Parrot upset all night

Hi,

I own a 18 months old African grey. Generally he is very friendly, active, vocal and playful.

Last night he was very upset and wouldn't sleep. First of all, he always sleeps in the same room with me in or outside his cage and yesterday i let him out to sleep on top of his cage. So the weird behavior started. He was continuously leaving his cage (He does that sometimes before going to sleep just for some caress early at night but only 1-2 times and not every night) to perch on me (i was on the bed) but the weird thing is that he couldn't sleep. He calmed down for some minutes, closed his eyes, made a quick move with his wings every few seconds producing a short sound (with his wings), then made a sound from his throat like a parrot snore for like 1 second and then after a while suddenly woke up (if he ever slept) and started being upset again trying to find another place on me or on the bed to perch. It was like something was bothering him but couldn't tell what. This went on all night.

If I put him back in his cage he would go down and start digging and scratching just to let him out. If I put him back on top of his cage or anywhere else he would come back on me.

I tried to caress him, scold him, put an ambient light on so he can be aware of the environment (just in case something scared him), total darkness, chamomile tea but nothing worked. He just wouldn't sleep.

I got so desperate that my best guesses were that an earthquake was going to happen or I am going to die and the bird feels it. Imagine that. His behavior was so weird. Of course no earthquake happened and I 'm still alive and so is my bird which is outside right now enjoying the sun.

Usually, when he goes to sleep he doesn't care for anything around him and just goes for it.

Before 2 weeks he lost his voice suddenly (he couldn't even scream when we played) and had difficulty in breathing (symptoms like bronchitis - nostrils and throat clean) so I took him to the vet, had x-rays and found nothing. As he said, clinically he was healthy and overall a great parrot but he gave me a medicine (ronaxan 20). After a week he got better, vocal and more annoying so all these means he got better.

I 'm worried that it might happen again tonight and I will be unprepared to deal with the same situation again as long as I don't understand what exactly is the problem.

Has any of you dealt with a situation like this before? Do you have any ideas on what might be the problem? Any suggestions? God I 'm so tired

ps. about his diet I keep a variety with fruits, greens, pellet, seeds and also sometimes human food (no salt or spices) like fries, spaghetti, boiled eggs etc. always in a small amount.

Also he has toys and I change them periodically.

Really thank you in advance for any suggestions!

[ame="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xu0lZLhwrao"]Here is a youtube video[/ame] with him when I had him for few months

update: his legs seem to bother him because he looks for something where they meet with his body. I tried to take a look but he won't allow me and he screams when I touch him there. At night he doesn't put his head on his back to sleep, i believe that he also feels uncomfortable but he is not that upset. I also removed his leg band just in case. The feather dash thing still happens. I 'll update just in case i find out what the problem is so it might help someone else

Love the video, he is so cute :heart:

So scary that he had lost his voice! and is having other problems. I have no experience with the problems you are having, but I hope someone is able to help. Is your vet a Avian Certified vet? Or just a vet who see's birds? Any vet is better than no vet, but if there are any avian certified vets in Greece you may want to call them up on the phone and ask them these questions, and can in turn help your current vet in better treating your grey.

His diet isn't bad, but here's good link about diet. It's important to have a high quality pellet if possible, it fills in any nutritional gaps. I feed my fids(feathered kids) Harrison's pellets, and Totally Organic pellets.
African Grey Parrot - African Grey Diet and Nutrition

Chop mixes are also excellent and convenient way to feed a large variety of foods
Chop Mix For Your Birds


Please keep us updated on your pretty guy

yeah i' ve checked about those pellets but i have to order them from the UK cos they cannot be found here.

I found the vet from the internet, from some Greek parrot forums where they recommended him but no, he didn't impress me and I have no idea if parrots are his expertise. I don't believe I can find anyone here suitable for my "fid".

Forgot to mention that 2 major earthquakes happened here in Greece since yesterday, north and south so this idea is back on the table I guess.

Were the earthquakes in your area? And had they been at night? It's possible he may have been frightened and fell of his perch causing soreness. Now he's afraid of it happening again and is scared?

no not in my area but news reported that they were felt even here (I did not but my parrot might have) but not to make him lose his balance.

This keeps happening 2 nights in a row and I noticed the exact same procedure
-he starts searching for something in his legs (skin and feathered areas) or his back like crazy
-after 3-4 seconds he turns his head in its normal position and most times he has fluffs (tiny feathers) in his mouth
- he waits a couple of seconds carefully waiting if something will "move" back there or sometimes he just takes a look at what he has removed and as soon as he watch them drop from his mouth
-BAM he starts flying with no destination like "oh my god that thing is still moving in my back"

i got this from the internet

Feather mites rarely affect pet birds, despite popular belief. Signs of feather mite infestation include restlessness (especially at night), anemia, and death, particularly in young chicks confined to the nest box. Covering the cage at night with a white sheet and examining the underside of the cover the following morning aids in collecting and identifying mites.

I took a quick look on him, tried to reach his skin but nothing weird came up but I'm no expert. The fact is that he complains about anything I try to do to help him that makes me understand that something really ANNOYS him.

Don't know if it is mites that drive him CRAZY but i keep spraying him since yesterday. I ll try to find a vet this weekend and this time I 'll call before visiting.

I 'll post the result here so maybe someone will find it useful in the future.


Going for one more restless night

Ok yesterday was the worst night. Except from not sleeping and doing all the above he also chewed his legs and now I've noticed that they are bleeding. Not his fingers but the part where is visible and not covered with feathers. I went to a breeder to get any different spray for mites than the one I've got and described his behavior and the first thing he said is that he is having panic attacks. When I mentioned the thing his does with his feathers every 10 seconds he asked if he took any antibiotics recently which he did before 1,5 weeks. So he suggested that it might be a side effect from the antibiotic which will stay in his body for 1 month. I asked for anti stress medicine or anything that will keep me sane because I've reached my limits and he forbidden me to give him any because in combination with the antibiotic he might die from a heart attack. Instead he suggested to put 1 spoon of sugar in 100 ml water and let him drink some and that this should calm him.

I guess I am the luckiest parrot owner in the world at this moment

since the last update, I ve taken my CAG to attica zoological park's avian vet. He had blood, stool, pharynx material and DNA tests (the last one just to make sure of his gender again). what he actually found is a parasite called giardia which as i read causes itching. i started giving him flagyl (metronidazole) and applying propiogenta (cortisone) on his legs.

I had been giving him metronidazole for 4 days before a serious diarrhea started. At least the itching seems to have gone. I contacted the avian vet again and he told me to stop metronidazole (which i had stopped 1 day before contacting him) and get some probiotic (ultra levure - yeast) and continue the medication after the diarrhea stops (this time i got stomorgyl {metronidazole} to give him after the diarrhea because flagyl tastes awfully). I ve tried the above + electrolyte and probiotics from a pet store but my bird's condition is not improving. His poop is also very smelly.

The bird is lethargic 2-3 weeks now, won't speak or whistle, has gained 30-40 grams and is not able to fly long distances in the house. His legs' skin is completely removed and replaced with new one which is white but with no feathers.

I ve ordered Harrison's high potency coarse online because no pet shop here could import and I m not getting it till this Tuesday.

I dont know what else to do, I ve spent 500e on avian vets and medicines the last 1,5 month but my CAG won't get better and I don't know any other way to help him.

I think I m losing him

I don't know anything to help you, but this is heart breaking. Don't think you are losing him. Keep strong for both of you. He needs you.
When reading about the itching I immediately thought " mites!" Our chicken had mites. They wouldn't sleep in their house, and we thought it was just too hot ( middle of summer) until we went in to add food, and seen them. Then we realized the excessive preening, and some of them itching their feet a lot.
Keep us updated. I am concerned an hoping for good to prevail. This bird is lucky to have you.

today he would not eat, vomited even water, his droppings where still watery and yellowish. i called the vet and he told me to give him rice with water but ofc no chance.

i decided to visit a third vet, this time she was listed in The Association of Avian Veterinarians | Home so she can't be as useless right? She told me that from the first incedent (losing his voice), by looking the x-rays and all the history, she understands that my CAG has mucus. I can't remember exactly the name of the problem because i was very sad and upset but it's very common especially for african greys. I can't explain it right but the mucus has gone in his air sacks or sth like that. She didn't deny that he might have giardia but that's not the actual problem. She laughed at the blood tests because as she said they were run from machines that analyze blood for mammals and not for birds, which for example have a nucleus in their red globules and the measuring from these machines are wrong. Instead she says that the best way to examine bird blood is with a microscope, manually.

She asked me to leave him in the clinic for 24h as his condition is critical, so critical that he may not see the morning..... his liver is damaged also.

I let him cos I can't help him any other way and now that he is not eating and vomiting i am really useless. but i don't know if i did the right thing, what if he gets stressed without me taking care for him, feeling that i am not there for him. i don't want him to leave without me being there to tell him how much i love him even if he does not understand, he feels.

Thank you for your support. this is the worst night of my life.

I'm so sorry.

he passed away this morning. thank you. please close this thread

I'm so so sorry for your loss. You obviously tried very hard for him and spent a lot of money and I just hope it brings you some comfort that he is no longer distressed or harmed. Poor baby. Lots of love from me and my bunch. xx

I'm so sorry

Oh no I'm sitting here in tears.. I'm so sorry for your loss

I'm so sorry.

I'm so sorry

I'm so sorry...you must hurt so much right now.

well it hurts because i believe that he felt abandoned when i left him in the clinic. i know that he must have felt that his flock left him because he was sick and he just gave up. I m not saying that he would live next to me but at least i would be there petting him to feel loved. i can't stop crying.

I left him there just to take any chance for him to live. i really hoped he would make it. for 2 months i waited for subscribed by avian vets medications to work. the symptoms were constantly changing, from loss of voice and getting it back, itching and biting his legs, yellowish scab on his legs to diarrhea and vomiting. 2 days before leaving he looked better, he even slept with his head on his back so i got pretty excited. but then again he went lethargic.

3 different avian vets gave 3 different opinions about what was wrong. I lost too much time trusting them and waiting for the drugs to work. I wish i could change it now. I m feeling so sad that he is turning to a memory, i can't believe it. he meant the world to me in a way i can't explain.

I called the clinic the morning of the day he died to find out if he made it the night. I was told that he did but he was still in a critical condition and asked if i can get there so he can see me and was denied with reasons like i would upset him or that he is in such condition that he didn't actually care if i was there so i wouldn't help him anyway. 2 hours later i got the call that he "just" died and was asked if I allowed an autopsy to be done. I was so devastated and told the vet that i would call her later to answer. I instinctively got in the car and rushed to see him. 25 minutes after, when they showed him to me he was not warm, rather cold and stiff. his mouth had stains from hand feeding creme. I m paying attention to these things now that i am calmer. I believe that he died the night before a couple of hours after i left him and was forced fed, i mean violently. and i got the call the next day at noon. I leave the conclusions up to you, i made mine and do not make me any happier.

This is my handsome Phrixus, the best thing ever happened to me.

I'm so sorry

That's so upsetting they wouldn't let you see him! I can sort of understand that it may have upset him, but really?? He was critically ill and needed his parront!!

Are you going to have a necropsy done? Maybe even by a different avian vet if you're suspecting foul play...? If they were force feeding him, he could've died from aspiration and not from his illness. :/

When my Jackie boy died in my arms, it took me a while to even set him down and even after half an hour rigor mortis had not started to set in yet, but a few hours later his body was cold and stiff. :/ so you're probably right that they weren't very truthful about when he passed away. Another thing- and I know this may be difficult, but the morning after Jackie passed away (about 18 hours later) I checked on him and his eyes had sunken in. So if Phrixus' eyes were sunk in, it's possible he passed away the night before.