purposeful vomiting

[rowstyles]

hello. my girlfriend's grandmother's lovebird is 15 years old. lately it has been vomiting in what seems to be a purposeful manner. it vomits in the same area everytime. my girlfriend's aunt has speculated that this is because a couple guests have been feeding the bird flower petals but when i witnessed the bird being fed a petal it seemed to spit it out. the grandmother (owner) of the lovebird has been kind of put-off by the bird's new behavior as the bird used to be very cute, friendly and "normal". is purposeful or unpurposeful yet continuous vomiting in a specific spot within the cage a symptom or sign of a greater health issue? is the bird in danger, or just excercising free will? is it a cry for help/attention? any input would be greatly appreciated. thanks.

rowen

[dlaura]

Hi Rowen and welcome to PL. If the lovebird is vomitting on a continual basis I would suggest a vet visit. Birds should have an annual visit every year anyway. Please let us know how it goes.

[mysmallzoo]

Is it possible that they have fed this bird something that was toxic to it?

Many plants and flowers are toxic to parrots

[rowstyles]

the bird was taken to the vet, apparently, and the doctor diagnosed the lovebird as having a 'behavioral dysfunction'. the doctor offered to also do an x-ray but my girlfriend's grandmother couldn't afford all of that. i could perhaps get a picture online of the flower petals that have been fed to it - could you perhaps tell by photos if it was a flower which is poisonous to lovebirds?

i actually believe the flower petals being fed to it were from a daisy.

[mysmallzoo]

the bird was taken to the vet, apparently, and the doctor diagnosed the lovebird as having a 'behavioral dysfunction'. the doctor offered to also do an x-ray but my girlfriend's grandmother couldn't afford all of that. i could perhaps get a picture online of the flower petals that have been fed to it - could you perhaps tell by photos if it was a flower which is poisonous to lovebirds?

i actually believe the flower petals being fed to it were from a daisy.


Here is a list of plants that are toxic to birds. Of course even the plants deemed "safe" for birds, may not be if they've been sprayed with insecticide or other chemicals

ARUM LILY
AMARYLLIS
ARALIA
ARROWHEAD VINE
AUTUMN CROCUS
AUSTRALIAN
FLAMETREE
AUSTRALIAN
UMBRELLA TREE
AVOCADO
AZALEA
BANEBERRY
BEANS: (CASTOR,
HORSE, FAVA,
BROAD, GLORY,
SCARLET RUNNER,
MESCAL, NAVY,
PREGATORY
BIRD OF PARADISE
BISHOP'S WEED
BLACK LAUREL
BLACK LOCUST
BLEEDING HEART OR
DUTCHMAN'S
BREECHES
BLOODROOT
BLUEBONNET
BLUEGREEN ALGAE
BOXWOOD
BRACKEN FERN
BUCKTHORN
BULB FLOWERS:
(AMARYLLIS,
DAFFODIL,
NARCISSUS,
HYACINTH &
IRIS)
BURDOCK
BUTTERCUP
CACAO
CAMEL BUSH
CASTOR BEAN
CALADIUM
CANA LILY
CARDINAL FLOWER
CHALICE (TRUMPET
VINE)
CHERRY TREE
CHINA BERRY TREE
CHRISTMAS CANDLE
CLEMATIS (VIRGINIA
BOWER)
CLIVIA
COCKLEBUR
COFFEE (SENNA)
COFFEE BEAN
(RATTLEBUSH,
RATTLE BOX &
COFFEEWEED
CORAL PLANT
CORIANDER
CORNCOCKLE
COYOTILLO
COWSLIP
CUTLEAF PHILODENDRON
DAFFODIL
DAPHNE
DATURA STRAMONIUM
(ANGEL'S TRUMPET)
DEATH CAMUS
DELPHINIUM
DEVIL'S IVY
DIEFFENBACHIA
(DUMB CANE)
ELDERBERRY
ELEPHANT EAR (TARO)
ENGLISH IVY
ERGOT
EUCALYPTUS (DRIED,
DYED OR TREATED
IN FLORAL
ARRANGEMENTS)
EUONYMUS (SPINDLE
TREE)
EUPHORBIA CACTUS
FALSE HELLEBORE
FLAME TREE
FELT PLANT
(MATERNITY, AIR &
PANDA PLANTS)
FIG (WEEPING)
FIRE THORN
FLAMINGO FLOWER
FOUR O'CLOCK
FOXGLOVE
GLOTTIDIUM
GOLDEN CHAIN
GRASS: (JOHNSON,
SORGHUM, SUDAN &
BROOM CORN)
GROUND CHERRY
HEATHS: (KALMIA,
LEUCOTHO, PEIRES,
RHODODENDRON, MTN.
LAUREL, BLACK LAUREL,
ANDROMEDA & AZALEA)
HELIOTROPE
HEMLOCK: (POISON &
WATER)
HENBANE
HOLLY
HONEYSUCKLE
HORSE CHESTNUT
HORSE TAIL
HOYA
HYACINTH
HYDRANGEA
IRIS
IVY: (ENGLISH & OTHERS)
JACK-IN-THE-PULPIT
JASMINE (JESSAMINE)
JERUSALEM CHERRY
JIMSONWEED
JUNIPER
KY. COFFEE TREE
LANTANA (RED SAGE)
LARKSPUR
LILY OF THE VALLEY
LILY, ARUM
LOBELIA
LOCOWEED (MILK
VETCH)
LOCUSTS, BLACK/
HONEY
LORDS & LADIES
(CUCKOOPINT)
LUPINE
MALANGA
MARIJUANA (HEMP)
MAYAPPLE
(MANDRAKE)
MEXICAN BREADFRUIT
MEXICAN POPPY
MILKWEED, COTTON
BUSH
MISTLETOE
MOCK ORANGE
MONKSHOOD
MOONSEED
MORNING GLORY
MTN. LAUREL
MUSHROOMS,
AMANITA
MYRTLE
NARCISSUS
NETTLES
NIGHTSHADES:
(DEADLY, BLACK,
GARDEN, WOODY,
BITTERSWEET,
EGGPLANT,
JERUSALEM CHERRY)
OAK
OLEANDER
OXALIS
PARSLEY
PEACE LILY
PERIWINKLE
PHILODENDRONS:
(SPLIT LEAF, SWISS
CHEESE, HEART-LEAF)
PIGWEED
POINCIANA
POINSETTIA
POISON IVY
POISON HEMLOCK
POISON OAK:
(WESTERN & EASTERN)
POKEWEED
POTATO SHOOTS
POTHOS
PRIVET
PYRACANTHA
RAIN TREE
RANUNCULUS,
BUTTERCUP
RAPE
RATTLEBOX,
CROTALARIA
RED MAPLE
RED SAGE (LANTANA)
RHUBARB LEAVES
RHODODENDRONS
ROSARY PEA SEEDS
SAND BOX TREE
SKUNK CABBAGE
SORREL (DOCK)
SNOW DROP
SPURGES: (PENCIL
TREE, SNOW-ON-MTN,
CANDELABRA,
CROWN OF THORNS)
STAR OF BETHLEHEM
SWEET PEA
SWISS CHEESE PLANT
(MONSTERA)
TANSY RAGWORT
TOBACCO
UMBRELLA PLANT
VETCH: HAIRY/COMMON
VIRGINIA CREEPER
WATTLE
WEEPING FIG
WHITE CEDAR, CHINA
BERRY
WISTERIA
YEWS
YELLOW JASMINE

[Jonergin]

I once had a 27 year old male cockatiel that would regurgitate in a corner of his cage a few times a day. Small amounts. It took us a short time to figure out that he was being extra parental and trying to “feed” what he perceived to be a young bird in the next cage over- it was actually a parakeet.

So thinking along those lines, once all medical issues have been ruled out, I think that possibly the Lovebird has decided that it needs to feed its people friends. Does it do it when one specific person is around (the grandmother or a frequent visitor)? Is there a mirror in that corner of the cage?

Also, you stated that there is not enough money to pay for an x-ray for the Lovebird. Please, inquire with the vet if he can draw out a payment plan. Sometimes they’ll do it. When I was a broke college student I adopted a kitten that was deathly ill. I begged and pleaded with the vet hospital to make a payment plan with me and they were willing. Please give it a try.

[dlaura]

I agree with Jonergin -- vets will usually try work out some sort of payment plan. A good rule of thumb to go by is not to feed your bird anything that you are unsure is good for it or not. So by all means stop feeding the LB whatever plant you were feeding it.

[Barcode]

If you are interacting wtih the bird, try to ignore that it is regurgitating. Ignoring unwanted behaviour in a bird will discourage it from continuing its activity.
This, however, will only work if it is a behavioural act only, and I don't mean this as a substitute action for what people in this topic are suggesting.
PS: I'm not sure if this only works on parrots, though....