ok so to those of you who don’t know, crystal and i own a lutino cockatiel named birdie. birdie likes to fly and is very attached to her mother, crystal. since we moved into the new apartment, she has gained a new level of confidence in her flying ability, learning to maneuver much more gracefully and swiftly. he has learned to fly around the apartment and distinguish what room she is in and how to get to the one she wants to be in. for example, she could be in the bedroom on top of the tv, and if crystal started calling her name from the couch in the living room, she knows what door to fly to and how to get to where crystal is.

sometimes she feels like exploring on her own, which we usually find ok because that usually means she wants to perch on something high like the fridge. around tuesday this week, she fly out and was playing on our entertainment center (she likes to stare at the pictures of crystal). we were in the bedroom watching tv and she let out a shriek. crystal went out and got her and everything seemed fine. the next day, birdie started showing signs of having a limp. concerned, crystal called an avian vet in town and took her on friday.

come to find out, they think she pulled a tendon or nerve in her knee because there is no physical scaring or bruising. also, she is apparently malnutritioned from the seed diet. she hasn’t been on an all seed diet since we weaned her onto millet, but she’s still not eating the right foods. also, her excessive egg laying has become a health concern. in the last month, she has laid 9 eggs, 6 of them were about 4 times the size of the rest. the egg laying has taken its toll on her body, depleting her blood stream and bones of the necessary calcium. because of the diet as well, she is slightly underweight, weighing in at 84 grams, about 90% of the weight she should be at.

the vet took xrays, blood and fecal tests and standard physical exams. all of this cost us a hefty $230. this bird is as expensive as a child (well, not really, but still expensive).

they recommended she get plenty of R&R for the next 4-6 weeks. they clipped her wings so that she cannot continue to injure the knee. she hasn’t had her wings clipped but once in her life, and this is not exactly a change she’s used to. she has unsuccessfully tried several times to fly to her high perches, only to smack into a wall or land crudely on the carpet.

they also recommended keeping her in a 10-gallon fish tank for the rehab period. this will keep her from trying to fly away or climb out. we lined the tank with a towel to keep the floor as soft as possible for her. we also added her toys and food so she can have easy access without having to leave the tank. lastly, we found out that toys that are not stainless steel (i.e. galvanized metals) can be toxic for birds. this meant we had to remove her hanging wood chip/bell toy.

so far she has spent plenty of time sleeping (grinding her beak, which is good). we’re also trying to wean her to a diet that is more rich with calcium. the next 4-6 weeks are going to be tough, especially on crystal (treats birdie like a child, and injured child). hope she gets better soon.