Why did my pet bird get kidney issues so young? Was it my diet?

I'm sorry to hear your bird passed away. The Mazuri diet is great. Unfortunately I am not familiar with the Higgins seeds. I think you would have been better off using the Mazuri only. It is a complete feed and you should not need to supplement with anything else. Were you giving many high calcium/oxalate veggies? He may have had an underlying kidney issue which would have predisposed him to the gout. That is probably the most likely scenario.

Hello, I am very sorry to hear about Kiwi. Situations like this can be so challenging and hard to experience. When birds are not feeling well they often spend the majority of time at the bottom of their cage. It is very hard to know what happened without having evaluated Kiwi, however upper respiratory infections secondary to bacteria are not uncommon in parakeets, many of these are contagious among birds. Other systemic infections due to bacteria are also seen in Parakeets. I hope this helps. Losing multiple pets in such a short period of time is incredibly saddening, I am very sorry for your loss.

Sorry for your loss. Taking the deceased bird back to the veterinarian to perform a necropsy with the goal to determine a cause. Somethings are contagious to other birds, including bacterial and viral problems. Birds will often pick on the sick/injured to get them to leave the flock, for protection. Monitor the health of others. Also, providing antibiotics through the water gives you no control over quantity ingested. A specific oral dose is best. Good luck with the other birds.

Thanks for reaching out, but am sorry for your loss. There are lots of possibilities, but a non-avian veterinarian would have been a better choice than breeders. Coccidiosis would have resulted in diarrhea. Unfortunately only a necropsy can give definitive answers. Bacterial or viral infections, metabolic disorders such as liver or kidney problems, toxicities are only a few possibilities. Good luck.

Hello there! I'm sorry to hear about Machete's seizures. Birds are very hard to diagnose, and seizures can happen with several different disorders of birds, including kidney disease, liver disease, and atherosclerosis (hardening of the arteries), amongst other bacterial, fungal, and parasitic infections. If Machete isn't responding to the current treatment, I would ask your veterinarian to investigate other possible causes of the seizures, and potentially try another treatment. While the bloodwork results you posted could certainly be indicative of kidney disease, there is also some indicators of fatty liver disease (which can also cause seizures) and/or atherosclerosis (which happens to be more common in Quaker parrots). This is especially true if Machete has been on a high-seed diet, which is high in fat and can contribute to these diseases. There are other diagnostic tools that can be utilized to come to a definitive diagnosis, such as biopsies and more sensitive blood tests. Please consider reaching out to your veterinarian for further evaluations and treatment so that Machete can get well. Best of luck to you and Machete!

Thanks for reaching out and am sorry about Felix. Neurologic problems can arise for metabolic disorders (kidneys, liver, pancreas, heart), infectious agents (bacterial, viral, fungal), toxicities: just to name a few. Without a necropsy, it would be impossible to give you a diagnosis. Maybe having the other budgie tested for some infectious diseases, might be appropriate. Good luck.

It sounds like he may be having a worsening of his kidney disease. It is best to get him back to the vet for a check up. Kidney disease cannot be cured, only managed so it is very likely they are getting worse which is causing his symptoms.