SunshineJenn03
New member
Hi folks,
I have an 8-month-old green cheek conure named Sam. Yesterday morning, my BF called me at work to tell me that Sam was acting very lethargic and could hardly step up or perch. Her water dish was nearly bone-dry, even though I had just filled it the night before. He gave her more water, which she quite literally dove into and drank at for about an hour, off and on. Initially, when she came out of her hut, her eyes were closed and wouldn't open, but they did eventually open. Since she's only 8 months, I told him to go to the pet store and get the Kaytee Exact baby bird formula for when I got home - so I could get nutrients and fluids into her, since she wasn't really eating either. But her condition was continuing to worsen throughout the day, so I ended up leaving work early and we took her (and my Red Belly Poicephalus, who appears to be fine so far) to the vet.
The vet incubated her for a couple of hours and said she was underweight and obviously very lethargic. They did a fecal smear and couldn't find anything wrong and asked to keep her under observation through to Monday, but honestly, the estimate for that bill, with bloodwork, would have been more than a single paycheck for me. If the bird and I wanted to continue having a home, that wasn't an avenue we could take. (I also inquired about payment plans - they said sorry, but no). So they have no idea what's wrong with her, just that her symptoms are too generic and broad and cover a spectrum of possibilities. They gave her a shot of an antibiotic that last for 7 days and sent me home with 2 more antibiotics - 1 she is to be given once a day for 7 days and 1 she is to get twice a day for 14 days. They said to get her to eat ANYTHING I can get down her throat, so I'm hand-feeding her again (she's not a fan). I've also got her set up in a clear Sterilite Tote with a towel and a heating pad (underneath the tote) for warmth, to simulate a hospital environment. When I observe her, her left leg seems particularly week, because she tends to roll in that direction when she tries to preen.
Today, she's more alert, having gotten sleep and, I guess, meds, but she still doesn't seem to have the best motor skills with her legs. And she's normally a ping-pong ball of a bird....she's a touch-me-not: we aren't allowed to pull at her wings or tail or ruffle her belly, because she'll bite you. For the last 36 hours, we've been able to do whatever we want to her and she just doesn't care. It's disturbing, because I know birds don't display signs of illness until it's almost too late. :smiley2:
Has anyone in here ever had experience with these symptoms before?
I have an 8-month-old green cheek conure named Sam. Yesterday morning, my BF called me at work to tell me that Sam was acting very lethargic and could hardly step up or perch. Her water dish was nearly bone-dry, even though I had just filled it the night before. He gave her more water, which she quite literally dove into and drank at for about an hour, off and on. Initially, when she came out of her hut, her eyes were closed and wouldn't open, but they did eventually open. Since she's only 8 months, I told him to go to the pet store and get the Kaytee Exact baby bird formula for when I got home - so I could get nutrients and fluids into her, since she wasn't really eating either. But her condition was continuing to worsen throughout the day, so I ended up leaving work early and we took her (and my Red Belly Poicephalus, who appears to be fine so far) to the vet.
The vet incubated her for a couple of hours and said she was underweight and obviously very lethargic. They did a fecal smear and couldn't find anything wrong and asked to keep her under observation through to Monday, but honestly, the estimate for that bill, with bloodwork, would have been more than a single paycheck for me. If the bird and I wanted to continue having a home, that wasn't an avenue we could take. (I also inquired about payment plans - they said sorry, but no). So they have no idea what's wrong with her, just that her symptoms are too generic and broad and cover a spectrum of possibilities. They gave her a shot of an antibiotic that last for 7 days and sent me home with 2 more antibiotics - 1 she is to be given once a day for 7 days and 1 she is to get twice a day for 14 days. They said to get her to eat ANYTHING I can get down her throat, so I'm hand-feeding her again (she's not a fan). I've also got her set up in a clear Sterilite Tote with a towel and a heating pad (underneath the tote) for warmth, to simulate a hospital environment. When I observe her, her left leg seems particularly week, because she tends to roll in that direction when she tries to preen.
Today, she's more alert, having gotten sleep and, I guess, meds, but she still doesn't seem to have the best motor skills with her legs. And she's normally a ping-pong ball of a bird....she's a touch-me-not: we aren't allowed to pull at her wings or tail or ruffle her belly, because she'll bite you. For the last 36 hours, we've been able to do whatever we want to her and she just doesn't care. It's disturbing, because I know birds don't display signs of illness until it's almost too late. :smiley2:
Has anyone in here ever had experience with these symptoms before?
