New Member in Desperate Help

[Zapotee]

Hi, My name is Lina and I’m so glad to be in such great company. Thank you in advance for any advice on this situation. I have been searching for any guidance and cannot find anything on this symptoms. We brought home two beautiful parakeets, Mac & cheese, and they were doing extremely well adapting to their surroundings. Today, my husband came home and saw Cheese on a contorted position trying to bite her foot bracelet. When I got home, she was really hunched over, in a position which I can describe to be more upright, but with her head forward and down. She was active and eating. However, we decided to take her to the emergency room, where she was x-rayed, bones look clear, but she is still hunched over. We are hoping to get to the avian specialist tomorrow. In the meantime, has any of you seen anything like this? I’m so scared I’m losing her.
Thank you for any advice, pointers etc

 

[Ellie777Australia]

A few quick questions: are you using non-stick cookware? cleaning chemicals, perfumes, scented candles etc? Where is bird cage located in the house? Any environmental hazards that may have contributed to this situation? What are they eating? What did you last feed the bird before this symptom manifested? A CAV can get blood work done and run other tests, in the meantime we are looking for something that you can do immediately. Eg. change environment and diet if needed.

 

[Scott]

Welcome Lina, thanks for being so responsive to Cheese's unusual situation. Not familiar with these symptoms, but I'd push for a certified avian vet visit ASAP. They often have "emergency" appointments; having visited an ER ought open the door for you.

Any idea of her age? Any abnormalities with Mac that might point to an environmental issue?

I hope you find answers and most importantly a return to normalcy for Cheese. Please keep us updated as able.

 

[Amsterdam]

Welcome Lina, thanks for being so responsive to Cheese's unusual situation. Not familiar with these symptoms, but I'd push for a certified avian vet visit ASAP. They often have "emergency" appointments; having visited an ER ought open the door for you.

Any idea of her age? Any abnormalities with Mac that might point to an environmental issue?

I hope you find answers and most importantly a return to normalcy for Cheese. Please keep us updated as able.

agreed i have never seen this problems with budgies the best would be to visit a professional like other members said.

 

[plumsmum2005]

I second going to see an AV and also removing any food that has colours, sugars, soy, E numbers in it.

 

[Zapotee]

Thank you all for your responses. I appreciate them greatly.
In answer to your questions:
1- Mac is his happy self, no symptoms at all.
2- They are on a pellet (not seeds) diet, the brand is Kaytee Exact Rainbow parakeet food. This is the food they had at the pet store.
3- They were brought over from Petsmart (I know), but I saw them and figure they were a bonded pair, they won my heart and wanted to keep them together.
4- We own Non-Stick pans, but know of the toxicity and have not use them. Can they still be toxic without use?
5- They live upstairs, on our third floor, but we have been moving them to where we are, so they can socialize.
6- They were hand fed spray millet, right before the symptom became this severe.
They are both young, perhaps 3-4 months old.

They both came back from the vet really tired. They are still sleeping but the hump is still there.

It is 6:39 am where I am, I’m hoping to hit the ground running to get to a specialist, as soon as they open.

Thank you.

 

[noodles123]

Non-stick pans aren't toxic if you don't use them, but just as an FYI, pans aren't the only place where teflon etc can hide (blow-dryers, toasters, drip-trays, straighteners, curling irons, space heaters, electric skillets, griddles, rice cookers, etc).

I am not saying that is your issue here. I have no idea (birds do sometimes fan out their wings when having trouble breathing though)---I agree that a vet appointment is needed ASAP.

Is the bird straining when pooping?
What "bump" are you talking about? If the x-rayed her, I am guessing they would have seen any signs of egg-binding...

 

[Casper223]

Hello and Welcome to the Forum Lina, you have some pressing matters that I'm not qualified to answer to be of much help, therefore vote avian vet. wanna say I think their names are precious and my heart goes out to you in hopes of an immediate resolution for your baby "cheese".

 

[Flboy]

This is horrible! You are now saying ‘they’! Are both now showing the same symptoms?

 

[Zapotee]

This is horrible! You are now saying ‘they’! Are both now showing the same symptoms?

Hi! No, only Cheese is affected. Mac is his happy self and supportive as usual
We are on our way to the Avian specialist. I’ll update you all. Thank you. I was so lonely trying to figure this out.

 

[bug_n_flock]

Good luck. Hoping all resolves in Cheese's favor.

 

[Zapotee]

Hi all, just wanted to update everyone. Well, it has been an extremely long day to say the least. The avian specialist found one laceration on Cheese’s left foot, right underneath the ID band and one laceration in her thigh. Both look older and they are probably stemming from the pet store. As far as the hunching, due to the sudden onset, they are going with the theory of trauma or injury. The x-rays they took at the ER were done incorrectly ($600.00 later), so they would need to be repeated. We decided to give her a break and not put her under anesthesia again, as she was observed for a few hours and looks like she is able to hold her head up when she wants. A fracture wouldn’t allow for it, so it could be soft tissue. We were sent home with Meloxicam and told to come back in a week.

Mac, her sibling, is doing well. No symptoms.

I also consulted with another Avian specialist online. His answer will follow.

Thank you so much for all of your support.

 

[Zapotee]

From the online Avian vet:
I'm sorry that your question wasn't answered in a timely manner. Thank you for the excellent photo. This posture is consistent with neuropathy associated with malnutrition as well as spinal kyphosis. What have your birds been eating, please? Seeds should comprise less than 20% of their diet. A diet of mainly seed and nuts has excessive fat, carbohydrates, and phosphorus; marginal protein; adequate vitamin E, and are deficient in amino acids, calcium, available phosphorus, sodium, manganese, zinc, iron, vitamins A, D3 (necessary for efficient absorption of calcium), K, and B12, riboflavin, pantothenic acid, choline, and available niacin. Ideally, a balanced pelleted diet such as can be found here: www.harrisonsbirdfoods.com or here: www.lafeber.com/pet-birds should be fed as well as hard-boiled egg yolk, pancakes and cornbread, the tops of fresh greens, dairy products such as yogurt and cheese, fresh fruits such as apples, pears, melon, kiwi, and berries, vegetables such as broccoli, carrots, beets, asparagus, cabbage, sweet potato, and squash, and even tiny pieces of meat.
Please respond with further questions or concerns if you wish.

My reply:
Hi Doctor, thank you for answering. She is on a pellet diet, not seeds. Their food is:
https://www.chewy.com/kaytee-e…
However, the ER doctor noted she is on the thin side. Is the condition reversible with dietary/supplement changes and also, can the onset be so sudden? She developed this posture in less than an hour.

His reply:
Thank you. I'm pleased to hear that they're eating well, although I do need to consider that the current batch of pellets may be lacking in a micronutrient(s).

No, I wouldn't expect such peracute (sudden) postural change due to malnutrition or spinal kyphosis unless a pathologic fracture occurred in her spine. That's usually due to an imbalance in serum calcium/phosphorus (rickets). I would X-ray such a bird and perform basic diagnostics in the form of blood and droppings testing. Consultation with an avian vet (www.aav.org) is recommended. Please continue our conversation if you wish

 

[Ellie777Australia]

Hi all, just wanted to update everyone. Well, it has been an extremely long day to say the least. The avian specialist found one laceration on Cheese’s left foot, right underneath the ID band and one laceration in her thigh. Both look older and they are probably stemming from the pet store. As far as the hunching, due to the sudden onset, they are going with the theory of trauma or injury. The x-rays they took at the ER were done incorrectly ($600.00 later), so they would need to be repeated. We decided to give her a break and not put her under anesthesia again, as she was observed for a few hours and looks like she is able to hold her head up when she wants. A fracture wouldn’t allow for it, so it could be soft tissue. We were sent home with Meloxicam and told to come back in a week.

Mac, her sibling, is doing well. No symptoms.

I also consulted with another Avian specialist online. His answer will follow.

Thank you so much for all of your support.

Thank you for the update Zapotee. Hoping that Cheese has a speedy and full recovery. Keep us posted .

 

[Scott]

The specialist who physically examined Cheese seems to take a conservative approach; if soft tissue injury you ought see improvement over time with Meloxicam. I share your concern with sedation for additional x-rays. Were the originals at all helpful, anything of value?

 

[smbrds]

Welcome to the forum! How awful. Glad that Cheese has been given treatment and I wish for a speedy recovery! Thanks for updating and keep us posted.

 

[Zapotee]

Hi all,
Cheese is gone. I’m so heartbroken. We noticed a slight improvement yesterday, but it was short lived. When I gave her the medicine, I noticed she was having a lot of difficulty with use of one leg and was not grasping the perches correctly. She was also contorting her body against the cage, trying to place her back firmly against the bars, almost as if you were trying to lay flat against the wall. I am assuming whatever injury or condition she had was painful and the pressure against the wall gave her relief. However, she was still very playful, eating, drinking, playing with toys etc. We called the vet and since she was active, we were told to wait the night. We were supposed to head there today at 9:00 am.

We decided to move them both out of their larger cage, into a smaller one and set everything low and cushioned. However, at around 9:00 pm, I saw her going to the bottom to sleep and Mac went with her to cuddle. At 11:00 pm, I heard Mac flying back to a perch, went to check on her and she was in her last moments. I got her out and cuddled her to sleep. I can’t deal with this pain. I feel I did all of the wrong things. Maybe I should have pushed for another x-ray. Is Mac going to die too? I am so lost.

We are getting her necropsied in hopes of saving Mac.

He is still in sleeping position and does not move. He’s so heartbroken. My poor baby.

I will update on the necropsy results when I get them. This was such a weird onset of symptoms, which I could not find anything about online. I’m learning we, the owner’s, are probably the only hope for these little creatures. The more information we can get to, the better. Maybe my baby’s short life with us, can help a future bird parent save their fluffy’s life.

Any advice regarding safekeeping poor Mackie is appreciated.

 

[Zapotee]

Regarding the question on the x-ray, the Avian doctor pretty much dismissed the whole report. She took our one copy, but will request another one and will upload that also.

 

[LaManuka]

I’m so sorry for your loss. I lost a precious baby boy of my own last year too. It sounds to me like you did everything you could, and it’s good that you were there to comfort her at the end and remind her how much she was loved. The necropsy hopefully will give you valuable information - I wonder given her symptoms if she had ingested something like some type of heavy metal?

Fly free little one, you are loved and will always be missed

 

[texsize]

Keep your bird in the refrigerator, not. The freezer.
I am so sorry for your loss.

Miss you mooch ❤ by wes mcfaden, on Flickr