Need your help!!!

[Nicky76]

Ok so we've just been to the vets and it looks like Archie is more like 20 years old not 12-18 months!! He's probably got arthritis and gout and we needs to give him painkillers.

The problem is its liquid and he won't take and soft food, he just doesn't like it. I've just tried the bets suggestion of a bit of toast with peanut butter and he doesn't like that either! (Fussy boy!)

Any ideas of anything else we can try as we want to avoid wrapping him in a towel twice a day to syringe it into his mouth. It would be nicer for him if there was an easier way.

He's not hand tame but will take food from us. I've tried showing him me eating it and those sort of tricks too.

[emoji226] If there is magic on this planet, it is contained in water [emoji225]

 

[wrench13]

Welcome to the board, Nicky. What kind of parrot is that??

 

[Nicky76]

He's a Patagonian conure [emoji4]


[emoji226] If there is magic on this planet, it is contained in water [emoji225]

 

[RavensGryf]

Did you recently get him and someone told you he was 12-18 months old? I'm so sorry to hear he has these health issues.

It certainly makes it hard when the bird isn't tame, and you don't want to freak him out and catch him in a towel twice a day if it's not absolutely necessary. Since this is pain meds (and not antibiotics where you absolutely need to get it ALL in) you can try putting the meds on an absorbent type of food he will eat. How about compressing in your fingers some bread soaked with the meds? Maybe put a little peanut butter for added flavor to take away the med flavor before you squish it and make it into a ball. Good luck with Archie .

 

[wrench13]

G/L with Archie. We saw our first Pati only 2 weeks ago, in Maryland. What a sweet heart that one was.

 

[Nicky76]

Thank you, yes the shop told us he was 12-18 months old! But he's more like 20 years old! He'll have a much nicer end to his days now as he is thoroughly loved [emoji3] The problem is he won't eat anything wet and there isn't anything that he will eat consistently apart from sunflower seeds, he only gets them as a treat.
Unfortunately I think we'll have to towel him twice a day until we can syringe train him [emoji17]


[emoji226] If there is magic on this planet, it is contained in water [emoji225]

 

[rosembers]

I wonder if you could try putting the meds on the sunflower seed so that when he puts it in his mouth to crack the shell, he will essentially lick it off the shell? Or I would also try putting it on some cooked and cooled whole grain quinoa or some plain organic yogurt...good luck!

 

[Nicky76]

Thanks everyone, towelled him and he was fine with the syringe [emoji122][emoji122][emoji122] No fuss, for a little old man in lots of pain he's been an angel [emoji72]


[emoji226] If there is magic on this planet, it is contained in water [emoji225]

 

[JellyBean]

Archie is a lucky bird to have found you - I am really surprised the shop got it so wrong! Great that he seems to be okay with taking his meds!

He is anyway friendly.. can he fly? Tell us all about him....

 

[Nicky76]

He can't fly, his feathers are starting to grow back but the vet said he can't straighten his wings so that won't help. He's clicker trained and loves being with us. His painful feet explain his reluctance to step up.
He's just learning to play with toys too, don't think he's ever had any before!


[emoji226] If there is magic on this planet, it is contained in water [emoji225]

 

[Allee]

Archie is a beauty! I'm sorry you were misinformed about Archie's health and age but I'm so happy the little guy found a loving home and understanding parronts.

Toweling is probably the best possible way to give Archie his liquid meds, I'm glad the experience wasn't too traumatic for him.

We'd love to hear more about Archie! I hope the vet visit and meds help him feel better.

 

[Nicky76]

We got him in February, he picked us by shouting at us in the pet shop. They told us he was 12-18 months old. The previous people who had him just left him alone all day and ignored him. He'd plucked himself but his feathers had started growing back.

We fell in love with him and couldn't leave him there (we've already got 2 kakarikis and my husband used to breed finches and canaries so we're not new to birds)

We've spent loads of time starting to convert his diet to pellets and introducing him to from and veg. He didn't know how to play with toys but now enjoys destroying his piñata's. We've started clicker training and he loves it.

He's never been very agile, hence the vet visit.

I've just spent the afternoon making fleece covers for the floor in his cage (he falls off perches!) and we've moved everything nearer to the floor so he can't hurt himself when he falls. The pain meds are great but he doesn't realise his feet don't work properly and is more unsteady.

It's just horrible to think how's he's been treated in the past, but now he's getting spoilt [emoji4]


Animals are like little angels sent to earth to teach us how to love. They don't get angry or play silly games. They are always there for us

 

[Terry57]

I am so glad that Archie ended up with you where he will have such caring parronts
Great news that he is taking the pain meds. How long will he have to be on them?

That is wonderful that he is exploring toys...never too old to learn new things

 

[Nicky76]

Unfortunately he'll probably always be on some pain meds due to the arthritis and gout [emoji17]

It's lovely seeing him playing with his toys and he makes happy noises while he does it [emoji4]


Animals are like little angels sent to earth to teach us how to love. They don't get angry or play silly games. They are always there for us

 

[BIRDIGIRL]

So glad you have Archie and are taking such good care of him. Im betting Archie is about to get very tame in his old age with all this handling and VIP treatment . Im glad its proving easy to give him the medicine through the syringe...Archie is a trooper...Get Well soon Archie and may you have many long and happy years ahead

 

[RavensGryf]

Great to hear Archie has accepted the handling better than expected! He is not as wild as you thought .

I hope the shop owners didn't 'knowingly' tell you he was 12-18 months old when they knew better. At any rate, he is a lucky little guy now.

 

[Nicky76]

UPDATE - Archie is doing great. Now fully on pellets and veg with a few sunflowers seeds for training. He's feeling loads better on his meds and even let me scratch his head this morning [emoji122][emoji4]


Animals are like little angels sent to earth to teach us how to love. They don't get angry or play silly games. They are always there for us

 

[EdwardH]

Glad to hear that Archie is feeling better.

Did you know that gout is caused by excess uric acid in the body? Increasing veggies and water whilst reducing fats reduces the incidences of gout in people so may also hep for birds. A healthy diet allows the body to fight off most illnesses so improving his diet may have a big impact on his health.

 

[Nicky76]

That's why we've really worked hard to change his diet. He was just on seed when we got him. He's munching away on some carrot as we speak [emoji3]


Animals are like little angels sent to earth to teach us how to love. They don't get angry or play silly games. They are always there for us

 

[Printer bird]

This is a really sweet story! I'm so glad Archie found you guys and is getting such great care.