Do sunflower seeds cause fatty liver in Indian ringnecks? Diet tips?

Look for a commercial pelleted diet (Harrison's, Lafeber, Pretty Bird, KayTee Exact or Roudybush). These can be purchased online or in most pet stores. Discontinue the almonds and dry fruit. As you know, these do not make up a balanced or healthy diet. Instead, supplement with a bit of a fortified seed mix, fresh fruit and vegetables and cooked grains and beans. You can let her eat rice or cooked eggs off your plate (or from her own plate with you at the table) to get her interested in other, healthier options.

Hello again! These items look great for King, but the bag is correct - generally, parakeets and parrots should be fed a pellet-based diet to avoid fatty liver disease. Seed diets are high in fat (even without the sunflower seeds), so should be given as a treat supplementally only. Millet should also be given in moderation. Your bird can definitely have fruits, but include some veggies, too! Grapes, apple, banana, broccoli, kale, green beans, and peppers can be great for birds. Avoid avocado, apple cores/seeds, cherries (with seeds - seedless are ok) onion, and garlic. Dried fruits are ok too, just avoid the ones that have added sugar. I hope this helps! Good luck with King!

Thanks for reaching out about Akio. You are correct in that sunflower seeds and corn are a terrible diet for birds, the equivalent of drinking cooking oil and eating white bread. No vitamins, minerals, protein and other essential nutrients. Try measuring what you place in the bowl every morning, say 4 tablespoons. The next morning, same time, measure what is left over, say 2 tablespoons. Therefore he is consuming 2 T a day. Offering 1 tablespoon in morning, and one in early evening. In a second bowl, offer human food (vegetables, some fruit, pasta, beans, whatever). Eating your food in front of him, offering by hand or visualize you placing in the food bowl. Give it time. Trust and persistence is the issue. Good luck.

Ringnecks should be fed a wide variety of foods. A high quality dry food mix that contains seeds, grains and nuts should be available at all times - a Small Hookbill or Cockatiel should be suitable for them. Clean, fresh water for drinking and bathing should also be provided. Their diet should also include a good amount of leafy dark greens and vegetables (i.e. chard, kale, carrots, corn, celery, squash), as well as fruits (i.e., applies, grapes, pears, persimmons, pomegranates, figs, grapes, bananas). Wild-picked green foods such as chickweed, seeding grass, dandelion (flowers, roots and leaves), shepherds-purse and sow-thistle make excellent additions to a healthy diet. Germinated or sprouted seeds are especially important for the breeding season. They should be fed fresh making sure that it is not contaminated by bacteria or molt. It should have a sweet smell. If it smells foul or sour, discard. Frequent rinsing will help prevent spoilage. Sprouting: The Easy Way. Calcium supplements, such as cuttlefish, shell grit, crushed oyster shell or calcium blocks should be available - particularly during the breeding season. Millet spray makes a nutritious treat.

Thanks for reaching out about Meow. Possibly this is not an infectious problem, so antibiotics and anti-fungal might not help. With an all seed or heavy seed diet, fatty liver disease is possible which will not respond to the medications. Increasing protein and vitamins in the diet could help, as could an increase in dietary fiber. An avian veterinary visit is still recommended. Good luck.

He can survive but an all seed diet is not good for them. They get fatty liver and some other nutritional problems. Just keep trying to give him other foods. If you offer him less seeds he may start to get more interested in other foods. Try fruits like melon, kiwi, apples, pears, oranges, and grapes. Leafy greens like kale, spinach, parsley and cabbage. Other vegetables he might enjoy include carrots and celery.

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.