Q: My veterinarian says my bird is fat. Is that really something I need to worry about?
A: You bet! Obesity is as much an issue in pet birds as it is in dogs and cats. An overweight bird can be predisposed to metabolic diseases such as diabetes. He can also become arthritic or develop fatty liver disease.
Certain species tend to be more likely to grow tubby Amazon parrots, parakeets, canaries, cockatoos and Quaker parakeets but any bird can gain too much weight if he's allowed to eat whatever he wants. Pet birds may start out on good diets but become choosy with age, deciding they are going to eat only one or two types of food.
Don't let your bird get away with that. He's most likely to have a balanced diet if he eats a variety of foods. A pelleted diet supplemented by healthy food from your own plate is the best way to feed him. Birds can and will eat pasta, cooked chicken, scrambled eggs, beans and most fruits and vegetables. Avian expert and veterinarian Scott Weldy said most birds do well on a diet of 70 percent to 80 percent pelleted food and 20 percent to 30 percent fresh or cooked food.
Avoid giving birds avocado, onion, mushrooms or chocolate, all of which have toxic effects. Highly salted foods are a no-no as well.
What's the key to determining if your bird is overweight? Birds with cleavage rivaling that of a Hollywood starlet are too fat. Birds should be lean and sleek, with no cleavage at all, Weldy said. If you can't feel your bird's keelbone because it's covered by a layer of fat, talk to your veterinarian about ways to help him get back to a healthy weight.
THE BUZZ
A dog-friendly movie house in Plano, Texas, is to bark for. The unique theater, K9 Cinemas, is open six days a week to people and their dogs. For $15, people and their dogs can lounge on leather couches and drink free wine (for the humans) on Friday and Saturday nights when movies are shown. On weekdays, K9 Cinemas serves as a co-working space where people can work in the company of their dogs. A courtyard is available where pets can relieve themselves during intermission and, of course, owners are expected to pick up after them. The only drawback? "The dogs bark when a dog on the screen barks," said theater owner Eric Lankford in an interview with the Houston Chronicle.
Could your dog talk to you one day? Speech pathologist Christina Hunger created a device, based on one used with humans who are nonverbal, that just might enable that. Her Voice Output Communication Aid has allowed her to teach her blue heeler-Catahoula mix, Stella, to communicate such desires as "look" or "come eat" or "play." To learn more, visit Hunger's website at hungerforwords.com or see hunger4words on Instagram.
Watch out for the Yule Cat if you're in Iceland over the holidays that is, unless you're wearing new clothes. The giant feline is said to lie in wait for and eat people who have not received new clothes before Christmas Eve. Is the Yule Cat real or simply a ploy by retailers to encourage gifts of clothing? The story is said to be an old tradition, begun by farmers to give their workers an incentive to finish processing shorn wool before the holiday. Diligent employees received new clothes, but slackers were threatened with the monstrous cat. Just in case, be sure you have some new togs in case your tabby decides to import the tradition.
Pet Connection is produced by a team of pet-care experts headed by veterinarian Marty Becker and journalist Kim Campbell Thornton of Vetstreet.com. Joining them is dog trainer and behavior consultant Mikkel Becker. Send pet questions to askpetconnection@gmail.com.
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Avian obesity is a thing: Pet Connection - Entertainment & Life - GoErie.com
