Blue and Gold May Be Put Down at Only 5 Years Old. Please Read.

[c3honey84]

This is something that I think all parrot owners should know. I was not aware of this until recently. My mother in law has a blue and gold macaw and an umbrella cockatoo. Last week, out of nowhere, the macaw was having trouble breathing. She rushed him to the ER vet and they had to do emergency surgery for aspergillosis. But this is what the vet said. He said that the larger parrots and african greys have plaque that builds up in their throats from mold spores. Normally it is not a problem, but sometimes it breaks off and they inhale it. That is what happened to her bird. The plaque entered his air sacs and they had to remove it. He seemed better, but she was told that she would have to give him medicine everyday for the rest of his life. Well this week he started having trouble breathing again, and they had to do the surgery all over again. They took out the same amount of plaque. The vet injected the medicine directly into his air sacs, and will check next week if the amount of plaque has lessened. Unfortunately, if it is still there in the same amount, they will have to put him down. The surgery is costing thousands of dollars each time, and they simply cannot afford it. I had no idea that something like this could happen out of nowhere. I also did not know that the plaque builds up in their throats like that. I find the whole thing very strange, and I feel very bad for my mother in law. Has anyone else heard of this? I thought aspergillosis came from the environment and mainly affected birds with low immune systems. (The cockatoo is perfectly fine by the way.)

 

[Molcan2]

I'm so sorry to hear that . Hopefully he can pull through, my prayers are with him, hes so young. I don't know a lot about the diagnosis, so not much help there. Hope he gets better soon.

 

[Remy]

I'm so sorry.

If it's not being already done, I would keep the macaw away from the cockatoo, and provide it with an air filter. Cockatoo dust can also create problems with macaws.

 

[c3honey84]

They do have an air filter. I agree that the cockatoo should be kept away from the macaw, but apparently the vet said that there was no chance of the cockatoo catching it...that confused me because I always thought it was very contagious!

 

[Molcan2]

Keeping them separated in this case is not for fear that the Too will get it, but more because the dust that comes off of a Too is not good for other non powdered birds to breathe in. Even with the best air filters, the B&G will still be breathing in the dust and potentially making his problem worse. If the BG was healthy it wouldn't be as bad but his lungs are compromised right now and it could make a difference for him to be separated.

 

[henpecked]

I assume you have lots of faith in your vet. I'd get a second opinion. Aspergillosis ,(my understanding anyway) is similar to TB in humans, in that it infects the lungs and is "walled off" into small sections, deceasing the lung functions. The fungus that causes this is common but is found in high concentrations in things like moldy cage liners,old peanut shells, etc. Have you goggled" Aspergillosis in Parrots" .The plague build up you describe sounds more like a secondary infection caused by Vit A defficiency, although that would be rare in a bird that age. Keeping your fid in our thoughs

 

[henpecked]

Do you have a copy of all of the medical records for this bird? Could i forward it to someone for another opinion? PM me and i'll get you a email address.

 

[JerseyWendy]

I am so very sorry to hear about your MIL's B&G.

Please, please take Richard (henpecked) up on his offer. Something doesn't sound right to me either.

May I ask what vet your MIL is using? I am also in New Jersey, and the ONLY avian vet I will see here is Dr. Michael Doolen from NorthStar Vets. Here is their contact info:
NorthStar VETS is a NJ 24 Hour Emergency Veterinary Hospital

My Hunter had several surgeries this year to have a recurrent xanthomas removed from her eye lid. Each surgery cost me $150, NOT thousands.

Wishing only the very best of luck!

 

[c3honey84]

I am so very sorry to hear about your MIL's B&G.

Please, please take Richard (henpecked) up on his offer. Something doesn't sound right to me either.

May I ask what vet your MIL is using? I am also in New Jersey, and the ONLY avian vet I will see here is Dr. Michael Doolen from NorthStar Vets. Here is their contact info:
NorthStar VETS is a NJ 24 Hour Emergency Veterinary Hospital

My Hunter had several surgeries this year to have a recurrent xanthomas removed from her eye lid. Each surgery cost me $150, NOT thousands.

Wishing only the very best of luck!

That is exactly who I take my bird to, but he is a little far from her since she is in keyport. They go to Oakhurst Vet Hospital to Dr. Applegate. I don't have access to the medical records but I will advise my MIL to get a second opinion. I was just reading online on Harrison's website that acute dyspnea (trouble breathing) can be caused by the dislocation of plaques in the trachea. And everything I read says that the plaques are caused by vitamin A deficiency or low immune system, or even a yeast infection. I know that she keeps their cages very clean, but she does give them shelled peanuts once in awhile, and feeds them mostly pellets which may have caused the vitamin A deficiency...

 

[JerseyWendy]

... They go to Oakhurst Vet Hospital to Dr. Applegate. ...

I'm sorry, but after reading THAT name I broke down into tears. Dr. Applegate did NOTHING for my Quincy but robbed me of $1,500. Quincy died the very same night.

Gosh, Dr. Doolen is only about 45 minutes from Oakhurst. Isn't that worth the trip?

 

[JerseyWendy]

Do you have a copy of all of the medical records for this bird? Could i forward it to someone for another opinion? PM me and i'll get you a email address.

Richard, since I am familiar with the veterinary clinic they used, you can forget about having them fax your Avian vet any records. I dealt with them when Dr. Doolen was still there, but after he moved to a new clinic, I paid them $30.00 to forward my records to the new clinic. The records NEVER arrived.

 

[c3honey84]

... They go to Oakhurst Vet Hospital to Dr. Applegate. ...

I'm sorry, but after reading THAT name I broke down into tears. Dr. Applegate did NOTHING for my Quincy but robbed me of $1,500. Quincy died the very same night.

Gosh, Dr. Doolen is only about 45 minutes from Oakhurst. Isn't that worth the trip?

Wow. I'm sorry Well yes, it is worth the trip...but we had no idea how bad Dr. Applegate was...I am calling her right now to tell her!

 

[MonicaMc]

Is the air cleaner/filter kept clean? Are the air ducts in the house kept clean? What is the cage substrate and how old is it? I.E. fresh out of a bag? Or is it newspaper? Or other kinds of paper? If it's paper, is it new paper or old paper? Simple things such as the age of what we use on the bottom of the cages can play a big role in safety/health of the birds.


I hope the B&G is able to recover!

 

[c3honey84]

Is the air cleaner/filter kept clean? Are the air ducts in the house kept clean? What is the cage substrate and how old is it? I.E. fresh out of a bag? Or is it newspaper? Or other kinds of paper? If it's paper, is it new paper or old paper? Simple things such as the age of what we use on the bottom of the cages can play a big role in safety/health of the birds.


I hope the B&G is able to recover!

The air filter is changed often, and they always use newspaper that is never more than a few days old. I just spoke to my MIL and she said that he seems to be doing just a little bit better today. However, ever since he had the two surgeries, he is unable to break nuts open anymore and has not had much of an appetite. She has to put him on a nebulizer everyday and give him antifungal medication from a syringe. Hopefully his check up on Thursday will show that the mold spores are being killed. Unfortunately, even if the spores are mostly gone, he will have to be on the medication for the rest of his life which may lead to liver problems down the road.

 

[JerseyWendy]

The air filter is changed often, and they always use newspaper that is never more than a few days old. I just spoke to my MIL and she said that he seems to be doing just a little bit better today. However, ever since he had the two surgeries, he is unable to break nuts open anymore and has not had much of an appetite. She has to put him on a nebulizer everyday and give him antifungal medication from a syringe. Hopefully his check up on Thursday will show that the mold spores are being killed. Unfortunately, even if the spores are mostly gone, he will have to be on the medication for the rest of his life which may lead to liver problems down the road.

And all this is as per Dr. Applegate, correct? I'm taking a DEEP breath here....

I understand that funds must be thin, especially since he completely overcharged your MIL twice already.

If at all possible, please get a second opinion from Dr. Doolen, as it all sounds REALLY suspicious and strange.

 

[henpecked]

If i read that right a bird that age should not have VitA issues yet. But that does sound like what they are treating for. I ALWAYS get a copy of everything from the vet each and every visit, xrays,lab reports,copy of their notes,everything. You paid for it ,it's yours.

 

[henpecked]

These photos are of plaque (pus) caused by secondary infection resulting from Vit A deficiency in a 38 yr old PAN hen. Similar to what you are describing as the cause of what's blocking her trachea.

 

[Kiwibird]

I am so sorry to hear this is happening. I am not familiar with this condition, but I agree with prior posters that a second, possibly third opinion should be considered before putting such a young parrot down. I also agree that a ill bird should be quarantined, regardless if the vet said the condition was contagious or not. If anything, the ill bird needs rest and peace while trying to recover, which isn't going to happen around a too'. This particular vet may also be less experienced with the condition and making a suggestion based on inexperience, or simply making the recommendation based on the fact it will be more "difficult" to deal with a parrot who has a lifelong health condition (there are some vets out there who unfortunately don't value animals lives all that much). My moms DYH broke her foot some years ago, got a infection in the break overnight and she was told by not 1 but 2 "reputable" avian vets that she needed to be put down. My mom kept calling vets until she finally found one (who wasn't even an avian vet) who would try to fix the foot and treat the infection. Her foot healed a bit crooked, and it was 12 weeks of 24/7 watching to make sure she didn't chew off the cast, but she's alive and healthy today- because the effort was made to not give up on her and find a vet who wouldn't either. I think this bird deserves a few more opinions before the decision to put to sleep is made.

 

[MollyGreenCheeks]

I am so sorry to hear about this but at the same time want to thank Henpecked for all the valuable info and assistance he's providing to the OP. It's cooperation like this that makes the forum valuable to all!

 

[Aquila]

If you are able to make it to Philly, Somerton Animal Hospital is excellent and Dr. Gulliford is a very kind man and a great vet that I trust.

I hope for the best for your bird and you.