Specialized Information
Whisper Sweet Nothings in My Ear…Emotional Intelligence and Our Exotic Birds
I was laying in bed this morning, the wee early morning hours, you know, when you are trying to wake up, but you still are in those twilight minutes still not quite awake, in that dreamy state wondering if you are in the real world, or off in some other alien world? And I heard [...]
Fatty Liver Disease: Starch and Glycogen
Foods such as potatoes, yams, rice, corn, wheat and other grains as well as legumes such as peas, lentils and beans contain multi-unit carbohydrate polysaccharides known as starch and glycogen. These are termed “storage polysaccharides” because they are stored in the liver and slowly metabolize into the blood as useable sugars as the body needs [...]
Spring is in the Air! And it’s Allergy Season!
Spring is definitely in the air and besides dealing with mating season many of us are also dealing with our own allergies. That brings something to my mind about how our companion birds may be feeling with all of the flowers, trees and weeds in bloom. In addition to their already frustrated nature surrounding their [...]
Carbohydrates: Choosing the Right Carbs for Our Companion Birds
Carbohydrates play an important role in the health and nutrition of our companion birds, but unfortunately they are grossly misunderstood. What is a “carbohydrate”? How are carbohydrates utilized by the body? What are the right kinds of carbohydrates? What is the difference between “simple” and “complex” carbohydrates? First of all we need to understand that [...]
“SHI”:Seasonal Hormonal Irregularity- Understanding and Comforting Your Bird
Yes, it’s that time of the year when our beloved companion birds begin to “sow their wild oats”! And while this behavior is perfectly normal, and it provides a good time to molt those old, worn out feathers to grow beautiful new feathers in, the behavior that comes along with this seasonal behavior can both [...]
GMO/GE Foods and How They May Affect BirD-elicious!
Monsanto is at it still, again, more…Please read this article and then sign the petition to keep GMO/GE (Genetically Modified Organisms/Genetically Engineered) foods out of our markets! Research has indicated that the DNA of the people/animals/pets consuming these foods may permanently be changed. These foods are already on grocery shelves across our Nation. If Monsanto [...]
Fatty Liver Disease and the Use of Dietary Fats for Companion Birds (Hepatic Lipidosis)
I recently wrote a fairly comprehensive overview regarding dietary fats for companion birds. In that review I mentioned “fatty liver” disease but I did not go into great detail. I think it might be a good idea to explain just what fatty liver disease is and how it develops as well as how it can [...]
When NOT to Use Apple Cider Vinegar
Apple Cider Vinegar has been touted as one of Nature’s most reliable bird room cleaners for many, many years because it’s “natural” and doesn’t contain harmful chemicals, dyes, or preservatives. However if you have a companion feathered friend in your bird room that exhibits signs of feather plucking, skin mutilation or generalized picking you may [...]
Grapefruit Seed Extract (GSE) – Its Many Uses
We’ve heard a little bit about grapefruit seed extract, and it is gaining notice, but not enough is being said about all of its wonderful properties. So I want to discuss just how wonderful this product from Nature is and how keeping it in your house at all times should be considered absolutely necessary! First [...]
Hide and Cecum – Your Parrot’s Digestive Tract, Finally Understood!
Many avian species have “cecum” (plural). But you don’t see many parrot books speak of the “ceca” (singular). My question is “Why?” Well, it’s because it is virtually non-existent in Psittaciformes so there isn’t any reason to bring up the subject. Or is there? After studying the function of the ceca I have come [...]
Liver and Kidney Disease – Part 2 – Hypervitaminosis A
In “Liver and Kidney Disease – Part 1 – Protein” we discussed how too much protein, or more accurately, the wrong kind of protein, may contribute to liver and/or kidney disease. In part 2 we will be discussing how hypervitaminosis A, or too much vitamin A, or again, more accurately the wrong kind of [...]
Liver and Kidney Disease in Parrots – Part 1 – Protein
Liver and kidney disease runs rampant among companion birds. One holistic veterinarian, Robert D. Ness, DVM, believes, along with me, that it has to do mostly with the diets we are feeding to our beloved feathered friends. He believes that we need to lower the amount of protein we are feeding to our birds.[1] I [...]
Dangerous Sprouting: Amino Acid “Canavanine”
What may not be all that lethal to a human being could, potentially be deadly to our fine feathered friends in even small quantities because their systems are so much more delicate than ours. Maybe that’s why we see them consuming “dirt” at the all-famous clay licks in Peru and other such sources around the [...]
Seed to Combat “The Mutilation Syndrome”
Lately we have been discussing some of the possible causes of “The Mutilation Syndrome“, one of which is the imbalance of the amino acid ratio of Lysine to Arginine in manufactured foods the pet food industry produces for your beloved birds. We are learning just how vitally important it is for you to educate yourself [...]
Machelle
