that I know that pet store employees know little to nothing about animals! They've told me so many wrong things before, I find it rather funny when I think about it. But I guess mom is hoping that since they're a specialty store, they'll know more about them than a regular pet store. Like I said, I'm gonna try to talk to her cuz I had the same exact thoughts you did xD And now I'm thinking her wing is bothering her, she keeps it away from her and its limp and constantly shaking. :/


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## jessnry

Sorry I'm so bad at replying these days :/ Crazy life has a way of getting in my way all the time, lol. But it sounds like you're doing such a great job with Pito, and you're getting such great advice!  I'm really glad to hear that the steam-shower trick is working so well! It also works wonders for moulting birds, especially ones that don't like to bathe much.

Yep, I completely agree with everyone that a certified avian vet is what Pito needs. Petstores just don't have the expertise -- or the supplies -- that are necessary to treat birds. And like Dally said, you could wind up with advice that does more harm than good.

Good luck with the pellets in Pito's diet  The way you're introducing them should be fine. One thing about avian vets is that they can also give you great advice on cockatiel nutrition as well. Hope Pito's feeling better!


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## jesse1535

just came back from the bird store, her wings and nails look great now! she must've done something funny while they were with her because they came out laughing..oh and i convinced mom to let me take her to the vet  the vet i want to take her to costs $60 just to look at her so i'm gonna look around for a different one. but if anything, i'm gonna try to make an appoitment after the 4th of july cuz i'm going to have more money by then. thank you so much for all of your help!!


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## MeanneyFids

$60 is not bad, thats the cheapest around here


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## jesse1535

Really :O Oh wow lol Thats expensive! Hmm...I'll call around a little bit more, as I said before I won't be able to make the appointment until after the 4th of July anyways


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## MeanneyFids

are you in the states or in canada or elsewhere? im in canada, we do have a tad bit more expensive vet prices.


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## jesse1535

I'm in the United States


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## roxy culver

Between $45 and $54 is what I normally pay for a vet visit if that helps...


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## Mentha

Wow, I want to know your vet! Around here just to see a vet is over $80. When I took my gray to the vet with pseudonomas (a similar bacteria) it was $250 for the visit, all the tests and baytril. $60 just for the baytril. I had to give that to her twice. It may be a good idea to know it can run that high if they feel tests are needed.

A few things, you mentioned filtered water, gairidia will breed in the filter itself, it also breeds in some bottled waters. I would have your water source tested as it will do no good to get meds for something that will just come back.


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## jesse1535

Gah I apologize for the late post, my internet has been down and I just got back from vacation.

I made an appointment for the vet, she's going on the 11th  I will update you with what they say. 

And thanks for the info Mentha, I'll talk to my mom about getting the water checked. I don't wanna have to keep taking her lol


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## jessnry

Awesome! Good luck with the vet visit -- I hope little Pito feels better!


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