Budgie, unknown illness

[budgie000]

My male budgie (3 years old) has been suffering from an unknown gastrointestinal illness for 6 months now. He vomits his food about 3 times a week, and when he does normally he has black feces (like tar). Sometimes, he gets very sick, vomiting everyday. When that happens, normally it means that he got AGY (megabacteria). Treatment (Fungizone) makes him improve quickly, and he goes back to his normal (still vomiting 2-3 times a week, but active and playful).

We performed some blood tests He got X-rays taken, and results are inconclusive (a bit of delay in passing food, but otherwise nothing that shows PDD). Some bloodwork shows that maybe there is some liver damage.

Current treatment is liver protector and vitamins. Any ideas about what to do? I feel our vets are running out of ideas...

 

[Hankmacaw]

There is a relatively new test available for ABV (still nothing non-invasive for PDD) and it will give very reliable results as to whether ABV is present or not. This test is called the anti-ganglioside antibodies test. My vet charged $148 dollars for it, but the results can either put your mind to rest or give you impetus to start treating for PDD.

My girl had ABV when I got her, but has now developed clinical PDD.

 

[sunnysmom]

Welcome to the forum. I'm sorry your bird is sick.

 

[budgie000]

I have been reluctant to do a ABV test (90 EUR here) because I have read that many birds carry it without them ever showing symptoms (PDD). I am afraid that if my bird test positive, the vets will definitely not look into other possibilities... Clinically there are things (like the lack of enlarged proventiculus in the x rays, and the black feces) that do not seem to match PDD.

 

[Hankmacaw]

The reason that Dr. Driggers did the ABV test on Kitty was because she had recently lost over 100gm. We had talked about the test for my Jasper, who died in Sept. from Aspergillosis, and had been chronically ill for the entire 23 years I had her, but decided not to because she had already been on celebrex for a couple of years.

It's really a catch as catch can whether or not to do the test. The only thing that I think makes it more reasonable now is that the results are very dependable.