Malnutrition Have Often Devel- Oped Strong Preferences for Unbalanced Diets
alnutrition can cause a specific problem or suppress a bird’s immune system, de- CHAPTER crease response to therapeutic agents, M decrease reproductive performance and prolong the period of surgical recovery. The diet of every avian patient should be carefully evaluated, even if the bird appears clinically to be well nourished. Marginal nutritional inadequacies frequently occur (see Chapter 8), and correcting the 31 diet will improve a bird’s general health and its ability to resist infectious diseases. Gastrointestinal malabsorption, hepatitis or renal disease can in- crease nutrient requirements so that diets that are sufficient in healthy birds may be insufficient for unhealthy birds. Interestingly, free-ranging gra- nivorous birds that are offered both organic (no pes- ticides) and pesticide-treated grains will preferen- ALNUTRITION tially consume the organic foods. Test birds would not M eat the pesticide-treated foods until all of the organic grains were gone. Birds with signs of malnutrition have often devel- oped strong preferences for unbalanced diets. Most seed diets, for example, contain excessive levels of fat and may be deficient in vitamins A, D3, E, B12 and K1, plus riboflavin, pantothenic acid, niacin, biotin, choline, iodine, iron, copper, manganese, selenium, Patricia Macwhirter sodium, calcium, zinc and some amino acids (eg, lysine and methionine).6 Birds can be encouraged to accept new foods by offer- ing them first thing in the morning when the appe- tite is strongest. Favorite items can be withheld until later in the day. New foods may also be mixed with the bird’s normal familiar diet. Gradually decreasing the quantity of old food items and increasing the quantity of new foods in the mixture will allow for a smooth transition in the diet.
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