|
|
|
Good Psittacine
 
Group: Forum Members
Last Login: Today @ 4:19:23 AM
Posts: 793,
Visits: 1,100
|
|
Is it true that female cockatiels are prone to liver problems?
|
|
|
|
|
Feather Fanatic
Group: Forum Members
Last Login: Today @ 9:30:57 AM
Posts: 2,895,
Visits: 4,210
|
|
From my understanding, quakers and amazons may be most prone to liver problems due to being "highly susceptable" to high fat/high seed diets. However, any bird could get liver disease due to too much seeds, too little seeds, illness, or otherwise.
|
|
|
|
|
Fully Fledged
Group: Forum Members
Last Login: Today @ 9:50:55 AM
Posts: 417,
Visits: 287
|
|
Yes, they are. Budgies and, as Monica mentioned, quakers and amazons are too. And the greatest majority of the cases are due to a bad diet.
Bea & Birds
beatriz@newyorkbirds.net
|
|
|
|
|
Good Psittacine
Group: Forum Members
Last Login: Today @ 4:19:23 AM
Posts: 793,
Visits: 1,100
|
|
I was just wondering, I know someone who has some females wth this problem, and had said I should never get a female cockatiel as they are prone to liver problems. Bea, could heredity play into this also?
|
|
|
|
|
Community Moderator
Group: Administrators
Last Login: Today @ 9:44:45 AM
Posts: 135,
Visits: 294
|
|
|
|
|
|
Fully Fledged
Group: Forum Members
Last Login: Today @ 9:50:55 AM
Posts: 417,
Visits: 287
|
|
Yes, of course heredity can play a function but mostly is diet. The liver and the kidneys are the filters of the body but the liver is also the organ that metabolizes protein and that's why captive birds have so much trouble with it: we feed our birds too much protein. Even natural granivores (birds created by nature to feed on seeds) don't consume, in the wild, the amount of protein we feed our captive birds (all those seeds and pellets). With captive birds you have the added problem of obesity caused by food too rich in carbohydrates and lack of exercise. When a bird gets fat, the fat will eventually deposit in the liver and, if you ever see a section of a liver from a bird that died of fatty liver disease, you actually see little globs of fat throughout the entire organ. When the liver starts to get 'clogged' by too much fat, it compensates by making itself larger so it can continue to provide all the functions of a healthy liver (that's why vets would use an X-Ray or ultrasound as one of the diagnostic tools for this disease). The worst part of this is that a bird could be having liver problems for years and look and act completely healthy and even beautiful (all that protein makes wonderful feathers) with nothing wrong showing up on its blood work because the liver enzymes will continue to show normal levels until the liver is over 65% toxic so, when it comes to birds and their livers, prevention is the way to go. And that means a healthy diet and exercise.
Bea & Birds
beatriz@newyorkbirds.net
|
|
|
|
|
Good Psittacine
Group: Forum Members
Last Login: Today @ 4:19:23 AM
Posts: 793,
Visits: 1,100
|
|
 That was very informative, Bea, thank you.
|
|
|
|