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Urgent AGY & my birds

Miki's Mom

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I just lost my parakeet Miki to AGY. I took my other parakeet Yoshi in with Miki to last vet. The first vet did a gram stain and found yeast and gave me baytril... Didn't work... The 2nd vet gave me fluzodone or how ever you spell it... That didn't work... The 3rd vet gave me Ketoconazole and I lost him tonight. He was my oldest bird so I'm thinking that made it harder to fight it off. Now my cockatiel's poop looks the same as Miki and Yoshi??? Should I finish the Ketoconazole with them?
 

Miki's Mom

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Another lady in my last forum discussion said fluzodone and ketconozale were about the same anti fungal meds...
 

enigma731

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I still feel like there's something fishy with this diagnosis. AGY shouldn't be very contagious, and rarely spreads from bird to bird like you're describing. It's also difficult to diagnose without a bunch of labs. How did your vet determine that AGY was the correct diagnosis? What tests were run, and what were the results?
 

Lady Jane

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Since I have been through this I feel obligated to help. My vet did swabs of crop and droppings often. Sometimes negative and then positive for AGY again. Just about all the medicines mentioned plus the ACV were tried. My budgie that died had a cage mate who never showed symptoms. It was presumed she was a carrier of yeast. It is contagious. Especially to birds with compromised immune system or under stress.
Before giving any meds to your cockatiel I suggest you take her to a certified avian vet for the swabs. Ampho B remains the drug of choice.
 

FlockofFive

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Since I have been through this I feel obligated to help. My vet did swabs of crop and droppings often. Sometimes negative and then positive for AGY again. Just about all the medicines mentioned plus the ACV were tried. My budgie that died had a cage mate who never showed symptoms. It was presumed she was a carrier of yeast. It is contagious. Especially to birds with compromised immune system or under stress.
Before giving any meds to your cockatiel I suggest you take her to a certified avian vet for the swabs. Ampho B remains the drug of choice.
I second lady Jane, swabs are essential before giving any medication. After everything is treated, place your birdie in a brand new cage, with all new toys, food bowls, etc. Discuss with your avian vet about putting your baby on probiotics as it strengthens immune protection against infections. Best of luck to your baby
 

FlockofFive

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I forgot to mention this in my prev post but if you haven't already, consider getting a dehumidifier - any humidity >40% dramatically increases the risk for yeast & mold growth in the house. There has been a dramatic increase in the number of fids crossing the bridge lately and most of them due to infections... it always increases around summer time when humidity sky rockets and mold and yeast growth around the house becomes more prominent :(
 

Miki's Mom

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Thank you so much everybody.you all are great. Yes Miki was swabbed 2 times the first vet did mouth and droppings... The 2nd didn't but I told him the baytril wasn't helping and he said he needed a antifungal which was starting to work but he only prescribed 2 weeks worth. Being a vet he knew it takes a month or more of that stuff to do ant good for AGY. I just moved out of my apartment I had only been in for 2 weeks because I found mold...im in new place with no mold now. Could that have made Miki sick?
 

Miki's Mom

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Yesterday she was swabbed to by 3rd doctor and her droppings wasn't fresh so he swabbed her vent.
 

Miki's Mom

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At this point. I think none of the avain vets know nothing or if they do... They just want more money. I did my research and meds for yeast infection must be givin up to 30 days to do any good... Every vet I've went to gives me a 2 week supply of something different...so I'm very lost right now... Which vet should I choose when none has helped??? I even went to another town.
 

Miki's Mom

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Could it be Chlamydia... With the urine outside to droppings... I'm thinking is it a misdiagnose. 2 of the vets said it was AGY.
 

Miki's Mom

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Thanks lady Jane, I think that is what killed him. He was just to sick... Like your link said and it was fatal. Thank all of you for your help. I love this forum. I'm going to that vet tomorrow and asking for amphotericin B tomorrow for my other 2 sick birdies that have just started showing signs. Thanks Makawnutz for suggesting the AB!
 

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Lady Jane

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If the vet does not give a pro biotic you can get one yourself. Mold is not good for any human or animal. Good you moved. Are these vets avian certified? Yes, treatment is for 30 days and sometimes longer. It may be a good idea to invest in a gram scale. Birds with yeast will continue to eat but at the same time drop weight. When the yeast is in the GI tract the nutrients are not absorbed any more. That is why it is called the wasting disease. Chlamydia is a separate test the vet does and if I remember its quite expensive.
You are doing a good job of being an advocate for your birds health.


Chlamydia Psittaci


Kentucky Avian Vets
 
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Milo

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It's very difficult to treat and sometimes difficult to pick up with diagnostics. It is very, very common in budgies and they can be carriers without showing any symptoms while others will get sick. i'm sorry you're having such a rough go of things right now :( an antibiotic isn't going to do anything. Amphoteracin B is the treatment of choice as others have said. Although it really shouldn't be given by an owner at home because even if a little is aspirated it can cause serious side effects. My doc will also try sodium benzoate in the drinking water and has had success with it. I'm not usually a fan of meds in the water but this really seems to work for our patients.

It may be that your vets have only given you a 2 week supply of some meds because a lot have to be compounded for exotics and they are only stable for 2 weeks. I know this is a frustrating situation, I can only advise you to bring up these frustrations with the vets you have seen because if they don't know you're frustrated or have concerns they can't address them.

I haven't seen any good data that a non-species specific probiotic will do any good for parrots... I don't think it will do harm but just keep that in mind.

A test for psittacosis (chlyamidophila) shouldn't be expensive. A PCR can be done to detect it and sent through the mail to a lab, I had it done for under $40.

The question I would ask of a vet is not if they are avian certified but of their experience with birds. How many do they see, etc. The process to become boarded is costly and extremely time consuming, there are excellent practitioners out there who will do amazing things for your bird but are not necessarily board certified.
 

Macawnutz

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You could always collect fecal samples over a few days time and mix them together for testing. AGY won't show in every gram stain. I had more than 10 fecals done before if was found in a crop swab.
 

webchirp

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Have your vet call Dr. Orosz. My foster cheeks had it...treated with sodium benzoate powder that we put in their water for 30 days. She doesn't like ampho b; hard on the kidneys.
 

Milo

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Ampho B isn't absorbed systemically if you're giving it orally, it just treats the GI. If you give it IV/IO it can be very nasty
 

Miki's Mom

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Ok well thanks, getting something difference from everyone, I will address all this wed when the avain doctor will be back in. It seems like they always have a vet on call for cats and dogs but there is always a shortage of avain vets. Miki was the sweetest bird I ever had. Poor little guy went to every vet as soon as they stuck there hand in the cage. One of the vets tried using a big glove and said, no dont do that he's tame and likes everyone he will hop right on your finger. When these 2 I'm never havin anymore birds. I feel like a big puss I can led all plans today and a doctors appointment. All I can keep thinking about is watching him seiazuring and I bet he went through so much pain and I was helpless I couldn't do nothing. I don't know if birds ho to heaven but I hope they do. I would feel so much better if I knew the little guy was up there flying around in paradise with God. My bf is a jerk and called me crazy for being upset. I hate to see a bug suffer. I don't do good with that or seeing dying or dead animals or people. Yoshi's depressed flying around when I get him out to play on the birdie play ground. I wish I had stuck to one parrot and one parakeet like I use to have. I've never had a parakeet die in front of the other one. I'm trying to comfort the little guy but he's stressed out breathing heavy, freaking out flying around. What can I do to feel better and make I'm feel better. I put his favorite treats in the cage and put him back in it because he wouldn't stay with me and put on soft piano music downstairs.
 
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