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Buddy had another blood test. For the first time in 5 months her uric acic levels were within normal limits We are happy, happy, happy

That's such wonderful news

That's wonderful news!!! Thank you for the update!

October uric acid levels: still within normal limits And Buddy has been coming out of her "spa" more, spending some time with me & some time on the floor behind the drapes, where she can catch rays from the real sun. And, I discovered this week, flirting with a blue jay who has been visiting my porch. She doesn't like Gussie, my baby GCC, but she seems to like the jay just fine. Maybe because she is safely on the other side of the glass. And maybe because I don't play with the jay Oh, and Buddy is officially 14 now. Don't know her exact hatch date but I do know it was in September. There was a while there when I thought she'd not make it to 14. She's still not a spry birdie, but she is maintaining her weight. And when she decides to leave her window sun bathing and come see me, she is definately moving faster that she had been. Yesterday she was actually running, in her "dunken" little gait

Hooray for Buddy! When you joined us, Buddy was hospitalized and you didn't expect to bring her home. Oh boy, did you get my tears falling fast And now Buddy's running and flirting with a wild thing

Her love of sunbathing sparked a thought. Are you sure she's getting enough heat? As they age and grow infirm, they're not always able to endure the cooler temps a healthy bird loves. The energy they expend keeping themselves warm is limited energy they could instead spend healing their chronic ailments. It sounds like Buddy's doing quite well, but I'm wondering if a little more heat might help her do even better. It's easy to test before spending any money. Just set a table lamp as close as possible to a favorite perch and see if she gravitates to it more than usual. Poop will tell the tale if you're away during the day.

If she shows a clear preference for sitting beside the lamp, you might buy a heat panel that you can leave on 24/7 during the cooler months. Here's a link to the one I have and often recommend: http://www.avitec.com/Avi-Temp-Infrared ... -p/ihp.htm The extra small panel should be perfect for Buddy. No, I get no commission

Happy belated birdday to that spunky girl!

Yes, I was a pretty sad mamma when I first came here. And Buddy was a pretty sad birdie, too. I don't know if it was you, but someone here referred me to Feeding Feathers, and I think that was a crucial part in Buddy still being here. The medication, vet treatments, diet changes, and last but not least, Buddy's natural spirit, all contributed to her still being here. I can't thank whoever it was that sent me to Feeding Feathers enough! I have referred others there since. And my baby gcc is starting her life out on the right diet, from the start! I followed suggestions I learned there to teach Gussie that food that didn't come out of a bag marked "Bird Food" isn't dangerous You should have seen her when I first offered her a cherry--you'd have thought it was a snake Now she can't wait to get cherry juice & skin all over me. She is a regular eating machine now--comes right over to investigate any new food I offer

But, back to Buddy. I know she is cold Not only is she old, she has only half as many feathers as she used to. Her "spa" is a happy hut w/ a full spectrum light at one end. She spends much of her day there, but when the sun hits the floor, she wants to go there. I've watched her and she really does seem to be "watching" the view, not just sitting there napping. When she leaves the sun & comes to me, she dives right into my shirt & I put a blanket over us both. When she is in her hut she sits with her face toward the lamp some of the time, then turns around, moves to the back of the hut & tucks her head when she wants to sleep--during the day. I turn the light off at night. I'd love to get the heat pad for night time but funds are really tight now. If she makes it through the next couple of months, I'll let my family know what I want for Christmas

Here's my photobucket link, with pictures of Buddy when she was 6 or 7 and within the last couple of months. There are also photos of Gussie--if you're interested. I'm as obnoxious showing off my birdie pictures as any grandmother with human baby pictures
http://photobucket.com/bubblelady

Monica and I both love to recommend Feeding Feathers, so it might have been either of us, or both Regardless, I'm so happy that you and the birdies are happy

Maybe you've already explored the Avitech site and found the bulb-type heat elements. They give off heat without light and cost much less than the panels. Since I have a panel I love, I felt comfy recommending it, but friends speak as highly of the heat elements, so you might prefer one of those for Buddy. Talk with Jackie at Avitech about the details of using it safely.

http://www.avitec.com/AviTemp-HotSpot-I ... s-p/at.htm