Questions concerning xrays

[Owlet]

Hey guys I'm just looking for some thoughts and opinions regarding xrays I had done of Lincoln today. Disclaimer though that I AM reaching out to a secondary vet to hopefully get more information. This is just to help me prep for that secondary visit and consider what questions I may want to ask the vet.

Lincoln has been acting a bit off the last weekish. It started after he fell off of his perch. He hasn't really been eating, even things he normally really really likes. I tried a number of things and he's still just not really interested in eating. He has also just been... off. I don't want to say hes lethargic but he just doesn't really want to do much. He will engage with me if I am with him but otherwise he just kind of wants to hang out. Before this happened I had started introducing him to nail files so I can file his beak without having to take him to the vet where he'd have to be sedated and immensely stressed out. Initially he was really excited about it and engaged really well. Now he just... sits there for the most part. He doesn't really care about the almonds anymore and this boy LOVES almonds.

Now with the xrays that were taken they didn't see any obvious breaks, but they noticed two things. One (circled in red), his kidney was rather enlarged and when they palpated in that area it felt really firm. In the xrays (all of them) you can also see a few very bright spots. We aren't sure what those are. The vet said they could be kidney stones or just something in the GI track that was overlaying the kidney. But since we can see it in all xrays I don't really know. The second thing they saw (circled in blue), was his air sacks appeared rather dense and spotty where they should have been mostly black in the xray. Now, my theory about that is that I believe that one of the owners previous to me was a heavy smoker around him as when I received him, the cage he came with was covered in tar.

We also took blood today but it's gonna be a few days before I get the results of those, I will share them when I get them.

The quality of these xrays arent the best since its just a picture of a picture on the computer. If they send me the pictures in the visit notes I will include those.

 

[texsize]

The area circled in blue I was told by my avian vet is the lung not one of his air sacks.
What the spots are I don’t know.
I have no help at all for the area in red.

Bingo is having similar eating issues right now but it’s nothing to do with a fall.

 

[Owlet]

What are you doing for Bingo's eating issues? The only thing Lincoln is actively eating are these parrot oven bite cookie things that of course aren't sold anymore so I cant get more and im almost out. I tried making bird bread and he wants nothing to do with it. Even plain bread which he usually really likes he doesn't care for. Barely touching fruits either. Not touching his regular veggies or bird street bistro food. He isn't touching the dry mix i have for him either.

Lincoln is NOT a picky bird typically. Especially when it comes to junkier food like bread

 

[Owlet]

Hm looking at an xray of a bird that has been labeled online it seems the information is backwards maybe. I don't know. Either way I am still reaching out to a secondary vet.

 

[texsize]

What are you doing for Bingo's eating issues? The only thing Lincoln is actively eating are these parrot oven bite cookie things that of course aren't sold anymore so I cant get more and im almost out. I tried making bird bread and he wants nothing to do with it. Even plain bread which he usually really likes he doesn't care for. Barely touching fruits either. Not touching his regular veggies or bird street bistro food. He isn't touching the dry mix i have for him either.

Lincoln is NOT a picky bird typically. Especially when it comes to junkier food like bread

I’m having good luck with unsweetened apple sauce and I am mixing in a little baby bird formula.

He eats fruit but what he eats one day the next day it’s turned down.
Bananas and grapes sometimes.
Because he’s lost so much weight I am giving him stuff normally reserved as special treats like pasta.

I may try making chop for him.
He use to eat mixed veggies but he stopped some time ago. I think if it’s all mixed up in fine pieces with some kale it’s worth a try.

 

[DonnaBudgie]

It's so hard for any of us to comment on the x-rays because I don't think any of us (? Any radiology techs out there?) are radiology techs even for humans.
I think you need to ask all these same questions of the second vet. The objects that could be kidney stones could also be something indigestible that he ate (birds do swallow sand and grit) but I assume that would get pooped out and wouldn’t show on an xray taken say a week later. But you said that the area where the objects are feels hard when palpated. If he has a kidney problem I would think it would show up in his bloodwork.

The biggest concern it would seem to be that he's not eating. Are you weighing him? You should weigh him every few days in the morning after pooping and before eating. Ask the vet for the normal weight range for his species. Is he pooping normally? Drinking? Is his breathing labored (any distinct tail bobbing)?

I really hope he's okay.

 

[wrench13]

I Hope Lincoln gets better soon!

 

[kme3388]

I am sorry to hear your Ekkie isn’t feeling well. I hope he feels better soon.

Nico my Ekkie I recently brought to the vet because he was sneezing, whistling sound from nostrils, and not eating as usual. He’d lost some weight. I’ve had him since 2021. Every spring since I’ve had Nico I have had to bring him into the vet for this. I don’t know if birds get allergies, or what the issue is. X-rays weren’t recommended. They did tell me that his liver is enlarged based upon how he feels if I remember correctly. Diet changes were recommended when I first adopted him, and was being educated on his care.

I hope they find what is bothering Lincoln

Please do update as I like to learn about Ekkie’s encase I come across a similar situation.

 

[Owlet]

Heard back from vet concerning Lincolns blood work. Overall it's not too concerning the only concern was high cholesterol so we are looking at possible heart disease. The secondary vet I intend to go to will be able to help more especially concerning treatment. The vet recommended a product called vet omega since omega 3 can help with cholesterol? Does anyone have experience with that?

Weirdly enough they noticed his sodium was elevated despite him not getting anything with salt in it. She noted it may be due to dehydration since some of his other levels were raised that would be due to dehydration. And I live in Colorado so it's hard to drink enough due to the dryness and elevation. Any suggestions on how to get him to drink more water?

 

[rheashard2]

I'd offer water filled fruits; melons, grapes etc. Pureed fruit or veggies added to his food can help too. Sodium and potassium are two things that jump up or down depending upon fluid intake.

 

[Owlet]

He does get a variety of fruits like berries, apples, and grapes primarily. But he occassionally gets other things depending on what we have.

He doesn't seem to like if is food is too watery though

 

[DonnaBudgie]

High blood sodium is more likely from dehydration than high sodium intake unless you're feeding him potato chips. Maybe he needs moving water to get more excited by it. Does he bathe in the shower or in the sink under a sprayer? If so he'll probably drink some as he bathes. My budgies drink and bathe under the kitchen sprayer.

 

[SailBoat]

Playing from the far left corner and based on his history consider "oxygen deficiency". The effects of a heavy-smoker, past-owner can seriously reduce the air-sack /lung ability of the parrot. Setting the Parrot in an oxygen enriched environment can improve activities.

It is worth a check.

 

[Owlet]

I'm... honestly not sure how I would even go about setting up an oxygen enriched environment. He's had an air purifier in his room since I got him, and no smokers in the house and no use of candles or anything like that.