What Are The Signs Of Gout In My Bird?
There are three common signs you might see if your pet is developing gout. The first is an increase in the white (urate) portion of his stool. This also occurs when the bird is not eating. So your veterinarian will confirm that the pet’s blood urate level is also elevated. These birds are usually also drinking more than usual. The second sign is difficulty walking. This is due to the joint pain and joint immobility that urate deposits cause. Pet birds that are developing gout may spent more or all of their time on the cage floor. The third are shiny, raised, whitish deposits under the pet’s skin. These are found around joints. We find them on the bird’s limbs because in the articular form of gout, crystals tend to accumulate where the bird’s body temperature is lowest. Other signs of gout are internal and can not be seen by the owner. What Kind Of Birds Get Gout? Generally, birds that develop gout are mature. They are usually pet birds that are eating an inexpensive seed diet that only
Increased Thirst (polydipsia) One of the first sign that something is not right is an increase in the bird’s drinking. Gout is not always the reason. Your pet can have increased thirst for a number of less important reasons including the moisture and salt content of the items you feed it, room temperature, etc. But when you have made no diet or life style changes, birds tend to drink the same amount, day after day. Birds with gout problems do not usually produce more chalky urates in their stool. You notice them more because ill birds eat less so there is less brownish stool in the droppings. The urate you see in those scant stools is from the bird excreting the nitrogen portion of its own muscles as it copes with starvation. If you weigh those birds, you will see that they are going light (weighing less). Feather Plucking, Dull Plumage And Self-trauma A bird’s feathers are a window on its general health. They should have vibrant color and sheen, be replaced on schedule and the unfeath
