O2 therapy at home? slash diy hospital chamber

[bug_n_flock]

So since Alex last got ill and thank Gods recovered swiftly and completely, I have been thinking more and more about our situation with a flooding access road that sometimes blocks us in for a week or more, the fact our vet is over an hour and a half away, and that she only works 3 days a week besides and I keep coming up with the same horrible hypothetical scenario: A bird is ill, very ill, and medical attention is not available right away. I have been thinking about trying a local non avian vet to have someone closer who works more often, but in an emergency should they be at the helm? I suppose in some ways a dog vet is better than waiting for a vet, but in other ways they could be worse....



We have a super suped up avian medical kit containing all manner of things we pray never to need to use. But we are realists and we are those who rise to the occasion, whatever it might be. Hubbs has first responder training and was a firefighter EMT for a few years before we moved. Trained in a darn good department, and was really good at what he did. Our human medical supplies contain all sorts of "well, I pray I NEVER need this, but we have it just in case"... suture kits, hemmorhage kits, OB kits, trauma kits, etc etc etc.



Back on topic, I want an oxygen support hospital chamber for our birds. Nightmare scenario we have a bird in need of serious medical support and we are unable to get to the vet. I don't want our only choices to be watch them suffer... or not.



I know I am not looking at something affordable. Temp/humidity hospital chambers I have seen for sale are close to a grand, and they do not have oxygen support. Is this something we can even buy premade, or should we diy something with a premade temp/humidity hospital chamber and an O2 concentrator and gagues and such?



DISCLAIMER: Random Google readers, DO NOT DO AS I AM ASKING ABOUT. TAKE YOUR BIRD TO A VET IF IT IS SHOWING SIGNS OF ILLNESS. WE ARE IN A UNIQUE POSITION AND WOULD NOT HAVE THIS FOR "INSTEAD OF" VET CARE, THIS IS FOR MEDICALLY SUPPORTING A BIRD ****UNTIL WE CAN GET IT TO A VET******

 

[Laurasea]

a plastic bin works well enough. There can be too much oxygen, and oxygen toxicity, and you are right humidity is important.

Warmth is most critical .

 

[Littleredbeak]

I would love to hear what's in emergency kits! I am always adding to mine!

 

[fiddlejen]

Do you have the oxygen or O2 concentrator? You can buy oxygen in a can, it's called "Boost Oxygen" or "Oxygen Plus." Some places I guess you can buy your own concentrator and some places might require a prescription or license. Then you would need some sort of monitor for the enclosure. And of course you would need to make sure there's no leakage of any sort that could get to any open flame or spark or heating element. (Plus get some "O2-In-Use" warning signs to put up when actually in use, just in case some unrelated emergency were to cause emergency services to show up, to prevent additional disasters.)

So this place is oxygen for pets. Says that in the US it requires an RX. Perhaps given the situation your vet might write you one. Maybe RX not required for the O2-Cage?

https://pawprintoxygen.com/#getstartedpets

 

[wrench13]

Temp and humidity not very hard to do ( built one when i was rearing pythons, and that one was also barometric pressure too) but the O2? That scares me, as too much is almost as bad as too little, and measuring it in a chamber is a PIA unless you have instruments, none of which are cheap.

I can well understand your apprehension and prepatory work though. Can you develop a rapport with the CAV, so they may perhaps agree to a video conference in the event of the crik rising?

 

[Moxie]

So since Alex last got ill and thank Gods recovered swiftly and completely, I have been thinking more and more about our situation with a flooding access road that sometimes blocks us in for a week or more, the fact our vet is over an hour and a half away, and that she only works 3 days a week besides and I keep coming up with the same horrible hypothetical scenario: A bird is ill, very ill, and medical attention is not available right away. I have been thinking about trying a local non avian vet to have someone closer who works more often, but in an emergency should they be at the helm? I suppose in some ways a dog vet is better than waiting for a vet, but in other ways they could be worse....



We have a super suped up avian medical kit containing all manner of things we pray never to need to use. But we are realists and we are those who rise to the occasion, whatever it might be. Hubbs has first responder training and was a firefighter EMT for a few years before we moved. Trained in a darn good department, and was really good at what he did. Our human medical supplies contain all sorts of "well, I pray I NEVER need this, but we have it just in case"... suture kits, hemmorhage kits, OB kits, trauma kits, etc etc etc.



Back on topic, I want an oxygen support hospital chamber for our birds. Nightmare scenario we have a bird in need of serious medical support and we are unable to get to the vet. I don't want our only choices to be watch them suffer... or not.



I know I am not looking at something affordable. Temp/humidity hospital chambers I have seen for sale are close to a grand, and they do not have oxygen support. Is this something we can even buy premade, or should we diy something with a premade temp/humidity hospital chamber and an O2 concentrator and gagues and such?



DISCLAIMER: Random Google readers, DO NOT DO AS I AM ASKING ABOUT. TAKE YOUR BIRD TO A VET IF IT IS SHOWING SIGNS OF ILLNESS. WE ARE IN A UNIQUE POSITION AND WOULD NOT HAVE THIS FOR "INSTEAD OF" VET CARE, THIS IS FOR MEDICALLY SUPPORTING A BIRD ****UNTIL WE CAN GET IT TO A VET******

Quick Question: Do you know how to administer cpr to your birds/parrots?

I would love to hear what's in emergency kits! I am always adding to mine!

Please share what you have in your parrot first aid kit.

 

[SailBoat]

I would love to hear what's in emergency kits! I am always adding to mine!

Go to the Amazon subforum. See the two highlighted Threads at the top of the forum. Select the Thread titled: I Love Amazons -- ... There is a listing of Segments starting on page one. There will be a segment that covers 'First Aid Kit' that will define what a good kit should include. I recommend using a towel to place the contains in, folding the the long sides over the contain and then rolling the towel up and placing it in our Parrots carrier. The goal is to eliminate the common problem of searching for what you need in a bin. Using the towel allows one to unroll and open the sides. Everything is laid out in front of you

 

[SailBoat]

Sadly, but on the positive side, as the number of individuals in North America that have COPD and as a result need oxygen or O2 concentrator to support them there is plenty of products available and the costs continue to soften.

As stated above, a clear plastic bin is a great source and inexpensive. As commented on above, an overly rich oxygen environment as just as dangerous as the lack of oxygen. Web search COPD and oxygen or O2 concentrator supplemental products /systems. The amount of oxygen needed is surprisingly low and providing holes in the bin will allow oxygen loss to the room. The average home is large enough to limit creating a danger in the home. Tightly enclosed chambers can be dangers.

I believe you will find the information regarding COPD and oxygen or O2 concentrator very helpful. It is likely that a second hand market for O2 concentrator is likely developing.

 

[bug_n_flock]

We live in rural appalachia.... very sadly, O2 concentrators are exceedingly common. COPD, black lung, sillicosis, lung cancer, etc is as common as diabetes and poverty out here. Breaks my heart, but is a boon to trying to find secondhand equipment. Good idea about the warning signs, but any emergencies we handle ourselves. There really isn't a 911 service. You call and they put you on hold, ask what county, transfer you, wait, then ask whats going on. Every time we have gotten injured and gone to the hospital, we have driven ourselves, even when hubbs was hemmorhaging from the face when a turkey spooked and landed on him talons-first right near the eye.. emergency service response time is not good, and they wouldn't be able to get in to our property anyway. BUT we will get signage. We have warning signs on the electric pasture fence, and there have only been 3 people besides us on the property in over a year. In non covid times we don't have visitors often either.



Phone call would be best we could do with vet. No internet here yet except thru my phone. Sometimes the cell tower goes down for a few hours to days, but we do intend to have a land line put in.



We have all sorts of things on hand. The thread Mr. B directed to is a good one; he directed me there when we were first starting to get into this.