My lovebird has seizures...help! what can i do?

Question

without warning my pet lovebird will go into a seizure. his wings go out straight and rigid, he rolls over on his back with his head arched all the way back and he flaps his wings uncontrollably. this lasts for several minutes until he comes out of it, staggers around and then finally returns slowly to himself. i dont know what triggers them or what to do about it. has anyone heard of such a thing? is it a seizure? anything i can do besides hold him and try to keep him from hurting himself? if he is in the cage when it happens he falls to the floor and flopps around. if he is out of the cage the wing flapping actually propels him into walls and windows. it is very scary to see. he is a dutch blue lovebird, single one, no mate, is extremely hand tame, will only eat canary food and people food pasta etc. and is about 9-10 years old. he is so sweet and so mischievious. please let me know what you think...thanks...

Answer 1

What are you feeding him? Some berries cause seizures. Take him to the vet
Read on.. The folowing is from Bird magazine

Seizures
A seizure is a spontaneous, uncontrolled, neurological activity. A bird might be twitching, paddling or convulsing. Seizures may be mild, generalized or partial. Mild seizures last a short period of time. The bird may appear disoriented and unable to perch. Generalized seizures are more severe. The bird loses consciousness, vocalizes and flaps its wings uncontrollably. Partial seizures are characterized by a continuous twitching of a wing or leg.

A variety of causes may trigger seizures such as, disease in the brain, head trauma, low blood sugar, low blood calcium, metabolic problems, toxins and an inherited predisposition. The bird should be placed in a quiet dark box and taken to a veterinarian immediately. Injectible medicine - such as valium - will be given to stop the seizures. Blood tests will be taken to try to determine the cause of the seizure. Antibiotics, fluids and glucose may be administered to stabiliaze the bird.

Answer 2

What sort of cage is your bird in? Some metals in cages can cause metal poisoning in birds, which can cause seizures. The only way to know for sure though is to take your bird to a vet. Take a look in a phone book and call local vets and ask if they're avian certified. If you can't find an avian certified vet that you can get to within a couple days, then go for a non-certified one, or even an "exotics" specialist. Bring your bird whether or not he's having a seizure at the moment, seeing the bird comparatively normal is important too.

Another thing to do is decide RIGHT NOW how much money you will put in without thinking about it. For my cockatiel I decided that until I spent $1,000, I wouldn't even question, I would just open my wallet. After $1,000 I would start weighing options. The reason I say this is that for a normal checkup you can expect to pay $75-100. If the vet suggests boarding for observation add another $100 per day, and I would say do it so s/he can treat your bird during the seizure.

Best wishes.

Answer 3

First of all, get your bird to an avian vet as soon as possible! Birds do not show symptoms until things are pretty bad. There is no time to waste! It could be toxicity, as other posters have mentioned.

Pasta is fine for birds as long as they are eating other foods, as well. You say your bird eats "canary food and pasta." Your bird should eat pellets, some seeds, fruits, veggies, pasta, etc.

Also, a well cared for lovebird can make it into their 20's so your lovebird is not that old!

Answer 4

Lovebirds aren't known for being the greatest talkers; they can learn to whistle some simple tunes, though. If you want a talker, try for a cockatiel or perhaps a conure. Best of luck, Phoenix

Answer 5

well, i'm not sure he should be eating pasta for one thing. i know when dogs have seizures, they can be put on medication, but i don't know what you would do for a lovebird. you don't want this to go on, though. i would call your vet right away and get some advice straight from him or her. i hope he's okay!

Answer 6

That sort of thing happened to my cockatiel when a hawk landed on his cage. His fell on the floor and his head rolled back.

his head stayed back for about a month and he has never been able to fly properly since.

I think food has a lot to do with it too, I now feed him a protein and vitamin bird pellet as well as his normal mixed parrot seeds.

This happened about a year ago and he still isn't quite normal but seems quite healthy.

Answer 7

please make an appointment to take this seizure bird to a certified avian vet. something is really wrong. No time to waste
call a bird vet PRONTO! He has something wrong in his brain which could be caused by some type of harmful object he's gotten hold of. what type of cage is he in, what type of toys does he have. check all of them to ascertain no pieces are missing. please act quickly. this bird needs emergency help! [e-mail]

Answer 8

You really need to take it to the vet. There is something seriously wrong!! Hes kind of old so it might just be that but none the less take him to get seen!!!!

Answer 9

Helloooooooo...take it to the bird doctor....sorry, just don't think asking people on Yahoo is as helpful-for this question, anyway.

Answer 10

awwww thats so sad... you shuold take him to the vet soooon!! poor thing... and if you ever want another bird you can have mine... cause we dont like him =] and im not kidding!