Urgent Excessive vomiting/regurgitation

[Samariana]

I'm currently caring for a 3 month old Catalina Macaw. 2 weeks ago he started vomiting after every feeding. Sometimes bobbing, sometimes flinging. He's been to 2 Avian vets and had 2 crop swabs to no avail. Currently awaiting bloodwork results. He's been on antifungal, antibiotic, and anti nausea meds for almost 2 weeks. He still doesn't hold anything down. We've discovered he won't empty his crop if we're holding him but as soon as he's placed down he starts. Today he started falling off his perches. I've never had a baby throw me for such a loop. Has anyone ever experienced something like this? Is it the Macaw wasting disease? Is it neurological?

 

[rocky'smom]

if you tell where you are maybe we can help you find a better avian vet? I'm going to call those macaw people on this forum that know more about macaws: @Macawnutz , @2macshan , @Hankmacaw , @Milo

 

[Macawnutz]

I want you to get slippery elm bark powder. Mix one tsp with 4 tsp cold water and feed him 1 tsp before formula. It will ease the vomiting. What vet are you using, what tests have they run? He is young so the falling could be his age. Have they tested him for avian gastric yeast?

 

[Milo]

I have the same questions as Sarah. I am worried that they're just throwing antibiotics and antifungals before getting bloodwork results. It potentially sounds like a motility issue, you said his crop does empty?

 

[iamwhoiam]

Hope all will be well with your macaw. Is he keeping anything down at all? Have you been monitoring his weight?

 

[Samariana]

I'm in Moline, Il there are only 2 in this area without traveling hours. I'd have to find the results inorder to tell you if they ran that test. It was also placed on a GI med to increase motility. The Cat has lost around half a pound. I'm guessing it's digesting some, just because we've been feeding him 3 12cc syringes in a feeding and he upchucks around half of that ammount

 

[Samariana]

His blood test should be back tomorrow btw. Just wondering if someone's been through this before.

 

[Milo]

I'm in Moline, Il there are only 2 in this area without traveling hours. I'd have to find the results inorder to tell you if they ran that test. It was also placed on a GI med to increase motility. The Cat has lost around half a pound. I'm guessing it's digesting some, just because we've been feeding him 3 12cc syringes in a feeding and he upchucks around half of that ammount

How is he acting otherwise? That amount of weight loss is very serious for a baby, as I'm sure you know. I would definitely consider driving the distance to a specialist or to ask one of the vets you have seen to consult with one. Dr. Welle at the University of Illinois Veterinary Teaching Hospital will consult with them via email (he's out of the office this week). At this rate there's no way this little one can keep going for long.

When you say blood test, is this a complete blood count and a chemistry or something else?

What meds is he on right now? If you can get the names specifically.

 

[Macawnutz]

You need to have him hospitalized for tube feeding. My BG was very sick at that age and was vomiting all the food I would get in him. He had avian gastric yeast that was only found after the 10th or so crop swab.

@Milo is right, you need to make the drive, your little one does not have a lot of time at this rate.

 

[rocky'smom]

ok what temperature is the formula at ??

 

[Samariana]

Bloodwork to check for issues. Even when I tube feed he won't keep it down. He's not my personal bird, so it's not my decision to make the trip. One of the other girls is there feeding him now and says his poop is bright green. The gastric yeast test has not been done, I will suggest that and a trip to another vet tomorrow

 

[iamwhoiam]

Are you positive he has lost 1/2 pound? That is a big weight loss. Agree w/ others that he should be seen by vet again.

 

[Samariana]

He weighed slightly over 2 pounds memorial day weekend when i first had him seen. He weighs 1.53 today

 

[Milo]

He weighed slightly over 2 pounds memorial day weekend when i first had him seen. He weighs 1.53 today

Bright green feces can mean a couple things, has any testing been done on that or is it a new symptom?

I have seen a similar case with a baby macaw, bloodwork results were not super conclusive but gram stains were abnormal. His was not a good outcome.

Whoever this bird belongs to needs to know that this bird is suffering and needs to be seen by a specialist and potentially hospitalized. This is not going to be an easy fix if it's not already too late.

 

[Macawnutz]

What are you feeding, how much, how often? What consistency and what temperature?

 

[MiniMacaw]

I second everyone's opinion, please tell whoever owns the bird to get him to an avian vet asap. My baby BG hybrid macaw lost a good amount of weight the first week I had him, even after figuring out what meds and treatment he needed because it took a little bit to get all the kinks worked out and the meds to kick in.
If this baby already lost that much weight it's urgent to get him treated in an avian hospital setting.

 

[Samariana]

The most helpful thing I received from this thread is about running a gastric yeast test.
I'm well aware he's sick and doesn't have much time left, that's why I was here trying to find someone with a similar experience.
Not to be told the most obvious course of action 12xs.
Anyone know how to delete these posts?

 

[Milo]

The most helpful thing I received from this thread is about running a gastric yeast test.
I'm well aware he's sick and doesn't have much time left, that's why I was here trying to find someone with a similar experience.
Not to be told the most obvious course of action 12xs.
Anyone know how to delete these posts?

I'm sorry that you don't find them helpful. Sarah is trying to help you, were you able to take her advice about the slippery elm and answer her questions about the formula you're feeding?

Without knowing what the test results show and what has already been done it's very difficult to say "yeah it's..." because GI signs are not very specific. We don't know what the bacterial population is, we don't know if there's yeast in there, we don't know what his white count is or what his organs are doing.

 

[rocky'smom]

because we can't see the bird physically, the only thing we can do is ask questions? and if they seem redundant it's because we need the answers to help us help you and this bird. each person that posts here helps others in the same boat and helps us to help others.

 

[MiniMacaw]

As someone who has worked in the veterinary field I can tell you that if "the most obvious course of action" hasn't been taken yet, but someone says they need answers, well they need to take that most obvious course of action. Not only legally from a veterinary stand point, but ethically it's impossible to get you answers without very specific details on specific questions. As stated above no one knows the test results, feeding details, etc. I guarantee everyone on here only wants what's best for the bird.