Gilbert going to the vet today

[ruffledfeathers]

Glad to see you guys having so much fun on the beach. Beautiful picture of him flying! What camera did you use to take it? It's not a smart phone is it?

It is my phone with Instagram filter (iPhone 6). I am able to get good flight pics holding the shutter for a burst.

 

[Anansi]

Beautiful pics, Patti! And I'm overjoyed to hear that Gilbert still hasn't gone back to plucking. It looks better and better for him with each day that passes.

Looks like you're both enjoying yourselves out there. After the past few days, you deserve it. Party on, you two!

 

[GreatBlue320]

So happy to see Gilbert having a great beach day! Glad he is doing well!

 

[Blancaej]

Oh my goodness! I am so sorry to hear about Gilbert! I'm just getting through this thread. I see he had a wonderful day at the beach. So glad he has stopped the plucking. I hope you are able to get to the bottom of it. Hugs to both of you!

 

[Birdman666]

Any more news?

 

[ruffledfeathers]

Don't have blood results til end of day Tuesday or Wednesday morning. But he has not pulled any more. And he seems cheerful and behavior is normal. I have paid close attention and when I see he is really fussing with himself, it is a little pin feather and he is just gently preening. (But I think he seems more itchy and bothered by them than usual. So now I wonder if this has anything to do with it.)

 

[ruffledfeathers]

Gilbert's blood work came back normal. We talked for a while and here's the plan of action.
I was not super excited to sedate him for the X Rays when he seems to have stopped any picking or plucking and the other tests show up normal. So the vet said to give it another week or so, obviously keeping a close eye on his condition. He said to worry less about the feathers than the condition of the skin (like, if he stopped pulling feathers but is continually picking those scabby raw spots on the skin, we need to figure out why as quickly as possible). Luckily the skin appears to be getting less raw, not more.

Then he discussed testing him for avian borna virus and it kind of made me sad. We hadn't tested for this but he said there's a higher percentage of birds carrying this than you'd realize. That would only be managed by anti-inflammatories though and obviously is incurable.

So for now, i'm just praying that it was some freak thing and watching him closely for the next few weeks. He is standing here chatting at me while I type, acting 100% normal.

But again on the phone the vet said he highly doubts it was stress related/psychological, and therefore if I don't see the skin heal up with no more plucking, then I should bring him for the other tests.

 

[JerseyWendy]

Thanks so much for the update, Patti!

I truly think this was a one time incident. (Still hung up on the idea that something possibly got under his feathers...like a bug) Now I'll have my fingers crossed that the skin will heal up nicely and quickly, and that the feathers will regrow - and then hopefully you can put this behind you.

Gil is such a sweetie, you are such an exceptional parront, and the two of you are a phenomenal pair! :smile015:

 

[ruffledfeathers]

Thank you SOOO much!! I can't imagine a world without little Gilbert being his awesome self. LOL

 

[RavensGryf]

I'm going to say that I think it's a one time incident too . I am really crossing my fingers for that. If there are no more incidents or anything else seeming off, I'd not worry.

 

[Anansi]

Hey, Patti. I agree wholeheartedly with Wendy and Julie about the likelihood of this having been a one time incident. (As well as with the point that you are an exceptional parront.) We may never know what caused this episode, which will of course be unsettling, but something may have simply irritated Gilbert's skin in that region.
I also wanted to chime in here and let you know that your vet is absolutely right about a higher percentage of birds carrying Avian Bornavirus than most people think...

BUT testing positive for ABV does not in and of itself mean that your bird is sick. I say this because there are 9 known strains of ABV at this time, only two of which are known to bring about the clinical symptoms of PDD. (A disease that I know quite well, unfortunately.)

There are 2 problems with the ABV test at this time. One is that it can only detect the presence of Avian Bornavirus when said virus is actively shedding. Which means false negatives abound.

The second problem is that the test is not yet sensitive enough to tell the difference between one strain of ABV and another... which is why I say that a positive test result, should that occur, is not necessarily an indication that Gilbert is fated to contract PDD.

Which is probably why he wanted to take an x-ray of Gilbert. An enlarged proventriculus would be a definite sign of the onset of PDD, and the earlier it's caught and treatment is begun, the better. (For what it's worth, both Jolly and Maya were recently x-rayed, and neither one required anesthesia despite being easily bigger than Gilbert.)

The treatment involving anti-inflammatory meds would be the step taken if a bird were indeed to have PDD.

All that said, however, I really don't think ABV or PDD (its demented offspring) is the culprit, here. But that's just my, admittedly non-veterinarian, opinion.

Please give Gilbert a few scritches for me?

 

[BoomBoom]

Thanks for the update on Gilbert! I am hoping for the best and rooting for you guys!

 

[Birdman666]

Might as well get the test done just to rule it out, but I seriously doubt he has that.

I still highly suspect zinc is the culprit, and a low level exposure doesn't always show up on the blood tests. It wouldn't be the first time we've heard of a false negative. But if it was a low level exposure, and he's already pretty much worked through it... it will go away on it's own. And hopefully he doesn't pick his scabs.

We may never know, but if the behavior stops, and he's otherwise healthy...

Thank god! Best news of the day.

 

[ruffledfeathers]

Might as well get the test done just to rule it out, but I seriously doubt he has that.

I still highly suspect zinc is the culprit, and a low level exposure doesn't always show up on the blood tests. It wouldn't be the first time we've heard of a false negative. But if it was a low level exposure, and he's already pretty much worked through it... it will go away on it's own. And hopefully he doesn't pick his scabs.

We may never know, but if the behavior stops, and he's otherwise healthy...

Thank god! Best news of the day.

Vet did say something about MAYBE Xray could show if there was some low level zinc from a toy part he could have ingested but also said if he seems to be improving, we may never know exactly what caused it and just hope it doesn't come back!

 

[Birdman666]

Vet did say something about MAYBE Xray could show if there was some low level zinc from a toy part he could have ingested but also said if he seems to be improving, we may never know exactly what caused it and just hope it doesn't come back!

Yeah. That's kind of what I suspect happened here. And it's fairly common.

And I wouldn't sedate him for an X-ray unless the problem was ongoing... because, really, what are they gonna do? Surgery?! That he might not survive?! Ummm... NO!!!

Sounds like it will resolve on its own.

What about the thought of adding Aloe Detox to his diet for a month or so?!

Couldn't hurt. A small dish of apple juice mixed with aloe detox, every day for a month. (No they don't pay me commission!)

 

[Anansi]

I still don't see why he needs to be anesthetized for an x-ray. In fact, Patti, it just hit me! Literally, as I was writing that sentence! To my knowledge, you live closer to me than any other member!

A little later I'll just pm you my new vet's info. He's the one who x-rayed Maya and Jolly without anesthetic. Solid dude. VERY thorough. And an x-ray will answer questions about both ABV and zinc.

 

[Blancaej]

So glad to hear Gilbert is doing better!! Hopefully further testing and xrays will not be necessary and he continues to heal. It really sounds like a one time incident to me as well.

 

[ruffledfeathers]

Last night after his shower: "come on ma! I think I am a handsome devil with or without feathers! I was attempting a little strip tease." Lol
Thanks for everyone's kind words. Meanwhile Gilbert doesn't seem the slightest bit shaken by any of this. [emoji1]

 

[GreatBlue320]

I am so very happy to hear that Gilbert is doing so well and that his blood tests were normal!!

 

[Skittys_Daddy]

Great news on Gilbert!

These things can be scary. I remember when I first got Skittles, he had these 'wing spasms' with his left wing and the vet was concerned it might be a seizure.

The blood tests all came back normal, so I contacted the breeder. She told me it means he's "content". Which made sense to me since he only does it when he is relaxing. But the 'idea' of seizures scared the crap out of me. I was so relieved when everything came back normal.

That wing is also the one he lifts up the most to get scratched. I had the vet check that out too (each time he sees the vet as well) and she said there isn't anything wrong with that area, its just something he likes, I guess.

Kudos to you as well for being so mindful of Gilberts needs and caring for him. He's so lucky to have you!