Zvonimir thought he gave his parrot good food - the bird died in fatty liver

- I want to warn everyone who has birds not to feed them with too much sunflower seeds, says Zvonimir Juric from Fridlevstad in Blekinge.

It was in October that Zvonimir and his wife noticed that Kica was lethargic and weak, so they took him directly to the vet. The veterinarian said that Kica had all the symptoms that show he had liver problems, and that it was due to the sunflower seeds found in the feed.

Zvonimir got the council to change Kica's diet, but it was already too late.

- We thought it would go well, but only a few days later Kica died in my hands, Zvonimir told the Plus editorial.

One of the seed mixes that Zvonimir gave to his dwarf parrot was marketed in the store as a good feed:

"A balanced grain mix for a healthy diet, supports beautiful feathers and a long, healthy life."

"It's a shame that the animal shops do not provide better information," says Lena Olsén, associate professor of animal care at the Swedish University of Agriculture.

At the same time, she emphasizes that, as an animal owner under the Animal Protection Act, you have a great responsibility.

The veterinarian Erika Johansson, who specializes in birds, also thinks the marketing claim is problematic.

- You cannot say that it is good to just give seed mixture to a bird that will have a long and healthy life, she says to the Plus editorial.

- Seed mixtures, and especially sunflower seeds, have a high fat content and not much nutrition.

According to Erika Johansson, much is not known about birds' diet in the wild. What one does know, however, is that birds that eat only seed mixes or seed-based diets get more diseases and live shorter than birds that do not.

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