I last wrote on Feb 21, and Ariel has been doing much better for awhile now. His droppings still look the same, but he has gained weight, moves around, plays with his toys, etc. Tonight I decided to do an internet search for "old parakeet", and I came across some interesting comments that I have never heard of before. For one thing, a 12 year old parakeet is not really old as they can live to 20! (I'm assuming by parakeet they mean a budgie). Also, never give gravel or grit. I have always given gravel, although I have been giving him only a little bit at a time because I did read that they may eat to much if they are sick and it will cause additional problems and even death. I came across someone who had a 12 year old bird that seemed to have the same symptoms as Ariel and the avian vet said to feed her a pellet-only food, prescription if necessary, no gravel and NO SEEDS! My vet said nothing about a no seed diet, or eliminate gravel. This vet was recommended by the vet I use for my dog. I live 15 miles outside of a small city, so pickings are thin. 1-1/2 hrs to a large city, but I would drive that, if necessary. What do you think of this advice? I bookmarked it if anyone wants to read it:
/www.justanswer.com/pet-bird/2yka8-older-parakeet-acts-fine-eats-well.html

I've always heard that gravel is only needed for birds who eat the hulls of the seeds and budgies don't. So I would think gravel would be bad.

Was this vet a vet just for birds? I would try to get a second opinion.

It's sweet to hear about birdies living long lives...betcha ya'll have a wonderful friendship. And it's very obvious you have taken good care of her.

Forget the gravel. I think I have heard or read that many times that keets do not need gravel.

About switching to pellets. I think if you went to the wilds of Australia and looked around, you would not see a keet eating a pellet anywhere.

The beaks of keets and instinct make keets seed and grain eaters. This is just my opinion but I think if you offer high quality seed and grains along with fresh veggies and herbs either fresh or dried, at any age your doing the best you can for their nutrition and longevity.

I have had many old animals because I always gave them what they needed and they were healthy and happy until it was time for them to go.

Sadly, last April we buried our quarter horse at the age of 32 years old but his kidneys started failing. He looked as good at 32 as he did at 15, or 10 years old. My equine vet said he has never seen a horse age so well and be so active at his age. Six months before he died he won 4 ribbons at a cowboy challenge and beat the pants off the other young horses. He still wanted to get on the trailer and be a part of everything.

We took excellent care of our old Bubba and fed him quality food and made sure he had vaccinations and everything to live a full long life. We had a cat live to 17 years old and a dog to 15 years old.

It is my belief that if you feed the diet an animal is suppose to eat and make it as natural and healthy as you can, any animal can live a long healthy life, providing they have the genes to do it.

I have had vets tell me to do some pretty wired things regarding nutrition and I take what I need and leave the rest. I once had a very well respected equine vet tell me that vets really do not know much about nutrition unless they pursue the information themselves. Schools do not teach it as a required course, only if they specialize in it.

I hope this helped a little but it is only my opinion but I stand by it because the proof is in the pudding as they say. I have had many animals that lived very long lives.

I use to grow up on a dairy farm with many chickens and we just let them eat the rocks or pebble for their gullets, I guess you would call it. So being a bird I thought keets needs that gravel and grit. Is the cuttle bone enough? I get the seed from "wild Harvest" for reg seed and they also supply the moulting seed. for one bird I'm not going to order big bulks online when I can get the right volume at walmart so it doesn't go bad.

Bluekeet, the reason you seen those chickens eating rocks and stuff is because they eat the whole seed and the grit and rocks will to help digest them. As long as its a good quality seed...that's fine. Make sure to offer fresh veggies, though. Gives them a variety.

Tessboss: Nice to see that your animals had very long happy lives.

Sounds like your doing a good job if your bird is doing well and like Kimberly said add some herb and veggies, your on track to have a healthy bird.

I too had chickens on the farm and we fed oyster shell grit so we has better shell quality. If chickens do not get enough calcium (grit) they cannot produce enough shell nad when you go to pick them up they break.

I wouldn't worry too much if your bird is happy and healthy.

thats how the entire grit thing came about to begin with but thru time grit has not been advocated as again thats how pellets came about too....

our keets simply put are not chickens...

Well ariella, if Ariel is almost 12 yrs old you must be doing something right. I think that IS a good long life for a keet. Yes they CAN probably live to be 20 yrs old, but I believe that is probably the exception rather than the rule.

I don't agree with switching to an all pellet diet. Tess stated some very good reasons for that above, so I will not go in to it.

Not sure what could be causing the loose droppings. I think you mentioned having taken her to an avian vet a while back? Did they not do any testing?? Seems they would have at the very list done a gram stain (test the stool for bacteria etc)
Maybe you can just take in a stool sample to be tested just to make sure there is nothing going on there. If there IS something funky going on it is only getting worse as time goes by.

As for healthy nutrition, check out this Good Food thread. It is sure to give you lots of ideas on how to improve her diet..no matter what the age
http://wineintro.com/forum/ubbthreads.php/topics/411622/1

As for the gravel and grit-it is now known that keets do not need it, and in fact it can cause crop impaction..so I would eliminate that altogether.

Bluekeet, you might want to check out the Good Food thread too. Some things you can find right at your supermarket, and yes some online. You don't have to buy in bulk. And if you keep what you do buy sealed in airtight containers/ziplocks it will stay fresh until you use it.
So much healthier than commercial premade mixes out there. Artificial coloring and additives are not good for our birds..especially when feeding long term

I suggest a cuttlebone AND and unflavored/uncolored mineral block

on a aged bird the looser droppings can mean anything ...over abundance of greens being fed maybe...????

get some acidophilus in capsule form at any place they sell vits..open the capsule and put a good pinch on top of the food your feeding in case its a minor digestive thing with producing a good gut bacteria level...that should fix it

Thanks to all who have replied. The vet I went to was not an avian-only vet, but the only one in my area that does birds. She did a gram stain and it was gram-positive, with only a few gram-negative bacteria. The seed mix I use now has a non-seed food added, I guess "pellet", but I don't believe he eats these--he goes for the seed. I read that one person gives his parakeet 4 days of pellets and 4 days of seed to make him eat the pellets. I just don't know if I trust these "pellets" to give everything a parakeet needs as an exclusive diet though--remember the problems with baby formula? If they can't get it right with humans, how much less with pet birds? I believe in natural myself, so I guess I will plug along==minus the gravel. I have read several books on parakeets and I don't recall any of them saying not to give gravel. I always thought they needed it to digest the seed. Well, I learned something new.

I believe Ariel's longevity is due to genetics. I have purchased parakeets at pet stores, and none have lived so long (at one time I had four parakeets as I have three children.) I purchased Ariel at a bird-only pet store, perhaps 10 miles from my home. I had read enough parakeet books to know these were very robust budgies, so she must have gotten a good lineage. Ariel is actually my youngest daughter's pet, and we got him the second month my daughter was in first grade. Now she is graduating in June. The shopkeeper picked him out for her, and I thought to myself, "all these pretty colors and she gives her a gray bird?" But my daughter was delighted so I said nothing.

He has a strong personality, hanging on the side of the cage making a ruckus when he wants some attention, and attacking his toys with a vengeance. He was making a racket just this morning. He seems absolutely back to normal now except for his droppings, which are still a little loose. I will try the L. acidophillus next. The worst I can expect is a little gas perhaps.;-)