Ralphie- perch potato anonymous

[raeleigh26]

Update; today was his last day for antibiotics. He seems to be back to his regular self.
His beak may or may not be still sore.
He's stopped eating all those wonderful warm veggies in favor of pellets, but insists that I break them into teeny bite sized bits.

It's the fact that I must give them to him by hand that leads me to believe he can crunch them on his own as well as he could pick them from a bowl. Cheeky dinosaur.

Question: he LOVES corn. Especially with cayenne pepper. He's all but eliminated everything else now, but he'd eat pounds of corn if I let him.

So, how much is too much of any particular vegetable? (He eats the middle and drops the skin)

I'm wasting about a cup of coarsely chopped veg every day, he might pick out one but if parsnip or sweet potato, but the corn is all gone, always.

OH! His flight is getting better! He's made a couple of short(foot or two) flights between hands, perches, but still won't go 4 ft from me to dh on his side of the couch.

We have a designated bedtime routine now lol.

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[raeleigh26]

List of words and phrases we've discovered Ralph knows, done sometimes in context, other times... just babble.
It's alright
I'm so sorry
Uh oh
Owie?
There we go
Step up
Hello(5 different ways)
Missed you
Doin? (*how you)
OOOOOHH! (Happy)
NOOOOO! (Adamant/ horrified)
Ash hole. (Yup. We assume he learned to say this quietly because someone consistently mumbled it under their breath after dealing with him)
(Bark. Like a chihuahua)

He prefers to talk when you're talking. Like, at the same time. Otherwise, he's really pretty quiet.
He hates when we have to leave the house.
He's getting good at flying from me to DH, with a decent landing 90% of the time.
He tells us when it's bedtime, goes happily.
Though last night he hissed at me and lunged at me through the door. I think he was offended that I'd rejected his romantic overtures the night before.
Moving things around in his cage, especially his favorite perches, keeps his ego in check, so we do this any time he lunges in the morning when I ask him to come out. (He gets to stay till he wants to come have breakfast, but I move the perch)
He likes us pretty equally. But DH gets all the lazy chilling and head scratches.
I get the games and chatter. And most of the bites.
Dh is still on crutches(IDK if I mentioned he had to have surgery) so I have to move Ralph everywhere.
He's finally destroyed a toy. But I'm certain it was out of frustration for having been left alone 3 days in a row from mid morning to bedtime. Couldn't be helped. Did have my daughter look in on him and she spent some time here.

As long as he's happy, he's really mellow. Very quiet, prefers games to toys. I just wish he valued anything as a treat besides pecans.

Also, he loves corn. But won't eat anything else that's good for him. He ate veggies before because his beak was sore and he was hungry.

He's enjoyed a shower once. Tolerates it the rest of the time. Needs a shower perch, the way it's set up now, he gets too many big drops.

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[Laurasea]

I'm so glad you got him to a vet and got treatment! You said vomiting has stopped now? Fantastic!
He looks better!!! All around great progress!

On veggies, try cooked, try minced with cooked quinoa. Try offering out of cage in hunks spread out. Try eating veggies with him, somehow him videos of parrots eating veggies.
Yeah a lot if corn isn't great, high calories low nutrition. Keep trying. Mine will avoid some at several offering them one day that's all tgey want to eat. Try Swiss shard or romaine and hang the leaves up. Try making smoothie. Try all sorts if foods, tge better tgey get at trying new stuff, the better they get at it. Lol. They can really learn to love veggies, I hsve a flock if 7 that do, all came to me not eating veggies.

 

[SailBoat]

Love the placement of the downy feather. Adds that need dash of contrast!

 

[raeleigh26]

Sick again?
Ralph is sleeping today.
We're fighting power outages and no water, -22 actual temps yesterday, using several oil radiators, had to plug central heater into the generator, melting snow for non potable water. We not frozen, the water plant has been down, there is no water.
Noticed his cere looked... dry? Plugged? And got him a half shower yesterday before the water was completely gone. Looked better after that and he quit chewing on his feet(he does that when they're dry)

Put him on his perch near both humidifiers, humidity was below 20%. Better now with melting snow, but humidifiers not been washed for a few days.
It's not cold in here. 70*, but feels colder even to me. trying to minimize opening doors, but.... we have dogs, cattle, horses, and I'm the only one able to go outside. Dh still on crutches. Still.
I can only handle so long outside, so, in to warm up, back out to haul water, feed, hay, shovel snow (filling stock tank with snow that melts with tank heater)

Vets office is closed, even if we could get there. It's still snowing.

Nothing to indicate he's sick. Except sleeping.
Normal to kind of, hibernate on chilly lazy days?
We did a little target training and I got him to hang upside down a couple times -
(working on getting him familiar with my hands being above him, even if technically below him initially. Still cannot touch him, but he'll give me "kisses" and sometimes allow dh to give scratches, for a second. )
- he seems alert and interested, asked for a banana chip, indicated he needed water. Fun to wash his bowl with no running water, thankful I bought distilled water, even if it's stored in plastic jugs....

Still paranoid. I do still have about half the antibiotics from last time left. Didn't waste any after I decided I just have to towel him to get it in him.

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[Laurasea]

Track his weight. If you have to put in a box , I'd do it. Weight can be such a hugely important factor in figuring out if tgey are sick.

 

[SailBoat]

Winter's major swings in humidity can have the cere looking liked it is plugged as stuff can become caught. Higher humidity allows their normal breathing and/or an occasional sneeze to clear it.

I find that our Amazon will nap more on cloudy, especially heavy cloudy days this time of year.

 

[raeleigh26]

Track his weight. If you have to put in a box , I'd do it. Weight can be such a hugely important factor in figuring out if tgey are sick.

Weight is consistent, 390g. Was checking every day, generally once a week now, the same this morning. Before food or water.

Mid day he's about 400- 405,......

Also.... dh made himself lunch.. and Ralph wants it.... a lot.... currently playing on the table, eating corn but ignoring everything else and still hollering for the people food that's already been salted. So. Maybe just paranoid.

Pics of both sides of his face.

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[raeleigh26]

Winter's major swings in humidity can have the cere looking liked it is plugged as stuff can become caught. Higher humidity allows their normal breathing and/or an occasional sneeze to clear it.



I find that our Amazon will nap more on cloudy, especially heavy cloudy days this time of year.

It's very bright today with the snow, was cloudy earlier, it's cleared up. Don't think this house has ever been so lit up lol

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[SailBoat]

Looks like a healthy Amazon to me!

 

[Laurasea]

Track his weight. If you have to put in a box , I'd do it. Weight can be such a hugely important factor in figuring out if tgey are sick.

Weight is consistent, 390g. Was checking every day, generally once a week now, the same this morning. Before food or water.

Mid day he's about 400- 405,......

Also.... dh made himself lunch.. and Ralph wants it.... a lot.... currently playing on the table, eating corn but ignoring everything else and still hollering for the people food that's already been salted. So. Maybe just paranoid.

Pics of both sides of his face.

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Glad to hear weigh is holding! His eyes are bright ! Looks good! Great pictures!
Still no more vomiting/regurgitation?

 

[raeleigh26]

Nope. Sick again. We're at the vets. Regurgitation started up again.
Vet thinks we didn't quite kick it before.

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[Laurasea]

darn it!! Glad you reacted quickly!! Wishing you guys a speedy recovery!

 

[raeleigh26]

darn it!! Glad you reacted quickly!! Wishing you guys a speedy recovery!

My spidey senses were tingling. He hides it very well.

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[wrench13]

Get well Raleigh !!!

 

[raeleigh26]

Anyone know? Driving myself crazy with trying to figure out Ralph's condition.

Symptoms: withdrawal, including fewer or no flock calls in the morning, not wanting to leave his room(but sometimes wanting us in there with him) slight head bobbing, fluffed most of the day, sleeping most of the day, low on feet, though does perch with just one, squinting eyes sometimes, the regurgitation thing. No head shaking. Doesn't drop it, but it does cover his beak like he ate pudding.

Appetite normal. Droppings normal. Weight normal. He will pretend nothing is wrong and engage, but goes right back to sleep/ stillness as soon as you leave him alone.

Changes I can think of : winter, actual temps were -22*F and barely over 0 during the day for a week. we had no water for 3 days, no electricity for most of one, part of another. We kept the house at about 70* with the generator, though it felt chilly.
humidity in the house dropped to under 20% and is still barely over 30%, except in his room where it's easier to keep it between 40-55% and 72-80*F. We had to be gone several days in a row (left about 9am, back between 6 and 10 pm) before I noticed him being "off" , had my daughter come to feed dogs, turn off Ralph's lights.
Changed (over a weeks time) from Zupreem fruit to Zupreem pasta (which I now see is mostly corn. If I want a better pellet I'll have to order it, nowhere near me sells anything but Zupreem and Mazuri, nutriberries at one place, but I understand that's not a daily feed.


Vet has not done a culture or blood draws. (If he's not better by recheck on Saturday I'm insisting on it)
Sees no explanation for the vomit other than over eating.
I suspect he's getting too many nuts. Dh was feeding almond slices and pecan chips basically ad lib. (Yes, I've stopped that, almost a month ago, but pecans are still his golden treat, he won't accept anything else for reward, I have been rewarding less for basic tasks we have little or no issue with anymore, like step up from certain places)

I have scoured the internet looking for an actual diagnosis. Sinusitis was the dx last time, this is exactly the same thing. Again, or still, But

No snot. No grit. No redness. No wheezing. No sneezing. No crust or discharge. No dampness. Dry, actually. No tall drop or bobbing.

No more head bobbing after exercise than at rest. (He voluntarily flew from perch to dh on couch, about 15ft today) and its a slow, steady bobbing. Closed mouth.

The thing is..... Ralph has always been quiet, no play,
(he has begun shredding 2 of his softer toys, but out of anger out frustration, not fun. And only when we've been gone, or when he's obviously mad at me and signaling me to keep out.)
He's always been chill. Mellow. Content to hang out in the couch watching TV or picking at whatever is on your face, shirt, hair, (well, not me, dh) he insists you share your food.
He gets veggies from our plates, chicken maybe. This was allowed in effort to get him to eat veggies, I've since gotten him to eat most things finely chopped so there's minimal sorting, but small enough for a parrotlet, not what you'd expect an Amazon to prefer.

I see videos of Amazon's cutting up, being goofy, loud, playing and singing, being mischievous, getting into things, tearing things up, hanging upside down....

That's not Ralph. We chose Ralph because he was so calm and quiet. We thought, and we're told, its because of how much he'd been handled and socialized with lots of people around. Some birds are more rambunctious than others.

Has he always been sick?
What on earth could this be?
Something in his environment?

(He got a steroid shot and is on doxycycline for 12 days. It's vanilla walnut flavored, but no, he won't take it in any way shape or form, so I'm toweling him once a day and have the bruises to show how unskilled I am at that. On the plus side, he's mad about being held, actually does like the medicine. And doesn't bite as hard as he did the first round of meds. Which was trimeth-sulfa)

The "vomit" on his face the day we went back to the vet. I have video of it happening, but.

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[raeleigh26]

Also, should he be showered while he's sick? Chewing at his feet again and when he rousted he sent up a smoke signal. It's chilly in my room on that end of the house. Chilly in that bathroom. Warms up with steam though.

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[SailBoat]

The easy answer is: Really need to have the blood testing at the very least!

Regarding his general demeanor: Amazons are Individuals and for every one that is loud all day, there are several that are not. Another group that welcomes the rise of the Sun and another that wishes it a long, restful night! As a group, the majority of our's have been on the more peaceful side, and commonly loving a bright Sunny, Sunrise.

As you can see, it is important to monitor the morning weight as it is the most stable and is the one you want to keep track of.

While you are at the Avian Vet's office, have them show you how to towel your Amazon. With our DYH Amazon it takes both of us to provide him medication and /or other medical care. Our Julio is fully fighted and strong. Since, I get to hold him, I have turned it in to a happy moment with tons of happy talk after providing him the medication. "Your such a Good Boy, etc, etc, etc... Been doing this for several months now and I'm seeing excited, happy eyes. He may not be happy with the event, but really likes the happy time afterwards. And, no, I'm not the favored person!

 

[SailBoat]

Also, should he be showered while he's sick? Chewing at his feet again and when he rousted he sent up a smoke signal. It's chilly in my room on that end of the house. Chilly in that bathroom. Warms up with steam though.
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With the extremely cold weather in the Great White North. Well nearly all of North America, it is very difficult to obtain reasonable temperature /humidly 'relative' to the exterior temperature. We are misting, and not getting our DYH fully wet. Misting, especially if we get a Sunny Day!

 

[Laurasea]

Agree with above, don't chill a sick bird. It takes a lot of energy to warm up after a bath.