My female cockatoo has bloody vent & is lethargic. Egg issue?

Ouch! It looks like the egg may have been a bit large and caused some discomfort, or was just produced too quickly. If she is otherwise acting normal, keeping an eye on her is best, however if she is actively bleeding or appears in distress/unable to defecate properly, it is best to seek veterinary care immediately.

Hello. Blood in the droppings is not normal. This could signify an serious infection of the gastrointestinal tract, urinary tract, or reproductive tract since birds have a single common opening for all 3 systems (the cloaca). Other possible causes of blood would be a retained or broken egg, heavy metal toxicity, foreign body, trauma, or a bleeding tumor. Whatever the underlying cause, it is potentially serious and requires a thorough assessment and treatment by a veterinarian. One thing I have seen is birds that have recently eaten red berries or other red food may pass droppings that may resemble blood. If Angel hasn’t recently (within 12-24 hours) eaten anything very red, then i would take her to a veterinarian as soon as possible. Good luck.

Thanks for your question, and I am sorry that this is happening to Pete! There are a number of things that can cause blood in the droppings, and many of them are treatable. I saw that Pete is a female - I’m not sure if she has ever laid eggs, but problems with the reproductive system can result in blood. Also, infections in the urinary or gastrointestinal tract can also result in blood. These are treatable, or manageable, for the most part. I would recommend taking Pete to a veterinarian as she is about halfway through her lifespan now, so she may have many years left! After an exam, your vet may recommend blood work to evaluate systemic health or radiographs. They will also make recommendations about treatments, which may include pain medications or antibiotics. Please don’t give Pete any human medications, as many of them are harmful to our feathered friends. I hope that gives you a place to start, and thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach.

Palpate her abdomen as she could be egg bound. Provide a warm environment in the 80-85 F range. Very dark green feces is usually anorexia but black feces is melena (digested blood) and needs veterinary attention. A dog/cat vet might be you're only choice. Try offering water and food through a syringe but make sure to do it slow to prevent aspiration. Good luck.

Check her vent for redness or swelling. Monitor for loose droppings. Submit a sample to your veterinarian to diagnose intestinal parasites or bacterial overgrowth. If she is of egg laying age, have her physically examined by your vet or an experienced avian vet to diagnose or rule out being egg bound.

It sounds like Xena is feeling pretty ill and should be seen by a vet. Issues such as GI upset, obstructions, egg-binding, illness, nutritional issues, parasites, etc can all cause the symptoms you are seeing and would need to be examined by a vet and treated. In the meantime, gently massaging around her vent and using a warm wet washcloth to loosen and remove the stool may provide some relief and help her go to the bathroom again. Keeping her in a warm hospital cage and eating and drinking as much as possible may also help until you can be seen by a vet.

Thanks for including pictures. By the pictures, the drops of blood don't seem associated with the stool or urine. Concerns would include a cloacal infection, intestinal bleeding, a broken blood feather or another trauma. Can you restrain your bird, flip it over and have a look? A broken blood feather is rarely a serious problem. A blood feather can be gently pulled out or be left for the bird to extricate. Bleeding from the cloaca (vent) itself is an indication of a deeper concern. If your dove remains alert and eating, monitoring the situation seems plausible. If your dove shows clinical signs of lethargy or not eating, a veterinary visit is recommended.