Blu has an ear infection

[CrazyBirdChick]

My birds have always lost tail feathers amongst wing and body feathers.

My guess is when he yawns it is opening up the eustachian tube, same as when we yawn to make our ears pop.

Thank you so much, that's very reassuring.

 

[sunnysmom]

My birds seem to molt out their big feathers together- tail and wing- and the have a separate little feather molt- all those little fluff feathers. I hope Blu improves soon. I know how stressful this has been for you.

 

[CrazyBirdChick]

My birds seem to molt out their big feathers together- tail and wing- and the have a separate little feather molt- all those little fluff feathers. I hope Blu improves soon. I know how stressful this has been for you.

Thank you so much. I've never really paid as much attention to Blu's molts before because they've never been this heavy but I don't recall Blu losing so many body feathers at the same time as tail and wing feathers. He's always been a continuous molter throughout the year. A little here and there. But I could just be over sensitive with all that we're going through. I wonder if maybe, just maybe, he's getting healthy so he has energy to get all new feathers? I hope that would be the case.

 

[Shezbug]

Burt recently lost two tail feathers along with a few flights. Hope Blu will be ok.

 

[CrazyBirdChick]

Burt recently lost two tail feathers along with a few flights. Hope Blu will be ok.

Thank you so much

 

[CrazyBirdChick]

It looks like Blu's ear is finally looking better and I'm seeing lot of pins by the ear as well

Taken today


But something that keeps happening is, right after I took this pic, he scratches at the pins and makes them bleed. I think it's setting back the feathering process a bit cause it's happened like 3 times now.

We have our next appointment tomorrow. I wonder if there's anything I can do to calm the scratching down

 

[sunnysmom]

It is looking better! : )

 

[fashionfobie]

That is a welcomed update! Road to recovery

 

[Tiel Feathers]

I’m so glad he finally seems to be getting better! I hope he stops scratching the pinnies and lets them grow in. All I can think of to soften them up is baths, but we already know he gets plenty of those!

 

[CrazyBirdChick]

Thanks Michelle, Natalie, and Deanna! I'm feeling better about all of this finally!

Unfortunately Blu only accepts a bath about once a week, twice a week if I'm lucky. I wonder if a little coconut oil on his cheek would hurt anything? It's so soothing and antibacterial. I use it for everything on myself lol.

 

[CrazyBirdChick]

We just got home from our appt and I'm so happy to say that the vet thinks Blu looks much better this time. She actually said he looks great! She said we can stop all meds except for the meloxicam and see how it goes. She said that if it happens to come back or get worse then we'll have to go to the University of Chicago or University of Madison for a ct scan, incase there's something going on she can't see. I really really really hope he continues to do well!

 

[Greylady1966]

That's wonderful news

 

[fashionfobie]

Fantastic! Sending good vibes

 

[Keetie!]

So glad to hear a great report. I remember that I had to go to a teaching Vet Hospital for a surgery on my budgie Baby. I guess that it the next step. You now have a plan and it sounds like a positive one. I am sending health and wellness to your baby Blu!!!

 

[Milo]

Thanks Michelle, Natalie, and Deanna! I'm feeling better about all of this finally!

Unfortunately Blu only accepts a bath about once a week, twice a week if I'm lucky. I wonder if a little coconut oil on his cheek would hurt anything? It's so soothing and antibacterial. I use it for everything on myself lol.

Topicals like that aren't really ever anything my docs recommend. I wouldn't add another variable just in case something changes, you don't want to confuse the issue if it's the addition of a new thing or if it's the old problem recurring.

If you don't drive down to U of I, the folks at U Madison are great

 

[CrazyBirdChick]

Topicals like that aren't really ever anything my docs recommend. I wouldn't add another variable just in case something changes, you don't want to confuse the issue if it's the addition of a new thing or if it's the old problem recurring.

If you don't drive down to U of I, the folks at U Madison are great

That makes total sense, thank you again! He isn't scratching himself to the point of bleeding anymore, thankfully, so I'm hoping he'll continue to heal. He's slowly getting more and more pins but what concerns me a little is that sometimes his ear canal looks like a normal little hole and sometimes it looks more closed up. Usually when he first wakes up it looks more closed.

If anything happens to take a turn for the worse my first instinct was to go to Madison rather than Chicago, even though the drive would be more difficult. So glad to have your recommendation incase we need it. Thank you again!

 

[CrazyBirdChick]

Not the greatest picture due to lighting but you can see lots of new pins ready to pop up

 

[Milo]

If anything happens to take a turn for the worse my first instinct was to go to Madison rather than Chicago, even though the drive would be more difficult. So glad to have your recommendation incase we need it. Thank you again!

U of I is down in Champaign (they have a cat/dog only service in the Chicago area), I'm not sure if they're referring you to another practice in Chicago maybe?

The pinnies are great! There's a chance there's some chronic inflammation or granulation tissue there so it may not look "normal" but could be his new normal for that ear canal

 

[CrazyBirdChick]

U of I is down in Champaign (they have a cat/dog only service in the Chicago area), I'm not sure if they're referring you to another practice in Chicago maybe?

The pinnies are great! There's a chance there's some chronic inflammation or granulation tissue there so it may not look "normal" but could be his new normal for that ear canal

That's interesting. I could have sworn she said either University of Chicago or University of Madison but I will have to double check my receipt. Just for curiosity's sake because I've already made up my mind that if we have to go, we'll go to Madison. It's over two hours away but I feel better about them from what I've heard.

Also really good to know that the granulation might be normal. He is growing more and more feathers just around the ear but the ear still looks weird and I'm not sure whether or not we should go to the University just yet. What concerns me if that sometimes his ear canal looks almost closed up and sometimes it's more open. It's like there's a little flap or wart like thing there that I don't think is supposed to be there? I'm trying to hold off a bit before making an appointment because money is a little tight and I don't wanna go that far of a distance and pay so much for a procedure he may not need. I will do it ofcourse if he needs it but I'm hoping he's still healing slowly.

This is his ear yesterday

 

[CrazyBirdChick]

I forgot to say thank you @Milo! I appreciate you sharing your thoughts!