Parrots eye grey and filmy

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Parrots eye grey and filmy

by Mike Howard
(Howell Mi)

I just rescued a blue and gold macaw from a poor home. He was on a horrible sunflower seed and frito diet and is in rough shape. One of his eyes is grey and filmy looking. Is he blind in that eye? Could it be from poor diet and neglect? Could it be cataract or could it be from abuse?

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Parrots eye grey and filmy

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Jan 31, 2012

Thank you Linda
by: Anonymous

Linda, thank you for the help. He, assuming he is a he, is our first large parrot. We didn't plan to buy him yesterday, but after seeing his condition and living area, my wife and I couldn't not buy him. We have avian specialist we just checked out for our smaller parrots that's local. Hopefully they can see him on short notice. The vet just recommended Harrison's also. We are phasing it into our other birds diets. I'm just worried about the abuse factor, he shakes every time a male comes near his cage. I really hope we can rehabilitate him. I was told he originally came from the Howell Nature Center. But I contacted them and they said they don't usually get rid of birds like that. I was just looking for vaccination records or any kind of history we could get. Thank you again for the advice. We will keep posting his progress on here, hopefully we have more news soon.

Jan 31, 2012

Parrots eye grey and filmy
by: Linda

Anytime you rescue a bird from a horrible home like this one came from, there can be multiple physical issues to deal with. First and foremost is to have him examined by an Avian Vet ONLY, in your driving area. Have them check for infections and have basic bloodwork done to see how organs are functioning. Without an exam, you are working in the dark. I guarantee you this bird is sick, so do not delay having him checked out.

The other issue is diet once he has been diagnosed and treated. He needs to be eating 80-85% organic pellets like Harrison's which is the best on the market and found here. It takes time to change from seeds to the pellets, and below is a link to an article written by an Avian Vet on how to go about it. Make NO changes in diet until he has been thoroughly examined and treated for any problems. He will also need the Harrisons pellets to be the Hi Potency kind so he can begin the long climb back up into good health. He'll need the "course grind" for size of pellets.

The eye you described could have been injured by being hit at some time. Have the Avian Vet take a good look and see. Eyes also need the entire spectrum of vitamins, proteins and minerals so he could be blind from poor food. It could also be a neglected infection, and he may lose his other eye if you don't act fast with everything to do with his health.

Thanks for taking him in, and now get all the rest done to start getting him back to normal again if he's ever been normal. Once birds go down from neglect, it can take one or two years to see improvements in feather and skin condition, so be patient, and you'll have a happy and healthy bird as a result of your efforts.

Switching Birds To Pellets article

Linda

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