Not Normal?

I've had my 7yo U2 for a little over a week now. I adopted her from a family that could no longer care for her. The day she came home she started coughing so I immediately scheduled an appt with my Avian Vet. Her blood work came back mostly normal (slightly elevated cholesterol and white blood cells) but the vet wasn't too concerned. We are still waiting for her Aspergillosis results, which I feel will most likely be positive. They have me med cam for her that I've been putting on her food daily. Her diet is pellets with a bowl of fresh fruit and veggies in the morning. She seems to favor sweet potato as she goes for that first. Her droppings at the vet were normal but this morning I woke up to this. Her cage was cleaned before bed and this was under the perch she roosts on at night. Obviously this does not look normal, but while I'm waiting for the vet to call me back, I figured I'd ask you. Could this be from the sweet potato and/or med cam?
I'm so anxious for this poor girl. It's been a rough week, leaving her family of 7 years and dealing with this horrible cough while trying to adjust to her new home. She is so sweet, but her previous owner really handled here in a way that is not good for her. (Constant petting, cuddling in blankets etc) She also lays eggs frequently. Hoping it all works out, but it's been a tough week so far!

Not normal but could be from the stress; PLEASE tell me your vet did gram stains/fecal smears? And that they are a certified avian vet?


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Ok a breathing issue is MOST likely in my experience to be a respiratory infection and I will never understand why vets go for blood work (usually $200-$500) before gram stains (usually $40-$60)


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She has no discharge or any signs of a cold, per say. Her "cough" sounds like a dog with kennel cough. From what I have heard and seen so far, it really looks like Aspergillosis. BUT of course I hope it is not and that it's something easily treated. She was not coughing prior too me picking her up. I was told that stress can often bring symptoms out so it could have been an underlying issue. The price of the blood work hurt, but I would have requested it even if she was acting perfectly fine, simply because I know nothing about her health history. This poop on the other hand is a complete left turn from the wast it looked at the vet.

Asper can also be caught through a crop/throat swab which is again much cheaper

If it doesn't clear up or if you don't at least get a conclusive answer from the tests you have done, please consider gram stains. As a breeder and rescuer I always tell people never to bother paying for an Avian exam without gram stains; they are SUCH an important diagnostic tool.


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Welcome to the forums, I hope your future visits will be for more enjoyable reasons.

The symptoms do resemble Aspergillosis, with a treatment course of anti-fungals and other supporting meds for up to one month. If not, hopefully the vet can narrow the diagnosis with additional testing.

Have you noticed such droppings in the past? Such depiction can be from stress or certain fruits/vegetables.

Good luck with Snow's recovery, please keep us updated!