(3/2 Update #91) Excessive regurgitation, AKA throwing up.

[macawpower58]

Tonight I rushed Gimli to the vet. I noticed him doing some regurgitating the last few days, and began to worry when it seemed to escalate.

Today when I came home from work, Gimli was sitting on his perch with saliva hanging from his beak to the cage floor. Underneath him a large puddle of wet, thrown up food, mostly his pellets.

He looked miserable. I called one vet, he advised me to give some oil (or cat hairball medicine), as I thought he might have an impacted crop, or obstruction.

I called another who advised me 'come in'. I headed down.

The vet found his crop emtpy...
He's dehydrated...
Slightly underweight...
and weak.

Blood work was run, as well as a diabetes test. He ran something else that will check for bacteria, and or fungal stuff.
Blood work came out all very well. Liver, kidney, blood sugars, all looked good at first glance.

We're waiting for the other tests to come back. Gimli also has a heart arrhythmia, and cataracts. This vet said in all his years he's seen very few birds with heart problems. He's not really sure if anything can be done for that, and is concentrating on his other problem right now.

He did suggest Aspergillus may be present. He's given me some antibiotics for now.

Please, any knowledge on anything Gimli's experiencing, I'd love to hear about. Any ideas, thoughts, suggestions. Can Asper cause this excessive throwing up? Gimli is hungry and thirsty, but nothing is staying down. Praying the meds help.

I'm now waiting for results from the meds, and news (about 5 days) on the other tests run.

Send a prayer up for my little old guy.

 

[newatthistx]

Sending prayers and thoughts for a quick recovery

 

[Bridgette]

Becky, I'm so sorry to hear that Gimli isn't feeling well. I'm glad you were able to get him to the vet quickly. I will keep you and him in my thoughts and prayers

 

[macawpower58]

Thanks.

It breaks my heart that after all those years confined to that little cage, and now that he's blossoming with freedom, toys, and love, that he's come down sick.

I pray it's not something I could have prevented.

I've become very attached to this little fellow in the year I've had him.

 

[Skyler]

Oh no. I'm praying with all my might and heart that he recovers completely.

 

[Greycloud]

So sorry to hear Gimli is ill. I am glad you ignored the first vet and took him to the second. I hope he can diagnose the problem and soon have Gimli on the road to recovery. I will keep him in my prayers.

 

[ncGreyBirdLady]

 

[WingedVictory]

Becky, good to see you took Gimli to the vet quickly. There are a variety of things that could cause the regurgitation, without tests you are shooting in the dark. What do Gimli's poops look like as far as color, consistency, bubbles, texture, etc. Knowing this may help your vet and you get an idea what could be wrong. Could Gimli have been chewing on anything that has lead or zinc in it? Has he ingested any cage or wall paint? Are his toys the same? How about food what does he eat and has there been any changes there? Has the vet suggested a blood test for heavy metals and zinc? Did the vet give you an indication on what the wet mount and gram stain looked like? Did the vet give Gimli anything for the regurgitation? Did the vet see any budding yeast? Did the vet mention using ACV in your birds water to help control yeast and help with stomach upset?

Suggestions: Gimli may need something like the herb slippery elm to coat his GI tract to help with regurgitation, it is mixed 1 part SE to 4 parts water and not to be fed dry. Aloe-detox in the water will also help coat and sooth the GI tract. Keep Gimli warm, (85 deg), and hydrated. For hydration you can mix coconut water or children's pedialyte 50/50 with with fresh water. If severely hydrated he will need fluids by injection, which the vet may have done. Everything mentioned is safe for your bird but you should run the suggestions by your vet. What antibiotic is Gimli on?

Now is a good time to ponder my questions and google my suggestions.

Give Gimli a big hug from us and tell him to get well soon!

 

[April]

Oh no,praying that he will be ok.

 

[Cynth]

Winged Victory had great advice. I don't know your birds background but if you haven't had him very long it could have been a sickness that has been growing. pedialite will help and aloe juice is good. give a little food at a time in very small amounts often. like every 15 minutes a baby spoon of baby food. wet foods are good. like pumpkin and sweet potatoe. throwing up could be from a lot of illness. It could even be from something stuck in the lower area of the body or if he isn't pooping a blockage. His poop will tell an amazing amount of info. I hope if this vet can't give you fast info that you find a reputable vet quick.

 

[Cynth]

where are you in PA? If you are towards York there is a very good vet in Northern MD. Get ahold of Greycloud asap or Ortega for directions. They are on the Gray forum usually often.

 

[kcbee]

I hope the vet figures out what is going on and Gimli is back to feeling better soon.

 

[prettyinpink]

 

[Jazzysmama]

I've never heard of giving cat's hair ball ointment. Has anyone else? This is a new one to me. Hope your fid gets well super quick. I am surprised they let your bird come home if it's dehydrated and can't keep anything down. I am no expert though like many others on here. I hope Greycloud can help you find a great avian vet.

 

[Leza]

Yes asper will cause reguritation and lethargy in some birds that have it severely. Praying for you and Gimli

 

[macawpower58]

Thanks for all the quick replys. I feel this is a qualified vet, for those in Pa, he's in Cranberry, at the Animal General Hospital.

To answer some of Winged Victory's questions.

There's no chance of metal poisoning (at least not since I've had him), Gimli never really leaves his cage top, his cage is new as are his toys. The only other place he ever sits is on a floor perch. The Vet did ask me about things he may have ingested. I told him the same, it's almost a non possibility.

His poop looked good, the Doc did question me about it.
He's on Doxycycline, twice a day.
The dehydration isn't severe enough for him to be kept there, and Gimli is drinking well, but it's a battle because he is loosing quite a bit of what he's taking in.
A cult and sens avian choana & cloaca test was done, and a prep profile II for liver/renal

A have a sinking sensation it's going to end up Aspergillus. Looking online, he has many of the syptoms, and regurgitation is one of them.

I'm off to work in a moment, will give him some more meds, and then check back in this afternoon.

Thanks again for your help and advice, I'll probably ask some more questions from you all when I get back home.

 

[merlinsmom13]

Oh no! Gimli, praying that he'll be ok. He deserves to live along time loved & well cared for.

 

[Anne & Gang]

 

[macawpower58]

Becky, good to see you took Gimli to the vet quickly. There are a variety of things that could cause the regurgitation, without tests you are shooting in the dark. What do Gimli's poops look like as far as color, consistency, bubbles, texture, etc. Knowing this may help your vet and you get an idea what could be wrong. Could Gimli have been chewing on anything that has lead or zinc in it? Has he ingested any cage or wall paint? Are his toys the same? How about food what does he eat and has there been any changes there? Has the vet suggested a blood test for heavy metals and zinc? Did the vet give you an indication on what the wet mount and gram stain looked like? Did the vet give Gimli anything for the regurgitation? Did the vet see any budding yeast? Did the vet mention using ACV in your birds water to help control yeast and help with stomach upset?

Suggestions: Gimli may need something like the herb slippery elm to coat his GI tract to help with regurgitation, it is mixed 1 part SE to 4 parts water and not to be fed dry. Aloe-detox in the water will also help coat and sooth the GI tract. Keep Gimli warm, (85 deg), and hydrated. For hydration you can mix coconut water or children's pedialyte 50/50 with with fresh water. If severely hydrated he will need fluids by injection, which the vet may have done. Everything mentioned is safe for your bird but you should run the suggestions by your vet. What antibiotic is Gimli on?

Now is a good time to ponder my questions and google my suggestions.

Give Gimli a big hug from us and tell him to get well soon!

I took off work early to get watch over Gimli, and pick up these items.

The ACV I understand it's uses, but would love the portion to add to his water. This I will be adding to his water, and he is drinking well.
I think I'll pick up the pedialyte, can it be mixed with ACV?

IS SE available in health stores? What about aloe detox? Which should I use, or should I use both? Is the measurements the same for all sized birds? Gimli is fairly small. He weighed in at 285 grams. Are these also to be added to his water? After adding all this stuff, will he even drink it?

I'm also wondering what (if any) foods will sit best on his stomach. He's still not holding much down, and I was trying to feed him something that wouldn't irritate his digestive tract. Soft foods, water rich fruits? Are these good?

I'm praying these cultures the vet's growing, give me a treatable problem, and it's not Aspergillus! Will yeast or bacterial infections cause similar symptoms?

(lethargy, weightloss, regurg,)

 

[Lauren and Jack]

hope everything is okay. lots and prayers and love coming your way.