Please help!

[Deejo]

And the U of Guelph would have done a crop biopsy. Apparently Dr. Taylor is out of country, according to what she posted.

 

[WingedVictory]

Good Morning,

There are many good suggestions and observations in the above posts. Please make the call to Dr. Brian Speer he is an expert on macaws. Next drop the vitamins in combination with the pellets.

If you have time you might post what tests have been run on your bird for this illness. As far hand feeding, make sure you know how to do it before you start! If you don't know how to hand feed, let the bird eat off a spoon or put the formula in his lower beak, do not squirt formula down the birds throat. Since your bird likes the flavor of pellets, grind a small quantity up in a portable coffee grinder for the base of a feeding formula. Next you can add to the ground pellets for variation, ground broccoli, ground peppers, apples, bananas, etc. Season the mixture with cayenne pepper or cinnamon for flavor and their benefits. Add some instant ounces or Avi-gain for extra calories. If you don't have instant ounces or the Avi-gain, add some almond butter. Another high calorie item you can offer your bird is pine nuts out of the shell, most birds love them. If your bird does not have an appetite you can add herbs to the hand feeding formula as a supplement. Run what I'm suggesting by your avian vet to get his blessing as he has seen all the test results etc. Sorry in advance if I seem hash on the hand feeding.

Please keep us posted.

gary

 

[parrotluv]

It really sounds like PDD. The U of Guelph now can do the test by blood. I believe it is fairly new advancement in research. I had a bird tested last year and it cost me about $100, but it took about 2 weeks for the results. Turns out it was negative but my bird died soon after, turned out to be kidney failure.

YOu should really try to see if your vet can order the test kit for this test.

 

[LouAnn]

Wow. I am amazed at so many replies and so much information. I really appreciate the information and people taking the time to contact me. I will try to answer as much as I can. My vet is an Avian Vet, one of the few in this area. She did tell me she tested for PDD and they ruled that out. She did recommend the vitamins as Carlos is not eating well and limited pellets. (Carlos was supposed to be a boy, turned out a girl) The pellets I use are Tropical Lifetime Granules and ZuPreem Avian Maintenance, offering both as she sometimes will eat one, other times the other. nuts she eats are almonds, walnuts, peanuts, hazelnuts, brazil nuts, peacans, and pine nuts.She will eat broccoli, green and red peppers, green beans, caulifower, corn, peas, asparagus, sweet potato. She likes blueberries, bananas, apples, pears, and sometimes grapes. She does like seeds (sunflower, pumpkin) Since she has been ill she changes day by day. Peanuts were her favourite, now she won't look at them. That is also the case with almost everything now. The vet had me stop giving fruits due to the high glucose levels. I am writing this while waiting for an emergency vet to get back to me. Carlos fell off her cage (playpen) tonight. She landed on the floor and ran right to me. She was nodding off and I was just going to put her in for the night when she fell. She was very shaky but her perch is quite wide and easy to balance on. She seems to have chipped the end of her beak and there is a little blood on it. I think I am shaking as much as her. She went to her bowl and had a drink and now is calm. I did find Macaw hand feeding formula and pickede it up this afternoon. Found it at Parrotdise Perch in Mississauga. I don't know how to hand feed but can feed by spoon or under her tongue in very small bits.

The one glimmer of hope I have is that her droppings that have been so liquid (clear with a green string through it) have been getting whiter and whiter the last week, less liquid. While they used to splash across several inches are now closer to normal. As for Guelph and Dr. Taylor, my vet and I are both afraid that Carlos would not survive a scope or the anesthetic.

I think I answered everyone. If I missed something or need to clarify, please let me know. I will stop the vitamin supplement right away.

 

[birdlvr466]

I hope your vet will consult with one of the vets listed in this thread. My thoughts and prayers are with you.

 

[Deejo]

LouAnn...do you have a smaller cage for Carlos? She needs to be in something smaller, with no danger of falling.
You can line the cage with towels to protect her chest from a fall.
For feeding the formula, make sure it's nice & warm, and let her eat it from a spoon.
Did you ask your vet about calling Dr. Speer?
Also....that's good that you are no longer feeding peanuts.

 

[LouAnn]

I am so sorry about your Peeps. It really is nice to hear from people who understand. My friends humour me but usually comment.....its just a bird. They don't understand how personable, friendly, entertaining, and loveable our babies are. Like you I am not giving up. Carlos is very important to me and she deserves the best chance possible. Please keep me updated.

 

[Danita]

Aw Louann, I really feel for you.

Have you tried oatmeal? Sometimes they like that, with peanut butter or banana in it.

 

[WingedVictory]

Hi, thank you for replying to us. I second getting your bird into a smaller cage and lowering the perch, lower the perch even if you don't have a small cage. ZuPreem would not be my choice for a sick bird, Harrisons, Lafeber, or a good organic pellet would be much better. Has your vet tested for Asper and Zinc?

Try the oatmeal with peanut butter or banana as suggested above.

gary

 

[suncoast]

Aspers, that was what I was thinking too.

Ginger

 

[birdlvr466]

Gary good thought on the zinc I never thought of that. Does your bird chew on the metal on his cage or toys? Zinc poisoning is a possibility. Heavy Metal Poisoning in Birds: Symptoms and treatment as well as prevention
Oh my really reading the symptoms of zinc poisoning sounds like a lot of the symptoms your baby has. Can you tell us if your vet tested for this?

 

[Anne & Gang]

callthe GUELPH VETERINARY SCHOOL...ASAP.. they have renowned avian vets there.....you need a second opinion praying hard foryour baby

 

[Annamacaw]

You guys are awesome... I have no ideas, but just want to say how much I love this forum and I am praying hard for Carlos and Luann and I hope this baby is all better soon!!!!

 

[Jan]

Did your vet check for Tuberculosis? Birds can get that too.

 

[ncGreyBirdLady]

I'm so sorry that Your Baby is sickI agree about having a smaller cage for him while He is not strong and well. Have You tried feeding him well cooked scrambled eggs(still warm)? If Your Vet has not tested for metal poisoning,I sure would Mention to Him about doing it! Healing Thoughts and Prayers for Your Baby and Many For You!

 

[Annamacaw]

Update on Carlos?????

 

[jmfleish]

There is no test for PDD on a live bird, so you cannot rule out PDD. Heavy metal poisoning might be an issue as well and I'd test for that immediately as lead poisoning can kill in a matter of days. On another forum I'm on, someone lost their Eclectus in a 24 hour period because he ate some paint off the molding in the owner's apartment that had lead in it. Before they could even figure out what was going on, the bird was dead. Zinc poisoning can be more chronic and won't kill as quickly but is serious and needs to be adressed. Both can be tested with a single blood draw. I don't think it's asper or you would be seeing breathing problems. I wish you the best of luck, please keep us informed.

 

[lzver]

So sorry to hear about Carlos ... who is your vet in the Brampton area? I live in Guelph and know a few people that work at Guelph University through the parrot club. The last I heard before Christmas, Dr. Taylor was ill and was taking some time off. I'm not sure if he has returned to work. I could certainly email the few people I know to see if there is any chance that Carlos could get in to see him.

I also take my birds to see Dr. Allison Tait at the Campus Estates Animal Hospital in Guelph. I'm very happy with her, but none of my birds have been ill, so I can't comment from that perspective.

 

[Birdiemarie]

Sadly Carlos has passed away.
http://forums.avianavenue.com/highway-heaven/47014-update-carlos-military-macaw.html

 

[birdlvr466]

Oh no.....