Liver disease and neurologic symptoms

[Sue]

Hi All,
I have a female almost 4 yrs old that was diagnosed with a liver problem last fall. I brought her to the vet as she was swollen "down there" due to a fluid build-up. The Dr removed much of the fluid with a syringe, prescribed lasik (spelling?) which would help rid her of the rest of the fluid, and lactulose. Her blood tests did not show any improvement after 5 weeks, but the Dr recommended continuing with the lactulose and to use the lasik as needed. I have also adjusted her diet to a low fat one and try to have her get more exercise.

When I read about liver disease symptoms one says neurologic problems. I see too that the lactulose helps with that. Can anyone tell me what those would be like for a bird?

Thanks for any help,
Sue

[Vegasmom]

Here's a few sites to get you started. Hope she feels better soon!

http://www.holisticbirds.com/pages/fld0502.htm

http://www.avianweb.com/liverdisease.html

http://www.exoticpetvet.net/dvms/fattyliver.html

[BirdyBirdyBirdy]

One of those pages says to seldom feed cooked rice and the other one says brown rice is a good source of biotin which is needed for a healthy liver. So which is it? My little guy loves his brown rice. He eats a little at least once a week. That same site that says to seldom feed rice also says that pasta and oats are to seldom be fed? I feed my little guy whole grain pasta usually once a week. He loves it... so how often is "seldom". Is once a week to often? I only give him a small strand of spaghetti, it's not like I give him a plate of it.

You can read 10 different website and get ten different opinions. It's all very confusing. :confused:

EDIT: I also noticed on that same site it says to moderately feed pellets and wheat bread... then says a bracket over to seldom feed pellets and never feed wheat bread? Once again which is it?

[chapala]

Whole grains, especially cooked or sprouted, provide good nutrition for parrots as part of a varied diet including fresh vegetables, etc. (check sticky in diet file). I prefer to feed a mix of grains, either sprouted or cooked, rather than just one. Brown rice actually is one of the least nutritious grains, fine to feed, but not too much and not just rice.

My sprouting mix of grains contains red and white millet, quinoa, hulled barley, spelt, kamut, wheat, buckwheat. The cooked mix I make with sweet potato, lentils and grains includes 3 or 4 different grains each time I make it. Oats are fine too - I just can't get the whole oats for sprouting, but do add rolled oats to the cooked mix.

If you're feeding a variety of natural, not processed foods, grains are a valuable part of the diet. The diet I feed has about 30% grains, 45% fresh vegetables, 15% legumes, and 5 to 10% fresh fruit.

[BirdyBirdyBirdy]

See, this is why it’s confusing. You say brown rice isn’t very nutritional and other places say it is. I’m left to wonder what’s true. Is it or isn’t? I give him about a half teaspoonful once or twice a week. Is that enough, or to little?

He's pretty good about eating his vegetables, fruits not so much. The only ones he seems to enjoy are blackberries, blueberries and strawberries.

I am definitely going to try sprouting. I think he would like that. I’ll read your topic about it. Wish me luck; I’ve never sprouted anything before. :o

Here are two more sites I stumbled upon talking about nutrition, once again they all seem to say a little something different.

http://www.parrotparrot.com/birdhealth/diet.htm (http://www.parrotparrot.com/birdhealth/diet.htm)

http://www.birdsnways.com/wisdom/ww16eii.htm (http://www.birdsnways.com/wisdom/ww16eii.htm)

Oh and best of luck to you Sue. If you gather any more info please share it.

[Sue]

Hi,
Thanks for the input. I had read a similar post by Reta earlier and have been giving a variety of sproated grains (about 8) along with brown rice and a sprouted mix of sunflower/lentil/mung bean everyday in one of her dishes. In another dish some pellets (Roudybush for avian liver disease), nutriberries, harrisons' bird bread. She doesn't much like people food, but I am now feeding these vegetables to her on top of her cage with another similar dish for her cockatiel "brother". The competition has helped to get her to eat (as he will eat it if she doesn't).

My initial question was on neurological symptoms, and I guess that is seizures, lack of muscle control. Luckily I have not seen that. She is moody at times (translates to gets pretty bite-y)
Sue

[chapala]

I think the very best nutrition information comes from Shauna at Feeding Feathers Yahoo forum. She attends avian vet conferences (she is not a vet), and has studied avian nutrition for 12 years, has a big flock of her own, plus is involved with a large parrot rescue and formulated their diets for 400 birds. In my opinion, she knows more about avian nutrition than many vets. There is a lot of diet information in the files section at FF, if you want to check it out. I also have done a lot of diet research, plus sifted through the many diet opinions on different sites, and am a mod at FF. I am in favor of a natural, fresh foods diet a la FF.

Brown rice is lower in protein than other grains. Still, it's fine to feed as part of a varied diet, but I prefer to feed a mix of grains, vegetables, legumes and a little fruit with natural supplements.

[wrynsmom]

Hi, all. It's been a LONG time since my last post. My parrotlet Lucky died last Thursday. I had a necropsy done and the vet said it was his liver. He had some kind of congenital liver problem. He was only 7.5 months old. I'm pretty sure, as sweet as they are (and cute), I'm finished with parrotlets . . . at least pacific. I've read several articles about these little ones being so inbred (like american budgies) they have TONS of congenital issues. Anyway, when the sad wears off, we'll see where we are . . .

Oh, and for liver . . . aloe works, also. Wish I'd know before.

[chapala]

So sorry to hear about Lucky! I know that P'lets do get diet related Fatty Liver Disease but didn't know that in such a young bird as yours there might be congenital problems. How sad. I hope you let the breeder you bought from know, or the pet shop. Responsible breeders should stop breeding a pair that produces congenital health problems.