Okay so I made the decision, thanks to you guys

I decided to take Louie to the petshop.. so I called again and this time I talked to a woman that seemed to know what she was talking about. I told her that I didn't want my money back, all I wanted was for Louie to be healthy like he should be, and she told me to bring him to the petshop.

 

So I took him there but I had my head loaded with questions. I wasn't gonna leave Louie there unless I was sure I was gonna get him back. So she took a look at him and there was this other woman there as well and they told me that he looked normal and that he wasn't even sick but I still didn't believe them..I though that they were just trying to get out of taking him to the vet. But they said they were gonna take him anyway. So I asked to which vet they were gonna take him to and it turned out to be the same vet I take my dogs to which is a bird vet too so that made me feel better. I knew Louie was gonna be in good hands

 

Later I picked Louie up at the vet clinic (I told the people at the petshop that I wanted to pick him up myself) and the vet told me that Louie was fine and that his droppings were normal.. she said that he needed to have the same food he had at the petshop and she also told me to give him pellets and just a little bit of seeds because they are very fattening. She said that the color of the droppings depends on the food they eat.. and I told her my other birds eat the same food and their droppings are way different than Louie's but she said it was only the change of food that made Louie's different. I believed that.

 

So in the end everything turned out okay.. but I bet now everyone at the vet clinic and those women at the petshop think of me as an overreacting and overprotective person! and what's worse is that tommorrow Cookie my dog has an appoinment tomorrow with the same doctor that treated Louie.. I hope no one thinks I'm crazy lol they are gonna be like "oh here comes that overreactive girl that's crazy about her bird" :thumbs_up:

 

So this visit to the vet left me a little confused about the diet my birds shuld be having.. but I'll post my questions about that in another topic. Thanks for your support and advice I'm really happy I found this site

Edited March 16, 200916 yr by Cory

Oh Cory, I am so happy for you! And to think the pet shop uses the same vet as you. I highly doubt that the vet staff would fault you for caring and opting to "err" on the safe side.

So, did you ask the pet store what kind of food they use? I keep my new birds on the same food they've been used to while they settle in for a few days, and then I start gradually adding in my preferred brand, a little more each day, making sure they are actually eating, and of course, monitoring their poos. A couple of times I was lucky that the store was already using my brand.

As for pellets, it seems like vets are stereotyped for pushing a pellet diet over a seed one, and every time I hear another person's story, it confirms it. I even read it in Drs Foster and Smiths catalog. But a pellet diet is no good if you bird won't eat it. You can't force them, they'll starve 1st rather than switch.

Everyone here on the forum talks about seed and a variety of fresh veggies, and that makes more sense to me. Seeds are more natural. I do offer my birds a tube feeder with pellets in it, and sometimes I see them eating it, but I think they just play with it mostly.

Anyway, I'm really glad to hear that Louie is not at deaths door! :thumbs_up:

Awesome news :thumbs_up:

Great news!

okay...call me a pain but they did they do any tests on Louie? Like a poop smear to make sure there were no organisms in his poop? Doing a general exam with the eye is not good enough and getting runny poops from the seed I could see for a couple days but not longer...

okay...call me a pain but they did they do any tests on Louie? Like a poop smear to make sure there were no organisms in his poop? Doing a general exam with the eye is not good enough and getting runny poops from the seed I could see for a couple days but not longer...

Yes they did a poop smear and the vet said they didn't find anything abnormal with it.. like bacteria or any organisms like you said. And I don't know what else they did to him but his droppings are normal now not runny or watery anymore, dark green like they are supposed to be and just like my other birds.

Oh Cory, I am so happy for you! :yes: And to think the pet shop uses the same vet as you. I highly doubt that the vet staff would fault you for caring and opting to "err" on the safe side. So, did you ask the pet store what kind of food they use? I keep my new birds on the same food they've been used to while they settle in for a few days, and then I start gradually adding in my preferred brand, a little more each day, making sure they are actually eating, and of course, monitoring their poos. A couple of times I was lucky that the store was already using my brand. As for pellets, it seems like vets are stereotyped for pushing a pellet diet over a seed one, and every time I hear another person's story, it confirms it. I even read it in Drs Foster and Smiths catalog. But a pellet diet is no good if you bird won't eat it. You can't force them, they'll starve 1st rather than switch.Everyone here on the forum talks about seed and a variety of fresh veggies, and that makes more sense to me. Seeds are more natural. I do offer my birds a tube feeder with pellets in it, and sometimes I see them eating it, but I think they just play with it mostly.Anyway, I'm really glad to hear that Louie is not at deaths door!

Thank you ..and I think from now on whenever I get a new bird I'll do what you do and don't change their food like I did.. it sounds way smarter to do it little by little so they don't get an upset stomach..lol silly me that's what I do to my dogs when changing food brands..I can't believe I didn't think of it with my birds :glare: ..but I never had a problem before with my other birds.. I guess Louie is just special.

Don't worry about feeling like you are overprotective and overloving of your pets, because I can assure you many vets are like that! Why do you think they chose to work with animals??? Because they love them!!! Also, getting someone who loves their pet and knows lots about it is far nicer to have come in than some other people and makes me feel better.

 

Seeds are not actually that natural for budgies, because the seed that we feed them are all old world (europe, africa, asia) blends (as in they are not australian natives). Budgies naturally eat grasses, eucalyptus leaves, fruit, insects and grass seeds . Seeds and fruit does not encompass that. They do need protein and that is where the pellets come in. Pellets especially the Harrisons brand are the only specially formulated diets similar to the Hill's diets they do for cats and dogs. You don't see cats and dogs eating biscuits out in the wild do you? Yet they are perfectly formulated for them.

Now with bird pellets they aren't a complete diet like cat and dog foods are, but they are part of a balanced diet to be had with seed and vege and the odd eucalyptus leaves.

If you bird won't eat pellets then you will just have to cope with out them, but I offer my indoor birds pellets all the time and they take them as they want.

Awesome Cory