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Experience dealing with metal toxicity / metal object.

Muna

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My umbrella cockatoo wasn’t herself for the last two weeks, she would over preen & shreds her feather to bits. I got her checked at the vet I wasn’t sure what’s going on with her.

My Vet checked with the X-ray & found what she swallowed which is metal buttons/decorations from clothing or furniture.

The Vet gave me two options do the peanut butter method at home or leave her at the clinic to be observed for one week. If things are not improving surgery is the last option & it's a risky one.

I wanted the best for her & chose to leave her at the vet. I feel guilty & awful. She hates being locked & there is no avian vet that accepts emergency cases.

Has anyone experienced this situation with their parrots? Using the peanut butter method or surgery to remove the metal objects?:( Ty
 

Shezbug

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I know we’ve had members deal with this and feed peanut butter or almond butter to help move foreign bodies, I do believe it’s helped a few members in the past but I can’t think who. @Hankmacaw might remember who or be able to tell you more.
 

Hankmacaw

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Realize that each case is different. When my Hank had metal toxicity he ate 8 feet of the white paint off the top of the patio door. That was 25 years ago and although treatment hasn't changed a lot surgical methods have improved vastly. His zinc didn't show on xrays, but he had a very high blood titer. He was put on DMSA and I fed him peanut butter. He had two rounds of the treatment.

With your bird, with objects showing up I would keep surgery near the top of the list. The chelating agents don't dissolve objest, just leach the metal out of the muscle. bones and blood.

Be patient - it can be a long and expensive treatment.
 

sunnysmom

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I'm sorry you're going through this. I know a goffin we took in at the rescue I help with came in with metal toxicity. It was right before I got involved. So, I'm not sure what they did but I can try to find out.
 

Muna

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With your bird, with objects showing up I would keep surgery near the top of the list. The chelating agents don't dissolve objest, just leach the metal out of the muscle. bones and blood.
Thank you so much! I cannot imagine the stress you had to deal with in taking care of Hank.

Sadly three metal object did show on X-ray.:(
I’m waiting for the blood results & hopefully get an update on Saturday.

I'm sorry you're going through this. I know a goffin we took in at the rescue I help with came in with metal toxicity. It was right before I got involved. So, I'm not sure what they did but I can try to find out.
Thank you it’s helpful to learn how to deal with it & after the recovery. I still have my doubts with the avian vets here.
 

Muna

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Updating this -
Waiting for the foreign object to pass wasn’t a good idea. Which resulted in deteriorating her health.


I regret making her stay at the vet to do the peanut butter method for so long. With her random vomiting (candida).


If anyone going through this unsure what the bird ingested don’t wait. Just as @Hankmacaw said surgery top priority it’s like a ticking time bomb.
 

sunnysmom

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I'm sorry things aren't going better. Is she home then?
 

Muna

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Yes, thankfully the Vet gave me the ok to bring her back home. I don’t blame them for wanting her to leave the clinic, she was getting on their nerves with her constant screaming like my baby niece lol.



Before her symptoms started I offered her Christine chop shop calming birdie brittle to calm her over preening& plucking. In the end she wasn’t able to digest it properly & it was stuck there inside her stomach.



It’s a wake-up call for me to stop buying bird food from abroad.
 
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