(Sad Update #10) How to clean medicine off a wily parakeet?

[damfino1]

I have a 8 year old parakeet named Piccolo who I rescued years ago. He's started having terrible seizures about a month ago and the vet gave him phenobarbital. (The last bad day before the medicine fully kicked in, he had 36 in one day, nearly all severe.) He has to take it three times a day for the rest of his life. He hates being touched and hates having to take medicine. It also doesn't help that the vet thinks a brain tumour has caused him not be able to visually process things which has rendered him blind.

I'm not sure if I'm one of the worst medicine givers ever or he's just that difficult or a mixture of both but he doesn't always swallow and lets the medicine run out the sides of his beak. (And slings it when he manages to free his head from the burrito.) I try to give it in the smallest increments possible but it doesn't take much pressure for the syringe to shoot out more than I want and that mixed with him not always wanting to swallow... the medicine gets all over his face and sometimes chest.

I've been taking a very wet wash cloth and wiping the medicine off but it only seems to smear and it's getting under his feathers, making him raw as well as gluing the feathers together despite attempts to clean them.

I tried to wipe under the feathers and a bit of blood was on the cloth. I don't know what to do to help him. Finally got the seizures down to one-four a day at most (depending on how much medicine makes it into his mouth,) and it'd be great if he wasn't miserable because of the medicine. (And my lack of skill. I have watched videos.)

My vet said to apply corn starch but I don't see how that can be done without moving the stiff feathers (even soaked) which will make him bleed more.

I'd appreciate any advice. I don't want him to suffer any more than he already has.

Dominic

 

[MommyBird]

I have a BCC that gets heart meds twice a day. He is fine about toweling but doesn't always want to swallow and will sling it when I put him down.
Sometimes I have to play "I'm a little teapot" with him. The medicine pools in his lower beak so I tip him forward a tiny bit to get it out of the beak and then tip him back so it runs to the back of the mouth and he swallows reflexively. A bright light can help you see what is happening the first few times. Be careful not to let it run out the sides into his eyes.
Wish I had an answer about cleaning his feathers, perhaps you need to get them much wetter (spray bottle, sink faucet while still holding him?). He probably won't like that but sounds like a difficult situation. Hopefully others have some ideas.

 

[Macaw Lover]

Get yourself some Dawn dish soap, the blue, original one, not the other ones. Make up yourself some soap suds and use that. It will cut a lot of stuff and most likely the medication too. They use it on the birds affected by oil spills.

 

[Lady Jane]

I had this same issue with giving a budgie medication that was tinted orange. I made up a mildly soapy water solution and used Q tips and it worked. Its not easy to medicate a small bird. Mine used to hold it and then spit it out later when I thought he had swallowed it. Here are some videos to help hhow to medicate a budgie - YouTube

 

[Laurul Feather Cat]

Dominic, I have to be honest with you. If he is having 14 major seizures a day and has a brain tumor, I really feel he needs euthanasia. He is miserable, his feathers bleeding and his life painful and of low quality. I know you love him and don't want to lose him. Euthanasia is the last loving thing you can do for him.

Please. Give him the blessing of a pain free death and keep his memory alive in your heart. Let him return to the Goddess and rest.

 

[damfino1]

Thank you very much to everyone. I'm going to try the Dawn water with q-tips. I'm embarrassed that I didn't think of it. I'd almost considered running him under the tap but was worried about water getting in his cere and ears which is certainly the last thing he needs. (I love how most videos show such large, calm birds easily taking their medicine. Piccolo is small but feisty. He fights with every fibre of his being.)

Laurel Feather Cat, I appreciate your concern. I'm sorry I wasn't clearer. I'm happy to say that he doesn't have 14 seizures a day but one to four with him not getting all of his medicine. When all the medicine makes it in, he has at most, one extremely mild seizure a day that lasts at most five seconds. I'm sure once I get it sorted out and get the medicine removed from his feathers and manage to get 100% of the dose each time, he'll be doing great. I think a smaller syringe might help too.

I'm not one to shy away from euthanasia. I had seriously considered it before finding a vet that found the tumours and gave him the pheno instead of wasting precious time with medicine for metal poisoning he didn't have that was making him worse. I'd like for him to live out his remaining months in peace.

 

[Lady Jane]

Please keep us updated on how you are doing with him. We do care!

 

[damfino1]

Will do and the caring is appreciated. I've asked my vet multiple times about what to do for his stiff feathers but the corn starch for rawness is the only advice she'd give. Well, that and an emphatic "NO!" to even a trickle of water from a tap.

I'd say he got about 75% of his medicine per dose yesterday which is an improvement. This morning garnered 100%. I'm happy to say the Dawn (four drops to eight ounces of water) and Q-tips are working. I can only clean him a little after each dose because I don't want to stress him too much at once. His feathers look a little bit softer and he seems to feel better. I imagine it'll get better each time. I tried the little teapot method and it worked a few times. The others, once he realised he wasn't done and I wasn't going to put him back in the cage, he swallowed.

Before the seizures had calmed down, the vet gave me medicine in a syringe to give by vent for when he had clusters of them. Thankfully, the clusters stopped and I haven't had to use it but I had been very worried about giving it to him as it seemed like it'd be quite difficult. After wrangling him for the phenobarbital, giving medicine by vent doesn't seem so trying anymore.

Dominic

 

[Tyrion]

I would caution against anyone using phenobarb for any pet ...I lost my wolfdog puppy to phenobarb overdose ...it killed his liver in a matter of months ...there a better drugs out there to control seizures ...please research your drugs ...

 

[damfino1]

I apologise for taking so long to reply. Piccolo passed away peacefully at home on June 25. Thanks again for all the advice.

 

[expressmailtome]

I am very sorry for your loss.

Matt

 

[Macawnutz]

So very sorry.

 

[MommyBird]

I'm sorry for your loss.
Fly high and free little Piccolo.

 

[Aubrey]

 

[webchirp]

I am so sorry....

 

[sunnysmom]

I'm very sorry for your loss.

 

[Macaw Lover]

I'm sorry to hear this but maybe it was best for little Piccolo.
Wings High little one.

 

[MarieL]

So sorry for your loss.

 

[zoo mom]

I am so sorry for the loss of your buddy Piccolo.

 

[TWR]

I'm so sorry for your loss