Urgent Cockatiel got large spectrum antibiotic shot, now what

[Kodigirl210]

If worst comes to worst you need to considering toweling him. He can’t go much longer without water. Better yet at this point I would suggest Pedialyte or diluted Gatorade. Something that electrolytes in it. And truthfully, this far along getting him wet won’t be enough to get him the volume of water he needs to survive. If you have some honey that might help a little as far as giving him some straight sugar and maybe stimulating a little appetite or thirst. Put it on a spoon and let him bite. Not a lot of honey - just a drop. If he accepts the spoon see if you can get him to drink water that way. Best of luck

 

[dumpling98]

thank you the towelcsuggestion! Im totally gonna do that if nothing changes.

in 1 h im leaving with pitbull for the second antibiotic shot. he doesnt look good at all. if I dare say worse than yesterday.

I also got with me a poop sample this time in a proper container to be analized.

my plan is to talk to the vet about toweling, probiotics, analyzing the poo, force feeding him some water with a seryinge and discuss what to do about food. He still is not eating nor drinking anything

 

[dumpling98]

I am back from the vet.

Just before I left for the vet, pitbull started eating again. He did not drink but at least he ate some sunflower seeds. When I got to the vet he seemed a little more lively and even screamed at the vet. much more lively than yesterday.

vet said he could give me probiotics, but he only has them in oily form and if I give them now, pitbull might stop eating again. He wants to give probiotics after 7 days of antibiotics.

He also didnt want to give him any liquid. he said that if he startedeating again, he will also drink again. he said if you force feed them water, they might drown. Isuspect he doesn't have the equipment/experience to force feedbirds. He was rather defensiveabout this topic.

I gave the poop, it will be analyzed by tomorrow they said.

I also went back to the petstore. clerks were a much pleasent experience. they were really sad for pitbull and put me in contact with the vet responsible for the store.

I spoke with that vet, she said I should just continue with the antibiotic shots at the other vet. Now that pitbull started a treatment she said I should stick with that for now.. She also can not do anything else. Because cockatiels are so small, she doesn't want to do any bloodwork, scans, etc. nothing just pray the antibiotics work.

Now Pitbull is sleeping after the vet visit. I pray he starts eating and drinking again.

 

[simon777]

Try to be with Pitbull when he wakes up. Continuing to show and tell him how much you care about him and want him to get better is helping. You want him to want to get better. Remember to praise him greatly when he eats or drinks anything, even one single lick of water.

 

[dumpling98]

@Kodigirl210

I gave him a drop of honeey! It was a battle to get on his beak haha. Even sick he evaded the little teaspoon like a ninja.

Should I give him a lick of honey everyday?

thank you for your input on toweling also. I looked up how to do it and it will help in the future with my other cockatiel too!

@simon777 thanks for telling me to stay with him! It is a stressful time and I am very depressed to see him sick. Spending time with him actually helped. He sleeps a lot during the day so what I did I woke him up 4~5 times a day and he went straight to eating and drinking water. Even if he doesn't trust me, he enjoyed eating seeds with me. I was cracking seeds too with him to enourage him eating and whistling to him. It actually helped. Sometimes I would also dip my fingers in his water bowl and let them drip on him. we would get the message and go have a sip.

If I wouldnt have woken him up, I bet he would not have eaten enough.

Also update on poop:

today I see the first normal looking poop after 2 days of complete diahreea.

2 days ago he stopped pooping solid. only water would come out. literaly just clear liquid that didnt even show on the paper towel.

yesterday he started showing some green parts in the poop, not only water. Today was mostly green diahreea but when I checked him in the evening I saw 1 normal study looking poop. PROGRESS

 

[Kodigirl210]

It definitely won’t hurt. Tiels seem to love millet so I would see if you can interest him in that. The honey is just sugar to help pep him up a little so don’t use if it if you feel he’s on solid footing. I wouldn’t want him to be aggravated at you for nothing and it’s not something you want to enforce as a habit. He just seemed so weak from description. You might try getting him to drink some diluted fruit juice to. No matter what my fids turn their noses up at, it’s not the juice lol. I’m glad your little friend is getting better. Best wishes for continuing recovery!

 

[dumpling98]

It definitely won’t hurt. Tiels seem to love millet so I would see if you can interest him in that. The honey is just sugar to help pep him up a little so don’t use if it if you feel he’s on solid footing. I wouldn’t want him to be aggravated at you for nothing and it’s not something you want to enforce as a habit. He just seemed so weak from description. You might try getting him to drink some diluted fruit juice to. No matter what my fids turn their noses up at, it’s not the juice lol. I’m glad your little friend is getting better. Best wishes for continuing recovery!

I tried to give him millet but he wasn't.interested. will only eat sunflower seeds.

He really was so weak. after 2 days he simply 'imploded' and from normal droppings and vocal went to 1 bloody poop, water diahreea, not moving or eating, fluffed up and sleeping. I am shocked too. all in 1 day. and the petstore said he was so lively too. maybe the poor bird had a dormant sickness that surfaced due to stress of moving? we dont know yet. when I rushed him to the vet, vet said he is so sick that he wont survive bloodwork etc. so he gave him full spectrum antibiotic shot and said we have to wait until he gets more stable before anything else. ( not that there can really be anything else than probiotics and deparasitation, there are no clinics in my small town willing to do bloodwork for small birds and other invasive tests. ) he put him on 1 week of antibiotic shots. tomorrow will be his 3rd shot.

 

[Birdbabe]

May I suggest trying some baby formula from a spoon? Some antibiotics cause upset so they dont want to eat. Try anything! Scrambled eggs, cooked cooled oatmeal, wheat bread, millet, applesauce,,anything! He needs to be hydrated,,,hope hes gonna be ok!

 

[Kodigirl210]

He is way too weak for a blood draw. You're not sure how much blood he lost before his gut got better and it would do absolutely no good to have him pass over drawing blood.

Sometimes you just have to buckle down and accept things then move onto other things. Like with you having symptoms with his poop, that was probably the best thing you could do - collect a stool sample and turn it in.

Everything now is a waiting game. Definitely keep him warm. I would set him up so he’s laying on a heating pad with some clean towels or rags but able to move off of it if he gets too hot. I would also mix in something of yours with whatever he lays on. It will help him adjust to your scent and he might associate it with comfort and warmth-good feelings for the time when things are rougher like the vet.

As @Birdbabe said continue to try to offer him different things to eat: scrambled egg, oatmeal, baby food which are soft, not hard to swallow, and easier on the digestion. Also try to offer him something to drink with sugar and electrolytes such as diluted Gatorade or Pedialyte or diluted fruit juice. Anything to make him a little energy and help balance his blood chemistry out.

Keep up the good work and hopefully your fid will pull through it soon. Best of luck.

 

[dumpling98]

Poop today after 3 days of antibiotics. at least they are more solid.

and a pic with the sick boi

 

[sunnysmom]

I hope he gets better soon!

 

[Ripshod]

Those poops actually don't look too bad, especially with antibiotics. And can definitely see he is drinking. Things are certainly looking up.

 

[dumpling98]

went to check on him just now and bloody poop is back.

 

[simon777]

went to check on him just now and bloody poop is back.

Black or red. Could be what he has been eating is a bit heavy in his delicate stomach. I would suggest soft food. Is there any way to mash up the sunflower seeds. Try to stay positive, he is trying which is definitely better.

 

[dumpling98]

dropings continue to the bloody. here is a newer one

 

[Ripshod]

dropings continue to the bloody. here is a newer one

What are those orange things in his dish? Food colourings can got straight through and colour the poop. You have 2 choices. Either stop feeding those orange things, or stop thinking it's blood.
The only things your tiel is suffering from now are stress and the antibiotics.
Also he'll either eat and drink more without you staring at him all the time, or he's snatching food and water when you're not there. Give him space.

Just saying it how I see it.

 

[dumpling98]

it never occured to me that he could be eating the orange stuff because everytime I watch Pitbull eat, he only eats the sunflower seeds and nothing else.

I hope you are right, but I still think its blood because I saw another poop that was fresh and black.

I am going to remove all the orange stuff and pray his poop goes to normal, so far all poops this evening have been red/black.

How do I make him feel better about the stress and antibiotics? poor thing.

 

[Ripshod]

How do I make him feel better about the stress and antibiotics? poor thing.

There's nothing you can really do about the antibiotics, it's something he needs. The only thing for the stress is to just back off and stop fussing him, let him have more time to himself. Unfortunately the trips to the vet are very stressful, but they will be over soon. Once the vet visits are over you can start working on making friends again.
Poop's also change colour depending on what's been eaten. Very dark green (almost black) is very common with a seed diet. If one of these black poops was to fall in water you'll see it's actually green after a while.

 

[dumpling98]

@Ripshod thank you for explaining! its my first time i have a seriously sick bird so I don't know a lot of things!

I am buckling up for tomorrow. lol
so far every day had good and bad twists

tomorrow will be 4th antibiotic shot

 

[Ripshod]

tomorrow will be 4th antibiotic

Thank goodness for that.
I really beleive you should stop worrying so much, it's doing no good to either of you. And remember, if Pitbull sees you stressed he will get stressed. Hovering around him watching him will also stress him (predator behaviour). By all means sit near him so you're not facing his cage and sneak an occasional look. Talk calmly to him, let him know everything is going to be okay.