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Cockatiel cold symptoms but NO aviary vet??

JustADingo

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hello!!
my bub Matcha (pearl pied cockatiel, 2.5 years old, bit of a hefty gal) has come down with some cold symptoms she probably caught from me. (usually after a cold i deep clean my room to make sure theres minimal germs and i also want to make sure that i get back on track asap but i didnt do this yet because i wasnt at the top of my game)

she has the basic symptoms, such as a wet sneeze, lots of rest and slightly but consistently bobbing tail while sleeping and thats about it. she also seems to chirp the same (if not a little bit less but that might be because she was done molting and around that time period she goes quieter) and has the same energy as she usually does.

the problem is i moved to a new area and there is absolutely zero aviary specialists here. the closest one is 1.5 hours away by car and the poor thing hates the 7 minute ride it used to be, let alone a 1.5 hour ride and they are only in on thursdays and fridays.
what are peoples’ experiences with cockatiel/bird colds? this is my first time dealing with it and needless to say im very stressed.
how long do the colds last?
do you recommend i travel the 3 hours for the aviary vet? or should i go to a regular vet even though shes only ever been handled badly by regular/canine vets?

sorry if i come off as nooby, i just really care for matcha. she changed my life in the best way and i dont think i am being dramatic when i say she saved me. i dont want to lose her yet and theres so little resources of cockatiel colds that i feel like my paranoia is warranted.

TLDR: cockatiel has cold symptoms, nearest aviary vet is 1.5 hours away. shes been handled roughly by regular vets so i dont trust them. advice?
 

The_Mayor

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Is it possible to see if either the new vet or your old one will do a telemedicine visit to assess her symptoms and see if it's something she needs to come in for?
 

JLcribber

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Parrots don't catch colds from humans. It's not a zoonotic disease. The symptoms you describe are also the same as an overweight sedentary bird (that may also not fly). The extra weight and lack of fitness puts a stress on the entire respiratory system causing laboured breathing and thus tail bobbing.
 

Hankmacaw

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First of all - for your continuing education - parrots do not have colds, second a bird cannot catch a cold or flu from a human. Those illnesses are not zoonotic (can't be passed between an animal and a human).

As @JLcribber says, if your bird is significantly overweight that could be causing the symptoms you see. Obesity is one of the major causes for health problems in captive parrots. Saying that she may have an infection, but it will take a vet to diagnose - we can't.

Put your baby on a diet and a regular exercise regimen, right now, if you want her to have a long healthy life.
 

Mizzely

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Sadly a lot of us live far away from avian vets! My last one was 1.5 hours away also. Now the closest one is over 2 hours :(
 

sunnysmom

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If she is having wet sneezes regularly, I would try to find a way to get her to a vet. You can call your local vet offices and ask how many birds they treat. Some vets, although not avian certified, treat a large number of birds and are good even though not technically an exotic vet. You can also try an initial on-line vet consult to see what they think.
 

finchly

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If it’s bacterial in nature, the bird needs antibiotics. If it’s viral, it just has to run its course.

Are you in the US? In some countries people are more used to doing plant based treatments. You can feed your bird neem leaves or make neem tea. Another edible, safe plant to try is oregano.
 

JustADingo

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Is it possible to see if either the new vet or your old one will do a telemedicine visit to assess her symptoms and see if it's something she needs to come in for?
i called in and they said if its something like a cold theyd have to see her in person :( but she appears to be a lot better! i cranked up the heat and took the seeds out of her meal which seemed to help :)
 

JustADingo

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Parrots don't catch colds from humans. It's not a zoonotic disease. The symptoms you describe are also the same as an overweight sedentary bird (that may also not fly). The extra weight and lack of fitness puts a stress on the entire respiratory system causing laboured breathing and thus tail bobbing.
thank you!
she’s about a gram overweight, im working on changing her diet wnd hopefully soon she will have a much larger space to fly around in!
she has no problem flying but gets fatigued after quite a few laps, which is something im working on with her.
 

JustADingo

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First of all - for your continuing education - parrots do not have colds, second a bird cannot catch a cold or flu from a human. Those illnesses are not zoonotic (can't be passed between an animal and a human).

As @JLcribber says, if your bird is significantly overweight that could be causing the symptoms you see. Obesity is one of the major causes for health problems in captive parrots. Saying that she may have an infection, but it will take a vet to diagnose - we can't.

Put your baby on a diet and a regular exercise regimen, right now, if you want her to have a long healthy life.
yep, im giving her a majority pellet diet with seeds as treats, minimal sugar even from fruits. her old vet recommended an exercise routine im trying to keep her to, and soon i really hope i get an apartment sized space where i can let her out- unfortunately i couldnt have her out a lot last year because the family dog is a hunting dog that my parents refuse to train.
 

JustADingo

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If she is having wet sneezes regularly, I would try to find a way to get her to a vet. You can call your local vet offices and ask how many birds they treat. Some vets, although not avian certified, treat a large number of birds and are good even though not technically an exotic vet. You can also try an initial on-line vet consult to see what they think.
the wet sneezing lasted about a day before going away, so i think we are on the safe side. the vet really insisted on me going in but rn we are on full lockdown and its outside of the zone we are allowed to leave for any purposes.
 

JustADingo

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If it’s bacterial in nature, the bird needs antibiotics. If it’s viral, it just has to run its course.

Are you in the US? In some countries people are more used to doing plant based treatments. You can feed your bird neem leaves or make neem tea. Another edible, safe plant to try is oregano.
oh thank you so much! im Aussie but i do think thats a good option for her.
i was looking for something new to enrich her with, she gets scared of some toys and the eucalyptus branches i have had a bug infestation so i had to throw them out. getting her a neem branch once a month in general might be a good bet.
 
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