Javi may be extremely dehydrated--please help if you can!

keylime

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Jul 26, 2015
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On Friday, I noticed that my sun conure, Javi, didn’t want to come out of his happy hut and was unusually quiet. Until the end of the day, I chalked it up to wanting to have a mental health day (We have an infant and a toddler). Then I noticed that his poops were half the size of normal–more uric acid paste and very little green feces. I checked his water and found the ball in the drinker to be stuck up on some hidden slime in the tube. I quickly got him fresh water and fed him apple bits to replace his electrolytes. He seemed weak, but he spent some time with me and even started eating his regular Kaytee Exact pellets.

On Saturday he spent most of his time sleeping in his hut, but he came out for cuddles and ate more apples and pellets, and drank water from the “fixed” drinker. He also started talking again. I figured he was on the mend.

However, today, he stopped eating almost entirely (most of his poop is pure white and he’s only pooped a few times). He will only crumble up a couple Cheerios upon my urging, though he has been sipping Pedialite. I tried to give him baby rice ceral as recommended on a vet’s website, but he wouldn’t touch it even though it was in one of my bowls, and he loves to try my food.

Except for his lethargy, loss of appetite and tiny poops, he seems fine. My husband thinks he may be depressed, not dehydrated. Though if he is, it came on severely and OVERNIGHT. I’ve had him for seven years and never seen him like this.

I have been prying him out of his hut in order to make him eat and drink. It’s Sunday and there are no vets available here. Please help if you can! I feel terrible! He is sleeping in my shirt right now. I will take him to the vet in the morning, if he makes it through the night.
 
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ZephyrFly

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The obvious, get him to a vet (which you know).
Make sure the Pedilyte is added to water. Maybe grind up some pellets with some fruit/fruit juice and offer that to him (and maybe consider Harrisons or something instead of Kaytee, Harrisons is a softer pellet with more nutritional value which would help if he's lethargic being easier to eat. Kaytee contains a lot of colourings which is harder to digest and causes problems later in life, but that is a talk for another day and one you do not have to have if you don't want.).

I'd also suggest lowering the toys and perches in his cage a bit and putting a small towel on the floor of his cage for him to sit on for the night (put it in a corner and make a small ridge so he can perch on something low and soft. Also place the food bowl and water bottle down so he doesn't have to struggle for it.
I'd also remove his happy hut for now or place it on the floor on the towel.

You said the water bottle was fixed and this may sound slow to ask but did you also give it a thorough wash and rinse?

Edit: This is all stuff I've read in prep if something happens to my bird as the closest avian vet is over 2 hours away, and I've never had to use it. More people with better experience will be able to help soon.
 
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keylime

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Thanks, ZephyrFly, for your kind reply. I removed the happy hut and put down a towel and some juiced pellets per your advice. He slowly climbed all the way to the top of the cage and hung onto a corner, so after 10 minutes I put the hut back and he got back in right away.

When I offer him food, he holds it with one foot (so at least he has enough energy to do that), but then he stops midway through as though so out of it that he forgets to finish, and then he drops the food. Does this mean anything?

I did clean the drinker thoroughly. I also put in a second source of water (with the Pedialyte in the event he had given up on the bottle entirely). What ratio of Pedialyte would you recommend?
 

ZephyrFly

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I'm not familiar with parilyte, I know I've seen it recommended for parrots with dehydration when mixed with water (probably because its a human product). I'd probably have it no stronger than 1:1 water to parilyte. I've never seen it in the UK at least, or i'm just blind.

Having a second water source is not a bad idea but there'll be no guarantee he drinks from it and it'll need to be washed out every 4hours (it'll need cleaning out sooner if it's warm where you are to avoid bacteria).


If he's got enough energy to climb up then having the hut is fine for now,he's obviously more comfortable in it.

As for his eating, I couldn't say why, I could guess but I wouldn't feel confident that I'd be right.

Just make sure you get him to a avian vet as soon as you can on Monday now.
 

BoomBoom

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I'd always put a second water source (water dish) in the cage. Too many stories of those ways bottles getting stuck. I hope your parrot's feeling better today. I think it's best to have an avian vet see him incase this isn't due to dehydration.
 
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keylime

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So we were at the vet for two hours and it doesn't look good. She thinks he has liver or kidney failure . . . he is emaciated, she looked at his stool (nothing out of the ordinary though there were some red blood cells--not that many) gave him an injection of antibiotics (just incase) and she rehydrated him with an IV, but she said if he was suffering from just dehydration he would have died by Saturday or be better by now. Likely he has been sick and hiding it for a long time.

She offered to refer me to an superstar avian specialist in another state, but I have two young, needy, wild children and a husband who has already missed half a day of work for me to take Javi to the vet this AM. Not to mention the stress of the 6 hour trip with said kids may be the end of him.

We both agreed that putting him under for x-rays would be unnecessarily traumatic given that if she sees a tumor in his kidney or enlarged liver there is nothing we could do.

He is home now. I am keeping him in a very warm, draft-free room, and I have instructions to give him antibiotics every 12 hours for five days, force water down if he won't drink nectar, and feed him a prescription high calorie food. He nibbled some food (for me, I think, because he knows how badly I want him to eat--this is ripping my heart out!). I don't know what else to do.
 

Mariar

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AWWW my heart goes out to you. We found out my amazons heart had never fully formed, and that with the diet his last owner had him on..people food only, cage bound outside in a very dirty cage for 12 years caused him to have mini strokes. Looking back now he had a few of them with me but I didn't know...he had one big one that took his life. I feel your pain.
Hope your little one pulls thru.
 

Doublete

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RIP "pineapple" lovebird
There's also a home remedy for liver disease.
 

Doublete

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RIP "pineapple" lovebird
I couldn't remember. I think sometimes it's too far advanced.

Good luck and I'm sorry.
 

Terry57

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I am so sorry you are going through this. A friend of mine had a conure with liver disease, and the vet believes that the milk thistle he received did add some time to his life.
Sending hugs and best wishes to you and Javi.
 

dhraiden

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Good luck and ensure the bird is as comfortable as possible. Try using that Thistle supplemented suggested above, but be aware it may not be effective. From

The Side Effects From Milk Thistle in Birds or Parrots | Animals - mom.me:
Scientific Study of Milk Thistle in Birds

A study published in the September 2010 issue of "Poultry Science" showed that chickens fed 1,000 mg/kg of silymarin from milk thistle, weren't protected from liver toxicosis due to gossypol. Similar results were published in the September 2009 issue of the "Journal of Avian Medicine and Surgery," showing that pigeons fed up to 100 mg/kg of milk thistle weren't protected from the toxic effects of B1 aflatoxin. Chicks in the womb did acquire improved immunity when given milk thistle according to a study published in the April 2010 issue of "British Poultry Science." Milk thistle also provided some protection against the harmful effects of the toxin Ochratoxin A, stated the June 2012 issue of the "Journal of Immunotoxicology."

Just ensure she's comfortable as possible, and take her to a vet as often as your budget, lifestyle and sanity will allow. Don't stress yourself over chasing miracle cures.
 

SoCalWendy

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Good luck and ensure the bird is as comfortable as possible. Try using that Thistle supplemented suggested above, but be aware it may not be effective. From

The Side Effects From Milk Thistle in Birds or Parrots | Animals - mom.me:
Scientific Study of Milk Thistle in Birds

A study published in the September 2010 issue of "Poultry Science" showed that chickens fed 1,000 mg/kg of silymarin from milk thistle, weren't protected from liver toxicosis due to gossypol. Similar results were published in the September 2009 issue of the "Journal of Avian Medicine and Surgery," showing that pigeons fed up to 100 mg/kg of milk thistle weren't protected from the toxic effects of B1 aflatoxin. Chicks in the womb did acquire improved immunity when given milk thistle according to a study published in the April 2010 issue of "British Poultry Science." Milk thistle also provided some protection against the harmful effects of the toxin Ochratoxin A, stated the June 2012 issue of the "Journal of Immunotoxicology."

Just ensure she's comfortable as possible, and take her to a vet as often as your budget, lifestyle and sanity will allow. Don't stress yourself over chasing miracle cures.

Did you read the whole article.... http://animals.mom.me/side-effects-milk-thistle-birds-parrots-9761.html

This is about chasing miracle cures, this is about possible helping this bird out. Milk thistle alone is excellent for liver disease for human and animal, including birds (100% alcohol free). Milk thistle isn't a miracle cure, but it is a powerful herb that can be used to help the liver to detox, so it can work properly. Livers are regenetive, if your in trouble you need to help it.

In fact anyone who is taking perscription medications on a regular basis needs to be on milk thistle. If you have a fatty liver - milk thistle. I have a liver problem, my liver enzymes were 3 x the normal level and Milk thistle completely turned my liver around. The only thing I did differently was take milk thistle everyday. I still take it everyday.

Keylime,

Don't give up. Make your bird comfortable, try the milk thistle (100% Alcohol Free).
 
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Allee

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Keylime, I'm so sorry to hear about Javi and what you are going through.

I think you should try the milk thistle, no miracle cure but in some cases the results appear miraculous.

Hugs and best wishes to you and Javi.
 

ZephyrFly

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This is just something off of memory but I recall birdman talking about aloe detox for liver problems. If someone know's more or an article then please.
 

ZephyrFly

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Also, I'm so sorry this has turned the way it has, Aloe detox is again not a miracle but it can help.

Thoughts for you and your family, and hopes for a brighter future.
 

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