Team Work

Team Work

We have decided to randomly select some informative e-mails which we receive from the public. We thank each and every one of you who write to us with your input and ideas!

I have a Severe Macaw who was neglected by his previous owner. Luckily we got him when he was about a year old and the neglect didn't last too long for him. Chilie is now 13 years old and he is just a delight. He also used to have a lunge and serious bite problem. We discovered that my Severe, Chilie, had two crop infections. One was bacterial and the other was yeast. Both nearly killed him. They changed his personality to a cranky, bitey, regurgitative, noisey bird and I got the brunt of his misery.
I had to wean him from the water container and use the bottle dispenser because he dipped his food in the water which caused bacteria even though I changed his water twice daily. I also had to wean him from a seed mixture to pellets (Roudybush). Apparently, the seed/fruit mixtures can develop mold (microscopic so human eye doesn't see it). To get Chilie to take his medicine, I mixed it with some yogurt, gave it to him in a spoon while I held it, and he licked it up completely! It not only was a good way for him to take his medication, it gave him a treat for trusting me.

Sent in by Betty Holland

Footnote: Please be careful about leaving fresh foods in your bird's bowl for longer than 4 hours. This can develop mold spores and cause Aspergillosis. For those of you who use water bowls, you can add a couple of drops of Grape Seed Extract to minimize bacterial growth.