Help sour crop 25 days old cockatiel

Limiju

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Mar 6, 2014
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Cayman Islands
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Cockatiels, lovebirds and parakeets
Hi everyone,

I have still got Angel and having a troublesome time. I noticed about a week ago in the mornings that her crop wasn't completely empty like other mornings, so I started reading about sour crop. It's not doughy, but there. I tryed remedies with a spice remedy that I found on talkcockatiel.com and justcockatiel.com , warm water, coconut water, and massages. Finally I took her to vet yesterday morning to see if they could empty her crop. But after watching youtube and reading about emptying the crop with a catheter and syringe i didnt think the vet had much practice in this, as he didn't have a long enough tube to get to the bottom of the crop. He did put warm water down first and then sucked up what he could. He said it didnt have and odor which I smelt too and didn't smell anything. Basically sent me home to see if it would pass on its own.
Well it didn't. This morning it was still about a quarter full after 7hours. I have been giving her watery exact so she can get something in her and she is still pooping and urinating.

Has anybody got any ideas what I could do??? Please help! We do not have a specialist dr who deals with birds on the island, why I don't know as people here are great lovers of parrots.

Thank you
 
Last edited:

MonicaMc

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Sep 12, 2012
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Mitred Conure - Charlie 1994;
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Hey, it's been a few days now.... any updates? Did Angel make it?
 
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Limiju

New member
Mar 6, 2014
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Cayman Islands
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Cockatiels, lovebirds and parakeets
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Hi, thank you for asking. I took Angel back to the vet on Wednesday and today. She is still chirpy and energetic. On Wednesday the vet did tell me that she doesn't really have much experience with birds but she will try her best to empty her crop, she did it and taught me how to do it on my own. Wasn't really that hard. But she said a vet would be coming in today who had a lot of experience with exotic pets. So I dropped her of today and picked her up. The vet emptied her crop and examined it and she has a yeast infection, so they have given me antibiotics and yeast meds fluconazole that she needs to take plus they did the sub Q fluids as she is dehydrated as well.

The worry is she is very small compared to what she suppose to be and dehydrated so now I have to do my best to keep her warm, administer the meds, and hopefully she will get thru this.

She is a very sweet thing and it seems she so happy to be with me, as when I picked her up she was just laying there looking very weak and I will say I did get angry with the vet as I said she was not like this when I dropped her off. The vet said I am not very happy with the way she is and I just said she as not like this she was chirping and moving around on me while I was in the waiting room waiting for them to administer her. they could not answer me besides a bird can get very sick in a matter of hours. Well I have to say with me holding her for about an hour while she rested she is right now back to being chirpy and calling for me to hold her again. So it's seems like she is not going to give up with out a fight. So I will do my part and hope it works out well.
 

MonicaMc

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Sep 12, 2012
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Mitred Conure - Charlie 1994;
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Infections like that can stunt a chicks growth. I can understand why the vet wasn't happy with you, but likewise, you did not have a competent avian vet to assist you when you needed the help. I can also understand about you being upset, as well!

Hopefully, the medications are exactly what she needs and she can get onto the road to recovery!
 

MikeyTN

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Feb 1, 2011
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"Willie"&"Lola"B&G Macaw,
"Dixie"LSC2, and "Nico" Scarlet Macaw.
Right now you need to understand how the sour crop started in the first place! At that age don't mix the formula too thick, don't let it get cold, and make sure crop is empty before feeding!!!!

It's good you let the vet to do the flush cause you can easily aspirate a baby bird if your not careful. By administering meds will help, but make sure you get some organic yogurt to start the bacteria process as antibiotic can kill off the good bacteria as well. Mix it with warm water, all they need is a little bit. Then feed it to the baby about 1 cc. Then return to hand feeding again, feed small amounts at a time for right now so you need to do multiple feedings per day.
 

MonicaMc

Well-known member
Sep 12, 2012
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Mitred Conure - Charlie 1994;
Cockatiel - Casey 2001;
Wild Caught ARN - Sylphie 2013
I looked back at your previous thread.

I'm half wondering if the Zupreem fruitblend could have been a part of the problem???? Because Zupreem has sugar in it. That, and switching diets.....

Lacking handfeeding formula, it's best to look for breeder pellets or a high potency pellet as chicks require a lot of protein as they are growing. I don't think the Zupreem has enough nutrients in it required for growing chicks.



Other than that and as MikeyTN suggested, it sounds like you are doing the best that you can, given your situation.
 

MikeyTN

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Antioch, TN
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"Willie"&"Lola"B&G Macaw,
"Dixie"LSC2, and "Nico" Scarlet Macaw.
She changed to Zupreem formula cause the kaytee was out if I remember correctly! I thought I have forewarned things such as this can happen if not careful....
 

crimson

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sour crop can also hinder feather growth.
 

MonicaMc

Well-known member
Sep 12, 2012
7,960
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Mitred Conure - Charlie 1994;
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Wild Caught ARN - Sylphie 2013
MikeyTN, if I read it right, it wasn't Zupreem formula, but Zupreem Fruitblend *ADULT* diet.



My problem is last week friday I was getting real low on the Kaytee exact and went to the 4 pets stores here in the Cayman Islands and nobody has any baby food in stock. I asked the pet store who also breed birds what should I feed her one and they told me they have been using Zupreem fruit blend and mixing it with hot water until a pudding and giving it to theirs. Since that Angel has not been putting on the weight.


If we compare the guaranteed analysis of products....


Kaytee Exact Hand Feeding Formula

Crude Protein (min.)....................22.0%
Crude Fat (min.).........................9.0%
Crude Fiber (max.).......................5.0%
Moisture (max.).........................10.0%


Zupreem Fruit Blend

GUARANTEED ANALYSIS

Crude Protein (min.)....................14%
Crude Fat (min.).........................4.0%
Crude Fiber (max.).......................3.5%
Moisture (max.).........................10%


Zupreem Embrace Hand Feeding Formula

GUARANTEED ANALYSIS

Crude Protein (min.)....................22%
Crude Fat (min.).........................9.0%
Crude Fiber (max.).......................5.0%
Moisture (max.).........................10%




That's a huge difference in protein and fat. There was mention of using a home made hand feeding recipe from one of the cockatiel websites, but there is no analysis on this food, so I can only hope that this stuff is helping Angel better than the Zupreem diet.

I have been looking at their web site and looked at the growing chart. That's whats making me so worried about Angel. By there account she should be around 45g going into the 3 week and my baby is only 31g this morning (14 days old). I will change her food to making her the homemade receipe. Its seems maybe more nutritious than the Zupreem fruitblend for adult birds crushed up.





Limiju, I am greatly sorry that you don't have better access to hand feeding formula and competent avian vets. I hope that Angel pulls through this and becomes a healthy adult, regardless of her rough start in life! I know that you are doing the best that you can, given what you have! If you are ever in this situation again (hope you aren't!), look to use these products instead. (or a home made formula, recommended by breeders)



Zupreem Avian Breeder

GUARANTEED ANALYSIS

Crude Protein (min.)....................20%
Crude Fat (min.).........................10.0%
Crude Fiber (max.).......................3.5%
Moisture (max.).........................10%


Harrison's High Potency Mash

GUARANTEED ANALYSIS

Crude Protein (min.)....................20%
Crude Fat (min.).........................14.0%
Crude Fiber (max.).......................8.0%
Moisture (max.).........................10%


Harrison's High Potency Super-Fine

GUARANTEED ANALYSIS

Crude Protein (min.)....................20%
Crude Fat (min.).........................12.0%
Crude Fiber (max.).......................5.0%
Moisture (max.).........................10%


Harrison's High Potency Fine

GUARANTEED ANALYSIS

Crude Protein (min.)....................20%
Crude Fat (min.).........................12.0%
Crude Fiber (max.).......................5.0%
Moisture (max.).........................10%


vs Harrison's hand feeding formula....


Harrison's Juvenile Hand-Feeding Formula

GUARANTEED ANALYSIS

Crude Protein (min.)....................18%
Crude Fat (min.).........................11.0%
Crude Fiber (max.).......................4.0%
Moisture (max.).........................10%
 

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