Hi, everyone. Sorry for disappearing for so long-Ive been very, very busy.
An update: all four birds are still kicking, for now.
Talked with my vet a little more, told them I thought we needed to continue the mite treatment for a while longer. Also expressed concern that our original protocol (Ivermectin + cleaning with soap and water) wasn't enough.
For one, my birds don't take oral medicine very well. I was worried I wasn't getting the full dose in their beaks, or they were spitting some up afterward. Also, Ivermectin is only active in the blood for a short amount of time-which I was concerned opened up the possibility for reinfection, especially since soap and water wouldn't necessarily kill all mites on a surface.
SO, we decided to try Moxidectin (SCATT), and I bought Avian Insect Liquidator to spray on all their stuff.
They got their first dose of SCATT on the 2nd. Frustratingly, they started molting (heavily!!!) around the same time, which has made it difficult to gauge if they're improving or not.
About two days after application, all four birds started sneezing intensely. Constant, squelchy sneezes. This went on for a few days, then the sneezing tapered off. I don't hear any sneezing during the day now, and only intermittent sneezing in the early morning and at night before they go to sleep.
All four birds also became sleepier/quieter than usual. I imagine this is at least partially because of the molt.
Their breathing has also seemed a bit worse? Three of the birds aren't too bad. But one (the one who has consistently been the sickest) has been having a really rough time. He started wing drooping, and having labored breathing (sometimes open-mouthed) with a heavy tail bob. The breathing issues aren't constant, but when he has an 'attack' it's pretty scary.
The good news is that this bird's attitude has improved significantly since applying the SCATT. He's cheerier, moving around and singing more than usual. Which he's done little of the past few months, so that's somewhat encouraging.
I'm hoping the breathing issues are temporary and because of dead mites accumulating in their system. But if this is the case, I'm not really sure what the timeline is for when I should expect improvement. Couldn't find anything on how long it takes mites to decompose.
As mentioned before, for the one bird, I'm also wondering if it's possible the wing drooping/heavy breathing/tail bobbing could be partially from stress. This one particular bird has been through a LOT. Breathing seems to get worse when I get close to him, so he may be scared of me now after all the vet visits/handling.
Everyone gets their second dose of SCATT on the 23rd.
I'm hoping that will solve things, but I don't know. They DO seem to react to antiparasitic medicine, but multiple doses still haven't fully cleared their issues, which is throwing me off.