My bird is losing weight. What are the possible causes and next steps?

I'm sorry to hear Scooby isn't doing well. Weight loss and the inability to fly are concerning problems that could be caused by a number of things including poor diet, internal parasites, illness and injury. Making sure Scooby is on a balanced diet is a good first step, however I would also recommend bringing him into your local vet to check for any parasites or underlying illness that could be causing his symptoms. Moving him to a warm hospital cage if he is housed with other birds, and with easy access to food and water may also help until you can be seen by your vet.

Ideally, Blue should be seen by your veterinarian or a vet experienced in treating birds to diagnose illness or injury. You may need to force feed him if he continues to not eat and lose weight. If you don't have experience force feeding or syringe feeding, contact your vet or local breeders who may be able to teach and assist you. Keep a variety of foods available at all times. This can include a seed mix, millet sprays, commercial pellets and a mash made from the hand feeding formula. Keep him warm and as stress free as possible.

I would recommend getting a small scale (possibly a food scale) and weighing ZR every day for a week. IF he weight decreases but goes back up I would not be to concerned. IF you find his weight decreases over the week but he is still eating I would recommend taking him to the vet for blood work. weight loss could be a sign of illness in ZR. With his young age I really think it is most likely a normal change in weight due to growing and maturing

If he has lost that much weight, he needs additional diagnostic tests including bloodwork and x-rays. He may have an underlying virus or liver disease that needs additional treatment. Also, he needs nutrition so need to have veterinarian instruct you how to crop feed him.

You can have Rangu examined by your veterinarian to confirm good health and a proper weight. Birds have different body types just like people, so there will be variations. Monitor weight, appetite, behavior and droppings. If there are any negative changes, have them addressed by your vet.

Nutritional deficiency, liver or kidney disease, intestinal parasites or bacterial, viral or fungal infection are all possibilities. An exam with your veterinarian or an experienced avian veterinarian is strongly recommended to diagnose the exact illness or injury. The vet can administer supportive care if indicated. Offer a commercial pelleted diet moistened with warm water or a hand feeding formula to stimulate his appetite and get some nutrition into him. Keep him warm and as stress free as possible until he sees the veterinarian.

If Baru is regurgitating to the point of losing weight it sounds as if there may be a deeper problem going on. Prolonged stress or illness may both cause chronic regurgitation, as well as some infections, parasites and even obstructions of the crop or digestive tract. Since he is losing weight and doing it a lot, it is best to bring him to a local avian vet for a complete exam to figure out the underlying cause.

It may be that you're overfeeding Baru if he is continually regurgitating food. Since this has been ongoing for a bit, and he is also losing weight it is best to seek veterinary care for a complete exam. it may be that an illness, problem with the GI tract, or even obstruction in the crop is causing the repeated regurgitation. Making sure you are feeding an amount appropriate to his size is also best to avoid overfeeding.

Thanks for reaching out about Nibbles. A bird this small/light weight probably needs diagnostic testing to determine the problem. You should start with a CBC (complete blood count) to look for signs of infection, a serum biochemistry to check kidney/liver function, and possibly radiographs. You need to feed more than twice daily and improve the caloric intake, but food is not fixing the problem. Continue to heat support so Nibbles doesn't get cold and have to shiver to generate heat, thereby using up calories. Good luck.

If treating for infections didn't help I would be worried that there is an underlying neurologic or muscular issue ongoing. Other problems such as parasites, underlying illness or malnutrition are other possibilities. It would be best to bring your bird back into the vet for additional tests including a neuro test, bloodwork, possible X-rays etc to help rule out more serious issues and get them treated. It sounds like he's getting lots of snacks, however adding in a balanced parrot diet (most pet stores carry them) that is a combination of nuts, seeds, and nutrition-balanced pellets should make up the majority of his diet. Fruits and veggies and snacks are great extras, but ensuring he has a balanced base diet can help prevent any nutritional deficiencies.