As unpleasant as vomiting may be, it is a fact of life. My pet cockatoo got sick to his stomach last week.
On Saturday, August 23, 2008, my 4 1/2 year old cockatoo, Beenie, would normally regurgitate a treat for his friend, Baby, who always turns down poor Beenie’s food offerings or grooming (preening feathers). Regurgitating food to another bird or human is a sign of affection. But Beenie’s spitting up was getting out of hand. He started spitting chunks of Nutriberries in different directions. There was a great force behind this action that got out of control. My poor cockatoo didn’t just spit out seeds. He was also vomiting clear liquid. It ran all over her poor little face and matted her beautiful feathers.
My poor little bird couldn’t stop throwing up and throwing up clear liquid. But her little body was trying to get rid of something. I was terrified that he might have a piece of some kind of material lodged in his throat. I had to remember to stay calm so as not to upset my poor Beenie. (Birds are very sensitive and emotional, allowing them to read your mood.) I had to think about what I could do to help my little friend.
I tried to keep my fear to myself and searched google search engine for this problem. I typed in the words “cockatiel vomiting choking” and came up with some helpful tips. But I couldn’t find enough information on the subject. So I kept calm and thought about what I could do to help my cockatoo stop vomiting.
I decided to take him and Baby to the bathroom and give them a spray bath. Maybe this could help Beenie. He got his feathers nice and clean and looked a little better, but then he started vomiting clear liquid again. After I brought them back to the bedroom, Beenie started shaking, her eyes were half closed and she went to the bottom of her cage. I realized that I was getting weaker. I turned up the bedroom heater to dry his feathers faster. “My poor bird looks so terrible,” I thought. “I need to help him.”
A few hours passed and Beenie didn’t improve. He needed to take quick action, so that it would not become parochial. I made a mix of chamomile tea, Pro Bac (good bacteria for bird stomach), 3 drops of homeopathic anxiety relief, a quarter capsule of Bird-Biotic, and a few shavings of my Calmicid antacid supplement with soothing herbs for the stomach. None of the ingredients seemed harmful to the birds in Calmacid, which is calcium carbonate, chamomile flower, fennel seed, and ginger root. I put all the ingredients in a quarter cup of water and mixed this until well mixed. I took out my little syringe that I used for my domestic birds in the past, rinsed it out, and filled it with a little of the mixture. I took Beenie and wrapped him in a clean, dry towel that he despised. I kept her little head still and gave her one drop at a time in her beak. Managed to swallow about 2 good spikes full of the mixture.
A few hours passed and Beenie barely felt nauseous. He slept at the bottom of the cage for a while, and then moved to the top of his perch. He still didn’t look good, but at least he was resting.
It had been about six hours and Beenie suddenly perked up. He ran to the top of the cage to see Baby. He was starting to feel a lot better! I was so happy and he looked happy too. I took him and Baby to the bathroom and gave them another sterilization mist bath. Beenie loved this and so did Baby. Spray baths are great fun for birds. Make sure to always put warm water in the spray bottle. Spray it on your arm or hand to see if it feels like the right temperature to spray your birds. (Never punish your birds with a spray bottle. Use only positive reinforcement for your pet’s parrots). I took the birds into the bedroom and turned on the heat for a while. They shook off the water and dried their feathers.
The next day Beenie was better, but I was still worried. I called a bird specialist in my area and made an appointment to see him with Beenie. We went there yesterday afternoon, and the avian vet said Beenie looked great and the tests should be fine. He also said that it is normal for birds to feel sick to their stomach and vomit from time to time. But if there is too much vomiting, that can be a sign of a serious illness. And you should take your pet bird to the avian vet as soon as possible.
Beenie is doing great today. But we are both very tired and exhausted after going to the Veterinary Hospital, which is another story. Fortunately, the test results came back normal.
