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Help with giving medicne please?

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gnomegarden

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HI We just returned from the vets. We have 3 meds that we have to give our cockatiel 2x per day by mouth/beak :). I am holding her in a towel and using a syringe. The problem I am having is that she seems to either shake it out of her mouth or "blow it out her nostrils" She sneezed a great bit of it out and now is sitting and making weird gurgle noises like there is still some on her "nose" and looks as if she is yawning.
IS this hurting her? Is there something I can try technique-wise that will ensure that it gets down her throat instead? Can you please help me with how to administer correctly and successfully? Ps, she REALLY hates taking meds.
Thanks so much, Dawn
 

srtiels

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PLEASE, PLEASE, phone the vet ASAP to see if there is another way you can give the meds. From what you are describing is happening it is so easy to aspirate the bird and have the meds go into the lungs. This can be very very difflicult to correct, and could be fatal.

Specifically what medications are you giving the bird, and dosages? Whayt is the bird being treated for/
 

avianantics

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Get some handfeeding formula and mix up a very small amount. Put the medicine in the syringe and then pull the HF formula into the syringe. So the HF formula comes out first. Just a very small amount. Generally you can get them to take their meds this way.
 
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gnomegarden

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She is being treated for giardia. plucking of her feathers under her wings and Taking 0.1 ml of flagyl 25mg/ml_10ml.
.15ml amphotericin b 60mg/ml
.1 ml meloxicam 1.5mg/ml
all of this is supposed to be given every 12 hrs.
This is from an avian vet.

What do I do?
Thanks
 

Riley's mom

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You are giving miniscule amounts which you can, like everyone said, put in handfeeding food or if your bird won't eat the HF you can always put it in a small piece of fruit or someother favorite food. You can also put it in the bottom cup of his beak or on his tongue. That can be pretty tricky with the smaller guys. Please don't put the syringe in his mouth and force the meds in. It is easy to aspirate them. Did they give you an insulin syringe or a 1ml syringe?
 

srtiels

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OK...Flagyl is also in injectable form. Iit is given 2 consecuative days. You might ask your vet if he can do the injections or show you how. I prefer the injectable over the oral treatment. Also Ronivet-S (for giardia) which I get online can be given in the drinking water for 7 consecuative days. It does not have a bitter taste, that would put birdss off drinking

NOTE: From personal experience. Flagyl generates a secondary yeast problem, so treatment should be follow upped with an antifungal, and probiotics.

In the interim, as Shelly posted can be mixed with formula in the syringe, if they will eat from a syringe.

Make sure your dosages are measured correct. Did the vet show you exactly what line to draw the meds up to? NOTE: the info on the ILLUS is for shots, you would use the same info to measure into an oral syringe.
 

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birdlvr466

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When I had to give my Quaker Meds I found it easier to have him facing sideways to me while on my lap. I didnt towel him but just had the palm of my hand over his back and my index and thumb on each side of his head. I gave him the meds on the side of his beak (his right side facing me) and gave it to him slowly, like he was drinking from the syringe. The syringe was pointing to his left side. I didnt try to squirt it in all at once. Just be careful so you dont aspirate your bird, take it slow. Try to relax yourself as birds pick up on our stress. It took me a couple days to get in the swing of it but we got into a rhythm with each other and all was fine. Also dont hesitate to contact your avian vet if you continue to have problems giving him his meds but just try to relax. :)
 
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Danita

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When they sneeze it means it is getting in somewhere else.

Susanne do you have a picture on how to towel a small bird? How to hold them?

Perhaps you can take him back to the vets to get him to SHOW you how to medicate your little one.

I am sorry he is so sick.
 

gnomegarden

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Wow. The vet did not really give me any direction in this at all. She seems ok, but still making weird noises and every now and then sort of sneezes. The thing with hedwig is this-- she will not "drink" from the syringe at all.... she hates the whole process. She does not eat a broad range of food... She is 7 yrs old. She eats some fresh veggies/foods, and cheerios, but nothing that seems an easy choice for adding the meds to it. She IS really fussy about food mix. She will only eat/pick out the small seeds in a mix and leaves the rest. She will not eat any kind of pellet. I have even ground them and just add them to the mix anyway, hoping that some gets in.
Yes, I do understand the amounts/dosage on the syringe. Thanks for the illustrations though. :)

I am so worried now. I have no experience with hand feeding formula... Is it a powder that I will mix using the meds as the liquid? Thanks so much for your help. I will call in the am and ask about the injections. In the meantime, is there anything I can do to help her feel/breathe better?
Dawn
 

Danita

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Is she tail bobbing?
 

srtiels

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Susanne do you have a picture on how to towel a small bird? How to hold them?
--------------------------------------------

No, I don't. My camera is out of batteries to do a quick pix.

I agree as to taking the tiel back to the vet to be shown how to give the meds. In the office you can try several times to get the position right with an empty syringe. Or ask the vet about an alternate way of giving the meds. I prefer to use a small soft flexible tube on the end of the syringe and crop fed the meds. Print out the pix's and ask the vet if he has or can make one of these, and show you how to use it. After aspirating a tiel years ago this is the only thing I weuill use to orally give meds.
 

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Danita

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Okay, she sounds like she is very sick.

Here is a link on keeping a sick bird warm
http://forums.avianavenue.com/bird-emergency-highway-911/146-basic-hospital-tank-sick-birds.html
Make due with what you have, you can keep her cage warm many ways, heating pad, covering the sides etc..

Here are some videos on basics, one is towelling and medicating.
http://forums.avianavenue.com/bird-emergency-highway-911/241-avian-first-aid-videos.html

The most important thing right now is getting the fluid out of her, it can get in her lungs. Hopefully someone has a suggestion right now for that.

Practice with a syringe, giving it slowly, put some water in it to experiment how fast it goes (not on the bird) so you can get an idea.
 

srtiels

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In the meantime, is there anything I can do to help her feel/breathe better?
------------------------

For right now, until you can see or talk to the vet keep her still and warm. Try to reduce as much stress as possible. You can clip a heating pad set on low on one side of the cage, and cover 3 sides only. Do you have a humidifier? if so you might want to have it in the room, not in with the tiel, to increase the humidity in the room.
 

srtiels

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The most important thing right now is getting the fluid out of her, it can get in her lungs. Hopefully someone has a suggestion right now for that.
-------------------------------------

First carefully listen to see if the rattling or abnormal breathing sounds are coming from the head or chest. If from the head, them the meds may just be in her sinus cavities. If so, what I have done is place the opening of a syringe to the nostril/nares and pull the plunger back to try and draw some of the fluid from the nares. Place a fingertip over one nare as you try and draw fluids from the other one.

if the sound is coming from the chest/body area contact the vet ASAP tomotow and explain what is going on. There is a high risk of respiratory pnuemonia (sp) and that would also have to be treated in addition to the existing problems.
 

gnomegarden

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Thanks so much. I'll go see what I can do and call the vet first thing in the am. I'll let you know how she is later on. I so appreciate all of you and your responses. hugs, Dawn
 

J*M*L

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I'm having the same problem with my lovie. The vet didn't give her the first dose, the technician did. She's still sneezing. The funny sounds are coming from her head, though, not her chest. What's going on with everyone's birds this week?! Seems like a lot have been or are headed to the vet!
 

WingedVictory

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Hi, sorry you are having a hard time with the medications. You vet should have shown you exactly how to give the medications. When giving medications it is very important to aim the syringe the correct way. Facing the bird you want to aim the syringe from
the right side of the beak, looking at him, (your right), across his tongue to the left back corner of his mouth, towards the esophagus. If you just shoot the meds in or shoot from left to right you can get the medication down the trachea, which can lead to aspiration. Please have the vet show you! Never force the meds on your bird.

I would call your vet and explain what has happened. The vet may need to xray the bird to see how much went down the wrong way. Sometimes an antibiotic is required should there be a danger of aspiration pneumonia.

Right now keep the bird warm and calm, the cough should go away in less than an hour, if not call the vet.

gary
 
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JLcribber

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J*M*L

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the meds may just be in her sinus cavities. If so, what I have done is place the opening of a syringe to the nostril/nares and pull the plunger back to try and draw some of the fluid from the nares. Place a fingertip over one nare as you try and draw fluids from the other one.
Hmmm, I just tried that on Velvet and I don't think I got anything.
Dawn, I tried putting a little medecine on some millet and she ate it all up. I'm sure that will work on your tiel. :)
 
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