What to feed my 30-year-old Amazon parrot to help her gain weight?

Thanks for reaching out about your budgies. Offering vegetables, cooked beans/legumes are important components of the avian diet. Weight loss due to muscle atrophy or resorption is often related to unbalance amino acid (protein) consumption but correction is more difficult in older animals. With the swollen foot, make sure it is not a condition of gout, as this is a kidney ailment and meloxicam could be hard on the kidneys. Monitor water consumption and urination. Good luck.

It is hard to say, judging by the pictures alone, how much weight your bird has gained. I would recommend getting a gram scale so you can weigh her at least weekly to monitor her weight. The best thing you can do to keep her healthy is to offer her a high-quality pelleted bird food like Harrison‘s or Zupreme. Give her a small amount of fresh fruits and veggies, about 10% of her diet, and very few seeds/nuts. These offer a little nutritional value, have lots of fat and calories, and can cause issues with the liver later in life. I hope this helps. Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach. Best of luck.

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.

If you think she is losing weight and malnourished then you should re-evaluate her diet. Birds do not do well on an all seed diet so, if seeds are the majority of her diet you need to change that. I suggest using Lafeber's foods. Pellets, Nutriberries, Avicakes. https://www.amazon.ca/s?k=lafeber+parakeet&crid=25UA8PCK2FUTD&sprefix=lafeber%2Caps%2C171&ref=nb_sb_ss_i_6_7 Lafeber also has excellent articles on their website regarding health, nutrition, training, how to switch diets properly, etc. https://lafeber.com/pet-birds/ Lafeber diets are perfectly balanced for birds but since she is under the weather now I would add in this multivitamin and a probiotic. https://www.amazon.ca/Nekton-201150-Nekton-S-Multi-Vitamin-Birds/dp/B0002DILTM/ref=sr_1_1?keywords=nekton+bird&qid=1588519306&sr=8-1 https://www.amazon.ca/Nekton-208050-Nekton-Biotic-Bird-Probiotic-Birds/dp/B01CZUO7VK/ref=sr_1_9?keywords=nekton+bird&qid=1588519306&sr=8-9 Hope this helps. Best wishes.

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.

Weight loss in birds has multiple causes (parasites, poor diet, GI disorders, etc.). Ideally, your bird should be physically examined by your veterinarian or an experienced avian vet to diagnose and treat any underlying medical causes. Blood work, x-rays and a fecal exam may be recommended.

Thanks for reaching out about Rangu. This depends on the type of bird. If we are discussing a parrot (lovebird to macaw), seeds are a poor diet, as is very hight in fat and low in vitamin/minerals. The diet should consist of a wide variety of vegetables, a proteins source such as beans/legumes, cooked carbohydrates as an energy source, and avian pellets. Good luck.