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My Pet World: A dog’s personality changes after surgery

Cathy M. Rosenthal, Tribune Content Agency on

— Lisa, Flushing, New York

Dear Lisa,

It's okay for them not to have a cuddle bone all the time, but only if their diet provides for all their nutritional needs. Cuttlebones are calcium supplements, so their behavior could indicate a calcium deficiency. Dr. Robert Groskin, the executive director for the Association of Avian Veterinarians, also says there could be parasites in their beaks or the female could be craving calcium because she is about to lay eggs. An avian veterinarian should review your birds’ diet to determine deficiencies and make dietary recommendations that will meet all their nutritional needs.

Another thing to consider is that bored birds can become obsessive about certain things. If it turns out to be behavioral, you will need to provide additional stimulation. Place their cage near a window (but not in the sun), so they can look outside. Rotate their toys. Give them opportunities to forage for food. There are forage toys out there, but you can just put their daily food in tiny, separate bowls, so they have to go to every bowl to get their daily meal. You also can cover the bowls with small piece of paper, so they have to remove them to eat.

Training also can reduce boredom. Training a parakeet is like training any other pet — repetition, marking the desired behavior (with a clicker), and rewarding the correct behavior. You can train your birds to sit on your finger, talk, and do some simple tricks.

 

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(Cathy M. Rosenthal is a longtime animal advocate, author, columnist and pet expert who has more than 25 years in the animal welfare field. Send your pet questions, stories and tips to cathy@petpundit.com. Please include your name, city, and state. You can follow her @cathymrosenthal.)

©2022 Tribune Content Agency, LLC.


(c) 2022 DISTRIBUTED BY TRIBUNE MEDIA SERVICES, INC.

 

 

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