High Liver Function Reading (High BA) Need Advice

I am new to this forum. My name is Laura and I have a 4 year old Moustache Parakeet named Fuji. When I first got Fuji his BA (bile acid) was 170. We found out that the bird store where I purchased Fuji had given all the birds Doxycycline in their water because one of the birds that was boarding there had a respiratory infection.

I go to a very good avian vet so we have been monitoring my bird very closely over the years. My bird has never shown any signs of illness. We did get the reading to go as low as 40 but it has tended to stay in the 70-90 range. Over the past few months it is creeping up. His latest reading was 175.

My bird eats only pellets and fresh food. The vet has him on Opt. Omega drops 2 drops a day twice a day. The vet wants to do X-rays that may require anesthesia. We are scheduled for this Friday. I am a nervous wreck. Are X-ray and anesthesia bad? The next step may be a biopsy which frightens me even more.

Again, I know birds hide illness but Fuji is showing no signs of being sick. I hate putting him through all this.

Any advice is very much appreciated.

LauraC said:

I am new to this forum. My name is Laura and I have a 4 year old Moustache Parakeet named Fuji. When I first got Fuji his BA (bile acid) was 170. We found out that the bird store where I purchased Fuji had given all the birds Doxycycline in their water because one of the birds that was boarding there had a respiratory infection.

I go to a very good avian vet so we have been monitoring my bird very closely over the years. My bird has never shown any signs of illness. We did get the reading to go as low as 40 but it has tended to stay in the 70-90 range. Over the past few months it is creeping up. His latest reading was 175.

My bird eats only pellets and fresh food. The vet has him on Opt. Omega drops 2 drops a day twice a day. The vet wants to do X-rays that may require anesthesia. We are scheduled for this Friday. I am a nervous wreck. Are X-ray and anesthesia bad? The next step may be a biopsy which frightens me even more.

Again, I know birds hide illness but Fuji is showing no signs of being sick. I hate putting him through all this.

Any advice is very much appreciated.

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I am assuming that your Vet is either a Certified Avian Vet or an Avian Qualified Vet.

Diet: Pellets can be a problem as some Pellets have higher levels of Protean that can be a problem for some species of Parrots. Verify that you and other members of our household are not providing threats that are known diet problems for several species, peanuts and sun flower seeds as an example. That also includes processed foods that are a heavy part of Human diets. Fresh foods need to be heavy on the veggies side and low on fruit side.

There has been a couple of recent Threads on this subject that contain excellent information on this topic. Within the Thread(s) are references to Birdman666 work with his Parrots. Well worth your reading. There are discussions regarding additives that had been very well presented.

X-ray and ultra sound can better define the shape of organs. That said, the high numbers that your Parrot is pushing is reason enough to actively work at reducing them.

Is X-ray safe? Yes. Is anesthesia safe? There is always the likelihood that your Parrot may have difficulties. The more common and therefore trained that Clinic's Avian Vet and staff are at using anesthesia with Parrots the less likely your Parrot will have a problem. A well trained Clinic will have a stepping procedure that is used to control the amount provided based on a specific Parrot's needs. With the knowledge base in place, yes.

Thank you for your input. My vet is Avian Certified and is considered one of the best in my area.

I do not feed any seeds or processed foods to my bird. He eats veggies like peas, snap peas, bell peppers, jalapeños and zucchini. His favorite are the snap peas. My vet had me cut out apples. The pellet the vet has me on is Zupreem (the fruit blend flavor). I did have the bird on a mix of Zupreem and Roudybush but just recently the vet suggested to just do the Zupreem.

How can I find the threads you mentioned? Is there a way for you to post the direct link? I am new to forums and posting so not sure how to best search for that info.

Try these:Blue and Gold Macaw Beak Problems
Cockatoo with probable liver issues ( 1 2 3)

To use the Search Tool, open the Home Page on the blue ribbon near the top of the page. The Search Tool is on the right hand side of that page. Enter: fatty liver

It will pull up every recent Thread that has a discussion or a statement containing fatty liver.

Enjoy.

Just to say hello and I hope that you can get on top of this for poor Fuji.

You can see my input on one of the links that Sailboat has given. Please ask any questions here.

I am surprised at your AV's recommendation re his choice of pellet though. If Fuji is a heavy pellet eater then perhaps restrict the amount he has each day and concentrate on the fresh, mainly green veggies.

My RB2 has had both X-Rays and Ultrasound, probably to be repeated in the near future. Biopsy scares the pants off me too. Would require some very serious thought or limited options. Cross that bridge etc!

Is there a plan to do a cholesterol blood test?

Has the respiratory infection gone now?

Welcome to the forums, Laura! We'll try to give helpful advice as you consider the next phase of Fuji's treatment. Many of our most helpful members have offered suggestions, so I'll not be redundant!

Zupreem pellets are somewhat controversial and are not the very best of type. However, it is well liked by most birds and is a better adjunct to fresh vegetables than a straight seed diet. I actually feed a triad; fresh vegetables/fruits, Zupreem, and small quantities of seed.

I always stress prior to anesthesia, but since Fuji's vet is avian certified the process is as safe as possible. Modern gasses such as Isoflurane and Sevoflurane are quick to act, ramp down, and have low complication rates when administered by a skilled practitioner. An obvious respiratory infection or disease is the prime concern, and often vets will still accomplish the procedure if well managed. My vet, an ABVP, feels the concerns are somewhat overblown and are perpetuated by historic issues.

I assume a full spectrum blood panel has been accomplished. Are there other red flags in addition to the BA?

Sorry for any confusion. My bird never had a respiratory infection. When he was a baby before I took him home 4 years ago one of the bird's in the store had an infection and as a preventive measure they gave all the birds the Doxycycline. Initially we thought that was what was causing the high BA reading.

As far as the Zupreem pellet is there another pellet that is healthier?

The vets favourite is Harrisons LOL but I personally use TOPs as Plum would eat it instead of firing it at me!

Ensure that Fuji has not eaten two hours before the anaesthesia as they can be a little sick after. Plum has recovered well (touching wood) each time.

Actually it was only because he was under anaesthesia that the AV was able to detect a heart murmur in Plum.

Look for a Pellet in either TOPS or Harrisons' line that is targeted toward older Parrots.