Hi,

Calcium levels are affected by many vitamins and minerals (especially magnesium, iron, zinc, vitamin D), reproductive status (especially in birds and reptiles), medications (steroids, bisphosphonates, certain antibiotics and more), numerous diseases (certain cancers, autoimmune diseases, kidney disorders, endocrine abnormalities and more), hereditary disorders (reported mostly in mammals), and some toxins (mercury, lead, etc). Calcium homeostasis is a very complicated and dynamic process. As you can see above, many factors can affect calcium levels in the body. Determining the cause of high or low calcium is sometimes easier said than done! Yes, there is a lot of information on this topic. Whole books and research studies have been dedicated to better understanding calcium metabolism. Not the easiest subject to fully understand.

I hope this helps,

M. Scott Echols, DVM, DABVP (Avian Practice)

What kind of toxins can affect calcium levels? Given that blood calcium levels remain in range usually would it be fair to theorise that these toxins could still affect a bird in this way even with normal levels or with lower levels of toxins. There seems to be a complex interaction between lead and calcium but not solid information on how lead does or doesn’t affect a bird particularly with egg laying. Is there information or understanding about if this can be an issue?

Peter,

This question comes up a lot! If you live in a part of the country where access to sunlight and decent weather is possible, I would get your bird outside.

Some people live in areas with long harsh winters and a significant portion of the days under cloud cover. There is suggestion that supplemental UV light may help these birds. However, there are risks (cataract development) with the use of UV lights.

There is the benefit of having light as it also encourages activity. If possible, I would make use of natural unfiltered sunlight.

I hope this helps,

M. Scott Echols, DVM, DABVP (Avian Practice)

Allison,

Please contact the Association of Avian Veterinarians (www.aav.org) for a list of bird specialists close to you.

Sincerely,

M. Scott Echols, DVM, Dipl ABVP (Avian Practice)

Layna,

There is good reason to be confused! What specifically to feed a pet parrot is largely based on opinion (including mine). The other significant variable is the bird itself. The bird’s species, exercise level, reproductive status, environmental conditions and more all affect nutrient needs. For example a parrot flying outside will likely have significantly different nutrient requirements (vitamins, minerals, calories, etc) than one that spends most of its time in a cage. So there is no one diet for macaws- or really any parrot species. However, if you would like a general recommendation for most macaw species it would be the following: 50-70% pellets, lots of fresh richly colored vegetables, berries and a small amount of cooked grains. If you go under ‘Forms’ and ‘Foods for Different Avian Species’, you can see ideas about different veggies, grains and fruits.

Sincerely,

M. Scott Echols, DVM, Dipl ABVP (Avian Practice)

Layna,

Yes, the first thing you would do with a bird that has been on a bad diet is to make basic nutrition changes- as you suggested. Products like green tea, milk thistle, etc have shown promise with mostly preventing certain types of liver disease rather than treating disease. In other words, when you consider well done research the studies show some of these products have real benefit when you give birds the supplement before or at the same time a liver toxin is added. When you take an animal that already has liver disease and then add these herbals, the beneficial effects are much less (if at all). That is not to say they do not have value, we are just not sure how they have value. This is an area that deserves more research. No studies (that I could find) show benefit of using aloe to treat or prevent liver disease in birds.

If you bird has liver disease, the first thing is to characterize it better (often more diagnostics such as a liver biopsy) before considering specific treatment. There is no one liver disease in bird and there is no one treatment. In fact, there are numerous types of liver disease most of which are managed or treated differently.

Sincerely,

M. Scott Echols, DVM, Dipl ABVP (Avian Practice)