Post by kit on Mar 22, 2022 15:35:02 GMT -5
Hello, this is my first post on the forum. I'd really like to start an apprenticeship after I graduate undergrad, but right now I'm part of an education organization with 30 education birds of various species. This fall we got a new Gyrfalcon, that I've been working with and training for education. She's about 8, imprinted, and a failed breeding bird (never laid). Her feet were in really bad condition (severe bumblefoot) when we got her and the vet put off doing anything until a couple weeks ago when she started limping severely and refusing food. She's been on itraconazole since we got her, but she's now also on clavamox and meloxicam too. She really hates the clavamox and we're having difficulty getting her to eat her meds in tidbits. She really likes to tear her food up, so if the pieces are too big she'll tear them up and pick out the pills. If the pieces are too small she'll taste the meds and spit the piece out. She's now hesitant to food at all, even the non-medicated pieces, and left a little less than half of her portion today when I left. She's on the clavamox for another week and we're trying to find a way to get her interested in eating the meds. I have permission from the director of the organization to buy her more exotic food tempt her. She currently gets a mix of chicken, quail, and a little DOC. She won't eat rodents or most internal organs from rodents or quail, even when she's feeling well.
So there's all the background, here's what I was hoping for help with:
-More suggestions on how to get her to take her meds
-Interesting recommendations for food (I can get at a grocery store) that might tempt her to eat her meds. I'm currently planning on duck and beef heart (or other beef if I can't get that). Most of her diet will still be what's listed above, we'll reserve this for meds.