cockatiel not vocalizing & hoarse voice

[naq5]

hi,
i have a single female cockatiel. She has been laying every month since a year(before she used to lay once a year). this time while laying her clutch she has not been very vocal, She usually goes quiet while laying so i did not bother much with that. but after she laid her 5th egg i noticed a hoarseness in her voice. i thought that was because she had not spoken since the past week due to her sitting on the eggs. but the next day too her voice cleared up a bit but there was still hoarseness. i was planning to take her to the vet when she had a egg binding episode while her 6th egg was coming. i had taken her to the vet then but in the tension of her egg binding forgot to mention her voice. her egg finally came but she has not been vocalizing since & sleeping a lot. im not sure if it is due to the stress & exhaustion of egg binding(she was egg bound for almost 24 hours) or some respiratory infection. She is eating well (actually she is more hungry) & there is no discharge from her nose & i cant see labored breathing. im taking her to the vet tomorrow but he is not a avian vet but has experience with birds. What do u think could be the cause. What tests should i ask him to do on her. i am asking tis because he's not an avian vet & i need to be sure he's doing what is needed. Also she hates handling.

 

[suncoast]

Being egg bound for 48 hours is pretty traumatic. Check her abdomen and vent and make sure it's not discolored or distended. Where are you located? Has anything environmental happened? Any dust, anything new in the house? Is she tail bobbing? When you hold her to your ear can you hear weezing or clicking? Vocal changes can signal an illness called aspergillosis. Here's a link...

Acute and Chronic Aspergillosis in Birds: Causes, Signs, Treatment, and Prevention

Ginger

 

[Anne & Gang]

absolutely get her to an avian vet asap..and mention the hoarseness..she may have a respiratory infection..also mention lupron to the vet as a preventative egg laying measure....and I hope you are leaving those eggs with her and not removing until they are abandoned...you need to get her to a certified avian vet......you can also buy false eggs on line at birdsupplynh.com..........when she appears to abandon those eggs (about 25-30 days) take them out, shake up her world....move perches and toys, even cage location...also cover her on 3 sides only with a night light for 12-14 hours night...if you see her masturbating, distract, distract, distract....all those eggs she lays must be round, hard, same size or she is lacking in calcium...get calci boost on line (best to get one that you put in her water) also give her calci rich foods such as broccoli & kale and make sure she has a cuttlebone at all times....but above all try to find a certified avian vet.....I think she might be developing a respiratory infection so get in her in there asap.

 

[Quest]

Wishing you the best with your cockatiel girl.
Hope she gets better.

 

[naq5]

Being egg bound for 48 hours is pretty traumatic. Check her abdomen and vent and make sure it's not discolored or distended. Where are you located? Has anything environmental happened? Any dust, anything new in the house? Is she tail bobbing? When you hold her to your ear can you hear weezing or clicking? Vocal changes can signal an illness called aspergillosis. Here's a link...

Acute and Chronic Aspergillosis in Birds: Causes, Signs, Treatment, and Prevention

Ginger

sorry there was a typing mistake she was sgg bound for 24 hrs not 48. ya ive checked her vent it looks ok. nothing new in the house it was just that she was laying eggs sitting on them. i made her get up to poop n there was hoarseness in the voice, after that she became egg bound & has not tried speaking since. she is not tail bobbing. ive read about aspergillosis. what tests are run for it . And yes i ive in pune , india & there are no avian vets here so i have to take her to a regular vet .

 

[naq5]

ive mentioned lupron to my vet last time wen she had a problem laying eggs. he said he dosent use it as it is not good for health but now i feel another egg would be too risky for her. have any of u had any experience with lupron.. ive reads it induces one or two eggs before it stops egglaying. Also hoew much is given to a cockatiel.

 

[Anne & Gang]

you absolutely cannot administer lupron by yourself....an avian vet would have to do it....Lupron sometimes works in reverse and makes the bird more fertile..but the benefits far outweigh any health issues...I trust you are letting her sit on the eggs for the set amount of time..you don't mention if you are trying any of the methods I described like increased night, mov ing toys around etc..also make sure to cut down on soft warm foods...to about twice a week....this vet needs to research lupron more as it is not bad for their health but egg laying sure can be..unless your hen is completely healthy and you say your hen has already had egg binding incidents..you also didn't say if the eggs are round hard and same size.....I do have experience with lupron but it did not work at all for my hen..she is a chronic egg layer like yours....but she is completely healthy, no incidence yet (knock wood) of egg binding ...sometimes you just cannot do anything..they will lay no matter what..but Iurge you to get her to a different vet please..explore all the options first...

 

[Chicobo]

I had a dove who had a similar vocal issue -- he began vocalizing less and less, his voice got hoarse, and eventually he pretty much stopped talking. I don't want to frighten you, but my guy passed away before we could truly find a cause. However, if you are in India there are definitely things that you would want to check for -- what is your water source? One of the primary things our vet thought could be causing Dovey's symptoms was canker (trichomoniasis), which can come from water sources that aren't pristine. Also, cockatiels are often carriers of Giardia, from contaminated water. Even stateside this is a serious problem, and I know often that water sources in India can have issues.

If you can, I'd ask the vet to do a swab of the mouth and throat to see if there is anything in there that could be causing the problem. It could also just be a vitamin deficiency from all of the egglaying, which might make sense. Are you giving her enough extra calcium? Is she getting access to natural light? I agree with the others about other symptoms -- does she open-beak breathe, or tail bob?

I'm keeping my fingers crossed for your little one.

 

[naq5]

I had a dove who had a similar vocal issue -- he began vocalizing less and less, his voice got hoarse, and eventually he pretty much stopped talking. I don't want to frighten you, but my guy passed away before we could truly find a cause. However, if you are in India there are definitely things that you would want to check for -- what is your water source? One of the primary things our vet thought could be causing Dovey's symptoms was canker (trichomoniasis), which can come from water sources that aren't pristine. Also, cockatiels are often carriers of Giardia, from contaminated water. Even stateside this is a serious problem, and I know often that water sources in India can have issues.

If you can, I'd ask the vet to do a swab of the mouth and throat to see if there is anything in there that could be causing the problem. It could also just be a vitamin deficiency from all of the egglaying, which might make sense. Are you giving her enough extra calcium? Is she getting access to natural light? I agree with the others about other symptoms -- does she open-beak breathe, or tail bob?

I'm keeping my fingers crossed for your little one.

no open mouthed breathing & no tail bob. I actually dont even know if the hoarseness in her voice persists cause she's not spoken since she egg binding episode. its been 5 days now. the only two symptoms rt now are silence & sleepiness. she is eating well & alert. poop is also fine. we give her the same water we drink from a water purifier. how is a swab of the mouth & throat taken??? any idea. And yes im giving her calcium supplement.

 

[Chicobo]

The swab is something your vet should be able to do. Basically they usually towel the bird and use a very small instrument (like a q-tip, only smaller) to rub in the mouth. Will she open her mouth for you at all? If you look inside, birds that have canker (at least, pigeons and doves) will sometimes have a stringy saliva. That's the canker.

Unfortunately with birds there are just so many things that can be wrong. I'm sure it's frustrating not to have a vet that specializes where you are. Heck, I took my Dovey to a GREAT avian vet at a veterinary hospital who studied Indian Ringnecks IN INDIA and is just great with birds, and she couldn't figure out what was wrong with him! We still haven't gotten a necropsy answer, either!

The water purifier is a great idea. Silence might just indicate fatigue from laying, but hoarseness plus silence isn't great. Dovey stopped talking, like I said, after he was hoarse. I think it hurt him. There's a general med given for that, Flagyl, which can get rid of parasites and certain bacteria in the throat. But without knowing I don't think giving any meds to a bird laying like that is a good idea.

It might be just exhaustion. How's the temperature in the house/room/space she's in? Has it been changing a lot? It's super hot here, and I know the birds are quieter on the hotter days even with my air conditioning going full blast.

 

[naq5]

you absolutely cannot administer lupron by yourself....an avian vet would have to do it....Lupron sometimes works in reverse and makes the bird more fertile..but the benefits far outweigh any health issues...I trust you are letting her sit on the eggs for the set amount of time..you don't mention if you are trying any of the methods I described like increased night, mov ing toys around etc..also make sure to cut down on soft warm foods...to about twice a week....this vet needs to research lupron more as it is not bad for their health but egg laying sure can be..unless your hen is completely healthy and you say your hen has already had egg binding incidents..you also didn't say if the eggs are round hard and same size.....I do have experience with lupron but it did not work at all for my hen..she is a chronic egg layer like yours....but she is completely healthy, no incidence yet (knock wood) of egg binding ...sometimes you just cannot do anything..they will lay no matter what..but Iurge you to get her to a different vet please..explore all the options first...

no of course not i dont plan it to give it myself ill obviously talk to my vet to do it. just wanted to know information on it so that i can know if it is bering done in the rt way. rt now she's stopped laying for that clutch. i have not given her eggs after the egg binding episode as she will sit on the eggs for long & will not eat or drink properly. im scared she will look at the eggs n plan to lay more & she needs no more egg in her tummy rt now. her eggs are hard & round. generally she looses interest in them once the clutch is over. ive tried distracting her from her mating behaviour. Actually even my hen was healthy until she laid once a year for three years. she laid around 9 to 11 eggs. but since aug 2011 se's been laying almost every month. And its taken a toll on her. last time she had a hour or two of lameness & straining while laying & this time the first 5 eggs came ok but the 6th one caused on & off lameness in her leg. did ur hen stop atleast for some time after the lupron injection

 

[naq5]

The swab is something your vet should be able to do. Basically they usually towel the bird and use a very small instrument (like a q-tip, only smaller) to rub in the mouth. Will she open her mouth for you at all? If you look inside, birds that have canker (at least, pigeons and doves) will sometimes have a stringy saliva. That's the canker.

Unfortunately with birds there are just so many things that can be wrong. I'm sure it's frustrating not to have a vet that specializes where you are. Heck, I took my Dovey to a GREAT avian vet at a veterinary hospital who studied Indian Ringnecks IN INDIA and is just great with birds, and she couldn't figure out what was wrong with him! We still haven't gotten a necropsy answer, either!

The water purifier is a great idea. Silence might just indicate fatigue from laying, but hoarseness plus silence isn't great. Dovey stopped talking, like I said, after he was hoarse. I think it hurt him. There's a general med given for that, Flagyl, which can get rid of parasites and certain bacteria in the throat. But without knowing I don't think giving any meds to a bird laying like that is a good idea.

It might be just exhaustion. How's the temperature in the house/room/space she's in? Has it been changing a lot? It's super hot here, and I know the birds are quieter on the hotter days even with my air conditioning going full blast.

no she wont let me open her mouth but i will have to help the vet with it tomorrow i guess. ya its frustrating not to have specialized treatment. im sorry about ur dovey. even i lost one of my pigeons suddenly quite a few yrs back he showed no symptoms & i still dont know what happened. with others they have shown considerable amount symptoms in them. ya & my tiel does become silent after a egg laying episode, she's more chirpy when she's into mating behaviour. its not too hot here. Actually she stopped talking since she has been egg bound. like i said i still dont know if she is hoarse if only she wud chirp once atleast i woud know. Also ive noticed since yest tht im not sure if she is sleeping when the lights are of in the night. eyes have always been open whenever i have got up from sleep to see her.

 

[naq5]

she started vocalizing yesterday. but she is still hoarse. Also her tone is shorter. i took her to the vet who said that he cant see any respiratory infection. he is telling it could be inflamaion in her voice box. & he gave betinisol. he said it could be due to something she ate or due to excess calcium in her water which we were giving her due to egg laying. I asked him to take a mouth swab but he said it is not necessary & would cause her stress. i am going to give her poop for culture though. And the pathology lab person was telling they will do a fungal culture on ppop differently too if asked. would that show any fungal infection if any? Also can excess calcium actually cause hoarseness.

 

[Anne & Gang]

no, excess calcium cannot cause hoarseness though you should just be giving the dose and no extra..of course a mouth swab is recommended ...and no, the lupron did not help my bird at all, not one bit...however, lupron has been known to help other tiels so do not give up on lupron until you have tried it...you absolutely need to let her sit on the eggs, whether or not she appears to be ignoring them or not...as she will lay to replace...they MUST stay in with her about 25-30 days ..then and only then can you take them out....sitting on eggs for a prolonged period is normal...usually when they come off they will eat like crazy and drink..plus I take it you have food and water easily accessible to her....after she abandons this clutch ..or if at about 20 days she is not abandoning, take one egg away at a every day until they are gone..then change cage around, perches toys etc..12-14 hours night....I really really urge you to get to an avian vet..there are other options out there such as implants etc (pricey) that may help your bird.

 

[Daisy's Mom]

I found a blog that lists a avian vet in India.. His name is Dr. Yuvraj Kaginkar.. Phone numbers 9619522077 & 9833522077... Here is the link: Specialist Avian Veterinarian I wish I could be of more help. Please let us know what happens and sending over many prayers for your little one..

 

[Clarissa]

I skimmed through most of the posts, so sorry if someone already said this. But have you been making sure that her diet is supportive of her constant laying right now? When a bird continuously lays eggs, that eats up a lot of her nutrition, and calcium, etc. Jally has a Lovebird that lays a lot and she needs extra calcium and such to keep her healthy. Feeding her hard boiled eggs would help with that, (Shell and all. Just cut the whole thing in half). I'm not a pro on egglayers, but I do know they need extra care while laying eggs. So, if you aren't feeding her extra fruits, veggies, eggs, etc, you may want to consider it.

 

[naq5]

I found a blog that lists a avian vet in India.. His name is Dr. Yuvraj Kaginkar.. Phone numbers 9619522077 & 9833522077... Here is the link: Specialist Avian Veterinarian I wish I could be of more help. Please let us know what happens and sending over many prayers for your little one..

thanks for the link.. but this vet is in a different city. Nearly 6 hrs away . but i can go if needed in future

 

[naq5]

ive also spoken to my old vet whom i used to visit when i was in a different city. i sent her audio clippings & videos of my bird. She has asked me to put her on doxycycline. Anyone has had experience with doxycycline is it generally given to birds? i havent been able o speak to the vet yet ill be calling her tom to ask what is she treating her for.

 

[naq5]

ive also spoken to my old vet whom i used to visit when i was in a different city. i sent her audio clippings & videos of my bird. She has asked me to put her on doxycycline. Anyone has had experience with doxycycline is it generally given to birds? i havent been able o speak to the vet yet ill be calling her tom to ask what is she treating her for.

Also i wanted to ask if doxycyxline & betenesol can be taken together

 

[Anne & Gang]

Spiral bacteria have been found in various portions of the respiratory tracts of cockatiels and lovebirds. Common signs of infection with this bacterium include red clogged nares, sneezing, reddened and blunted choanal papillae and pharyngeal redness. Infected birds may also show signs of lethargy, anorexia and weight loss. Conjunctivitis, sinusitis and periorbital swelling may also be noted but are less common signs. A survey of 148 cockatiels seen by a veterinary practice in New York indicated that 37 (25%) were found to be infected with spiral bacteria with most of these having clinical signs of upper respiratory tract infection and red choana. The infection rate was higher in birds <2yrs old and in birds fed poor diets, suggesting that spiral bacteria are opportunistic organisms that cause clinical signs in young and compromised birds.

Spiral bacterial infections in cockatiels have been successfully treated with oral administration of doxycycline hyclate at 25mg/kg orally every 12 hours for 3 weeks. However, this regimen requires twice-daily capture and forced administration of doxycycline liquid suspension, which is apparently not palatable to birds. The stress caused by this regimen to both birds and owners caused researchers at the North Carolina State University College of Veterinary Medicine to determine the feasibility of administering doxycycline via drinking water. A group of 11 cockatiels naturally infected with spiral bacteria were offered solutions of doxycycline at 400mg per liter as the sole source of drinking water and 7 other naturally infected cockatiels acted as the control group receiving untreated tap water as the sole source of drinking water for a treatment period of 30 days. For the first 14 days, spiral bacteria were isolated from all 18 birds in both the treatment and control group, but after day 21, spiral bacteria were no longer seen in the treatment group.