JAMES HARRIS, DVM
Tap water didn't cause kidney disease
 I lost my last cockatiel, a normal grey, after only five years. An autopsy revealed chronic kidney failure. Could my hard water have been the cause? My vet thinks so because it contains a lot of calcium. My bird mostly ate Roudybush pellets as it was difficult to get him to eat new foods.
I have had my new bird, a 7-month-old white-faced male cockatiel, for only seven weeks. I'm offering him spring water instead of tap water. However, he's only eating seeds. I'm trying to convert him to pellets, veggies and fruit. Should I offer one new food at a time? He will nibble on apples and corn occasionally, but I'm worried about nutrition. I don't want to lose this new bird.
--Margaret Forbes
 While it's fine to give your new bird bottled water, I doubt tap water was responsible for the last one's kidney disease. All public water supplies are safe for consumption by humans and animals alike.
A necropsy (animal autopsy) is not enough to determine the cause of disease. Tissue also needs to be sent to a pathologist.
James Harris, DVM is owner and medical director of the Mayfair Veterinary Clinic in Sandy Bay, Tasmania, Australia. He founded Montclair Veterinary Hospital in Oakland, Calif., and has served as medical director and chairman of the board for the International Bird Rescue Research Center in Berkeley. Dr. Harris' numerous professional honors include California and National Bustad Companion Animal DVM Awards.
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