Help. I think Pritti just had a seizure.

I'm totally unsure if he just had a seizure or got spooked by nothing I could notice. He was resting, falling asleep this evening on my chest while I was scratching his head and watching tv in dim light. All of a sudden he fluttered his wings and ran up toward my head and stopped when he got to the edge of the sofa arm I was leaning on, and he was like frozen, eyes wide open, standing up. I talked in a calm voice to him and gave him my finger to step up, but it was like he didn't see me, or anything for that matter. I slipped my hand under his feet and moved him down closer to where he was by let him lean against the back cushion of the sofa. He was just leaning his whole body on it, crouched, eye wide open and staring at me, and it seemed like he couldn't move. After about 2 minutes of just comforting him and keeping my hand next to him, I tried to move him and he darted across my chest from the back cushion of the sofa straight over to where your legs would go toward floor on sofa. He couldn't go any further or he would have fallen off me. So I assume he could see, but was acting spacey. He just stood there staring into space, eyes wide open and not moving again. More comforting words, then after a minute I moved him back to the usual position on top of my chest and pulled the t-shirt he was laying on up and around him to snuggle him in and keep him warm and secure, i rubbed his head and let him lean against my other hand. There was no convulsing as I would expect it to look. I don't know if the fluttering and darting was the convulsing.

So he stayed there and just stared at me. I have him some water, he drank one sip. Then he finally started moving around (this entire episode so far is going on for about 6 - 8 minutes from starting). He seemed restless and just on his feet and looking around in the same snuggle spot I made for him. Lights have been dim the whole time. I put him on top of his cage to see how he would do. He immediately walked to the tall metal toy hook and climbed up and sat on top of it and wouldn't move from there no matter what for about 10 minutes. Finally he went down and slowly made his way into the cage to his sleeping perch and stood there staring for a few minutes, then started preening for a couple of minutes and then to sleep position (head backwards leaning against his snuggly buddy and a toy pulled over to sandwhich himself in.

Today is day 2 of my giving him antibiotic injections twice a day, and oral syringe antifungal twice a day. He slipped off a table twice today and sort of crash landed/semi-glided to the floor (wings were just re-clipped last week at a-vet), because the edge of table was rounded and he lost his grip I think. He did not appear at all hurt or upset by the "falls". He's been eating all day as usual, gave himself a bath, playing... until this. I had given him an injection about one hour before this and he squirmed away twice so I had to towel him 3 times and he was very unhappy about that, screaming at me.

What do you think? Spooked? Seizure? I recall something like this happening once before -- a year or so ago -- but I thought he got spooked about something. So of course, now I'm watching him like a hawk while he's sleeping -- sitting about 4 feet from his cage in a dimly lit quiet room.

Oh dear, you must have been so scared by it all! Hopefully someone experienced can chime in quickly.

Aww poor Pritti. It is hard to say but I want to go with spooked on this one.

Was the tv still flickering while he was having this episode? It may have cast shadows and shapes that can trick Pritti into thinking there's danger about. The way you described his stance, the quick darting, wide eyes, etc, I have seen Boomer do when he got scared of something outside the window. I personally have not seen a bird have a seizure so I could be wrong on this one. Has he had a seizure before?

May I ask why he's taking antibiotics and antifungal at the moment? Is it from his condition a few months back? I hope everything is alright. Pritti is such an awesome little guy! Give him an extra cuddle for me!

When my one seized after a bath he was stiff and couldn't balance. He kind of just fell over and was disoriented. His claws were in little fists and he couldn't get them open for a bit. He also couldn't perch for about 10 minutes and then was completely normal. So maybe more spooked than a seizure..

Seizure. We are at the a-vet right now. We got here about one hour ago 11:30 pm our time. Just as I posted original post, Pritti started making a whining sound and fell off his sleeping perch. Was disoriented at bottom of cage but on his feet and moving. I picked him up in 2 hands and he lurched off and landed on the floor all feathers spread out, tail fanned, wimgs open, laying on his belly flopping. It was horrible. Picked him up laid him on towel in my lap, called vet, and his legs went flat and pointing toward the back and shaking, he wa on his belly fluffed and he was just staring. i was telling the vet everything happening in real time and he stayed on phone with me through the rest of the episode. After a minute it seemed like he started to get his legs back and was trying to climb up to my shoulder but only had control of his head and was grabbing with his beak...poor baby. I am writing this out for people like me that never witnessed a seizure, so that this might help. After another minute or two, he was on his feet and then another minute or so after that he climbed from lap to shoulder and Started to come to himself, making normal sounds, snuggling, resting. Threw a bunch of his stuff in a bag and off we went.

He is in an incubator and seems really good. A bunch of his toys and snugglies with him. Me.....fried and heading home.

(((Pritti))) sending support to you both

Get well soon, Pritti! Poor little bloke - everyone's sending healing thoughts to you. XX

I'm sorry you had to go through that....That's happened to me before back in 2000 as one of my hens just all of the sudden did what Pritti did. I kept in a warming tank and handfed her as well until one day she would feed herself once again and she went back with her mate.

I hope Pritti would be ok, hope to hear some good news tomorrow....

Oh dear! Sending good vibes and lots of hugs to little pritti!

Oh no! Poor Pritti! Hoping all is well tomorrow

awwww, poor Pritti!!!! you sounded so calm when explaining it all, but I am sure you were freaking out on the inside....
excellent that you have him at the vets already, here is hoping he comes home soon and everything returns to normal....I'll be thinking of you, and waiting for an update
HUGS!
Beth

Poor Pritti You already know, but I was going to say it sounded exactly like what happened when our grey had seizures. Hope he gets better soon.

Hope Pritti gets better soon, sorry about the incident.

I am keeping you and Pritti in my thoughts. I feel like Pritti is one of the 'leads' in our little cast of characters here on the forum. I'm sure you will keep us updated. Hugs to you.

Thank you all so much for your support, prayers and encouragement. I'm at the avian hospital right now visiting with Pritti. His muscle enzymes and liver enzymes are elevated. There is fluid accumulating around his heart. His condition is not critical thank heavens. More later.

I hope all is well

I'm so so sorry this is happening

I was driving from work while I was reading your update. I was saying a silent prayer for Pritti all the way home. It must have been so scary for you. I agree with Crimson, you sound so in control. This is so important and I wish I could be more like this in times of crisis. Thank you for sharing such a detailed update with us. It helps not just people on this forum but anyone else in the future who runs to google after finding themselves and their birds in this situation.

Pritti is a strong guy, he will be back in no time! Seeing his hatch date is so surreal. I was born 1980, so I feel like Pritti is my brother from another mother! I will keep you both in my prayers. Sending warm, cozy thoughts to Pritti.

crimson said:

awwww, poor Pritti!!!! you sounded so calm when explaining it all, but I am sure you were freaking out on the inside....
excellent that you have him at the vets already, here is hoping he comes home soon and everything returns to normal....I'll be thinking of you, and waiting for an update
HUGS!
Beth

Click to expand...

I was definitely frightened for Pritti because I didn't know if was having a stroke or what. Mostly I don't get freaked out when medical emergencies happen (with humans or non-humans). I think it is because I worked in a trauma hospital for 15 years where there is often something hectic going on with traumas coming in, code blue, packed emergency room, etc. I organize what has to be done really quickly in my head, then I just do it like following from a mental list. It's like a skill I learned from experience... because in an emergency, I think it is normal for things to get hectic and out-of-order.

I was relieved when I visited him yesterday. He seemed really good. Moving around exploring the incubator (for an escape route), eating, alert but seemed tired. Had him out of for 2 hours in a private room. He took a nap and he made a spin art on my iPad. Here are some pics (using PhotoBucket.com for 1st time...hope it works).

Awwww he's such a sweetheart. Hope he's better soon