looking for help and advice ...sick bird...

[Kislanya]

i did not know where to post this as there is no forum for help with illness or injuries,so i figured i would try her.

last week i noticed my Irn Einstien had a discolored patch of feathers from one side of his body over his vent to the other,the skin seemed swollen a bit and the feathers were really messed up.i took him to the vet and since he has absolutly no other signs of any illness(he is active eating drinking and playing no diarhea,also still wants to be with his mate Pippin)she prescribed an antibiotic creme(restin? sp)she felt it could of been from over enthusiastic mating or ..um loving a perch... and maybee got a bactierial infection.
2 days on that and he started getting bad diarhea,she then prescribed baytril orally in case it was an internal bacteria problem,his weight at that time was 117 grams.

i had to take him back in today as the diarhea has gotten horrible,2 days on the oral meds and he lost 10 grams.the vet is at a complete loss as to what is wrong she feels that the medicines are actually causing the problem and as of now we have stopped them completely.i dont know if anyone out there has ever seen this problem,or if anyone knows if this all could have just been rubbed raw from mating a perch ,any ideas or suggestions would help...i feel lost and like im not being a good parent to him.....

the other 7 birds in my house are all healthy nice poops talking ,well besides the messed up bum even he will still scarf down any food i put in front of him...except the yogurt i got to try and give him since i read on here it can help with yucky tummy from antibiotics,im pretty sure he thought that the yogurt was satan and there to eat him...

[MissK]

I'm SO not a vet, but did your vet take any sample to test so she could know what kind of bacteria the bird might have? I took a Budgie to the vet sort of recently, and the vet told me what kind of bacteria she found in the poop, why the medicine she gave was the right one, and what other options she felt were not suitable based on her exam and test findings. She also took care to prescribe a correct dose of the medicine.

With that many birds, I'm assuming you have a trustworthy and qualified vet, but if your vet is guessing, find a new one!

[Kislanya]

my vet is doing what she can what she does not know she is reaching out to avian vets that i have no way of getting to(ie. other states)while they treat birds alot,its a banfield at petsmart,the actual avian vet they did have moved to tallahasse,there is only one other vet in town that treats birds however i am scared to take my bird there as my only expieriance with them was stressing a bird out completely by forcing meds in it then decided to try and take blood,the bird dropped dead,honestly i have no faith in a vet that would do that to a bird,they even said wow she was really stressed by the meds and as soon as we stuck her she died,heck where i live there isnt even a reliable emergency vet for your dogs and cats,my vet and i are doing everything we can to help my baby out but im worried it wont be enough

[Donovan]

could the bird have a splinter and be getting sick from that?

Also, I assume it's not an old bird. Unfortunately most the help you'll find here is about interacting and feeding.. i don't see much about health problems here.

You might have to take it to the vet that didn't do such a good job last time.

[SkyeBerry]

Hello...I am so sorry for what you are going through. I understand why Donavan would recommend the 'avian' vet. But in this case, I am not so sure. First, is the vet board certified as an avian vet or just calling himself/herself one. Secondly, bedside manner aside, this vet does not seem very 'sensitive' or understanding of birds. Maybe have a heart to heart with the vet you are using. Ask more questions about who he/he is speaking to, what tests could be done etc. If this vet is reaching out, there should be more that could be done. I can understand no one wants to go on a 'fishing' excursion and shell out money but what about an x-ray? An ultrasound? A wood splinter should be identifiable. Is this vet able to recommend someone? Is there a number for the vet assoc. so other avian vets can be located? To be blunt how far are you willing and able to travel? I am lucky to only have to drive an hour to see my avian vet but I know other clients drive up to three hours.


What are you doing with regards to monitoring the weight? Increasing weight? If the bird has had diarrhea, that equates to a lot of fluid loss. Do you feed fruits and vegs normally - ie) food with moisture in it? If not, do not suddenly provide a lot or it could make matters worse. Would you be able to spoon feed a hand-feeding formula? There is also something called Emeraid. You can only get it from a vet up here in Canada. I used some for a sick finch. It is highly nutritive but easily digested and easy on the gut. Are the two birds still together? Perhaps that is not a good idea. Maybe you should consider splitting them up so he is not tempted to mate? Perhaps without her there, he may not masturbate?? Consider a hospital cage set-up with no hard perches or anything at all he could masturbate on. See if the original problem improves.

A possible problem here could be - and I am also NOT a vet - the treatments have made a localized problem or an infection from one more complicated.

Try not to stress around the bird - he will pick up on this. And trust me I know that is easier said than done. Did the vet say how quickly the diarrhea should stop if it was induced by the medication?

Mary

[MissK]

Kislanya, what is your city and state? I'm in Baltimore, MD. I'd like to see if I can help you find a better vet.

[Kislanya]

I am in panama city Florida,if I had a car I would be driving to Tallahassee tmr to have him seen by the only licensed avian vet I know of

[MissK]

OK. I searched the Association of Avian Veterinarians site http://www.aav.org/, and I found Kim Breeze, of Breeze Animal Hospital on Panama City Beach Parkway. Their phone is (850)233-7091. Have you heard of that vet, or is that the one you didn't like? **I do not know the criteria for membership in the Association of Avian Veterinarians.

[Kislanya]

Sadly that's the one that treated my friends bird,but I am going to contact them,I do not think she saw that specific vet,she had started the treatment and on a followup it was someone else.I found someone willing to try and help me get him up there Mon or tuesif I can

[MissK]

Kislanya, I really wish you the best of luck. If you cannot rent a car or get a ride to the vet in Tallahassee, this may be your best bet. I would think you only want to see Dr. Breeze, herself, and you can specify that when you make the appointment. Further, you can tell them you want nothing done before you approve it, AND you need to be present when they are handling the bird. Remember that you can ask a question with every breath, though it won't make you very popular, AND you have the final say on what happens to your bird. However, if you don't let them do their job, they may decline to see your bird.

You can take a fecal sample by letting the bird poop on wax paper and folding it gently, so the poop isn't disturbed (squished) so the vet can have a look at a fresh sample and also use it for any diagnostics. If the bird is stressed by others, see if you can hold him for the exam instead of him being retrained by staff. Explain your concern about upsetting into a worse condition. Do not be worried if you see them stick a needle into what looks like the bird's neck. That is a valid collection site. DO ask first, though, what they hope to gain before agreeing to a blood test. For example, if they feel that your bird has an injury and they want to test the blood just because it's "routine", then he may not need that.

You really don't want to express that you are distrustful because "they killed your friend's bird". That won't get you anywhere good. Also, every animal's situation is different. There may have been something unknown about the other bird's condition, or it simply may have been subject to higher stress levels than another bird. Personally, I would rather take my bird to a real bird vet who had a bad experience than a not so real bird vet of any sort.

Please remember that your bird does need some help. You make the final call what happens to him. However, since you ended up here looking for help, my guess is that you feel he needs more help than he's getting at Banfield. If Dr. Breeze meets your criteria, go there. Otherwise, find a way to get yourself to Tallahassee.

Good luck!

[Kislanya]

Thank you everyone for the advice and help I will be having a restless night with worry and calling at 7 am to get him Seen...I hope they can fit him

[Kislanya]

Got my baby into breeze found out the meds were actually making him Ill all he had was minor abrasions from excessive um...friendliness to perches...lol no more meds just some soothing aloe spray.they did a poop test and came back clean to clean the antibiotics had stripped his normal flora.advised to get him to eat some yogurt and all should be good.I'm so happy thank you all for your kind support in this scary time

[MissK]

Kislanya, I'm glad it sounds like things are looking up! Please drop us another post in a few days to let us know how birdie is doing. Personally, I've never seen a bird using a perch in that way, so I'm not sure how to advise on a remedy so you don't have more of the same problem. If you can catch him at it, you may find he has a favourite perch. Maybe you will find a way to cover it with something that won't hurt him, like a vet wrap maybe?

I'd also really like to hear if you are satisfied with Dr. Breeze. If you are, then that is wonderful. However, if you are still not satisfied with her, you will need to keep trying to find someone you can call on "next time", before next time comes. Hoping you won't end up back at Banfield.

[Kislanya]

i was not able to see dr breeze herself as her appt wasnt available till fri,but my bird needed seen so i took what they had.it just so happens they put me in the EXACT same room i was in with my friend and guess who walked in...the EXACT vet that treated her bird,so needless to say i was scared,but he remembered my friend and her bird and seemed to get a bit teery,it was only the second bird he has lost like that in his entire career and it stuck with him,he assured me that it really isnt normal for that to happen, she had been bringing her bird on an almost 2 hour ride 2 times daily to have strangers medicate it,and her bird was extremely sick and its stress level was to high (they never did find out what was wrong with her bird as she declined necropsy,but she had what they thought was a chemical burn in her mouth and throat poss from something she inhaled)

the dr i saw was extremely good with einstien who jumped on his shoulder and started preening him (lol both of einstiens previous owners were men).they made me feel much better about my situation and the poor receptionist when i made the appt was so sweet,i was crying i was so distraught,all in all i honestly believe they are very good people and good with the knowledge of birds,i would not hesitate to bring my bird back to them.

on a side note i was also very pleased that not one person in the clinic even mentioned toweling or using gloves he just very calmly let einstien step up and easily flipped him over to check his bum,my bird didnt even make a peep or struggle

[Kislanya]

oh one more thing i used to have a cockatiel that uh friended his perch every single morning at 6 am then would scream im a pretty boy...i took it away and broke the perch in front of him...lol unfortunatly i cant seem to catch Einstien doing anything ..either perch or his girl,everytime i look in there all the birds stop and stare at me with that ..im not doing anything look i know you all see that one

[SkyeBerry]

I am so glad your bird is doing well and things went will at the vets. You sound so much better, too. Did you ask for their suggestions regarding excessive "perch friendliness?" I have a lovebird - m - with this problem. One thing you should keep an I eye out for is broken feathers. My little guy now has a cycle of feather chewing and regrowth and broken feathers, then chewing again etc. So far, no skin damage or infections. Collaring to stop the chewing is also very difficult because the collar would have to be huge to stop him from getting to this area. If/when my vet & I figure something out, I will pass it along.