Penny is sick, I've been holding back making a thread

[Laurasea]

So I have experience with force feedings but not with birds. My dog who has since pasted was on a extremely potent antibiotic which made him not want to drink or eat. I stopped when he was off the antibiotic he regained he appetite- I was told to stop when he starts eating and drinking on his on.

Thank you very much for sharing!

 

[Scott]

questions fir those who have had hospitalized burds or sick burds at home, who had to have supplement feeding. How long did vet or you need to do this????

My extremely excellent avian specialist, whom I trust utterly. Has said until she refuses. Which I will do.

But 4 days seems like a long time, granted she only turned the corner yesterday!! And with the right eye squint, stuff is still going on and likely still some pain. ( vet does not want pain meds, I've already pestered her beyond reason so I'm not going to ask her to explain, im sure she has excellent reasons. ),
So probably why nit cracking those seeds yet, or crunching pellets..

So anyone out there please share your experiences

I've had three birds on antibiotics for stubborn infections or other long-term therapies:

Peanut, female Goffins: Fungal infection requiring 6 weeks of meds several times daily. Peanut is wild caught but temperamentally sweet. She was hand tame and 100% trustworthy on shoulder and cuddling by end of therapy.

Popcorn, male Goffins: Noticed bright green droppings, vet cultured organism (cannot recall) prescribed oral meds. Also wild caught, former mate of Peanut. Resisted so mightily the vet ended up administering Doxycycline injections weekly for several intervals.

Angel: Heart failure requiring Pimobendan orally for duration of life. Vet supplied as vile tasting liquid, so we obtained prescription for compounding pharmacy to prepare tasteless capsules. Powder mixed daily in oatmeal, applesauce, baby food, etc. Thankfully she was handfed and mostly compliant!

None of these cases were as difficult nor compounded as Penny. You are doing such miraculous work with entire flock, Laura!

 

[Laurasea]

questions fir those who have had hospitalized burds or sick burds at home, who had to have supplement feeding. How long did vet or you need to do this????

My extremely excellent avian specialist, whom I trust utterly. Has said until she refuses. Which I will do.

But 4 days seems like a long time, granted she only turned the corner yesterday!! And with the right eye squint, stuff is still going on and likely still some pain. ( vet does not want pain meds, I've already pestered her beyond reason so I'm not going to ask her to explain, im sure she has excellent reasons. ),
So probably why nit cracking those seeds yet, or crunching pellets..

So anyone out there please share your experiences

I've had three birds on antibiotics for stubborn infections or other long-term therapies:

Peanut, female Goffins: Fungal infection requiring 6 weeks of meds several times daily. Peanut is wild caught but temperamentally sweet. She was hand tame and 100% trustworthy on shoulder and cuddling by end of therapy.

Popcorn, male Goffins: Noticed bright green droppings, vet cultured organism (cannot recall) prescribed oral meds. Also wild caught, former mate of Peanut. Resisted so mightily the vet ended up administering Doxycycline injections weekly for several intervals.

Angel: Heart failure requiring Pimobendan orally for duration of life. Vet supplied as vile tasting liquid, so we obtained prescription for compounding pharmacy to prepare tasteless capsules. Powder mixed daily in oatmeal, applesauce, baby food, etc. Thankfully she was handfed and mostly compliant!

None of these cases were as difficult nor compounded as Penny. You are doing such miraculous work with entire flock, Laura!

Thank you for sharing! I'm glad you flock did well. Sweetie Peanut!! I think that's a credit to kindness in managing during illness.

I know people worry about damaging their relationship with their parrot during treatment. But you show that doesn't have to be the case.

My Penny likes predictability. I'm very careful to do her treatment and feeding the exact same way each time. I use the same words and phrases each time.

We go to our treatment area, she now knows this is the treatment area, so there are no surprises. I take time to greet her first. I try and use the least restraint possible. When we finish i took time to calm her down and reassure her before putting her back. That was very important in the beginning so we didn't end on a bad note.

Now She fully understands what to expect and is a trooper. As she feels better we have cuddling sessions after.

Penny is sweet, but she is fully capable of rages and anger, and attacks. By being respectful, by being predictable, by explaining. Our relationship is fine, she isn't freaking out when she sees me coming lol

 

[saxguy64]

How is our little patient doing this morning?

 

[Laurasea]

hi saxguy, we have 2 good patients now! Penny and Ta-dah are both improving!

Ta-dah GCC, second dose azithromyacin yesterday. In the evening, bouncing off the walls with energy!! Today her first poop is normal, no green urine!!!! My vet already texted to check in. She said this is what she expects by second dose of azithromyacin, and us thrilled, confirm treatment was needed!! Azithromyacin is so powerful, thst we will stop as soon as she gains bsck weight and poops stay normal. As it stays in the body 5 days after last treatment. She is hoping we will nit have to treat the full 10 days now!"

Penny quaker, day 12 of illness, day 5 of hsbd feeding, day 3 of staying awake and nit fluffed. Weight same as yesterday 99 grams. Was at seed dish picking, thrilled, still offered food, took 3 ml.

Will add any updates as I see thrm


Thank you all your support has mattered so much to me, each reply even if I didn't reply back. There have been times I was crushed under the pressure of fighting for her life. So posting and sharing and your support was medicine for my soul.

 

[saxguy64]

Laura, never feel obligated to reply back. I'm happy to lend whatever support I can, just wish I could do more. You have your hands full enough! So happy to hear you've had a couple of days looking better, and without setbacks. Impressive care, my friend!

 

[Scott]

Laura, never feel obligated to reply back. I'm happy to lend whatever support I can, just wish I could do more. You have your hands full enough! So happy to hear you've had a couple of days looking better, and without setbacks. Impressive care, my friend!

What Jon said!!

You are integrating superb standard of care with the love only a devoted parront can give. Sadly, most sick birds receive one or the other if they are lucky.

 

[Tiel]

Took me a while to go through this thread but i hope you know how useful this is for future bird parents with sick birds, several topics discussed here were on my mind for a while.

Nothing was more tempting than feeding my birdie with liquified food just so they gain all of their weight back, but I was thinking wether that makes it hard too tell if their stool is improving or their actual appetite/weight is coming back naturally? I feel like in times like this it's vers easy to make decisions that might lead to different problems on the long run.

Nothing makes me happier than seeing that your birdies are doing better though, I feel like that makes every parrot mom/dad hopeful and happy. I wish your flock a great recovery

 

[Laurasea]

Giving formula, Penny has formed stoll thst didn't change with formula. She does have a little extra urine. When antibiotics kicked in her urine is clear formula didn't change that.

Glad of anything that helps others

 

[Laurasea]

Penny has her meds and steam bath, right nostril draining clear fluid again...abd rubbing it.

Orbit lost 2 more grams down to 90 grams now . Definitely taking naps

Pikachu lost 1 grams 105 now. Pikachu seems to have some swelling around left eye and left nostril. Very mild so he came to steam with me and Penny...

These things increase my worry.

But Penny us incredibly bright alert active abd vocal. Fkew a lap around the house was the fastest strongest flight she has ever taken!

 

[Littleredbeak]

I am so happy your flock has you! You are doing a wonderful job!! Does your vet have any ideas to what infection they have? Is it bacterial? I will keep you and your feather family in my prayers! Wishing you all a speedy recovery! Please don’t feel obligated to reply - I know you’re extremely busy!

 

[Laurasea]

Day 12 +1, of Penny being sick, day 6 of hand feeding, back to fluffy abd right eye squinting shut constant. Gained 1 gram too 100 grams now.

I did mess up on meds yesterday, I'm to give first on empty stomach. I didn't remember meds till about 230 pm after she had full stomach. Vet said repeat meds at sane time today but on empty stomach ( at lest 2.5 hours no feeding before)

So a set back for Penny. Yesterday afternoon that. right nostril started draining again. This morning by heater fluffed, asleep, when I woke her right eye staying closed again. Could not temp to any peas or egg ir oatmeal. So hsnd fed. For the first time she didn't even seem to want that, took 2 ml , our lowest. Our highest has been 7 ml. Second feeding took 6ml. Still asleep still fluffed.
Edit: I did sinus flush. Steam shower room, and meds earlier. Is eating seeds at her bowl now!! Fingers crossed that day 14 will be back on track tomorrow

I'm also going to bottle water. We have a ton of construction going on , our little town is crap at letting us know about coliform contamination.

Rest of flock got meds.
Tadah seems great.
Pikachu has sinus swelling around left eye
Orbit is sleeping more
Parakeets seem great , piglets and active


Other than Jess and the Jenday, and Teil, I'm not going to take in any new sick burd issues or threads , at least today, Im going focus on my sick flock.

It is interesting to note, they all have the same infection ( common in flock situations, if one is sick treatment of all is a good idea) but they haven't all had the same symptoms.

Penny 1st day was extremely fluffed, sleeping not eating, one round of diarrhea , then green tinged urine. 1st day no weight loss. It was later days 2 or 3 right nose started draining. No sinus swelling, no sneezing. Started to loose weight with not eating. Urine clear by second dose of azithromyacin.

Weighed rest of flock they normal, a few days s later the rest showed being sick, with weight loss.

Ta-dah started out 6% weight loss, green tinged urine. Sge has responded by 2nd dose if azithromyacin. Urine niw clear and poops normal.

Pikachu weight-loss 4-8%, then swelling around left sinus. Poops normal .

Orbit weight-loss, about 4% taking many more naps. Poop normal. Edit: Orbit seems to bouncing back. Hasn't been napping, destroyed 2 toys, been carrying his bottle caps up abd down his latter all day.

Parakeets weight-loss, about 4%, one has brown stains of feathers above nostrils. They seem to have bounced back. I don't treat till evening and will re check weights.

So if a person comes on with sick bird please help or direct to the Jenday thread as I put a ton of links in the thread , covering care, meds, treatments, and common diseases.

 

[Laurasea]

Day 14 of Penny being sick, day 7 of hand feeding, back to day. 1 of no eye squint and fluffing. Weight same as yesterday 100 grams. Took 7ml of formula. Steam room 15 mi. ( steamy micro shower room) no draining from right nostril at this point, but rubbing it a lot. No draining or squinting all day. Takes a daily total of about 20ml of formula, 3-7ml each time. Starting to pick at food on her own. I will keep up support feeding till eats well.
My GCC Ta-dah stole some when I had it made up in the bowl getting ready for Penny. She just sat in bowl and ate a bunch...maybe tomorrow will make up a bowl and offer flock, as tgey have all lost weight.

Ta-dah feisty weight same 69 grams ( 74 normally)

Pikachu up 1 gram to 106 ( normally 110-115)
Sinus swelling same thoughts netter but just landed on me . He will join penny and I for our 2 more steam
Treatments

Orbit up 1 gram to 91 ( should be 94 or more)
Much more active

Parakeets no staining above nostrils active, may be taken off medication havev to confirm

Currently my theory is Penny had chronic chlamydia infection, that became acute and she started shedding and infected the rest of the flock. I will likely never know, but from all my reading, tge amount if time treatment is taking, it fits, as can be respiratoryor digestive symptoms. ( probably other things do this too tho),...but there are lots of stuff out there. Everyone is getting bottled water till construction is done just incase

Flock to continue all 5 treatments, budgies included. Pikachu and Penny will continue past that, till vet feels they have recovered. If its chlamydia it can take a long treatment time, sometimes uo to 40 days...

 

[SailBoat]

Regarding use of water bottle water for your Parrots; Water main construction (cut-in) work, depending on flow rates and movement (direction) in area of the cut (water within the pipe can change direction depending on demand) it is a good idea to allow a minimum of 1.5 x their statement regarding safe to use the water for consumption as their numbers are all based on Human consumption.

As always, love your thinking good friend!

 

[Laurasea]

This is the minor swelling around Pikachu left eye. Just spoke with vet, he may have his medication extended past the 5 doses given every other day. He has had 3 doses so far. His behavior has been normal, poops normal, started out with wright loss then developed thus swelling, which is worse today than yesterday.

This is his normal right eye for comparison

This is when I first noticed it on the 12th, as you can see just in front of eye and very small. This swelling is considered to be orbital sinus swelling.

I would not ever have known Pikachu was sick if I wasn't weighing him, and if I didn't catch this swelling that came later. He eats great, plays, behavior normal, no naps no fluffing, normal poops . His last weight before weight loss was 115 grams, currently 106 grams. Which is a 7.8% weight loss

 

[Laurasea]

This is the minor swelling around Pikachu left eye. Just spoke with vet, he may have his medication extended past the 5 doses given every other day. He has had 3 doses so far. His behavior has been normal, poops normal, started out with wright loss then developed thus swelling, which is worse today than yesterday.

This is his normal right eye for comparison

This is when I first noticed it on the 12th, as you can see just in front of eye and very small. This swelling is considered to be orbital sinus swelling.

I would not ever have known Pikachu was sick if I wasn't weighing him, and if I didn't catch this swelling that came later. He eats great, plays, behavior normal, no naps no fluffing, normal poops . His last weight before weight loss was 115 grams, currently 106 grams. Which is a 7.8% weight loss

he us trying to steel food from me right now! I believe he is eating fine. But fighting an infection can 2.5 times more calories than they normally eat... sorry would have just edit not quote myself lol but Pikachu is poking and bird handle the phone

Hope that more people are inspired to weigh their burds weekly. It really is one of our only tools to catch illness early. Birds hide being sick ......but they burn more calories when they are sick. From my reading a 3% weight loss and you should have a vet visit . This will help catch things early, make treatment quicker with better outcomes.

Amount of weight lost ÷ normal weight x 100 equals % weight-loss

Ta-dah hadn't made an appearance in the thread yet. Here she is laid out on my thumb begging for head scratches, just now. . I think she is recovering fine. But I'd like to her start gaining that weight back!

 

[LaManuka]

I am amazed at your powers of observation with Pikachu's eye, Laura, I don't know if I would have picked up a change like that in any of mine. And so good to see my favourite niece Ta-dah snuggling up for her mom time Hope they are all doing better by the time you read this in the morning - tell 'em their Aussie aunty will be very disappointed if they don't eat up all their breakfast!

 

[SailBoat]

Inspiring catch of the puffing near the eye and the weight loss!

They are so very good at hiding an illness!

 

[Laurasea]

Thank you Sailboat, and Lamanuka, of course once Penny was sick I was checking everyone and everything out.

I was trying to show, that birds hide be sick for real , real@ I would not have known Pikachu was sick at all, he was absolutely his normal self. Even under my paranoid eyes, after Penny got sick. But they can't hide that weight loss!!! Takes extra calories when they are sick, so you often see weight loss. Yiu guys remember I was shocked on flock recheck that the whole dang flock had lost weight!!!!!! I thought maybe it was stress in flock or something, or my scale suddenly broke!! Nope they had ALL gotten sick with what Penny has!

Anyway Pikachu went up 2 grsms!! To 108 grams. Swelling around left eye seems slightly decreased?? Msybe?? Will take pic later. Yes it has started to go down! Has continued to go down all day! Will take pictures tomorrow again. Very happy.

Also Pikachu has dark blue eyes normally!!!! Yes sometimes in pictures further away tgey can look grey or darker. But his eyes are reddish now! I've read this can be due to chlamydia infection, will have to look.
Regardless he normally has blue eyes and tge infection is making them look like this. His sclera is very red right now
Below picture of his normally blue eyes

Blue! Yesterday and today shined flashlight to check blue...today slight shift to seeing more blue. Has red rimmed

Seems yes , bacteria infection can make eyes look red ( iris part) e choli, chlamydia, or other so doesn't rule in or out anything, but is sn important sign
https://www.petplace.com/article/birds/general/red-eye-in-birds/
Orbit up 1 gram to 92

Tadah the same 69 grams. I have 2 years if records of her at 74 every single time...so I want her to gain some back

15 days of being sick, 8 days of feedingformula, 2nd day not fluffed ir squinting, or sinus draining. . Penny held at 100, this had been her normal weight. She was willing to eat a quarter size piece of egg white her favorite. Still hand feeding, but less often as she picks at food more often. Yippee
Probably took 16 ml daily total down from 20 ish daily total . No draining all day from right nostril, right eye staying open!

Good article on chlamydia infection in parrots. How can be dormant, then become active
https://www.thesprucepets.com/parrot-fever-psittacosis-symptoms-treatment-4148338

https://www.birdclinic.net/avian5.htm

 

[Ellie777Australia]

Thank you Sailboat, and Lamanuka, of course once Penny was sick I was checking everyone and everything out.

I was trying to show, that birds hide be sick for real , real@ I would not have known Pikachu was sick at all, he was absolutely his normal self. Even under my paranoid eyes, after Penny got sick. But they can't hide that weight loss!!! Takes extra calories when they are sick, so you often see weight loss. Yiu guys remember I was shocked on flock recheck that the whole dang flock had lost weight!!!!!! I thought maybe it was stress in flock or something, or my scale suddenly broke!! Nope they had ALL gotten sick with what Penny has!

Anyway Pikachu went up 2 grsms!! To 108 grams. Swelling around left eye seems slightly decreased?? Msybe?? Will take pic later. Yes it has started to go down! Has continued to go down all day! Will take pictures tomorrow again. Very happy.

Also Pikachu has dark blue eyes normally!!!! Yes sometimes in pictures further away tgey can look grey or darker. But his eyes are reddish now! I've read this can be due to chlamydia infection, will have to look.
Regardless he normally has blue eyes and tge infection is making them look like this. His sclera is very red right now
Below picture of his normally blue eyes

Blue! Yesterday and today shined flashlight to check blue...today slight shift to seeing more blue. Has red rimmed

Seems yes , bacteria infection can make eyes look red ( iris part) e choli, chlamydia, or other so doesn't rule in or out anything, but is sn important sign
https://www.petplace.com/article/birds/general/red-eye-in-birds/
Orbit up 1 gram to 92

Tadah the same 69 grams. I have 2 years if records of her at 74 every single time...so I want her to gain some back

15 days of being sick, 8 days of feedingformula, 2nd day not fluffed ir squinting, or sinus draining. . Penny held at 100, this had been her normal weight. She was willing to eat a quarter size piece of egg white her favorite. Still hand feeding, but less often as she picks at food more often. Yippee
Probably took 16 ml daily total down from 20 ish daily total . No draining all day from right nostril, right eye staying open!

Good article on chlamydia infection in parrots. How can be dormant, then become active
https://www.thesprucepets.com/parrot-fever-psittacosis-symptoms-treatment-4148338

https://www.birdclinic.net/avian5.htm

LOL - I've just posted a couple of articles on Avian Chlamydiosis under 'ornithology' and one of them is the same as yours..