Hi! I'm having a similar issue with my dusky conure, and I'm wondering if you have an update on how the anti-fungal is going with your budgie?
Merlin is 22 years old (a senior citizen for a conure, and has been totally healthy his whole life), and since August he's been having episodic respiratory symptoms: sneezing lots in a row (clear discharge, no smell), yawning (vet says likely trying to clear his sinuses), wheezing/ "sticky"/wet sounding breathing, occasional open beak breathing. These episodes seem to come on most when he's regurgitating (he'll half-regurgitate food from his crop and then swallow it, doesn't ever fully regurgitate it). His eating, poop, energy levels, and weight have all been completely normal. He's on a mixed seed and pellet diet, which we supplement with fresh fruit/veg. Plumage is great, and his behavior is the same, he's super loving and bonded with me and my partner.
In October he got blood work, crop cytology, and nasal surface swab, all of which showed nothing abnormal. We put him on an antibiotic just in case (enrofloxacin/ Baytril) which didn't seem to make much of a difference. Then we got a full nasal flush, which also showed nothing abnormal. But we put him on a different antibiotic (azithromycin) to see if that would make a difference -- again, no change.
We've seen two different avian vets at this point, and neither of them know what to make of it. I am SO worried it's asper, but the vets both say that if it were, it likely would have progressed more rapidly, but his symptoms have stayed the same for months.
I've also considered whether it's environmental. We've moved around a lot in the last few months to different houses, so his environment has changed, but the symptoms have stayed the same. If it was irritation at dry air, it doesn't make sense to me why this would start in August (the most humid time of year, as we're in New England).. I haven't tried a humidifer yet, but am worried it wouldn't make a difference, as we have been exposing him to steam in the shower and that doesn't seem to help at all (and in fact sometimes seems to make it worse/ bring on symptoms). He's the only bird, so it's not other birds' dust. We don't smoke and are careful about exposing him to things in the air.
Since he's a small bird, I really don't know what to do. The vet said a full CT scan is unlikely to show anything very clearly; he's too small to take a sample using a needle from his sinuses/ lower in his respiratory system.
Do we just wait this out? Do we try an anti-fungal? I'm worried since he's an old bird about putting him on a toxic medicine unnecessarily. Any advice would be much appreciated! Thanks.
Merlin is 22 years old (a senior citizen for a conure, and has been totally healthy his whole life), and since August he's been having episodic respiratory symptoms: sneezing lots in a row (clear discharge, no smell), yawning (vet says likely trying to clear his sinuses), wheezing/ "sticky"/wet sounding breathing, occasional open beak breathing. These episodes seem to come on most when he's regurgitating (he'll half-regurgitate food from his crop and then swallow it, doesn't ever fully regurgitate it). His eating, poop, energy levels, and weight have all been completely normal. He's on a mixed seed and pellet diet, which we supplement with fresh fruit/veg. Plumage is great, and his behavior is the same, he's super loving and bonded with me and my partner.
In October he got blood work, crop cytology, and nasal surface swab, all of which showed nothing abnormal. We put him on an antibiotic just in case (enrofloxacin/ Baytril) which didn't seem to make much of a difference. Then we got a full nasal flush, which also showed nothing abnormal. But we put him on a different antibiotic (azithromycin) to see if that would make a difference -- again, no change.
We've seen two different avian vets at this point, and neither of them know what to make of it. I am SO worried it's asper, but the vets both say that if it were, it likely would have progressed more rapidly, but his symptoms have stayed the same for months.
I've also considered whether it's environmental. We've moved around a lot in the last few months to different houses, so his environment has changed, but the symptoms have stayed the same. If it was irritation at dry air, it doesn't make sense to me why this would start in August (the most humid time of year, as we're in New England).. I haven't tried a humidifer yet, but am worried it wouldn't make a difference, as we have been exposing him to steam in the shower and that doesn't seem to help at all (and in fact sometimes seems to make it worse/ bring on symptoms). He's the only bird, so it's not other birds' dust. We don't smoke and are careful about exposing him to things in the air.
Since he's a small bird, I really don't know what to do. The vet said a full CT scan is unlikely to show anything very clearly; he's too small to take a sample using a needle from his sinuses/ lower in his respiratory system.
Do we just wait this out? Do we try an anti-fungal? I'm worried since he's an old bird about putting him on a toxic medicine unnecessarily. Any advice would be much appreciated! Thanks.
