Emergency vet or can this wait till Monday?

BeatriceC · Oct 1, 2016

Charlotte has been chewing on her rump all day today. When I put her back in her cage for dinner, I noticed a quarter sized bruise and two tiny breaks in her skin. This certainly needs vet attention, but can it wait for regular office hours on Monday? The emergency vet is a general vet but my vet and his office partner work on an on call basis with them, so they'd at least have his input. This is the best picture I could get.

SailBoat · Oct 1, 2016

BeatriceC said:
Charlotte has been chewing on her rump all day today. When I put her back in her cage for dinner, I noticed a quarter sized bruise and two tiny breaks in her skin. This certainly needs vet attention, but can it wait for regular office hours on Monday? The emergency vet is a general vet but my vet and his office partner work on an on call basis with them, so they'd at least have his input. This is the best picture I could get.

Not an easy call! I am guess that she is a plucker and that what you are dealing with is her being over aggressive near her rump.

If she will let you mist the area with water it may help in relieving what she is reacting too.

Likely, she has several new feathers starting and she is over working the area. Worst case is a possible surface infection of the skin.

Be at your Vets office when the Tech's get there at 7:00 AM.

BeatriceC · Oct 1, 2016

The EV is only $15 more than regular. With the broken skin, I'm kind of worried about infection setting in. I called the EV and they are calling the on-call and will call back.

Flboy · Oct 1, 2016

15 over, wow! Our EV is a 100 dollar surcharge!

BeatriceC · Oct 1, 2016

Regular vet is $75, EV is $90. I think $15 is worth the peace of mind. Thanks for letting me ramble.

SailBoat · Oct 1, 2016

BeatriceC said:
The EV is only $15 more than regular. With the broken skin, I'm kind of worried about infection setting in. I called the EV and they are calling the on-call and will call back.

As indicated, it could already be in place or as you state, it is likely to with broken skin. At best, they can give you a topical to place on the skin. The down side is that if the facility does not care for Parrots on a regular bases they may not have anything to offer. Also, they will not be able to provide medication by injection, once again because of their lack of experience with Parrots.

Best of Luck!

Flboy · Oct 1, 2016

A lot of folks swear by aloe spray. Will that help in this case?

SailBoat · Oct 1, 2016

Flboy said:
A lot of folks swear by aloe spray. Will that help in this case?

Great Idea, and Yes it will!

BeatriceC · Oct 1, 2016

SailBoat said:
BeatriceC said:

The EV is only $15 more than regular. With the broken skin, I'm kind of worried about infection setting in. I called the EV and they are calling the on-call and will call back.

Click to expand...

As indicated, it could already be in place or as you state, it is likely to with broke skin. At best, they can give you a topical to place on the skin. The down side is that if the facility does not care for Parrots on a regular bases they may not have anything to offer. Also, they will not be able to provide medication by injection, once again because of their lack of experience with Parrots.

Best of Luck!

My AV and his office partner work on-call with the EV. If he thinks it's necessary, he will come in. I can give injections myself and already give Charlotte two oral meds every day. Cookie was getting injections in the weeks before he died. I'm comfortable doing that myself. My AV confirmed it was best to bring her in, so I'm there and waiting.

BeatriceC · Oct 1, 2016

Clarifying: I'm comfortable doing injections and oral meds myself with great help of my son or MrC.

Puck · Oct 1, 2016

Keeping my imaginary feathers crossed for you! Hope it all goes well--be sure and keep us updated and send Charlotte our love.

BeatriceC · Oct 1, 2016

The EV is on the phone with Dr. J. Just waiting to see what he wants to do.

BeatriceC · Oct 1, 2016

They gave me pain meds and antibiotics and are having me increase her anti anxiety meds. Dr J wants me to call Monday to check in, or go back to the EV is she gets worse.

Scott · Oct 2, 2016

Just seeing this now, Beatrice. I think you made a good choice by seeing an EV prior to Monday. Hopefully the meds will quickly stabilize Charlotte and get her on the road to recovery.

BeatriceC · Oct 2, 2016

Thanks, Scott. I'm pretty sad today watching her. Dr. J. said the best thing to do was basically to keep her stoned so she won't pick on that area. He doesn't like the neck discs with macaws at all, and will only use them as an absolute last resort. I'm going to call them in the morning and talk to them about keeping her for a couple days because MrC is out of town and she's pretty moody after I've had to towel her for anything. He usually does the toweling and I do the medications, but she gets mad at him, not me. I don't want her to associate my son (who's a brat and doesn't like to post much, but he's been reading a ton here) with the bad stuff, since she seems to be starting to favor him. I'm thinking it might be best for them to keep her until the open wound on her rump heals.

Puck · Oct 2, 2016

I'm so sorry, Beatrice! Really feeling for poor Charlotte. It sucks having to drug them up just to keep them from hurting themselves. Really stabs the heart.

BeatriceC · Oct 2, 2016

I figured out how to get the antibiotic ointment on her without toweling her! A walnut distraction with her on my knee worked well.

PetoftheDay · Oct 3, 2016

BeatriceC said:
I figured out how to get the antibiotic ointment on her without toweling her! A walnut distraction with her on my knee worked well.

Fabulous! Bribes are totally permissible in this case!

Scott · Oct 3, 2016

BeatriceC said:
Thanks, Scott. I'm pretty sad today watching her. Dr. J. said the best thing to do was basically to keep her stoned so she won't pick on that area. He doesn't like the neck discs with macaws at all, and will only use them as an absolute last resort. I'm going to call them in the morning and talk to them about keeping her for a couple days because MrC is out of town and she's pretty moody after I've had to towel her for anything. He usually does the toweling and I do the medications, but she gets mad at him, not me. I don't want her to associate my son (who's a brat and doesn't like to post much, but he's been reading a ton here) with the bad stuff, since she seems to be starting to favor him. I'm thinking it might be best for them to keep her until the open wound on her rump heals.

Good idea, Beatrice. Having the vet staff deal with the more difficult care helps preserve the family relationship, and macaws have long memories!

What medication is Charlotte taking for her mood? Just curious because I once had to medicate a B&G to manage her post-surgery, and the drug given was Haldol. (Haloperidol) Very old drug, but perhaps works well with parrots?

Kiwibird · Oct 3, 2016

Very sorry to hear about Charlotte.

Just a thought, but @JenPhilly might be able to help you find a comfy and nice fleece collar for her instead of one of those awful cones. Or make one. You could even make it red like her. They help pluckers learn healthier preening habits with the fleece instead of their own feathers and would keep a plucked bird warmer with winter coming.

(Not my photo, but to give an example)

Emergency vet or can this wait till Monday?

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