Macaw Care

Macaw Care

Housing

Cages need to be secure and big. The cage must be big enough for a bird to stretch his wings. Always buy a cage with a playpen on the top of the cage so the bird can have freedom when being supervised. Or, you can use a separate parrot stand. Make certain sure it is a strong, sturdy cage with a good lock.

Most macaws WILL learn to open any lock. Many times I have seen them figure out a new lock! Rectangular and square cages are much better than a round cage. The macaw needs perches of various thicknesses for healthy foot development.

If your bird has behavioral problems you may want to forego the cage with a playpen on top. Buy a stand-a-lone playpen or build one. You want the bird lower than you are.

Diet & Health Issues

The basic diet should be a special pellet formulated especially for macaws. These pellets should be supplemented with any healthy food that you eat. They can have fruit, pasta, vegetables, nuts, seeds, cooked beans, hot peppers, bell peppers. Pretty much anything healthy that you eat can be feed to your macaw. Our birds ate for dinner whatever we were having for dinner. Fruit is their favorite treat. They should be provided with a cuttlebone and a mineral block.

Keeping a macaw healthy is a complex issue. Advanced research is necessary before buying a macaw. Toenails need to be trimmed. The wing feathers may need to be trimmed so he doesn't escape. You could accidentally cut a blood feather and the bird can bleed out very quickly.

Keep Your Birds Healthy and Active

Macaws are intelligent and complex. The need for toys is immense. Boredom is unhealthy for a macaw and can be fatal. Puzzle toys made for destructive macaws are great. There are interactive toys where a nut needs to be extracted. Chew toys are needed for these chew happy birds. Anything new and different that is safe for a macaw. Anything that you can find that will confound the macaw for a little while; because it doesn't take long for them to figure out each new game or puzzle. They love to interact with you. He loved his head scratched and soon would ask for a scratch in his well articulated, but nasally voice. We learned many games together. We spent countless hours on the floor playing.

Macaws need a great deal of specialized attention. It is not a good pet for someone that cannot devote his or her entire life to him or her. The macaw is very different from other pets, and each macaw is different from another macaw. Each one is unique!

Riker, the opinionated macaw hated bugs. He would turn his head to one side and with one eye watching a bug crawling up the wall. I called this, "giving the bug the hairy eyeball." All the while he is yelling, BUG, MOM, MOM! BUG!! If a bug was on the floor, he'd go the other way. Strange bird, Riker was!

Make sure you give this considerable thought and plan in advance should anything happen to you. If you and your significant other have chosen not to have children because you don't have time, you don't have the time to spend with a macaw either. They are very noisy. They are destructive!

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Zonkey - Zorse

The newest in exotic pets! A zorse, zonkey, or zeedonk, is a hybrid between a horse and zebra or donkey and zebra. This is possible because both parents are from the equine family. A zorse is rarer than a zonkey. While a zebra and horse and zebra and donkey can produce offspring, a zorse, zonkey, or zeedonk can't produce young. Which raises an ethical question. Is it right to produce offspring that can't reproduce?

A zorse is the offspring of a horse and a zebra. A zonkey is a result of mating a male zebra and a female donkey. A zeedonk is the offspring of a female zebra and a male donkey. A zorse is a bit rarer than a zeedonk or zonkey because a horse is not quite as enthusiastic to mate with a zebra as a donkey might be. Though either can occur in nature. Though, not often.

The animals are no doubt intriguing and handsome with the striped pattern of a zebra with the principal colors of a donkey. The cuteness of a donkey or majesticness of a horse.

Is it ethical cross-breeding when the results of the offspring are sterile? Cross breeding horses and donkeys produce a mule which is also sterile. A lot of people feel this is wrong. However, is your cat or dog neutered or spayed? Many exotic pets are spayed and neutered. These animals can't reproduce. Is this any different than the zorse or zonkey?

Does breeding these animals with such different chromosome count cause unknown or known physical/medical problems with offspring? Not that I've heard of. I wanted to check any issues that may have risen between a horse and a donkey. Well, the saying "Healthy as a Mule," is said for a reason. The mule seems quite healthy.

How about from A biblical standpoint? Taken from Genesis 24. "And God said, Let the earth bring forth living creatures according to their kinds: cattle and creeping things and beasts of the earth according to their kinds.” And it was so. 25 And God made the beasts of the earth according to their kinds and the cattle according to their kinds, and everything that creeps upon the ground according to its kind. And God saw that it was good".

Are zebras, donkeys, and horses one of a kind?

What other ethical arguments for or against breeding the zorse, zeedonk, and zonkey? Your opinion?

The zonkey is cute, the zorse handsome. It will be interesting to see if any health issues arise and how people view the ethical view of the whole subject matter. What do you think about the hybrid breeding of horse and zebra and donkey and zebra?

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Avian Veterinarian

The BEST piece of advice I can give is to find a veterinarian before you have an emergency. Ideally, find an Avian Exotic Animal Veterinarian before you purchase a bird. Also, make sure you have a suitable carrier handy so when an emergency does occur, you have a safe way to quickly transport your precious pet.

Any veterinarian can call themselves avian veterinarians. An Avian Veterinarian who belongs to the Association of Avian Veterinarians (AAV) is a veterinarian who has paid their dues to the Association of Avian Veterinarians. What determines a qualified avian veterinarian is a veterinarian who has Avian Certification from the American Board of Veterinary Practitioners (ABVP). Certification is given by the ABVP when an avian vet has had six years of extensive, documented avian experience or formal training and has passed a series of complicated exams.

Many excellent avian veterinarians out there do not have their certification from the American Board of Veterinary Practitioners. Nevertheless, just because a veterinarian is interested in birds does not mean he is proficient enough to treat them. The best way to find a good avian veterinarian is word of mouth. Talk to other people that have birds. Call up raptor centers and find out who takes care of their birds. Speak to different breeders and organizations and find out whom they use. Look through the yellow pages for vets listed under exotics, call them, and see if they specifically treat birds. Get recommendations from regular veterinarians. Talk to pet stores that handle birds for their recommendations. If there is a local zoo, call and find out whom they use. There is an excellent search engine on the AAV website to locate Avian Veterinarians.

After you compile a list of possible veterinarians, make an appointment to visit them and their clinic. Compare each practice before making a final determination. Discuss your expectations with the veterinarian. Look over the clinic; is it clean? How do the technicians interact with the animals? Can they be reached in an emergency? What are the procedures for an emergency after the clinic is closed? Who takes over the practice when the regular veterinarian is on vacation or is ill? Make sure you can communicate with the veterinarian.

Birds are notorious for hiding their illness, your observations and communicating them to the veterinarian is crucial for your birds’ health and well-being. Find out how often they handle birds compared to other animals. Does he or she continue his or her education and knowledge on the latest information in avian and exotic pet medicine? Is he or she a member of the AAV? Members of AAV are informed of the latest developments in avian medicine by reports in The Journal of Avian Medicine and Surgery; published by the AAV.

What kind of equipment and testing equipment do they have in their facility? What kind of special equipment do they have specifically for birds? Do they have access to specialists? Do they have access and a good rapport with an Avian Certified Veterinarian? Be on the alert, if you hand over the potential veterinarian a large macaw and the vet looks terrified, look a little further on your list. Make sure the vet is comfortable handling the bird.

A good Avian Veterinarian will joyfully spend time discussing your bird with you. He or she will offer suggestions on care and potential problems that could occur. Do not be afraid to ask your vet to clarify things you do not understand. Often when you show a great deal of interest, the veterinarian will spend more time with you. An Avian Veterinarian will be an invaluable ally to you and your bird. All these precautions may seem to be a time waster until you have a real emergency or illness.

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Guide to the Canary

Canaries (Serinus Canarius) are originally from the Canary Islands off the coast of Africa. Most people think of the canary as a yellow bird, but the canary also comes in other variations of color. The canary requires less attention and space than parrots. A canary is a songbird that is sure to delight your family.

The male canary is the singer in the family, but the female canary is more social than the male. It is tough to tell the difference between the male and female canary. If you are only interested in purchasing a male that you know will sing, purchase after a year old and make sure you’ve heard the birds singing before you purchase him. Hopefully, you will enjoy and love your canary if it sings or not. Purchase a canary while they are still young.

The Canaries are not overly social birds and can be kept as a single. In fact, male birds are very territorial.

Purchasing a Canary

Prices of canaries vary a great deal. If you purchase from a pet store, they will likely be more expensive than purchasing from a private breeder. The fancier the variety of canary the more expensive the canary will be. Males are usually more expensive than females.

Make sure you pick out a healthy bird from a reputable breeder. I wouldn’t recommend purchasing a canary from an outdoor aviary. Mosquitoes carry canarypox and easily transmit the canarypox to canaries. This is a good reason to make sure your screens are in good condition and are secure.

Make sure you find out what the canary has been eating, and continue to feed the same food, changing over to a different diet gradually; if you feel the need.

Cages and Accessories

The Canaries don’t climb for exercise as parrots do. They need to fly. A good-sized rectangular cage is needed to give them an opportunity for optimal exercise. They enjoy hopping from branch to branch. Never put your canary in a round cage. The minimum sized cage should be 24" long, 16" deep, and 18" tall. The bigger the cage is, the better. The bar spacing should be no bigger than one-half inch.

You should give the canary perches of different diameters from one-quarter inch to one-half inch in diameter for optimal foot health. Do not use the sandpaper perches you find in pet stores. Natural branches are excellent for optimal foot health but make sure they are not from a poisonous tree or have chemicals such as pesticides on them. Wash and dry the branch thoroughly before using. Sun drying is the best drying method.

The cage and accessories should be cleaned and sanitized on a weekly basis. The cage floor covering and food dishes need to be cleaned daily. You can use a newspaper that doesn’t contain colored ink,. This works great for a cage floor covering. You can also purchase cage floor coverings from a pet supply store. The branches need to be washed in hot soapy water, rinsed well and allowed to completely dry.

The Canaries enjoy toys. Most any toy suitable for a parakeet is excellent for a canary. Keep in mind that the male canary may not sing if he has a mirror. The canary enjoys a swing in its cage.

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Pet Skink

Skinks are small lizards. Like most reptiles, climate control is very important. The Blue Tongue Skink is a popular pet skink. One well-liked breed of the Blue Tongue Skink is the Northern blue-tongued skink. They are omnivores meaning they eat meat and plant matter.

The skink is a docile lizard, in my opinion, comparable to a bearded dragon. If you hold and handle them from a young age they even enjoy cuddles.

Stinks that are in captivity can live to an average of 15 years. Keep your Skink happy, healthy and in a healthy and clean environment. This is important to reach optimum their lifespan. They can grow up to 20 inches.

Make sure you acquire your exotic pet skink from a reputable breeder. Make sure they have bright clear eyes and are healthy.

Part of keeping your pet skink healthy is climate control and the need for vitamin supplements and calcium supplements. You must provide UVB lighting. In addition, reptiles can't regulate their own body heat, they need an outside source to warm themselves. In nature, they would bask in the sun to keep warm. The enclosure should range in temperature from one side to the other from 75-85 F (24-29 C) gradually increasing to the basking side of the enclosure which should be around 95 F (35 C). You can accomplish this with an under tank heater and a basking light. Keep the UVB and basking light on around 10 to 12 hours a day. Don't let nighttime temperatures fall under 70 F.

Calcium and UVB lighting are essential to keep your skink from getting a metabolic bone disease. Basking in the sun not only provides them warmth but also with UVB rays. They will bask in the sun for many hours a day. You must provide these same rays with UVB lighting bought where you would buy other reptile supplies. The UVB helps metabolize calcium. In a home environment, you will need to provide a calcium supplement. Sprinkle the supplement on their food. Also, provide a vitamin supplement especially for lizards.

Provide plenty of filtered fresh water in a shallow dish for drinking. They do bathe in their dish where they will defecate. Make sure the bowl is cleaned often and the water changed.

Their diet should be a combination of plant matter and meat a ratio of 60 percent plant and 40 percent meat. A high quality, high protein, low-fat dog food is acceptable supplementing with insects and mice. The size of mice will range from pinkie to larger mice depending on how big your skink is. Feed plant matter in the form of fruit and vegetables.

Provide a good size enclosure, at least a 55-gallon tank. Provide a safe substrate like a cypress mulch or aspen bark. They will need a couple of hiding spots. One item you could use as a hide is a PVC pipe size of course larger than the skink. You could also use a large piece of bark or a flat rock that has been carefully propped so it doesn't fall and injure the skink. Keep in mind they may dig under these props so make certain nothing can fall. Keep most of the bottom of the enclosure wide open they enjoy scampering about. Though the skink doesn't climb you will have to provide a secure lid.

Keep track of the humidly level using a hygrometer. Most varieties of skinks need a humidly level of 30-40 percent. Use a reptile enclosure thermometer to keep track of the temperature. Don't attach it to the glass walls of the enclosure. The glass will inhabit a proper temperature reading. Skinks shed often make sure to mist your skink to aid in shedding. If you don't it can lead to serious problems.

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Guide to Lovebirds

You will never know true love and happiness until you have loved a lovebird. What is sweeter than candy and Valentine’s heart full of love? The answer to my riddle; a lovebird which could be the perfect gift for a loved one on Valentine’s Day. If the love of your life has been contemplating a bird as a pet, it would certainly be a gift of love. A pet for a gift should not be a surprise but something planned, prepared for, which then becomes a romantic outing together to find the perfect lovebird. Then come the tender days of watching your lovebird adjust to his or her new surroundings. A toast of sparkling wine, champagne, bubbly grape or cider listening to mellow music to soothe your soul which also helps your new lovebird adapt to his or her new family and environment.

People have long been fascinated with lovebirds manifested in poetry, sonnets, art, melody, song, and legend. The lovebird needs are the same as people, love sweet love.

Lovebirds mate for life. They form a strong bond with their mate. In the wild, they are never far from each other. The question seems to come up when purchasing a lovebird as a pet. Should we buy two?

“Lovebirds are great little birds,” said Eric Antheunisse owner of Cedar Hill Birds Cedar Hill Birds. “Except when they are bought in pairs, they will go wild on you quickly.” A pair of lovebirds would bond to each other, instead of their human parent. Eric further explained that a hand fed baby bought as a single bird will bond to you. Lovebird breeders www.cedarhillbirds.com - I am a customer at Cedar Hills but am not an affiliate.

Lovebirds are very active birds needing swings, a variety of perches and toys to play with. The lovebird will need plenty of attention since you now are his or her lifelong companion. Perches and swings made for cockatiels are the proper sizes for lovebirds. Remember to have perches of varying diameters for healthy feet. The same size is not healthy. The lovebird will love to perch on branches from safe trees, trees that are not poisonous or have been sprayed with insecticide or other toxins.

Cages should be safe, have a secure lock, and have bars with no more than ½-inch spaces. Birds should always have a rectangular or square cage never round. A round cage can result in a screeching bird with behavioral problems. Always think of yourself living in a cage for the rest of your life, bigger is always better. The birdcage should never be higher than your chin.

Feed the lovebird a combination of cockatiel seed and a feed mix intended for a small parrot. They also love millet sprays. Try to find fresh ones. Some seed should be sprouted for the nutrients and for variety, like the fresh food they would normally find in the wild. They feed on a variety of seeds, not just the dried seeds like found in the store. Proper nutrition will help the lovebird reach their attainable lifespan of 15 to 20 years. It is not rare to hear of lovebirds reaching greater ages.

Sprout seeds by placing them between two damp paper towels. Keep fresh sprouted seed in the refrigerator. The lovebird must be fed a variety of fresh fruits and vegetables. Never feed foods with caffeine, avocado, chocolate, greasy foods, or food with sugar. Many people feed their bird children the same thing they eat, which is fine as long as we eat a healthy diet. Perhaps we can learn from the birds.

Always make sure the bird has fresh water in a clean dish. More than one dish should be on hand so that the water and food dishes can be cleaned and sanitized. Fresh food should be removed after an hour or so.

The lovebird will need added calcium. Use a cuttlebone. If you use liquid supplements in the drinking water clean and sanitize the dish after a couple of hours. Bacteria can build up quickly in water with vitamin supplements. Supplements should not be necessary if the bird is getting a healthy diet.

Lovebirds love and need baths. Offer a water dish for bathing, removing it after they bathe. They also like to be sprayed. Don’t spray directly at the lovebird but over the bird letting the water spray over him or her. Plan the lovebird’s bath or shower early in the day so that the bird has time to dry before the cool of night. Keep the bird wet or otherwise away from air conditioner outlets or cool drafts.

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My Ragdoll Cat has Died - Feline Chronic Renal Failure

My little ragdoll cat Squeaky died last week, she was 12-years old. Weeks before that we were on constant vigil trying to keep her alive. Her symptoms were constant vomiting, muscle loss, and weight loss. It happened several times over the last few years. It didn't happen often and wasn't severe at first. The diagnoses ranged from eating too fast to an irritated stomach. She was prescribed antibiotics, different food, among other diets. It wasn't any of these things, it was kidney disease or Feline Chronic Renal Failure, CRF

It took me quite some time to write this article. In fact, I had a heck of a time functioning to write anything. I loved that cat. She was my Velcro kitty, next to me all the time. She was also a one person cat. Since Squeak was a kitten I have had four major spine surgeries, cancer, an antibiotic-resistant flesh-eating infection, lost many family members, that little cat got me through a lot.

We finally got a proper diagnosis not long ago when we took her to a veterinarian who is also the bishop of our church. He tried to save her. He stopped the last crash, rehydrated her and then brought her home to us to spend her last couple of days. He gently explained the quality of life and that some people would go so far as to use feeding tubes to keep the animal alive. He taught us about special kidney disease diets. Explained to us the biggest killer was the cat not eating if she wouldn't eat the homemade kidney disease diet, or the prescription kidney diet to have her eat Fancy Feast. The chicken-grilled variety, not seafood that has more salt. Salt is one of the many problems with kidney disease.

I literally held her in my arms day and night. She nuzzled me and the most remarkable thing happened. She looked at me intensely in the eyes, she raised up her paw and pet my arm over and over. She got tired and laid inside my arm and I patted her. The next day she was very ill again and we knew she was suffering. We talked to the vet again and he assured us as far as the kidney disease had progressed there was nothing we could do to make her well. There was only one decent thing we could do. We took her back to the vet and she was put to sleep. I really had to be honest with myself, how much do we intervene before we are beyond the quality of life.

We couldn't pinpoint any one thing that could have caused the kidney failure. Her diet was excellent and high quality. There is a lot of different problems that can cause it. We learned that ragdoll cats are prone to kidney disease. It is also common in older cats. We will never know what caused it.

I will always have this painful hole in my heart where Squeaky belongs. Rest in peace Squeaky, I look forward to being with you again someday. You are now with my teenage son, my brother, my folks, and many other loved ones. You can play with 56 years of my family's pets who were and are my best friends.

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