upatsix.com - Your Source For Pet Bird Information

This may or may not pertain to macs . I have a quaker who is fighting fatty liver disease. When I took him to my CAV his blood was so thick it was like sludge and they couldnt check it properly so it was sent to the U of Miami .Cholesterol was very high. We put him on a diet increasing fresh foods and exercise. We made him fly from the hallway to his cage several times a day, We also put him on Roudybush lowfat pellets and Harrisons and gave him a daily dose of milk thistle. After3 months he lost weight and blood test improved dramatically and 6months later cholesterol was on the high side of normal.This may not be of any help to you but its better than doing nothing and I dont think anything I suggested is harmful. Everything should be done slowly under vet care. The only thing else I would suggest is to make sure your vet is certified as I have found a profound difference between a regular avian vet and a certified avian vet.----Yogi

High chloresterol in birds!!! Whoda thunk it! It is frustrating when we do all we know to do to improve a situation only to find it continue to be a problem. I hope to do some research on this because it fascinates me.

I wonder if your bird's high cholesterol might be an inherited condition. If so then medications along with diet changes might be necessary. Exercise is important too. How were the values of the rest of his bloodwork?

I don't have a clue if a bird can be medicated for high cholesterol. A good question for your vet.

One of my macaws has high cholesterol but he is a chub. The last time he had bloodwork I was told that none of the results were valid because the blood was lypemic (fat). So the cholesterol numbers, though high, were not accurate - so the vet said anyway.

I looked it up and the book states that there are several diseases that can cause high cholesterol in birds. I need to leave but will get back to you on this. Or I can PM you if you want.

I am really interested in this subject so I would like to get access to any information you find if you do not mind sharing.

I don't know if Harrison's would help or not. I was told Harrison's is naturally low fat so in the instance of helping keping the weight down it might be useful. Also it doesnt contain any preservatives so should be bought frequently in small amounts. Contrary to advice I and some of my friends have been freezing it for years and if I am not mistaken years ago Harrisons advised freezing if it was not being used within 6 weeks. I buy mine in 5# bags so I freeze it.Do a google on the Harrisons and many online stores will come up with prices like $6.49-$6.99 a # + S&H. Often the S&H will handle anything else you may want to order.Also if you make a special trip to the vet to pick it up & consider your gas &time it's a pretty good deal. I get mine from the birdsafe store. Also you can callthe Harrison CO. (it will come up on your search) & request samples (which your vet should be willing to give you too )Roudybush also makes a low fat pellet but my birds wont eat it .

As for exercise----It doesnt have to necessarily be flying. Make him flap his wings,dance, walk ---anything to make him move more.

Ask your vet if milk thistle will help. I mix this myself in a lactolose base and powder---much cheaper than from the vet. You need a script for the lactulose but the milkthistle caps are easy to find. It purifys the liver.----Yogi

bridgetdeer wrote:

Breezy wrote:I am really interested in this subject so I would like to get access to any information you find if you do not mind sharing.

Will keep you posted if I hear anything useful not on this site. Thanks for your concern.

Thank you Bridget!

Marion----Just out of idle curiousity----What is your defination of a balanced diet?---Yogi

Ahhhh! The pellet wars!

I disagree that any pellet fed exclusively is "best".....fresh is always better ---yes it is often more difficult than placing hard processed pellets in a bowl---but it is well worth it. Do I feed pellets? YES! I feed Roudybush Rice diet, in addition to a wide range of fresh fruits, vegetables, nuts, legumes etc.

The pellet or no pellet discussions have been going on for years and I imagine will continue.......you have to do your own research, read everything---try www.holisticbirds.com as well as various other sites on the web.

Once you've gathered your information, also do research into all of those "un-pronounceable" words on the back of the bag of pellets.....the artificial colors, flavors, preservatives. Check out the effects of soy, sugar etc on parrots....

Then make your own decision based on what you feel is right for you, your birds and your life style.