Rhinolith / Nasal stones

reeisconfused

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Keep Honey in your prayers - Emergency Vet Visit

[EDIT: PLEASE KEEP HONEY IN YOUR PRAYERS. See post #4 for story]

Hello everyone. If you followed my previous thread, youā€™d remember that I took Honey to a vet on Thursday because one of his nares was blocked. The vet cleaned it up and it went away however it has been slowly forming again.

Since I live in India, itā€™s been incredibly difficult finding an avian vet after my previous one moved away. Well Yesterday, I finally found an avian vet. I called in to the clinic and asked if I could get an appointment and although they were busy and it is Sunday today, they said ok.

The Vet was incredibly good and actually knew what he was talking about! He said that Honey has Rhinolith or nasal stones and that it may be because of Vit A deficiency. He gave medications - vit A drops, melonex syrup and doxycycline (3mg). He said that if it doesnā€™t clear up by Tuesday, I should bring Honey back in the morning and theyā€™ll put him on a mild sedative and do flushing. After which, Iā€™ll have to give nasal drops to him for a period of time.

He was also telling me that sedatives are always risky for birds and Iā€™m so nervous about it. Hopefully itā€™ll be all okay...

They also nebulised Honey for sometime. He seemed to like it a lot haha.

Hopefully, everything goes well. The Vet also said that Honey is most probably a male (no testing yet - may get it done later).

I know this may not be a *big* deal but Iā€™m still nervous. Heā€™s such a small lil guy and I donā€™t want anything to happen to him.
 
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LeaKP

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Ohhhh it sounds as if your Honey has great care. Take it one day at a time, hope for the best and trust you have what it takes to make it through no matter what. Weā€™re all here anxious for updates.


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Laurasea

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It's always a big deal when it's our baby!! Vit A deficiency is common on a seed diet. Start introducing those veggies! Especially yellow and red ones, then you don't have to worry about giving to much. Hope your baby is a ok!
 
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reeisconfused

reeisconfused

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I am extremely exhausted from crying but I will try to be as brief as possible.

Shortly after I made this thread, Honey aspirated on his medicine. He was fussier than usual today, maybe because he was tired from the vet visit. I was giving him his medicine (dosing - 0.3ml) and he was moving his head a lot, trying to jump away when suddenly he started choking. He opened his mouth and kept stretching his head backwards. No, this isnā€™t the first time I gave him medicine. I have done this with him many times before and this has NEVER happened. I immediately knew something was wrong.

He kept on doing this for a minute and then he started sneezing as well. Soon after, there was discharge coming out of his nares and I knew that he was aspirated. As Iā€™ve mentioned before, avian vets are very scarce here and itā€™s incredibly difficult to get one during emergencies. Fluid discharge started around his eyes as well. My baby was choking, unable to breathe and I couldnā€™t do anything to help him.

Thankfully, the avian Vet Honey went to earlier today does attend to emergency cases, if you call and ask him to. I immediately dialled his number and called him. I was crying so much on the phone that they couldnā€™t even make out what I said. They told me to come in immediately.

I donā€™t have a car yet. I managed to Uber to the vet with my mom in 15 minutes (god bless the driver) and rushed Honey in.

Open mouth breathing, Honey wouldnā€™t even bend his head. He kept closing his eyes and I was afraid Iā€™d lose him any second. He was wheezing and there was a lot of discharge around his nares. The vet checked him and immediately told me that this was serious. For the next 2 hours, we were there at the hospital. They gave Honey some oxygen at first and then nebulised him a for a bit. The vet told that the best chance Honey had was to pass urine so that the fluid inside the lungs leaves. If the fluid went into the airsacs, it could get much more complicated. He promised me that heā€™d do everything he could but couldnā€™t guarentee that Honey would make it.

I was devastated. I was crying the whole time I was there. All of this was a foolish mistake on my part. Maybe I should have been more patient. Maybe I should have asked my Mom to hold him when I gave him his meds. I can think of so many maybes but still it wouldnā€™t change what happened.

The vet gave Honey an injection which would help him pass urine, hoping to clear the fluid in his lungs a bit. It worked on his part because Honey passed a lot of urine.

Unfortunately, they donā€™t have a hospitalization unit for birds yet. Since Honey is so young, the Vet said that heā€™ll be giving meds to him through nebulisation.

I have to bring Honey in tomorrow morning where meds for broncho dilation, inflammation etc will be given. Heā€™ll be getting meds twice a day.

The vet said that if Honey makes it the next two days, heā€™s safe.

Weā€™re back home now and Honey is a bit better. Still breathing with his mouth open but hopped on outside and on to my arm when I opened the carrier. He also chirped once (very weakly). I put him back in his cage and I keep checking on him every now and then.

For now, he is sleeping.

I feel so guilty and I cannot get over this. I have had Honey only for 2 weeks, but this little guy is my bundle of joy. He is absolutely in love with him and dances (literally!) whenever he sees me. Heā€™s mischevious and funny and just SO good and I donā€™t want to lose him.

Please keep him in your thoughts and prayers.
 
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reeisconfused

reeisconfused

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ZeStIdF.jpg


jgmLZ43.jpg
 

noodles123

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I am so sorry you are going through this. It is so scary for me to give my bird oral medication because I am terrified that this could happen. You were doing what needed to be done, so don't blame yourself. Thank God your were able to get hold of the vet and I hope your bird improves. If it helps, another member had a similar issue with a tiel and theirs pulled through.
 

Laurasea

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Oh so sorry, so scary. My prayers are with you and Honey!! Hope for a speedy recovery! Two weeks or two minutes , they steal our hearts!!!
 

EllenD

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Oh, I'm so sorry...Aspiration Pneumonia is very scary and serious, but it's also very common in birds and it sounds like this Avian Vet knows what he's doing...It's all about the antibiotics/nebulization working now to clear his lungs...The fact that he made it through that very bad, initial aspiration episode is a very good sign though, so hopefully that means that Honey is strong and has a will to live (usually if they aspirate enough liquid into their lungs that they have the kind of episode that Honey had, they actually die on the spot; most cases of aspiration-pneumonia don't happen this way, there isn't any noticeable aspiration "episode", they simply take a small bit of fluid into their lungs without anyone knowing it happened, and then the pneumonia develops over-time, and by the time it's noticed that the bird is sick it's too late to help them, so it's actually a good thing in this case that it happened the way that it did, because Honey started treatment for the pneumonia immediately after the aspiration happened)...

As far as the Nasal-Stones, that's usually not a huge deal, I was going to tell you that doing regular, daily "sinus flushes" usually clears that right up in a week or two, until I read your second post about the aspiration...So don't worry too much about the Nasal-stones, because they aren't going to be a huge problem...

Positive energy your way, keep us updated on how she's doing...
 
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Inger

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Re: Keep Honey in your prayers - Emergency Vet Visit

Iā€™ve got Honey in my thoughts. [emoji3590]


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LaManuka

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Sending you all my hopes and every good wish for you and Honey, youā€™re both in my thoughts.
 

Jen5200

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Sending positive thoughts to you and Honey!
 
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reeisconfused

reeisconfused

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Thank you for the replies everyone. I woke up just now and went to check in on Honey. He is breathing through his mouth ocassionally. Heā€™s eating his pellets right now. My mom told me that he was playing prior to eating. Things are looking good. Iā€™ll be taking him to the vet in an hour now.

I wanted to ask something first - Yesterday, when he started choking, he lost a feather immediately. Is this normal? This morning as well, I found another feather at the bottom of the cage. Is this because heā€™s sick? His tail is still bobbing.

NyGG6wJ.jpg


This is from today. Yesterdayā€™s feather was much bigger.
Any advice would be appreciated.
 

LaManuka

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The feathers probably got a good jostling from the last visit so a few may have come loose. Sending positive energy your way for a good outcome today!
 

Jen5200

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My cockatiel had kind of a mini-molt immediately after getting toweled to have her nails done. It is possible that being restrained knocks a few loose. Screamer grew some new ones and all was well, but I was a bit surprised that she dropped so many after being toweled.
 
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reeisconfused

reeisconfused

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U P D A T E

The Vet was in for a surgery so I didnā€™t get to meet him but we talked over the phone. Since Honey is not breathing from his mouth anymore, he said that heā€™d skip the injection (this helps to pass urine and clear fluid from lungs) and just gave him nebulisation. So we did that and left. I have to check in the evening with the doc again to give him an update on Honey. Based on how he is doing, the vet will decide what to do next; whether or not to give an injection or not.

Honey is doing much better. A bit cranky but still back to his old self for most of the part. Heā€™s usually so hyperactive and playful and seeing him yesterday so weak and gasping for air broke my heart. I never want to go through this again.

Iā€™m still worried about any fluid that may still be in his lungs....I think most of it got out but Iā€™m skeptical if all of it did. How can I be sure if his lungs are clear?

Thank you all for your support. You have no idea how much it means to me.
 
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LaManuka

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Itā€™s great Honey is doing better, heā€™s such a cute little guy! Do keep us posted with all the latest wonā€™t you:)
 

EllenD

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Whenever fluid or anything liquid gets into the lungs, half the battle is getting it out, the other half is getting rid of the bacterial and/or fungal infection it leaves behind (pneumonia)...At this point any actual liquid that went into his lungs is gone now, and the nebulization of the antibiotics/steroids will hopefully take care of the pneumonia/infection...So I agree that giving Honey any more Diruetics is pointless, because there's no more fluid left inside of his lungs, it would have been expelled/absorbed not long after the aspiration happened...

As far as the "open-mouthed" breathing goes, that probably has to do with the Sinus issue and not the Pneumonia/aspiration...It's not at all uncommon for birds with clogged-sinuses to open-mouth breath simply because they have no choice, they HAVE to breath through their mouths...Did the Vet say anything about getting the Sinus-Flush done? I'm willing to bet that Honey will stop open-mouth-breathing immediately after the Sinus-Flush...
 

LeaKP

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Re: Keep Honey in your prayers - Emergency Vet Visit

Yes following and thankful things seem to be looking better.


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reeisconfused

reeisconfused

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A very late update -

I was really tired and then really busy so couldnā€™t update you all.

Honey is doing much much better! No more mouth breathing and back to his self. He was very irritated last night after his vet visit and was lashing at everyone who came near his cage. He was growling and lashing at his own toys. I think the rough handling at the vet got to him a bit but he was back to normal this morning.

He was a lot more vocal today during the ride to the visit. The doc checked him up and gave him a clean bill of heath! Yay!!! He also flushed Honeyā€™s nostril so weā€™re all good now!

I am so relieved. The past three days have felt like WEEKS. I am so so grateful that I found an avian vet here, without whom Honey would never have made it.

Thank you all for your messages and constant support. This forum always lifts me up :)


Hereā€™s a photo of Honey sight seeing at the balcony today after his visit to the vet.

cyC1S99.jpg
 

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