New member; using nebuliser for IRN : please help

Hello. I’m a new member. I’ve had birds for 4 years going 5 years now. I currently have a a pair of ringnecks and a cockatiel. My cockatiel is 3 years old and my ringnecks are 1.5 years old.

My female IRN has always been more sensitive and she developed conjunctivitis (treated for) and now has a upper respiratory infection, as found out on the latest vet visit 2 days ago. I’m giving her meds but I’m also thinking of nebulising her at home to help her breathe since she has respiratory issues.

However I have no idea what to put in and I called the vet clinic to ask but they said that the vet is outstation for the next 2 days.

As far as I’m aware (I could be wrong) they usually use salbutamol and saline right? Can anyone who uses nebulisers for their birds help me? Or should I just wait 2 days until the vet comes back? I would really like to nebulise her though.

Please help me.

Nebulizing birds is done in a mostly sealed tank, since getting a mask on a bird is impossible. I would wait for your vet to give you specific instructions on medications, equipment, length of treatment etc.

Welcome to you and your flock, thanks for joining! Sorry to know your IRN is unwell.

Is your vet avian certified or equivalent? Treatment for stubborn infections requires correct diagnosis of the offending organism. If not, a scatter-shot approach may delay recovery. (not saying this is the case, just a note of concern)

I've had birds nebulized on occasion but only at a clinic. Would imagine home use is possible with proper equipment and training. Personally, I'd wait to obtain expert advice of fluids needed for nebulization.

Found some possibly helpful articles:
https://www.veterinarypracticenews.com/treatments-recommended-for-avian-respiratory-problems/
https://www.vin.com/apputil/Project/DefaultAdv1.aspx?pId=11181&id=3852207&print=1

Good luck, please keep us advised!

Scott said:

Welcome to you and your flock, thanks for joining! Sorry to know your IRN is unwell.

Is your vet avian certified or equivalent? Treatment for stubborn infections requires correct diagnosis of the offending organism. If not, a scatter-shot approach may delay recovery. (not saying this is the case, just a note of concern)

I've had birds nebulized on occasion but only at a clinic. Would imagine home use is possible with proper equipment and training. Personally, I'd wait to obtain expert advice of fluids needed for nebulization.

Found some possibly helpful articles:
https://www.veterinarypracticenews.com/treatments-recommended-for-avian-respiratory-problems/
https://www.vin.com/apputil/Project/DefaultAdv1.aspx?pId=11181&id=3852207&print=1

Good luck, please keep us advised!

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Hello! He’s an exotics vet but the best in the city! We don’t really have avian vets here but my vet is extremely experienced with birds (he saved my then baby cockatiel when we rushed him to the ER) so I trust him. I’ll try waiting and talk to him when he comes back! She did get nebulised at the clinic when when I took her to the vet, but I’m just paranoid that she’s straining herself while she’s breathing.

We do have a follow up coming Thursday / Friday so I’ll discuss the possibility of nebulising my IRN at home in detail (if required in the future).

Excellent, seems you have the very best vet available. Exotic vets can be skilled if they have sufficient interest to learn and procure specialized equipment.

I'd be concerned if breathing is labored. Do you know the organism if identified, hopefully not a fungal infection. (they can be cured by require a 4 to 6 week therapy) If you have any doubts and would like opinions, feel free to upload video of breathing.

Scott said:

Excellent, seems you have the very best vet available. Exotic vets can be skilled if they have sufficient interest to learn and procure specialized equipment.

I'd be concerned if breathing is labored. Do you know the organism if identified, hopefully not a fungal infection. (they can be cured by require a 4 to 6 week therapy) If you have any doubts and would like opinions, feel free to upload video of breathing.

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Her breathing is not laboured, but seems a bit strained? She’s active and playing around and eating normally but she breathes a bit through her mouth. That’s why I wanted to try nebulising, hoping that it would help her. We have a follow up this Friday with the vet so I’m going to ask about the organism (her file from the vet says suspected Clamydia or Psittacosis infection).

You can't really nebulize a bird without proper equipment etc. It's not a bad treatment option for many, but it has to be done by someone who knows exactly what they are doing. It's not the same as just running some steam with medicine in a room, you know?
You have to know the proper duration and dosages for the treatment-- can't just guess.
You know how humans need to finish a full course of antibiotics (or risk the infection becoming resistant or getting worse)..same thing, with some added complications.
Did you call the vet and ask about what he/she would suggest?

Sad that your Vet is out of town at the moment.

Please stay with the prescribed medication treatment and be at your Vet's Clinic as scheduled. Home medical care can be very dangerous as stated above. Please follow your Vet's direction.

What Parrot(s) did you have prior to the cockatiel?

SailBoat said:

Sad that your Vet is out of town at the moment.

Please stay with the prescribed medication treatment and be at your Vet's Clinic as scheduled. Home medical care can be very dangerous as stated above. Please follow your Vet's direction.

What Parrot(s) did you have prior to the cockatiel?

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I had a ringneck which had been through many homes. He was raised and kept in a small cage all his life until I took him in. He was pretty old (not sure what his age was exactly) but he was very lively! He was a very picky eater and was adamant over his seed diet (did NOT like fruits and veggies at all) and he had some issues with his beak. He and my cockatiel did not get along for a long time but few months before he got lost, he tried befriending my cockatiel a lot He would always save his food and try to share it with my cockatiel. When he was outside his cage (which was all day for him because he hated being inside a cage), he would fly over to my cockatiel’s cage and sleep next to it. But because my cockatiel had terrifying memories of the first few days my ringneck tried hurting him, he feared my ringneck until the end.

He was with us for a really long time and we were all attached to him One day he was outside his cage flying around (as usual) and someone accidentally left the balcony door open and he flew off. We tried searching for him for days but we never found him in the end. It’s been years now and I still feel so guilty over it. If I had known about the door, things would have been different

I never planned on getting more birds after the heartbreak but one of my acquaintances bought ringnecks and decided to give them away after a week because “the ringnecks not what they had expected personality wise” and I ended taking them both because they were bonded to each other (they were 6 months old back then I think?)