Giving oral medications HELP

[Laurasea]

Gracie sounds like a girl I like to meet! Maybe we need a new picture to admire! That is a frustration about her weight. Anikin and the frustrating feather picking syndrome, well if I had answers my Penny wouldn't be a plucker.... So if you get any insight from the vet visit I hope you'll share. My vet visit was recommended six hours or more out of the cage and interaction, check I am home all day and she is out, better diet, check, sunlight, check, preen toys, check, and still she plucks! I was told she might get worse the first few months I have her ,also check so I feel you! But I hope you will be one of the lucky ones that has a treatable medical reason...

 

[TiredOldMan]

Okay I know this is an old thread but why start another?

Had another bird day at the CAV on Friday(over 800). Anakin was deemed as just being bored. I can deal with that better than the alternatives.

Gracie had multiple blood tests and a barium radiograph study. I haven't got the results from any of them. I did see the radiographs. The radios are being sent to Dr. Echols in Utah for his input. This seems to be something this practice likes to do as he used to be a partner here.

They also gave her subcue fluids to help counter act the barium.

Of course we also have to wait for the blood tests.

To me the radios looked better than the last set. They took over a dozen. I'm surprised she doesn't glow in the dark.

Okay so I brought her home Friday night. One seriously P.O.ed little girl.

Appetite on Sat. and Sun. was non existent. Weight took a 15+ gram drop....which is what the problem already is.

Monday morning before I got her out for her weight in she vomited a HUGE chunk. 3/4" diameter and 3/8"inch thick. She was actually choking on it. This was not normal regurg as it was much harder and a large quantity in a single chunk.

Her appetite returned after that. She was actually up 5g this AM. She started acting more like herself yesterday afternoon. When she got home from the vet she had brand new boxes in her cage. She didn't molest them until Monday. VERY UNUSUAL!

Waiting for results from the vet.

Will update when I know something more.

 

[Scott]

Quite puzzling, hope the results of exhaustive study yield some benefit!

 

[ChristaNL]

Just me and my disgusting (sometimes anyway) nosyness -> did you pick apart the regurged-lump?
(Or did you save it for the vet? )

 

[Laurasea]

Gosh what a vet visit! I'm sorry Gracie is having a hard time, did she loose more weight ? Not the post visit weight, but she's Been dropping again?
I think she threw up the barium, it's all chalky. Then she felt better. Anyway I'm thinking of you guys battery needs charge

 

[LaManuka]

Interesting that it could’ve been the barium she regurgitated, I was about to ask you what you thought it may have been.

Poor Gracie, I hope she feels a little better now

 

[TiredOldMan]

Just me and my disgusting (sometimes anyway) nosyness -> did you pick apart the regurged-lump?
(Or did you save it for the vet? )

Yes I saved it for the vet. I'm sure he's looking forward to it.

I agree it probably has some barium in it , however it's the same color as her normal regurge. The radios did look like there was a quantity of barium just hanging out in the side of her crop as the rest moved through.

A friend made a point that maybe she is like some humans we know that can eat mass quantities of everything and are still skinny I'm not one of those.

I figure I'll hear something later in the week.

Thank you everyone for your input.

 

[Tami2]

Just seeing this thread now.
I'm so sorry this is happening. I'm praying for positive results. :heart:

 

[Laurasea]

My great grandma outlived several husband's, so one branch of the family can eat like truckers and snack all day on sweets and stay stick thin!!! Not me..
Do they think food allergies? Just throw it out ideas, I know you guys have been seeing the vet and checking everything.. think I of ya

 

[EllenD]

Dave, I'm so sorry to hear about Gracie... Without going into great detail yet, has your CAV discussed any of the Avian Viral diseases that can cause birds to not be able to absorb any nutrition no matter how much they eat?

 

[EllenD]

So now I want to list at least the few diseases that have weight loss despite eating, vomiting, and sporadic loss of appetite as some of their main signs/symptoms...These include viral, bacterial, and fungal diseases, along with parasitic infections...

-Bacterial Hepatitis
-Avian Tuberculosis
-PDD
-GI Yeast Infection
-Polyoma
-West Nile Virus
-Avian Goiter/Thyroid Hyperplasia/Dysplasia

There is another parasite that I cannot remember the name of that commonly causes weight loss despite eating, vomiting, and picking of feathers. I'll go look it up and add it. I doubt that's Gracie's issue, but it's signs/symptoms are exactly those...

It's called "Myialges Nudos"...Carried by flies and certain mites...

 

[TiredOldMan]

Yes he has touched on it and they are supposedly testing for several this time around. Also testing that various enzyme levels are correct.

Thanks

 

[TiredOldMan]

Well here is what passes for an update. I'm sorry it is so long in coming.

They couldn't find anything they didn't already know about Gracie. Osteoarthritis and that offset swelling in her lower abdomen.

All blood tests came back better than before and the swelling in her abdomen is drastically reduced.

With her arthritis maybe she is much older than I was led to believe?

I'm beginning to think that it is time to just do the best I can for her instead of keeping the vets in "high cotton" with no answers.

Now to Anikin.
Anyone here have any experience with Haldol(Haloperidol) for FDB?
I have several other things to try first but if anyone has tried the Haldol I would be very interested in your opinion.

Thanks

 

[Scott]

I've used Haldol for short-term post surgical care of a B&G Macaw. She needed frequent attention to a surgical site and was semi-tame at best. What I can relate is an extraordinarily positive mood change! Normally "T-Bird" would perch on a hand only for "rescue" from the floor, but she became cuddly and seemed to enjoy the contact. IIRC her regimen was about 2 weeks, and she was weaned off to preclude long-term effects. Reverted right back to her baseline personality!

Don't think this helps you for evaluation of FDB treatment, but is an anecdotal recollection of Haldol general effects.

 

[TiredOldMan]

Thanks for the info Scott.

Do you happen to remember the dosage you were using?

From the info I've found the starting dose for U2 and M2 size birds is .1ml of 2mg per ml oral solution and then adjust up or down for desired affect.

 

[Scott]

Probably about 15 years ago, so I really don't recall. Guessing the vet used a standard protocol adjusted for her weight. We had a brief discussion about keeping her on a maintenance dose to help tame, but Haldol has side effects, not to mention my ethical discomfort with medicating a healthy bird. She was happy and living with another B&G so I could not in good conscious alter her nature.

No such qualms in your situation, attempting to change a destructive behavior.