Is my bird's poop normal? What to do if it looks bad before the vet?

It looks normal but it is hard to tell 100% from this photo. I recommend you refer to this link/article: ( https://vcahospitals.com/know-your-pet/birds-abnormal-droppings ) If you are worried you can always have your vet do a fecal test/gram stain. The biggest way to keep your bird healthy is to feed the appropriate diet. I strongly suggest Lafeber diets. I don't know what you are feeding but many people default to seeds but that is not a good diet. ( https://lafeber.com/ ) Hope this helps. Best wishes.

Thank you for your question about Pecker, and I really appreciate you including pictures as they are very helpful! The droppings overall look very normal and appropriate, which is great. The urates are bright and white and the amount of urine is appropriate. I see what you mean about the difference in color - the lighter brown are less concerning to me than the darker colored ones. The reason for that is dark brown to black stools can be indicative of digested blood in the feces, also known as melena. In Pecker's case, with him being very new to you and you doing a diet switch (which is great, by the way - I recommend that budgies eat at least 50% pellets and then the rest of the diet can be made up of seed and produce items), I wouldn't worry too much because it may be due to the transition. However, if the dark stools continue, it would be advisable to take Pecker in for a wellness examination to have him (and his feces) evaluated. When you go, please make sure that you bring some of the dark feces, as your veterinarian can have it tested for occult (hidden) blood. They can also perform a thorough physical exam on him. Also, if anything about Pecker changes, including his attitude or appetite, this would also be reason to go into a veterinarian sooner rather than later. I would recommend regular weighing for him as well - you can do this by using a perch on top of a digital gram scale (found in the kitchen section of most department stores). I would recommend doing this 3 times per week. This will allow you to ensure he is not getting chunky or losing weight for some reason! Good luck with your new pet!

Hello, thank you for using PetCoach. Great question! From what I can tell based on the photos I think the first two poops look OK. The brown one looks a bit more abnormal just based on color but again, that could be diet related. I do think taking them to the vet for an exam is best. That way you can get the stools testing and talk about the diet and all their husbandry to see if that is contributing to any abnormal stools you are seeing. Here is to a link to an article that may help answer more of your questions: ( http://greencheekconure.net/2014/12/green-cheek-conure-droppings-5-types-of.html ) The probiotic is fine to give - that was a good idea on your part! I am not familiar with that particular product but I don't think it will be a problem. Hope this helps. Best wishes!

Thanks for reaching out about Rico and including a photo. The droppings appears well, with some feces and urine but these ratios can change during the day/night and depending on what last eaten. Just to let you know, a veterinary visit is recommended at least annually, just like in people, dogs and cats. Good luck.

Thank you for your question about Blue. I am glad that you asked, as no, this is not a normal color or consistency for budgie feces to have. I didn't see how old Blue was, or if she was on any medications, but I would recommend that you have her evaluated by a veterinarian. Dark, tarry stool like what you are describing may be due to digested blood. This can be secondary to some medications, certain toxins if she has gotten into something, or can be due to certain diseases of the intestinal tract. Your veterinarian can gather a detailed history from you which may reveal the cause, and will perform a thorough examination. From there, they may have recommendations for diagnostic testing. If possible, bring pictures, or even better a sample, of the stool for them to look at. They may also prescribe medications for Blue. Please do not give her any human medications, as many of these are harmful for our feathered friends. I hope that gives you a place to start, and that Blue feels better soon.

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.

A picture of your bird’s vent would be helpful so we can try to determine if the featherless skin is normal or not. However, based on what you are describing, I would assume that the feathers have fallen out because of the matting/stickiness from the feces around the vent. If your bird is otherwise eating and drinking normally then I would not be too concerned. Just be on the lookout for any other feather loss and/or any behavior changes. I hope this helps. Please let us know if you have any additional questions.