Waiting to see the vet in an hour

[Terry57]

I hope Cairo is doing better now that he has been admitted, and hoping they have been able to get some fluids in to stay. My heart goes out to you, I can't imagine how hard it is to try to work, knowing this is going on at home.
You mentioned they don't have an x-ray onsite, does this mean he would have to be taken elsewhere for that?

 

[Owlet]

Every time I see this thread I get a little bit of anxiety. I really hope Cairo pulls through and improves! Definitely push the idea of an xray and probably an IV if you can. I truly wish you the best.

 

[EllenD]

Every time I see this thread I get a little bit of anxiety. I really hope Cairo pulls through and improves! Definitely push the idea of an xray and probably an IV if you can. I truly wish you the best.

I know, this is making me nauseous...I understand not being able to get an IV in him; birds are difficult to do that with anyway unless you go into the jugular, and he's so dehydrated it's probably impossible. But there are many other options to get fluids into him, such as a sub-Q injection, or even an IV catheter put into a bone (anything you can give them through a regular IV in a vein you can give to them through an IV catheter into the bone)...I'm just hoping that his body gets rid of whatever is causing this and he stops vomiting and starts keeping things down.

 

[Laurasea]

Her bill attachment for the new hospitalization showed iv Cath and fluids and so I think ( thought ) they got one in. EllenD that is so wonderful that tour CAV gave you an response. Yes if it was me I'd have gotten SQ fluids the first visit. I agree an acute continuing vomiting bird is not common, and she said her tore apart one toyso I'm so worried that there was a puncture trauma to GI or the metal, or partial blockage.... Poisoning too is possible it's just so aweful to have such a sick baby and have to be away and have to be in a country that doesn't have a lot of options in diagnostics, test abd treatment....Everytime this thread pops up I hoping to hear a diagnosis and recoving bird!!!!

 

[EllenD]

Her bill attachment for the new hospitalization showed iv Cath and fluids and so I think ( thought ) they got one in. EllenD that is so wonderful that tour CAV gave you an response. Yes if it was me I'd have gotten SQ fluids the first visit. I agree an acute continuing vomiting bird is not common, and she said her tore apart one toyso I'm so worried that there was a puncture trauma to GI or the metal, or partial blockage.... Poisoning too is possible it's just so aweful to have such a sick baby and have to be away and have to be in a country that doesn't have a lot of options in diagnostics, test abd treatment....Everytime this thread pops up I hoping to hear a diagnosis and recoving bird!!!!

Oh, maybe they did get an IV in him then. I hope so, I didn't read that bill, I just saw that the OP wrote that they tried and couldn't find a vein to get one in because of how dehydrated he was, and they wouldn't give him sub-Q fluids because they didn't want to stress him...Maybe they finally did, I certainly hope so because this guy needs fluids bad!

I'm very fortunate to be friendly with my CAV, he's been here for over 20 years, unfortunately he's retiring soon (Booooo!) so I don't know what I'm going to do then, but he's great. He actually stayed up all night not long ago with a Cockatoo who had been attacked by a dog and lost a ton of blood, he saved his life by giving him blood and keeping him calm all night long in his own house...he's a great guy.

I hadn't really thought about the way he described it, it's not at all typical for a bird to vomit over and over and over again for days like this, so yeah, it is a very dire situation when it happens. When I spoke to him on the phone after he sent me the email he told me that because birds don't have a diaphragm it's actually worse for them to actually vomit and is very stressful in and of itself for them...Uhg. I'm just hoping for an update that says he's keeping food and water down or at least they've figured out what the problem is to begin with...

 

[ChristaNL]

I am still suspecting pesticides.

People here working with getting containers (from China) of the transportships to the docks and open them to check the contents get poisened all the time (irritation of the eyes, vomiting, etc., mostly methylbromide aka bromomethane is one of the main cullprits).

If it is metalpoisening you want that diagnosis as soon as possible ... many vets have an x-ray machine (and even hospitals have been known to help out in time of need)

 

[charmedbyekkie]

Am rushing for my next flight to yet another country, but wanted to update.


The vet sent us an email update. They attached photos, showing the steps of the process and reasoning behind it as well as general update pictures. So they sedated him to put in an IV catheter port. He's in an ecollar (which they say he damaged 5mins after he woke up - that's my boy), and they included a pic of him standing with the catheter attached to his foot. They also sent a photo that showed his droppings with timestamps of his crop feedings, saying that he has slow GIT movement.

My partner will be going in today to visit Cairo and Skype me in. I'll push the x-ray point with the vet. It's tricky because we'll likely need to go to the national Bird Park (I think?) for the x-ray. Hopefully his IV will help tide him over.

 

[Jen5200]

Just wanted to send hugs and positive vibes. You and your partner are amazing parronts and are doing your very best for Cairo. Thanks for keeping us updated and hoping he gets over this bump and on the mend soon.

 

[ChristaNL]

I am so keeping my fingers crossed for all of you.

 

[charmedbyekkie]

Just wanted to say, thank you, Ellen!

It's really helpful to get an outside opinion, and it gives me a good idea of what to suggest to the vet and what to request for. He's got an IV catheter, which I'm really thankful for. When my partner goes in for the visit today, I'll ask about the x-ray again and a serum biochemical panel. It'll probably be tricky to arrange - she's the only avian vet in Singapore that does blood work (the other avian vet doesn't do any blood work). I'll try to push to use whatever tools she has access to, so we can get an actual diagnosis to work from. We're still waiting to hear back the results of the throat swab.

That being said, even with her hesitation to do the x-ray, I really appreciate her and her team. She's forceful when she thinks something need to be done - she was prepared to fight my partner to hospitalise Cairo when he called me to confirm if I was ok with the cost. She wasn't going to budge, just told him that Cairo absolutely needed to be hospitalised. And her team is also really knowledgeable - she teaches them and involves them with every step of the care process, so whenever we call or visit, they all know Cairo and his medical history and his normal behaviours. Like, when we brought him in on Saturday, they all recognised he was seriously ill because he wasn't saying hello to them. And whenever I have questions about dosages or anything like that, they all can answer.

I'll try to attach the images they sent later. I was so relieved to see the photos and read the brief update. They really take the time to answer all my questions and listen to all my concerns. I think if I push hard enough with the terminology given in this thread, then she'll likely try to find a way to arrange the diagnostic tools.

 

[Flboy]

I must say-charmedbyekkie you are an amazing person! Your strength and loyalty is incredible!

 

[charmedbyekkie]

https://imgur.com/a/p5JDd9s

Here's the album update. She also sent:

Hi Cairo's Daddy and Mummy,

Attached photos of Cairo to update you.
He is angry but coping well.
We will continue to crop feed and administer IV fluid until he gain back a little more weight.


Thank you for your time and effort.

I think it's largely for my benefit since I'm overseas and can't see him. But my partner also puts me on the phone when hr visits and I have a break from work, and he relays what I message him, so they know he's constantly updating me. They're the type where they actually call me to follow up if they are worried that he might not have conveyed information well (they've done it before).

 

[Jen5200]

It’s great that your vet sends you updates - and has a sense of humour as well (that pic in the collar lol). I’d be wanting to know everything that was going on too....and they seem to be sensitive to that need. Hoping he is keeping is food down and fluids up.

 

[Laurasea]

Omg, that is a wonderful update, and pictures too, glad there is love in his treatment too..got to make you feel better knowing what is going on.

 

[TiredOldMan]

Your vet sounds great even if they don't have all the equipment that we have come to expect.

I consider the fact that Cairo is mad and tearing s**t up as a good sign and I am so happy to hear it.

 

[Inger]

Thanks for keeping us so well updated. I still have you all in my thoughts. Your vet seems great to keep you in the loop, send pics, and even try to give you a little chuckle.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[HEEDLESS]

https://imgur.com/a/p5JDd9s

Here's the album update. She also sent:

Hi Cairo's Daddy and Mummy,

Attached photos of Cairo to update you.
He is angry but coping well.
We will continue to crop feed and administer IV fluid until he gain back a little more weight.

"Hi Cairo's Daddy and Mummy," ^_^



I love it... I love it... It does made you feel better on all the updating even you are overseas...



I am glad and I am happy that you three are doing better...


Best wishes!


Cairo's, you get well soon you hear??????

​

 

[Scott]

Wonderful updates by the vet, good to see Cairo standing!

Might it be customary for Cairo's vet to consult with others via email/Skype when confronted with unusual and vexing situations?

 

[EllenD]

Thank God they got an catheter in him! The fluids are going to help him so much, that should keep him going until they figure out what is going on. And if he's keeping his formula down then maybe whatever it is has started working it's way out of him...I agree with Christa, it's probably either metal, a foreign body, or some other type of poisoning with a pesticide that was sprayed into the box. Hopefully it's something that won't require removal and he just gradually gets better.

I'm glad he's standing and getting fluids, this is all good news!

 

[charmedbyekkie]

My partner visited Cairo today (the clinic is actually closed on Tuesdays, but they let him in), and he Skyped me in. The vet wasn't in (off-day and all), but the assistant was there. She updated us that Cairo vomited in the morning, and they had just finished crop-feeding him when my partner arrived. My partner noticed his beak was quite warm - the assistant said it's likely due to being crop-fed recently.

Cairo was quite anti-social at first. He didn't like people touching the carrier he was in - I think because he associated that with being towelled and crop-fed. My partner tried to coax him out, but Cairo was quite grumpy. He did wave and shake when prompted. When my partner took out his star-circle box toy, Cairo picked up one of the shapes to beak. Then we managed to convince him to step out. He was in the mood to play the shapes game, but he was a bit slower than usual (understandable). He was still snappy when hands got near him, even my partner's hands (poor dude got bit twice). Then Cairo wanted onto my partner's shoulder, where he promptly fell asleep. I figured my partner's shoulder is warmer than the bottom of his carrier, plus Cairo normally naps on the back of my partner's chair at home anyway, so it might be a comfort thing as well.

I think Cairo was a bit confused this time about me Skyping him. But it was good to see and hear him. He made his alarm sounds when the assistant came near him, and he laughed a little. He started talking (using the vocab he's comfortable with) a little when he recognised that my partner was going to leave him. Then he got too distracted by being angry at the hands and towel near/on his carrier.

We brought up that he might have gotten heavy-metal poisoning / metal intoxication when he broke a spoon and that he might have inhaled poison or mold from the shipment. The assistant took the spoon in question and bagged it for the vet - we told them they could break it again to look inside if they needed.

The assistant explained that they'll try to arrange an x-ray tomorrow if he's stabilised enough. She didn't know if he would need to be anaesthetised for the process, but it is a factor for them when considering if he's well enough. She took notes on our concerns/requests to convey to the vet.

So tomorrow/Wednesday evening, my partner will go back to the clinic and Skype me in again (hoping to wrap up my work before then since we're in different time zones now). They assured me that they will be with him, ferrying him back and forth and x-raying him, which is good because I don't trust anyone else anaesthetising him. They've alerted me that the cost will be quite high for the x-ray procedure, especially since they have to rent the space/machine. So yeah, my wallet's hurting, but he isn't showing clear signs of improvement in my uneducated opinion - just that he's been hydrated and fed enough to keep some of it down. But he's still vomiting, which has been going on for too long.

My parents, who have embraced that he's their grandfid (my dad jokes that Cairo's likely to be their only grandkid), have offered to send money via PayPal (easiest way for them to convert currency and send internationally). Which is nice - haven't yet taken the offer, but the bills are already equal to our monthly rent (almost 1/3 of my monthly salary).... I suspect after the x-ray, this whole thing will be at least half of my salary.

But overall, I think we're doing ok-ish. He's hydrated and active enough to express his opinion. That being said, he's still vomiting and lethargic. At least, it's better than before. We just need to nail down the cause.