My African Grey parrot has loose stools. When should I see a vet?

Unfortunately, those are symptoms that need to be seen in person by a vet, because they are not possible to diagnose over the internet. If multiple of your birds are having loose stools and are housed together, I would be concerned there is something going on such as a contagious illness, parasites, nutritional issue, or unclean environment. Treating for parasites and making sure all birds have access to fresh food and water and a clean environment may help. Separating out any sick birds until they recover may also help. If the problem continues, your bird(s) worsen, or they do not improve with home treatment, then you will need to find a vet in your area that can take a look at them and determine the problem.

Submit a sample to your veterinarian to diagnose parasites or bacterial/fungal overgrowth. Discontinue feeding fruits and vegetables until the stool is normal, then introduce one at a time slowly. Clean and sanitize the cage, bowls, toys and perches. Discard anything that cannot be sanitized. Use paper towels on the cage bottom and change them daily until his droppings are normal. Provide plenty of fresh, clean water. Keep him warm and as stress free as possible. If he develops lethargy, loss of appetite or if the droppings don't begin to firm up in the next 24 hours, have him examined by your vet or an experienced avian vet.

Fruits and new food can definitely be a cause of watery stool, especially if it started after all these changes. I would remove any extra treats for a few days and only feed the new food to see if that helps settle his stomach down. Once he's settled in, you can then add in treats one by one to see how he does. If the loose stools continue even after a few days on the diet with no snacks, or he shows any other signs of illness, a vet visit is always best.

Discontinue the millet temporarily. If possible, transition him to a pelleted diet. Recommended brands include Harrison's, Lafeber, Pretty Bird, KayTee Exact or Roudybush. You can still give seeds, just limit the amount. Once the droppings normalize, supplement with fresh greens, vegetables, cooked grains, pastas and beans. Submit a sample of the droppings to your veterinarian to diagnose intestinal parasites or bacterial overgrowth. Monitor for lethargy, loss of appetite or persistent loose droppings. Have him examined by your veterinarian or an experienced avian vet if necessary.

Thanks for reaching out about Pipo and including photos. The greenish stool is probably due to poor nutrition and possible liver disease. A comprehensive avian profile should be performed to analyze the white blood count and organ functions. Also a test for Psittacine Beak and Feather Disease is highly recommended. This is a virus, non-treatable, contagious to other birds. You need to get better nutrition into him, as apples are fiber and sugar. There are many commercially available baby bird feeding formulas, but as your veterinarian. Good luck.

Diarrhoea could be a quite severe sign in birds especially if associated with lethargy and weakness as you described. Gastrointestinal infections (caused by bacteria or parasites most commonly) usually are responsible for this presentation. A clinical examination at your local veterinarian is immediately essential to confirm these clinical suspicions and treat appropriately. Antibiotics and possibly further investigations (like fecal analysis) may be needed. Hope this answer was helpful, but please do not hesitate to contact us again on the forum or by requesting a consultation if you have any more questions or to discuss it any further.

If you're only noticing the watery stools on occasion, one of my first thoughts would be diet-related. Some veggies and fruits can cause watery stools, and if you notice this happens after giving them a new treat or something to snack on, it could be related. Removing all extras for a few days and seeing if the stool improves can help determine this. If it isn't food related, additional issues such as internal parasites, stress, diet changes, GI upset, infections, etc can also be possible causes. Keeping them in a low stress area, and scheduling a veterinary visit if the loose stools continue or other signs of illness such as listless behavior, weight changes, not eating or drinking, etc appear is best.