Suggestions Appreciated

[Danita]

I am so sorry to read about Max

I feel badly that Mo will have to be medicated all the time. I hope he has a great quality of life in the coming years.

I hope your son doesn't get too grumpy Most males that can't do what they want are pretty miserable.

 

[SunUp]

Hugs for all of you. Sounds like you're getting some answers for Mo, and a plan of action. My husband has had surgery in the past which kept him off his feet - he's very active so it was really hard on him. I know what you're dealing with with you son. Max knew he was loved.
Be good to yourself!

 

[roxynoodle]

I'm really sorry your son's injury is so serious

Sounds like the new vet has the exact same take on treating Mo that Dr. O suggested. We also think Merlin has an inherited neurological disorder at this point.

Since you've had trouble with the meds and she ate the Nutriberries I suggest using those for the meds. The Celebrex is the easy one because it's a small dosage and you can put it on ahead of time to let it dry.

If the antifungal is not refrigerated you might try also putting that on ahead of time. I am guessing the antibiotic is refrigerated. I would put that on about half an hour ahead of time and yes, it will be a bit messy, but hopefully she will eat them. I would not give her any other food until she eats all the Nutriberries with the meds.

If she likes oatmeal or mashed potatoes that might work better for the antifungal and antibiotic.

 

[Alioop]

Thanks, everyone. Audrey the dosage of the antibiotic is pretty high (quite a lot of it!). Fortunately, that, and the omega are only once per day. The antifungal is just 0.15 which is not a lot and I can smell the orange flavoring in it. All of them need refrigeration, unfortunately! She is not real averse to the antibiotic or the omega, but she is NOT having that orangey antifungal and the DMG, though that appears to be flavorless. Or at least it was flavorless to me! I've managed to get most of the meds in her each morning and evening, though I admit, I've also worn a bit of it as well. I'm hoping I'm getting enough in her to remedy the issue, but if it takes a little longer than two weeks, so be it. She is gonna have to get used to the routine, whether she likes it or not. Heaven knows I'm not liking it either. :-/

 

[ncGreyBirdLady]

 

[Cara]

Alicia

So sorry about Max. He is lucky you guys found him. I love boxers, but it seems like they are so active that many of them require that ACL surgery. Our dog Mojo had both legs done, and we saw the same boxer there for each of his surgeries. While Mojo was great during his recuperation, I guess the boxer had a very hard time with the 'taking it easy' part of the process.

It sounds like you are making some progress with Mo. I know celebrex has been used successfully on birds, and that crew at Texas A&M is supposed to be wonderful.

 

[Cara]

Oh, and you should really talk to your vet about given meds via injections rather than orally. It sounds scary, but all of my birds did better with the shots - I honestly think that getting stuck was less traumatizing than having icky stuff shot down your throat. Our M2 was on antibiotics for some kind of infection, and we did half a round with oral meds and then a full round with injections because I knew he was spitting most of the stuff out.

 

[roxynoodle]

I'm really glad she's taking the antibiotic well for you! That's the one Merlin generally is the worst with. She doesn't like OptOmega either.

Since the antifungal is such a small amount, I wonder if putting it in the same syringe with the antibiotic would help? Try loading one, getting an air bubble and then loading the second and mixing it up. That's what I have to do to get that OptOmega in Merlin or she will fling or dribble it.

 

[Alioop]

Thanks for all the support and great suggestions, everyone! We are having our 'good days' and our 'I'm gonna fight you beak and nail days', but I am managing to get most, if not all, of the meds and supplements in Ms. Mo's 'mouth!' With any luck, the 14 days of treatment will be sufficient with the anti-fungal and antibiotic, and then I just have to worry about the celebrex, optomega, and DMG, twice daily and they are ALL very small amounts - the Optomega being the largest at 0.1mg and she actually likes it!
She seems to be eating a little better as each day passes, and is slowly gaining weight - we are up to 378g as of this morning, post-poop! There has been no evidence of a seizure since Dec. 3rd, and each day that passes without one is a very good thing, IMO. The only thing I have noticed recently is a slight change in her poop - particularly the morning poop. It was usually a bit on the 'solid', well formed side, but recently it's a bit more 'creamy' or runny in consistency, but the color is about the same, so I'm guessing it's due to the meds, just like it affects humans (either a bit constipation or loose bowels). And I can't believe I'm sitting here writing about Mo's poop! I can only hope I'm not the on parrot parent who does so! LOL

Bonnie, while shopping for groceries, and our supplies for our Spanish style "Noche Buena" (Christmas Eve meal) yesterday at our local supermarket, my husband happened upon Hurst HamBeens Brand 16 Bean Soup! I don't know if that's the brand you buy, but I figured what-the-heck, and bought a bag. It does come with a spice bag inside, which I will not be using. Even though I ordered a Bob's Red Mill 13 Bean Soup Mix from Vitacost.com when I placed my supplements order, it has not arrived yet and I needed to make a new batch of your recipe. But what I did is, since I use such a small amount for her, I used 1/2 C of the Beans and Grains Soup Mix I bought previously, and 1/2 C of the 16 Bean Soup Mix, so she'd get both an assortment of beans AND grains. To that I will add the frozen mixed veggies, some frozen organic Broccoli cuts, the cooked Macaroni noodles, and about 1/2-3/4 C of the Trail Mix, and I may drain and rinse a can of Chickpeas, which I know she really likes - since the bean mix does have some chickpeas, but not many. I figure it can't hurt. That batch, portioned into 1 C. portions, then frozen, should last me through the end of January, most likely.

Because I have soooo much baking to do between today and tomorrow - and no, I have not Christmas shopped yet! - I want to take the opportunity right now to wish each and every one of you a truly Blessed Christmas and Abundant New Year! As Tiny Tim said, God Bless us, every one!

 

[Cara]

Merry Christmas to you & yours!

 

[roxynoodle]

So glad she's doing better!

I hope you all have a wonderful Christmas

 

[ncGreyBirdLady]

Alicia,that sounds like a great plan(using some of both bean mixes) You can tweak any way You like with stuff that You know she will eat I hope You all have a wonderful Christmas and even better New year-Give Ms Mo a scritch from Me

 

[Alioop]

Thank you Bonnie! I did the mix of the two, added the can of well drained, rinsed chickpeas, added the macaroni, the mixed veggies, added some chopped up broccoli, then took the trail mix, but up some of the larger fruit pieces (per your instruction) but also added a bit more walnut pieces, almonds, some filberts, and little bit more dried cranberry, since this new bag I bought seemed to have much more fruit than nut. I blended that all in, and continued with your instructions. I will certainly give Ms. Mo a scrtich for you, but after she gets over being mad at me over her meds! Luckily, it doesn't last long. LOL

 

[Danita]

I am wondering what the recipe is?

 

[Alioop]

Here is the link to the recipe, Danita:

DUH-I forgot to put in the link

My Birdy Bean/fruit/nut/Veggie Mix | Avian Avenue Parrot Forum

 

[RJ Noodle]

Merry Christmas to your family and Ms Mo!

 

[Alioop]

I hope everyone had a wonderful Christmas. We had our follow-up visit at second opinion vet, yesterday. They took more blood to check her WBC. Hopefully, it's back to normal and we can discontinue the antibiotic and antifungals. Then we will just be down to the Optomega 1x daily, and the Celebrex and DMG 2 x daily, and they are small doses, so it will be much easier to coerce Miss Thang to take the stuff...or at least much faster! LOL
Her visit yesterday was quite stressful, because aside from the blood draw, they were giving her a quick physical and the vet needed to watch her walk to assess her neurologically. Mo was not havin' any of it, growling and clicking to the point that she put a tiny chip in her beak! Nothing to cause an issue, but it just shows how mad she was. Anyway, the vet said her gait was still a bit clumsy - but in truth Mo has never been an overly graceful bird. Still, I could see what she was referring to, and I'm wondering if it could be the seizures have caused a permanent imbalance? The vet couldn't really say. She said that aside from Texas A & M, she had also contacted the head of the Avian research department at LSU. They said they had no problem doing an MRI on a CAG, because though they keep the room cool, they monitor the bird's temp throughout the procedure to make sure it doesn't drop to a point where it would be life threatening. That said, the cost of the MRI is $1,000! So, guess who's not getting an MRI?! I think even if I had the money, I don't know that I'd put her through that. I feel like she's been through enough.
This morning when I went in to start her day, as I was taking her out of her tupperware 'sleeping box', I noticed she has some dried urates smeared on her right wing, and also noticed some poop on the edge of her pellet bowl. I am hoping it was due to her accidentally leaning on the right side, as she stepped down from the rope perch inside the box, then stepping into the poop itself as she made her way to the food bowl. She has been walking a little slower and more deliberately than she has in days previous, but she hasn't been sleepy, like she usually is after a seizure. She has also been a bit quieter than she has been over the last few days, but though her eating was a bit so-so when I first 'woke' her, she has been busy grazing - in and out of her cage continually, going from pellet bowl to veggie bowl and back - all morning and afternoon. Hubby says I'm being paranoid and that when I left the house to go pick up her Rx refills, that she was busy whistling, trying to get attention. Could it be she is just 'recovering' from the stressful vet visit yesterday?

(On a side note: my son had his surgery. It went very well. The procedure, from the time they took him into the prep room till the time he was in recovery was less than 45 minutes! Amazing!)

 

[RJ Noodle]

So glad your son's surgery went well! Hopefully, Ms Mo is on the road to recovery as well! Thinking and praying for you and your family at this stressful time!

 

[roxynoodle]

I really am hoping they are both feeling better.

 

[ncGreyBirdLady]