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Einstein's Saga Continues

tastybeets

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It started a week ago. Every so often, Ein would have a sneezing fit for 30 seconds or so. Nothing else changed. He's active, loud (down right obnoxious sometimes), eating well, and generally just being a bird.

As the week wore on, the fits became more frequent, and I started checking his nares for drainage. Everything still looked perf. No discharge, no inflammation, and no change in behavior. A bath, and some nice humidity were in order! I wondered if he'd perhaps inhaled a seed husk or some pellet dust.

Then, he seemed to improve!

He spent a couple days sans sneezing, and I was way frikkin' relieved since his vet bills this year have been so unmanageable.

WELP, yesterday the feathers around his nares were just saturated.

The sneezing fits are frequent. He's clearly got some sort of upper respiratory infection or SOMETHING. So I have to book another vet appointment.

I'm just posting to vent because I'm tired of my handsome man always being sick. I don't think he's miserable, I think he's probably just uncomfortable and has been since his heart and liver failure issues in January. At least he's still vocal, active, and eating.

I kinda feel like his health is just spiraling out of control. In the first 8 years of his life, I'd taken him to the vet all of 5 times, and only one of those was for an emergency. This year we've had 3 emergency visits and two follow-ups and it's not even July.


 

blewin

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I feel your pain. When Buddy had her stroke, it was like one doctor's bill after the other. Einstein sounds like a tough bird. Maybe there's something environmental going on?
 

tastybeets

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I feel your pain. When Buddy had her stroke, it was like one doctor's bill after the other. Einstein sounds like a tough bird. Maybe there's something environmental going on?

Our avian vet has a sweet mobile clinic, so she'll be at the house to assess it. We haven't made any changes, but I'm not ruling it out. I'd like it to just be an easy environmental fix. The drainage is clear, so there's a small glimmer of hope that it's just dry air (in south Texas? HA!) or something.
 

Tiel Feathers

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I'm so sorry he seems ill again!:( I hope its something easily treatable. That's so great that you have a mobile avian clinic though, I'm so jealous!:rolleyes:
 

tastybeets

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I'm so sorry he seems ill again!:( I hope its something easily treatable. That's so great that you have a mobile avian clinic though, I'm so jealous!:rolleyes:

Ah, thanks. I think this will be the cheapest of his visits since I'm faaaairly certain he just needs some oral meds. The mobile vet is frikkin' awesome. It has a full clinic in it complete with surgery in the back, xray machine and computer and ultrasound, an exam area, and even a tiny seat for owners to sit in on exams. Costs extra since they travel, but sooooo worth it not to crate the birds.
 

CeciliaZ

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Is it possible he has some type of allergy? sure hope he is OK...
 

sunnysmom

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Is it possible he has some type of allergy? sure hope he is OK...
I was wondering the same thing. Also, does your bird take any supplements? I hope he's okay.
 

Odin

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Aww poor baby, mobile vet sounds amazing!
 

Aubrey

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Poor little Einstein :sad14: I hope he feels better soon :heart:

This mobile vet idea is very cool! :yes4:
 

tastybeets

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Thanks for your kind concern, peeps! His vet is coming to the house tomorrow. Of course now that I'm about to shell out dough, he's doing amazingly today. Not a sneeze to be had, and his nares have cleared up.

Guess we'll see what doc says.

Is it possible he has some type of allergy? sure hope he is OK...

I was wondering the same thing. Also, does your bird take any supplements? I hope he's okay.

I would have said no to suspecting an allergy, but now he's doing better and generally these things don't just magically resolve themselves. I guess it def could be. *shrug* We haven't changed anything in the house, which doesn't necessarily mean anything. He's not on any supplements, and he's not been offered any new foods or treat brands. If you have supplement suggestions, I'm totes open to them.
 

sunnysmom

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I'm just wondering if he keeps getting infections- if that's what it is- if giving probiotics would help. It might be something to ask your vet about but now I'm leaning more towards allergies.............
 

blewin

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We had Buddy on probiotics while she was recuperating, and her food has probiotics in at (australian blend). Benebac certainly can't hurt (except when Einstein throws a fit as you give it to him, then it hurts, but not him!)
 

tastybeets

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If it's not terribly inappropriate, for those of you who are curious I guess I'll share the mobile vet since some of you seem interested! It's called My Pet's MVP. The one in Austin, TX is run by Dr Lyndsey Kingsley who was Einstein's avian vet at the brick and mortar clinic we used to frequent. She left the clinic to open the mobile service. You can see some pics of the mobile unit insides if you do a quick Google search. She specializes in birds and other exotics.

I'm just wondering if he keeps getting infections- if that's what it is- if giving probiotics would help. It might be something to ask your vet about but now I'm leaning more towards allergies.............

If this is an infection, it would be his first. The more I think about it, the more I'm leaning towards allergies too.

(except when Einstein throws a fit as you give it to him, then it hurts, but not him!)

You talking about syringes? Yeah, Einstein has never once thrown a fit over getting dosed. Hell, in the 9 years he's been alive, he's never once bitten me. I'll def mention it to the vet to see what she suggests.
 

tastybeets

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Sooooo he, of course, hasn't sneezed all day today either. Doc says she heard just a little bit of crackling in his lungs, and she did notice his breathing is just slightly labored still (hasn't cleared up completely since the issue with his growth). He's on an antibiotic (I'm at work and for the life of me I can remember the name) to help his little lungies. He's a great weight, and she felt no signs of fluid build up. She also asked me to dose him twice more with the metacam I have from his last visit. He'll be back on the liver tonic as well to help his liver work through the meds.

She naturally wasn't able to determine the cause of his incessant sneezing since he was no longer presenting with the symptoms, as it's cleared up. She's opted to treat his lungs in the event that was the root cause (and of course because we don't like rice krispie lungs). She said a probiotic won't be the game changer, but it never hurts, so I'll be picking up something I can dose him with along with his antibiotic.

She said she was pleased with his present health condition though it wasn't ideal, so here's hoping the meds do their job to push him that extra bit towards complete recovery!
 
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blewin

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The antibiotics are going to wipe out Einstein's gut bacteria, so you are going to want him on a probiotic to help him build back up his gut flora.
 

GoPack

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I hope the meds make him all better!!:fingerscrossed:
Do his flare ups coincide with big rains by any chance? I ask because mold can sometimes increase after a rain if there's a small unknown leak somewhere and that can temporarily wreak havoc on the respiratory system.
 

tastybeets

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I hope the meds make him all better!!:fingerscrossed:
Do his flare ups coincide with big rains by any chance? I ask because mold can sometimes increase after a rain if there's a small unknown leak somewhere and that can temporarily wreak havoc on the respiratory system.


He hasn't had any flare-ups really. He sneezed heavily for a week and a half and magically it stopped. *shrug* But no on the rain. It doesn't rain in Texas during the summer xD
 
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