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Monday through Friday:
7:30-6:00
Saturdays:
9-1
Appointments preferred.
Email:
Dr. Ken
Dr. Mary
Dr. Sandra
Staff
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Proper Nutrition for Pet Birds
 | Seed Based Diets
 | Birds will select what looks best, not what is good for them. |
| Seed diets are deficient in 20-25 nutrients. |
| Vegetables and fruits are 85-95% water. |
| Seeds are very high in calories. |
| Nearly all birds on this type of diet exhibit signs of malnutrition! |
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| Aren’t Seeds the Natural Diet?
| Only superficially. |
| Seeds are only available at certain seasons. |
| Parent birds normally teach good eating habits. |
| Wild and domestic seed crops are different. |
| Wild birds work hard for a living and need extra calories. |
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| What About the Vitamins I Give?
| Vitamin supplements are a poor way to improve the diet.
 | They lose potency in water and are not consumed if sprinkled on dry
seed. |
| Supplements promote bacterial growth in the water. |
| Most have very inaccurate means of dosing. |
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| Table Foods
| Table foods vary in value to your bird.
| Many are so high in water that they amount to a very small part of the
diet. |
| Some are potentially dangerous.
| One potato chip is analogous to a whole bag for a human. |
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| My Bird Won’t Eat That!
| Birds eat what they are accustomed to. |
| Texture and appearance are the most important factors in food selection. |
| Birds must be trained to eat proper foods. |
| Too many choices allow the bird to choose only the familiar food. |
| Virtually any bird can be converted to a good diet. |
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| Is It Worth Changing the Diet?
| Yes! |
| Pet birds live 20 to 60 years or more; A diet change now can have a big
impact. |
| Birds are livelier and more vibrant when on a healthy diet. |
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| Ideal Diets
| Formulated diets should be 50-75% of diet. |
| Remainder of diet should be 50% grains and 50% vegetables. |
| Emphasize greens, yellow and orange vegetables, and legumes. |
| Supplements should not be given. |
| Grit is unnecessary for pet birds. |
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| Formulated Diets
| Formulated diets have all known required nutrients compressed into each
nugget. |
| While not perfect, these represent the best way to assure proper
nutrition. |
| Many brands are available to choose from. |
| Supplements are unnecessary and potentially dangerous to birds on
formulated diets. |
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| Converting the Diet
| Seeds must be limited to a little less than what is normally consumed. |
| The seed is mixed with the new diet so the bird must dig through the new
food. |
| The seed is then gradually reduced and then eliminated from the diet. |
| If your bird looks bad, go back to seeds and start all over. |
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| Conversion Tips
| Use a soft diet (rice/bean/vegetable mix) to hold seed and pellets
together. |
| Feed in familiar dishes. |
| Let your bird see another bird eating the new food. |
| Pretend to eat the food yourself. |
| Try again if first time doesn’t work. |
| Try feeding one meal with pellets in the morning and a meal with seeds
in the evening. |
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| Good Luck!
| Changing your bird’s diet may take some effort but the benefits will be
obvious. |
| Sometimes we will hospitalize birds for diet conversion if the owner has
difficulty. |
| Have fun! |
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Our Mission:
All Creatures Animal Hospital is dedicated to providing progressive medicine in
a caring environment for pets of all species. Through preventative medicine,
client education, professional development of our staff, and advanced medical
and surgical techniques, we hope to foster a strong and lasting bond with
clients and their pets.
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