Is My Bird Fat?

Surprise Surprise! I took a few of my birds in for a routine checkup and was very surprised to learn that my big chunky Chauncey is NOT obese! He eats a lot and his foraging toys are often laden with pistachio nuts, almonds, and seeds.

Chauncey is so smart that it takes him only a moment to figure out the most difficult and intricate toys. He also empties any bowl of food by swishing that magnificent beak back and forth to scatter the contents. I think he likes to hear it hit the floor.

Chauncey's breastbone is surrounded by extruding muscle and his "keel bone" looks indented. I thought this was a normal indication of obesity in a bird. Wrong!

Dr. Brian Speer demonstrated for me that the way to check if a parrot is fat is to analyze the tissue down by the vent. He examined that area and showed me that Chauncey does not have the tell tale yellow "chicken fat" lying under the skin.

Chauncey is just a huge robust bird! When "we" examined Lucy, my supposedly lean scarlet macaw, we found the yellow chicken fat! So she is the one that needs some diet changes, not Chauncey.

I was glad to learn how to check this. Thank you Dr. Speer. You're an amazing veterinarian and just watching your calm expertise in handling my birds was a learning experience. My birds actually enjoyed their exams and I enjoyed learning from you! Imagine, a stress free vet visit!