Greenwing Advice

[Joey wade]

@Joey wade how is Vader doing today?

After a 12 hour break from food during the night he still has a small little bump for a crop (about the size of my thumb). It's very soft...

Anyway he gained 20g since yesterday and has made it past the 1kg mark!

This morning I added puréed papaya and a small bit of coconut oil to his formula. I also made it a little bit runnier than usual. He ate 100cc of it without the tube. I will add some ACV to his lunch feeding.

I guess my current plan is to just keep a close eye on him and continue looking for any weird behavior and/or droppings.

 

[Macawnutz]

Sounds like he is doing good.

I'd just make the evening feeding more watery, that will give you a chance to watch his progress during the day.

Remember, not too watery, that's his food. Watch all your temperatures and keep up the good work. He is so cute.

 

[rocky'smom]

I am so glad that he is doing so good. keep up the good work Joey.

 

[rocky'smom]

Dr. Tony said that no tube is great, he is really happy that it worked well for you.

 

[Tim]

You have tons of people pulling for you stateside! He is amazing.

 

[rocky'smom]

he is going to be strong healthy GW macaw, once he grows into the big old beaker. WOW I forgot how big those beaks are on baby macaws.

 

[Fia Baby]

Hmm. I'd stick with the course of action you're currently taking, and watch carefully. And be ready to return to the vet to reassess if need be. Some metaclopromide, as someone else suggested, may be a good next step if you don't see improvement. Good luck - I understand your worry.

 

[Hankmacaw]

@Joey wade OK, I'll be honest with you. Vader is so homely he is cute. IMO nothing uglier than a baby GW - but he will grow up to be a magnificent, beautiful Greenwing Macaw and there is no parrot more regal than a GW.

Sounds like he is doing very, very well. Don't fix it if it ain't broke.

 

[rocky'smom]

@Joey wade how is the li'l cutie pie this day ?

 

[Joey wade]

@Joey wade how is the li'l cutie pie this day ?

He's good. Was a bit worried about slow crop. It's taking him about 13 hours to empty his crop at night. But it does eventually get empty. I'm assuming this is okay.

He's also starting to show a little bit of personality and becoming more curious about things.

 

[finchly]

I'm in love with your little cutie. Know nothing of GW, or any macaw, but am watching / pullling for him as I know many others are.

Vader

 

[rocky'smom]

@Joey wade
could you add a little more papaya or some applesauce?

 

[Joey wade]

@Joey wade
could you add a little more papaya or some applesauce?

yes I can. Is there an amount that would be considered too much?

Also, still wondering at what point should I give him medicine to speed it up and/or go back to the vet?

 

[Macawnutz]

None of the medications prescribed are for helping speed up his crop. You have an antibacterial and a pain reliever.

You could take him back to the vet and do another gram stain..... ask the vet if his bacteria has resolved.

 

[Joey wade]

None of the medications prescribed are for helping speed up his crop. You have an antibacterial and a pain reliever.

You could take him back to the vet and do another gram stain..... ask the vet if his bacteria has resolved.

I meant the metaclopromide for his crop.

I've wondered if the hospital even gave the correct medicine. The dr. didn't mention anything about antibiotics but said he was prescribing something for digestion. The medication given was antibiotics (which could have been for the bacteria) and medicine for vomiting and pain (which were never any symptoms). I find it hard to believe they could have had the medications mixed up, but it is Thailand.

Can they do a gram stain from fresh droppings? I am reluctant to move Vader needlessly as it might stress him out.

 

[Macawnutz]

Yes, take a sample in. Get a clean fresh sample and put it in a zip lock bag.

Ask them to do a gram stain / wet mount. You want to know the percentage of gram negative bacteria present and if any budding yeast is seen. If there are either you may want to send it for a culture to determine the correct medications.

 

[Hankmacaw]

Patience is one of the most valuable characteristics when dealing with macaws. IMO - you need to give him a few more days at least on the current regimen. Some more papaya wouldn't be bad, but give him time to show results - he is getting better isn't he? He is gaining weight and acting more responsive.

Metaclopromide does nothing for % of digestion it just stimulates the digestive system to push food on through. Prozyme will predigest the protein in the food, but let me read my package to see if it is OK to give to babies.

 

[rocky'smom]

@Joey wade, I am going to clinic this afternoon (cleaning party) and I can ask Dr. Tony or Dr. Barb then. how many grams is he now ?

 

[Joey wade]

I suppose it's worth noting that I'm somewhat of a hypochondriac myself. Adding to that the loss of the young harlequin and I know I'm probably a bit paranoid. Throw in the unreliable medical system here and it's just a recipe for frustration and worry. Lol

@Hankmacaw - he has always acted fine and gained weight each day. I think the acting more responsive part is probably because he is starting to sleep less and is maturing.

I was curious about probiotics. Seems like there are many opinions on what type to give. It's nearly impossible to get probiotics for people here. Let alone animals. I have some very good NOW probiotics I ordered from the USA. I gave some to the toucan and my other macaw after they had antibiotics (after the harlequin got sick). I am not sure about giving them to a baby bird though.

 

[Joey wade]

@Joey wade, I am going to clinic this afternoon (cleaning party) and I can ask Dr. Tony or Dr. Barb then. how many grams is he now ?

He is at 1,040 grams and today was day 51. So he's gained 200grams in the last 9 days I've had him.