Antibiotics Working for the Wrong Bird.

[AussieBird]

Sunbeam has had a drastic improvement in her behaviour. Only thing different is that Winston got put on antibiotics, and since it goes in the water she's been getting it too (Doxycycline, for those who want to know).
This gives me a reason to see if Winston's vet will have a look at her, so hopefully she'll get an appointment soon or tag along to Winston's next one. But until then I am wondering if anyone can maybe help me understand why these would be helping her? I've been talking with a family member and we've been tossing around the idea that there's actually something wrong with her liver (instead of a tumour), and/or that she has a secondary infection.

 

[Mizzely]

Interesting! I wish I knew!

 

[Aestatis]

It could be a secondary infection, but doxycycline also has anti-inflammatory effects in humans. Maybe it works the same for birds?

 

[AussieBird]

It could be a secondary infection, but doxycycline also has anti-inflammatory effects in humans. Maybe it works the same for birds?

I've not read about that, all I know about Doxycycline is that with birds it's aimed at bacterial problems. I'll probably be talking with the vet tomorrow.

@Pixiebeak I know you've used doxy with your birds, got any ideas?

 

[Aestatis]

I've not read about that, all I know about Doxycycline is that with birds it's aimed at bacterial problems. I'll probably be talking with the vet tomorrow.

@Pixiebeak I know you've used doxy with your birds, got any ideas?

Yes, this is part of why long term doxycycline is used for acne. Yes, it kills acne-causing bacteria, but the anti-inflammatory effect was discovered later on and helps reduce breakouts too.

 

[WillowQ]

If she’s doing radically better in a short time, I’d guess this is from the antibiotic quality rather than the anti inflammatory quality of the doxycycline.

mid assume that both birds might have same issue, to some extent, if they’re in the same cage.

 

[Pixiebeak]

I've not read about that, all I know about Doxycycline is that with birds it's aimed at bacterial problems. I'll probably be talking with the vet tomorrow.

@Pixiebeak I know you've used doxy with your birds, got any ideas?

Doxycycline is a great broad spectrum antibiotic, it can be covering a number of things .

As mentioned above it does have anti inflammatory effect.

If your bird has a tumor, tumors often lead necrosis in those tissues, and you get bacteria growing in dead tissues. So the antibiotics could be helpful for that.

If you have cancer, your immune system has a lot of battles going on , so opportunist infection elsewhere and antibiotics are helping.

And as always , I talk about avian Chlamydia, budgies can have instances of this in more chronic form. It likes living in the liver , and chronic inflammation from low level chronic infection could lead to liver disease, and green urates are classic in this infection ( but also other infection or liver issues) so the doxycycline is the best at clearing this infection, but takes 45 days, often with a second round needed.

 

[WillowQ]

So how has Sunbeam’s behavior improved? Is she less broody? (That might give some idea what’s going on.)
And I’ve been searching for Winston to find out what’s going on with him.

 

[AussieBird]

Winston's main health problem is an impacted/infected (Vet is still unsure what exactly it is) preen gland. He's on a precautionary course of antibiotics because at his last appointment the vet thought he'd lost weight (going off body condition, we hadn't weight him before. I've started doing that daily now) and his behaviour at his appointment was quieter then he normally is.

Sunbeam has been hormonal, but after talking with one of the nurses at the clinic we think she might have a tumour. Before the antibiotic her behaviour was extremely worrying, all she'd do it lay (not perch) on a perch only getting up to eat or when I convinced her to come out for a fly around. Now she is much more active spending the majority of her time shredding toys and is back to trying to escape every chance she gets.

I don't think they have the exact same thing, maybe the same secondary infection on top of their individual problems?

 

[WillowQ]

“I don't think they have the exact same thing, maybe the same secondary infection on top of their individual problems?”
That’s what I meant; since they’re sharing a cage they’re probably sharing bacterial flora too. Bad or good flora.
I don’t know if Winston would put up with you hotpacking the preen gland? It would probably feel good…