[tasheanne]

Didn't know if I should put this in the food section or the health section since it applies to both I suppose. I'm only asking and concerned for her health though so here it is.

Buttercup is gaining weight again, she's at 100g today. She's been steadily increasing in weight since her antibiotics course finished. I would usually think that's good since it probably means she wasn't feeling well enough to eat enough before and now she's ok BUT the vet said that she was a good weight before the antibiotics and that her weight being in the 100s wouldn't be good (she was previously 102g) because that's too heavy for her.
So basically she's gotten well and then stuffed her face. Should I be worried? Should I cut back on food? Darla shares a cage with her and her weight is steady and normal.
My food routine for them is ZuPreem fruit blend pellets in the morning and then I give them seeds in the afternoon. I do this because if both seeds and pellets are in the cage together no one will eat pellets but this way they eat both just fine. I don't measure the amounts i give though I realise now that I should.
Also I did just switch them from Vetafarm to ZuPreem, could that be a factor?
Anyway sorry this is so long! Any help would be much appreciated

 

[enigma731]

This is just based on my personal experience, but with a bird that was recently ill, I'd be inclined to give her some time to stabilize before considering reducing food. Are you familiar with how to check her body condition by feel? It's entirely possible for a bird to weigh 100g and be well-muscled, as opposed to being that weight and having a high body fat. Also, this may be her instinctively making up for weight she lost while being sick, and depending on when she finished her course of antibiotics, it may correct itself in the next few weeks.

 

[tasheanne]

She finished her antibiotics 6 days ago. When she started the meds she was 94g and the vet said it was a good weight for her, now she's 100g. Previously the vet told me she was chubby/fat at 102g which is why I'm worried. I will wait a while to see if it evens out but it's concerning nonetheless since the vet explicitly said she shouldn't be this heavy ideally.
I've felt her keel bone but I'm no expert at that. It feels ok to me, not too sharp and not sunken into fat, but I assume the vet knows more than I do. Or at least id like to think so after what she charges me! Haha.
I don't think she's well muscelled because she can't fly. The woman I bought her off of cut her wings very very badly, even cutting her coverts. Her wings are only just growing back in so I doubt she's been getting enough exercise for muscle to account for her weight gain.
Is it possible that giving her seeds at night is the problem? Like she's filling up on pellets and then I put seeds in so she's eating them even though she's full cause they're so delicious haha?