Little Baby Cockatiel

[srtiels]

A lot of gurgling is coming from his nose/head. I'd say, most of it. Okay, yeah. How does a vet do a sinus flush? Is it possible to help him in any way, and is it possible for them to get it out themselves?

Ok...the baby may clear all the stuff out of the sinuses by morning. Some though may irrate the eyes, and also leak out or bubble from the corners of the eyes as he is trying to clear it from inside. If he sounds fine by the AM then there may be no need for a flush, but the vet might put him on oral antibiotics.

I would ask the vet for a dosage to be mixed in his formula. You can have him calculate it for the amount fed per feeding. OR if he wants it given separate from the formula, ask to be shown how to gavage or tube feed it. I'm a chicken when it comes to orally medicating a bird, and always crop tube medicate.

 

[vancha]

I can always feed him the nystatin along with his formula, not necessarily mixed in, couldn't I? Like just feed the formula and then the nystatin separately, but right afterwards so it is diluted in the crop? She told me it is more effective if it is not diluted in the crop and has direct contact with the yeast. Either way, I'll do it like you say. That's how I've done it in the past. This vet knows her stuff and I'm sure she's correct in what she is saying, but I think it would be easier on the baby, to not take the nystatin on an empty crop.

I fed him his formula, he took it well, and is now sleeping... His breathing doesn't sound or look too labored, but his nares are very inflamed.

Also, I can crop feed if necessary but I find most of his food goes down when I feed him. When I fed him the nystatin, it was with an oral syringe, no tube, and none spilled.

 

[srtiels]

Yes...the vet is right as far as the needed contact. I have done it both ways...Orally 10 min before feeding formula and mixed in. It was the dosing of it first where I had a couple of episodes similar to what happened to you. The Nystatin is thick and the babies don't like the taste and pull back at the last second when feeding it and choke. So I then mixed in in the formula, and have found that it was (for me) just as effective.

 

[DebysFids]

awwwww I think I would be scared to feed something that small
I handfed my Tag but she was 8 weeks old and quite a big bigger

 

[vancha]

He still seems to be having trouble, and gurgling... I'll let you know if he makes the night. Okay, it seems worse now. The left side of his throat bulges with every breath... I just don't know.

 

[srtiels]

Is there an emergency vet that can look at him tonight? I'm not sure what would caused the buldging of his throat when he breathes. ((((HUGS))))

 

[vancha]

He's still with us, right now at least. It's been almost 12 hours since this happened. I really can't believe he's still alive. He confuses me so much and has since the moment he was born. One minute he seems like he's having so much trouble breathing, and the next he's flapping his wings, jumping around and squawking for food. I really don't know if he has any chance of survival as it's obvious he has lots of liquid in his lungs and sinuses. I guess standard treatment would be for pneumonia and would involve antibiotics but the question is whether or not the liquid is ever going to get out of his lungs at all... I am so beyond sense right now. A lot of bad things have been happening in my life. I can hardly emotionally bear the shock of this. I half want him to die in his sleep because I can tell he's suffering. I just want it to stop.

 

[Anne & Gang]

AWWW VANCHA SO SORRY....POSITIVE THOUGHTS AND HEALING ENERGIES ON THE WAY

 

[srtiels]

Ok...maybe he should be renamed 'Rocky' he sounds like he is a fighter, and you both have been down a rocky road. He obviously has a very tough resilency and immune system.

If he has obvious sounds of fluids, then yes, he will have to be on antibiotics. Your vet would know the right type. Also something to help with fluids. With congestive heart problems (not in his case, but an example) lasix or similar is used to get fluids out of the body. But the beta-carotene is needed when ever respiratory. I have used herbals (elecampane) with severe respiratory problems with success, but I think first you might try and get him started on antibiotics.

(((HUGS))) I know exactly how you feel. I've been there too many times in the past.

 

[vancha]

Thank you so much, Anne, Susanne and everyone here who has shown their support...
Yes, wow, what a fighter this little guy is! I can hardly explain it. I've heard him making coughing and sneezing sounds that should not come from a bird at all, and yet I wake up this morning and his squeak sounds almost normal although his breathing is gurgly. His eyes are not swollen and nor are his nares... He was even walking around his brooder, begging for food, and bobbing his head as he always does. I fed him and included the Nystatin, but with the food, because he still does have thrush. (Even more things to worry about - we're going back to antibiotics after being on them for so long, and after he already developed a secondary yeast infection, this is just crazy).

I'm going to call my vet and talk to her about what we should do next. It does sound like something like Lasix and antibiotics will be necessary, definitely. What sort of beta carotene supplement do you suggest I get? Anything to help him at all? And from the sound of Lasix, drawing fluid out, won't that dehydrate him?

Once again - thank you so much. I'm still emotionally overwhelmed but his sweet little face does help.

 

[srtiels]

Try and find the capsules. many times it is also available in the gel caps which can be messy...

 

[vancha]

I wasn't able to get an appointment for today. But we're going to go tomorrow.
He was much better today but then he's gotten worse. His lungs sound clear but his sinuses are really irritating him. I think they're inflamed now, but he has dry sneezes. The skin around his eyes looks red, his nares are red, and whenever he breathes through his nose it sounds like a little kid with an incredibly plugged nose. What can the vet do to help him?

Oh, I've heard that steam can help sinuses. Should I perhaps put him in a steamy room? Would it alleviate any of his issues? Poor baby...

I put him back in the incubator, rather than his brooder (which isn't as warm and more suitable to an older baby) because my incubators also are used as "hospital cages". He's now in a very warm and moist environment. I hope this helps. He has a lot of trouble breathing out of his nose. There is actually no clicking in his lungs at all.

 

[srtiels]

Ok...take him to the vet and see what he suggests. I would ask him for some eye drops. he may also give you drops for the nares.

As to the imflamation that is going to last a week or so. it is a side effect from the aspiration. What you may start to see in a week or two is a swelling in the front corner of the eye. it will look like a white mass building up under the skin. If that happens I'll tell you how to deal with that.

If the vet does not give him an injection of a multi-vitamin with Vit A, then see if you can get the beta carotene capsules.

 

[vancha]

I'm grief-stricken. The little guy, who I had started to call "Jimmy", because the name has a spot in my heart and in my past, passed away in my hands just moments ago. It was getting very bad and I was calling everyone all over - places are closed because of the snow, it is nearly impossible to travel. I held him for four hours, just petting him, calming him, letting him listen to music. He calmed down and managed to sleep. A little while ago he woke up and started to flip around, panicked, trying to breathe. He started to go limp but then, started to breathe and was okay... It happened again and he is gone. I feel absolutely terrible and I feel not only that I didn't give him the best chance I could have, but that I contributed to his death... I loved him very much. My luck with... birds, and life in general, is not good right now... In fact, it is terrible. I'm not going to be around here. I just want to thank you, Susanne, for everything. I really tried my best but this little one has been struggling since the very start, and luck has not been on our side. I am going to miss him dearly... RIP, little darling.

 

[feebee]

Rip little guy, you did your very best with him, you gave him a very great life (hugs)

 

[srtiels]

OMG! (((HUGS))), how devastating! RIP little one.

 

[ThatDarnBird]

I'm so sorry. You did such a good job with this little one.

 

[Sharpie]

Fly free little one!

 

[Tielygirl]

I am so sorry! You both worked so hard! You did all you could, and it was not your fault!! You tried your hardest to do what was best for him. I know he knew you loved him and tried your best, but it was just his time. I am sorry! Fly free little guy.