Is my bird sick? Or am I just paranoid?

[delilahiris]

OK first of all I just adopted Honeydew a few days ago, he 18 years old, And I do tend to get overly worried and over react when it comes to my babies (children and pets lol).

Since I brought him home he has been super quiet and barely eating or playing. He started to eat more yesterday, but very little. He pretty much just hangs out all day. No singing, the only playing he does is to head butt his bell every once in a while. He did come out of his cage yesterday...

Today he is just sitting on his perch with his feathers all fluffed up, napping a lot, and at one point he kept one foot curled up into his feathers.

Do you think it's just all the commotion and the new home? Or do older birds tend to be waaaayyy less active? Or am I just worrying about nothing?

[sunnyhoney]

I think he just needs more time to acclimate. Honey took about to week to feel comfortable.....

[delilahiris]

Thanks :)

I'm leaning towards that thought too, but I'd hate to think he might have a problem that I'm not addressing. I'd hate to rush out to the vet for something that is not an emergency either. Although he will be seeing a vet soon enough anyhow...

[jenniferag]

I was reading your post thinking you may have kidnapped by bird!

My conure acted just like that... well she still acts that way except she eats now...... A LOT lol

I would give the bird a few more days if it was me.

Has the bird been to the vet yet for a checkup at all?

Watch the weight... keep your eyes peeled for other signs of sickness, sneezing, discharge from nares...

I'm sure the bird is fine though...

If he's sitting with one foot curled up to the feathers that means he's just comfortable :)

[Abby]

Did I read correct that Honeydew is 18yo. To reach that age alone for a lovie is fantastic.

At that age it is going to take longer to adjust. Keep an eye that he is eating something. We had a little girl that was probably about 12-13yo before we lost her. Her main issue was arthritis in her feet so might be an idea to keep an eye out for that type thing. Apart from that she was happy and perky to the end. Just a little slower.

[Flappuccino]

18 yrs old? That wasn't a typo?

Goodness, that is VERY old for a lovebird, and fairly rare for them to live that long.

Wow. I'd just make sure he's nice and warm, so his little body doesn't have to expend energy to do it. At his age, I think he's earned the right to eat whatever he likes best that is healthy for him.

Good for you to take him on and let him live out the time he has left in a nice, loving home.

[delilahiris]

Nope 18 is not a typo. That's part of why I'm worried about him.

Just what I thought - who knows how much time he has left so I might as well spoil the bejesus out of him for the rest of his life.

I am trying to give him all kinds of yummy snacks but all he wants to eat is sunflower seeds and millet. :)

[Flappuccino]

18 yrs is awesome! I think I'd save the sunflower for occasional treats. They can be hard on the liver due to the high fat content. And millet doesn't have too much nutritional value.
Does he eat any fruits and veggies? Kale, carrots, and broccoli seem to be my lovie's faves. You can try offering it raw, steamed, whole, or chopped. They can be quite picky about the presentation.

[delilahiris]

When I brought him home his cage had one dish completely devoted to sunflower seeds. They had left a little note saying he preferred to eat sunflower seeds. I took the cup out and limited him to 4 or 5 seeds which I mixed in with a bunch of other seeds and some pellets too.
I've been giving him fresh fruits and veggies every day but he doesn't touch them at all. I even gave him a carrot yesterday that I rolled in millet, hoping to get him interested. He just ate the millet off. LOL. I'm going to keep trying different things until I find something healthy that he likes. Things might change once he gets more comfortable too.

[Monica]

Considering the lovebird is 18 and came from an environment that may not have been healthy, and from a bad diet, I would believe he's probably suffering from something. Whether or not it could be corrected at his age may be something that an avian vet would decide.

How's the little guy doing?