1st Vet Visit Scare

Damsyl

New member
May 11, 2014
11
0
Iowa
Parrots
1 Female Eclectus Parrot Named Damsyl
I have had Damsy for 1 month and I was finally able to locate a Bird Doc to look at Damsyl and tell me how healthy she is. I am freaked out right now as the following wad sent to me after Damsyl's blood tests. Please read and tell me if I can get antibiotics and what antibiotics are available over the counter. I ask this as it cost me $400 to get her looked at by this Bird Doc and she charges over $150 - $250 for any meds needed.

DIAGNOSTIC TESTS:
Fecal exam: Gram Negative rods, Gram positive rods and Yeast. This is an abnormal finding. The normal flora of
Eclectus Parrots’ Gastrointestinal tract are ONLY gram positive rods. Since there are Gram Negative Rods and
yeast, additional tests may be required to determine which antibiotics are best suited to clear up the unusual bacteria.
Complete Blood Count: Increase in Packed Cell volume(PCV), increase in Monocytes and Increase in Eosinophils.
These results indicate that Damsyl is slightly dehydrated (increase in PCV) and may have a chronic parasite
infection, and should be re-evaluated.

Can any of you provide me with good advice as to what to do?

We have a farm store that has antibiotics for all birds and other anamals. :confused:
 

RavensGryf

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Jan 19, 2014
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College Station, Texas
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Unfortunately that is about the price of exotic vet care in the US more or less.:(

I would not attempt to treat birds with OTC meds. Maybe mammals you can get away with that, but birds need specialized vet care IMO.
As you said, further tests may be needed to tell exactly which meds would be more effective for the particular bacteria anyway. Also, since birds are such small animals, their doses are precisely calculated and measured, where sometimes a .01 can make a difference. Only an avian vet should be calculating the dosage.

I feel your pain. I know the stress vet bills can cost... I am treating 2 birds right now, and for just Robin alone when all is done will be THOUSANDS of $ that I can't really afford. This is just something we have to face as bird owners, and have to accept that these large costly vet bills CAN happen.
 

Terry57

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I agree with Julie, if this was for one of my birds, I would take her back to the vet so they can use their expertise in treatment. It sounds like without more testing she isn't sure which antibiotic to use right now, so there is no way for a layman to know which one to get. Also the doses are quite exact for birds.
Hope she gets better soon:)
 

Kiwibird

Well-known member
Jul 12, 2012
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1 BFA- Kiwi. Hatch circa 98', forever home with us Dec. 08'
You have a good vet to actually narrow down the problem and find the right treatment than one who will just prescribe broad-specturm medication and hope it works. Unfortunately, avian-specialized vet care is expensive. On the bright side, you have a good vet who should be able to get your bird back to good health:) DO NOT try to administer meds that were not prescribed by the vet. The wrong ones or wrong dosage could worsen the issue.

Our bird came home with a nasty respiratory infection that took 2 rounds of antibiotics to treat. It wasn't cheap, it was a pain to administer the meds, but he's been in perfect health since. Once the bird is treated, you can minimize exposure risks within your home so they are unlikely to become sick again. It's not uncommon for parrots to come home sick. Thankfully most bacterial and fungal infections can be cleared up easily and have no lingering effects.
 
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Damsyl

New member
May 11, 2014
11
0
Iowa
Parrots
1 Female Eclectus Parrot Named Damsyl
  • Thread Starter
  • Thread starter
  • #5
What scares me is, did she get this from the other birds from the pet store, or from her home she once lived in?

I think it came from the pet store as she was there for 6 months before I came along. Should I alert the pet store to let them know they need to get their birds checked out?

I understand that having an exotic bird will cost money, I was not expecting so much so soon. But it is more important for Damsyl to be healthy and happy. If it was me, I would spend whatever to get me well. Seeing that Damsyl will be with me 25-40 years, I want her to enjoy her life. Thanks guys for the advice!
 

Kiwibird

Well-known member
Jul 12, 2012
9,539
111
Parrots
1 BFA- Kiwi. Hatch circa 98', forever home with us Dec. 08'
It is unusual for homes to harbor the types of things that make birds sick. She more than likely caught it while at the store or through non-direct contact to a contaminated item (such as a toy or perch that was not sterilized). I would alert the store in a non-accusatory way. Unless they are filthy and unsafe for animals (which I assume is not the case), it isn't their fault. All it takes is one customer who's been in contact with a sick bird to infect all theirs. Explain at her initial vet visit they found xyz infection and that you wanted to inform them so their other birds could be tested.
 
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Damsyl

New member
May 11, 2014
11
0
Iowa
Parrots
1 Female Eclectus Parrot Named Damsyl
  • Thread Starter
  • Thread starter
  • #7
One of the biggest reason for me adopting Damsyl is due to her living conditions. She was nearly bald and when I got her home, her cage that came with her, was filthy. I had to take it into the bathtub and deep clean with bleach and extremly hot water. (I rinsed it very well before Damsyl was allowed back into it.) I steralized her toys in vinigar and rinsed them well.

The pet store, although seemed to be swept and mopped, the bird area was very discusting. Seeds and bugs were all over the place. Each bird cage was thick with poo and other old sticky fruits. Damsyl's bird cage had very dirty water and when I came to get her.

I know birds are very messy, but not cleaning the cages daily, will create e-coli and other diseases.

I wanted to get a health department to look into this store. They sell fish, reptiles and puppies. It is a very small store, and over 50 birds are crammed into a room that is 20' x 20'.

I rescued her because I have a passion for birds and could not see this bird suffer any more. If I could of found homes for all of them, I would have done that. When my husband came with me on my second visit, he agreed that this was not the place for Damsyl.

The owner is very nice, but does not know that much about birds. As I was the one who had to tell him that Eclectus Parrots do not eat seeds, and must have veggies and fruit and protien.

I know I am on my soap box, but it ticks me off to know that my bird is ill due to maltreatment from a pet store who could have prevented it. Hindsight is 20/20, I would have still adopted her even if she was very healthy.

:red1: At least Damsyl is making huge strides since she has been with us. She is loving my husband more, and is screaming much less. and the most important, her feathers are coming back thick and beautiful. :D
 

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