# Fawkes's strange poop



## geenz (Apr 4, 2011)

So Fawkes pooped on me this morning, it was runny and really dark brown, he hasn't been acting strangely.

Just now he has tried to poop and it is stuck around his bottom, this time it's thick and sticky! Panicking!

This is the first poop









This is the second poop, roughly 20 minutes later











I recently put a new toy in, a rattan ball hanging toy, some of the balls are black, could this have an effect? It shouldn't make his poo sticky though, right?


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## srtiels (May 1, 2009)

it looks like there is some bleeding going on in the GI (intestinal) tract.

Take some of the poop and smear it on a white piece of paper and hold up to a strong light. if it has a rust color it is old blood, which is coming from the upper GI tract. if it is red it is blood in the lower GI tract. If it is a dark olive green this means the GI (digestive) tract is moving real slow and is absorbing harmful bacteria thru the intestinal walls.

Do you have a vet that you can go to ASAP? If you can not get to one right away, do you have any B-Complex liquid or vitamin tablets? if liquid put a couple drops in the drinking water. if tablets crush one and put 1/4 of a tablets worth of powder into 8 oz. of water. The Vitamn B will help alittle when there is blood loss.


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## geenz (Apr 4, 2011)

When I smear it on paper it's just brown like in the first photo


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## geenz (Apr 4, 2011)

He went flying yesterday and hit a door and wall, could this have caused problems??


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## srtiels (May 1, 2009)

OK....the brown, especially if it looks like choclate pudding like in the 2nd pix could be old blood, which could be from an injury in the upper GI tract if he had chewed on something that could break off sharp pieces.

The other cause for poop the color in the 1st pix would be from zinc or metal poisoning, which can also affect the kidneys and cause the urine to be tinted brown too.

If it was food related you would see changes in the poop color during the day as he ate different foods. can you look at the cage floor to see if there has been any normal colored poop from him during the day? You might want to keep him in a separate cage so that you can monitor the poop over several hours.


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## srtiels (May 1, 2009)

geenz said:


> He went flying yesterday and hit a door and wall, could this have caused problems??


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Did he hit any sharp corners? Many times if the bird crashes the wrong way, especially if the abdomen is hit hard it could cause internal bleeding.

You can check the abdomen by parting the feathers to see if the skin tone looks normal or bruised.


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## geenz (Apr 4, 2011)

Yeah I looked at the paper in their cage, and I didn't see any other poops that were abnormal, he's still wandering around the cage, eating, and preening.

Should I take him to a vet? I'm not sure if there's any open still (Saturday afternoon, most closed about an hour or two ago) but I can try an emergency number.


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## geenz (Apr 4, 2011)

No sharp corners were hit, and his tummy skin all looks an even colour, what colour is normal?


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## srtiels (May 1, 2009)

Ok....keep an eye on the droppings. If you see more of the brown droppings I would try to see a vet just to be on the safe side to find out the possible cause.


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## geenz (Apr 4, 2011)

Thanks so much, I'll keep an eye on him and see what happens, but I'll research vets just in case


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## srtiels (May 1, 2009)

geenz said:


> No sharp corners were hit, and his tummy skin all looks an even colour, what colour is normal?


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The abdomen skin tone will be a pinkish beige and semi-transparent...meaning you may be able to just barely see some intestines or organs (liver is below the rib cage) thru the skin.


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## geenz (Apr 4, 2011)

Its sort of a purplish-pinkish colour all over, I'm trying to get a photo but it's proving to be awkward :wacko:


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## geenz (Apr 4, 2011)

Well, I managed to get a couple of shots, a bit blurry since he was wiggling about though...


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## geenz (Apr 4, 2011)

He's done a couple more poops, the next two were normal, but the latest one is dark again, not runny or sticky or anything but still a lot darker than normal


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## geenz (Apr 4, 2011)

Went to the pet shop and spoke to the bird man there (and said hi to Sam the Blue Macaw!) and he gave me some Sulfa solution, which he said is a broad spectrum medication that I should give him 2 drop into his beak 3 times a day as well as treating the water. I gave Fawkes a new ladder to play on since he put up with taking the drops so well


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## srtiels (May 1, 2009)

OK....if the pix's are of the chest muscle area that looks about the normal color. It looks like your pix are of the chest, breast muscle.

But if the abdomen area, which is below the rib cage and above the vent area is that color, it is possible there was some internal bleeding causing the dark poops.


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## leeisme (Feb 4, 2011)

Good luck with fawkes


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## Jm8714 (Apr 13, 2011)

Keep us posted . Thinking of you both.


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## geenz (Apr 4, 2011)

He's been such a good boy taking his drops (even though they're red and make his little white face feathers all pink), and his poops have been normal since last night, I got him out and he pooped on my boyfriend, and he's just like "oh my god i'm not even mad that he pooed on me cuz its normal!"


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## geenz (Apr 4, 2011)

Oh and thanks so much for the well wishes guys


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## Lulu The Tiel (Apr 11, 2011)

I hope Fawkes is doing better!! Glad he is taking his drops.


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## geenz (Apr 4, 2011)

Yes he seems to be better now, not sure what may have made his poops weird but he doesn't seem worried by it, he's busy playing on his new ladder and trying to chase Jesse of the food cup full of peas at the moment


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