Helping special needs bird to drink?

[GreedySeedFeedy]

Looking to make drinking less of an ordeal for a bird with a mouth deformity causing her to easily inhale water while sipping.

I have a little coturnix hen named Nuggie who was born with a deformed oral muscle. The place on her lower beak where soft flesh begins is quite hard, like scar tissue, and as a result the muscle used to control her tongue and close the syrinx is very stiff and inflexible. She can eat small food and is quite fat, but water is harder for her.

What, if anything, can I add to her water to thin/prevent thick slime from forming and making her panic? Is there some other substance or thickener I could give her (such as cricket gel maybe) to hydrate her sufficiently without her choking too easily on the water? Any experience or brainstorming is welcome!

She gets into these 'water panic loops' where

-she drinks too quickly or too eagerly
-chokes on some of the water
-coughing fit, produces lots of mucous as a reaction
-chokes on the mucous
-drinks water to try to dislodge the mucous
Back to step 1

She doesn't have the mental capacity to simply stop drinking until she has cleared her mouth, and has to be removed from the water source, manually cleaned because mucous is covering her face and mouth, and soothed from panicking before she can go back in the pen, poor dear.

 

[azygous]

What about Jello? The only issue would be the sugar, and the sugar-free Jello with artificial sweetening isn't a good idea. Perhaps using plain gelatin would work.

 

[GreedySeedFeedy]

What about Jello? The only issue would be the sugar, and the sugar-free Jello with artificial sweetening isn't a good idea. Perhaps using plain gelatin would work.

Oh, I forgot about gelatin! I actually keep plain, unflavored gelatin in the cabinet for making their treats! It will be good for her plumage too, thanks so much for your suggestion! I'll make a thin batch and add it to her water dish and see if that helps encourage her to slow down and eat the water instead of drinking it.

Thanks again for replying! This forum makes such an excellent backup brain.

 

[azygous]

I like that. Backup brain. We can all use a brain backup.

 

[FarmerGirl101]

What about Jello? The only issue would be the sugar, and the sugar-free Jello with artificial sweetening isn't a good idea. Perhaps using plain gelatin would work.

How would that work? I'm just curious

 

[azygous]

How would that work? I'm just curious

Gelatin is mixed with water and is completely liquid when warm, but solidifies when chilled. It's like "eating" water when you consume it. The special needs bird is unable to deal with liquids, which water is, unless frozen into ice. Another way to make water into a solid is to add something to it that will either absorb the water, such as cereal, or mix water with a substance that can make water a solid at a much higher temperature than freezing. Gelatin to the rescue!

So our special bird can get all the water it needs by "eating" it!

 

[black_cat]

Gelatin is mixed with water and is completely liquid when warm, but solidifies when chilled. It's like "eating" water when you consume it. The special needs bird is unable to deal with liquids, which water is, unless frozen into ice. Another way to make water into a solid is to add something to it that will either absorb the water, such as cereal, or mix water with a substance that can make water a solid at a much higher temperature than freezing. Gelatin to the rescue!

So our special bird can get all the water it needs by "eating" it!

I'm wondering if this could be a method for helping cross beak chickens get their water without tubing?

 

[FarmerGirl101]

Gelatin is mixed with water and is completely liquid when warm, but solidifies when chilled. It's like "eating" water when you consume it. The special needs bird is unable to deal with liquids, which water is, unless frozen into ice. Another way to make water into a solid is to add something to it that will either absorb the water, such as cereal, or mix water with a substance that can make water a solid at a much higher temperature than freezing. Gelatin to the rescue!

So our special bird can get all the water it needs by "eating" it!

Oh! That makes more sense. Thanks!

 

[azygous]

I'm wondering if this could be a method for helping cross beak chickens get their water without tubing?

I was thinking the same thing. Gelatin, as long as it's unflavored and unsweetened is perfectly safe and actually has nutritional benefits for birds.

I can see this as a means to supply water needs to birds in transit without the spillage.

The only drawback is that it would need to be kept slightly chilled or it will liquify.

 

[black_cat]

I was thinking the same thing. Gelatin, as long as it's unflavored and unsweetened is perfectly safe and actually has nutritional benefits for birds.

I can see this as a means to supply water needs to birds in transit without the spillage.

The only drawback is that it would need to be kept slightly chilled or it will liquify.

You've created a revolutionary method! Could pose a problem in summer, though. I was going to be like-IcE! Then I remembered that that defeats the point.