Its Metal Poisoning

I took Sterretjie to the vet for the 3rd time today. First visit was on the 8th, then again on the 16th and both occasions I was told that she is 100% healthy and that it is just hormones. But I know my girl and I KNEW that there was something wrong and everything that I've been reading tells me that it is not hormones.

I went to the same vet that I saw on Monday and he took me a bit more serious this time. He took an x-ray and there it was a tiny piece of metal! It is as big as this line ( . Her kidneys started absorbing the metal and that is why she started shivering constantly. They are keeping her there until next week Tuesday and she is going to get 3 injections per day. The injections will absorb the metal and help her flush it out. Thank God that there is a cure for it! I feel so much better now, it felt as if I was going crazy this month - nobody wanted to believe me and I felt more and more depressed and worried.

So the symptoms is:
> Eating as normal, pooping as normal, grooming and bathing as normal.
> Shivering constantly even while in sun.
> Up and downs, will play constantly and then rest for hours on end - sleeping in the middle of the day.
> When she was on my lap she would lay sideways with her head completely flat on my leg and stay like that until I remove her.

The doctor said it can take 48 hours or even a month to flush it out. I noticed something was wrong on the 7th - so this has been in her for almost 2 weeks, even more. Poisoning her little body slowly.

Always listen to your instinct - always refuse to leave without at least an x-ray being done. If I had more experience with parrots then I would have insisted on it the first time - but I listened unconvinced to the experienced vets.

I am going to miss my baby dearly.

That is awful Linky! but at least they are able to treat it, good on you for trusting your instincts.

I know how you feel, Buddy had to stay at the vets for a week once and I missed her terribly. Maybe you can go and visit, thats what I did.

Do you know where the metal came from? you won't want her to ingest anymore!

Hoping for a speedy recovery for Sterrejie, keep us posted.

Thanks Ben. The metal was definitely from outside the cage. My husband is always busy working and building and he has a bad habit of not cleaning properly afterwards. It is also not necessarily from him, it can be anything anywhere in my garden, in the house , ANYWHERE. I think I will have to sow her little beak closed before she is allowed off her cage again.

I am almost at the blaming myself stage and I know it is still going to hit me hard, but for know I am just glad that they found out what is wrong and it can be treated.

Wow, how scary is that? I'm glad she's getting the treatment she needs and is (I assume) expected to make a full recovery.

I read something recently about the distrust people (at least in the US) have for doctors and the medical professions. One doctor defended patients and said that doctors have brought it on themselves by playing god and being so superior toward their patients. This applies to veterinarians as well. I understand that they are the "experts" and have years of training and experience. But I'm with my parrot/dog/child/body 24/7 and I know what "normal" is. I'm also an intelligent person and can understand multi-syllable words.

This is why any medical professional you can find who's not only competent but accepts that you're an adult person with a brain not a child with limited comprehension is worth their weight in gold.

I'm so glad you found the problem! Scary stuff!

WH It is such a good thing that you know your bird so well to pick up on these symptoms. Was this vet avain certified? It is a lesson for us all to learn from this event. She will come back to you and be her old self before you know it. Small metal particles could be picked up anywhere by a bird, even in a controlled evnironment. This makes me wonder how many of our wild birds have had this happen to them and dies as a result. As with anything new to me I read up on this and found two very good articles on the net. We should all be aware of what lurks in our home that may harm our bird.

http://www.sheknows.com/articles/810142/heavy-metal-poisoning-in-birds

http://www.avianweb.com/heavymetalpoisoningbirds.html

Poor baby! So glad you stuck to your guns and went with parront intuition! Hopefully, now she can be on the road to recovery!

Oh my heart is totally broken now. I am crying my eyes out. My poor-poor baby, she had such a tough life before she came to me and now this. Not only is she feeling sick but she is all alone and scared and getting injections into her stomach 3 times a day. She was so attached to me and screamed and screamed if she did not see me, she even used to walk through the house looking for me - and now I am gone. The poor-poor baby.

Thanks Tannie Spiritbird, I read the pages. Of all the symptoms listed Sterretjie was only Lethargic and shivering so I can almost understand why the vets just brushed it of as hormonal. But and it is a big BUT I did not read ANYWHERE that hormones causes those two symptoms.

Sterretjie did not help during the examinations either because she has such a fear of humans. She was up straight, VERY alert and really did not show them any signs of illness. That is why their diagnoses were an over paranoid owner.

I dont know where she got this metal from -I've looked EVERYWARE already.

Sending huggies to you and your bird. Could you visit her? That may not be good either because then she would see you leave.

I am so relieved for Steretjie, and you as well. We know our babies, their habits, etc. I am so proud of you for following your gut instinct, and refusing to leave until an ex ray was taken. Hopefully when you visit her on Saturday morning, there will be a big improvement.
Steretjie is blessed to have such a caring, alert guarding, and not giving up, until a solution was found.
I am so proud of you Linky, jy is a groot steretjie in my hart

Hey Linky, sorry to hear about Sterretjie's medical situation, but am glad to hear that you've found the cause, we'll keep you in our thoughts and prayers, keep us updated on the progress

Man I'm so sorry for you.

I hope she make a healthy recovery.

Just curious, is it expensive for all the medications???

Hey Linky, hope you had a good sleep last night, after the episode with Steretjie.
Please keep us updated, I know you will telephone Dr Russell later on.
I am praying all goes well and Steretjie gets a clean bill of health, and is back home soon again "screaming"
Mwah

Boy have I been out of it lately!

Gosh WH, I'm so sorry about your experience. I know I'd be just horrified. Please let us know how everything goes, I'd like to know when all of this gets resolved. Poor, poor Sterretjie...

Thanks everybody.

I phoned doctor Russel this morning and he said that she looks a bit brighter and that I can phone tomorrow again.

I packed her favorite food, her sleeping blanket and some toys this morning, I was planning on slipping away from work to take it to her. (Its a 40 min. drive if traffic is good). Who walks in this morning - the owner! He came back early from leave because it was too windy in Margate. Now I really have to wait till Saturday before I can see her!

Sterretjie was very quiet this week, she made basically no sounds. Yesterday when I loaded her in the car again she knew that it meant nothing good. While we were driving she clinged to the side of the cage and then she started whistling the newly learned wolf whistle! Ah my heart broke, it was as if she was saying - Mommy Im not sick, look I can still whistle - PLEASE dont take me again.

Steretjie is a little shining :smile022: She has been through so much, always pulled through, and each time stronger. Glad to hear that she seems on the brighter side today, praying each day will be brighter.
Sure in her own little mind, she know you did was best for her, and once she feels 100% and is back home, you will be rewarded with so many kisses and lotza "screaming" LoL
Hang in there, my friend, and have faith
Always in my thoughts

Wildheart, I've only just seen this thread. I'm so sorry you have been through this, I know metal poisoning can be a real threat to our birds but it looks like through your persistance it has been caught in time. If Steretjie could thank you she would I'm sure.

How are you holding up? I can only imagine how hard this is for you.

We went to visit her after work yesterday, the traffic was horrible and it took us a hole hour and 15 minutes to get there. That left me with only 15 min to spend with her - but it was still worth it!

She looks much better, no shivering just a little bit of fluffed feathers. I was very impressed with the 'hospital', all the birds were in big cages inside their own cages. They had heaters on and it felt as if we were sitting in the sun outside. The newspaper at the bottom and the water dishes were clean in all the cages. The food bowls were filled with pellets, fruit and veggies.

Sterretjie was so happy to see me and couldnt wait to get out of the cage and in my arms. After we said halo she climbed on my shoulder and kept on 'flying' towards the door. As if she was saying: "Come-Come mommy lets go!"

We fixed her sleeping cage up with toys, a box to tear and I gave her some Mango juice to drink and grapes - she loves grapes. And then, sadly we had to leave again because they close at 6.

When we got to the reception area Dr. Russell was busy talking to the owner of the last patient and I waited for them to finish so that I could thank him. When they were done Dr. Russell invited us to walk with him to the 'hospital' because he was going to do his rounds and give the meds. What a nice guy! Shame all the birds started screaming when they saw him walking in - they sure hate him. He gave all of them the same meds right down their throats - its is a slushy of vitamins etc. and Sterretjie got her injections as well. He also showed us what was wrong with all the patients. He picked up a green and blue parrot and told us that this bird decided to walk into a dogs mouth - poor bird. There was also an African Grey that he confiscated from the owners because of malnutrition. The boy's crop was standing out like a big lump with no feathers on.

I left there feeling assured that she is in good hands and sleeping warmly.

I really miss her though.
He said that she can come home Monday night.