• Welcome to Avian Avenue! To view our forum with less advertisments please register with us.
    Memberships are free and it will just take a moment. Click here

How much hope is there for birds with heart disease?

AGS

Sprinting down the street
Joined
1/14/20
Messages
406
Real Name
Ava
I think it was just the pin feathers because it hasn‘t been bothering him as much. His skin is normally dry due to the giardia.

We tried weaning off the pentoxifylline since it doesn’t seem to help him and we don’t want him on more medications than necessary. But he started declining again so we increased it again. I guess it is helping him more than I thought. We are also trying a bronchodilator to help him get more oxygen, since part of the problem with the low blood flow is his organs also aren’t getting as much oxygen.
 

Kassiani

Biking along the boulevard
Celebirdy of the Month
Mayor of the Avenue
Avenue Spotlight Award
Joined
9/12/20
Messages
6,832
Location
Southeastern U.S.
I’m sorry to hear that! I hoped it would provide him with some relief. How is he doing in general?
 

AGS

Sprinting down the street
Joined
1/14/20
Messages
406
Real Name
Ava
He’s pretty low energy again. He’s still happy though. He’s taken up a new hobby of biting my finger every time I try to scritch him lol. He seems to think it’s fun and he wants me to scritch him so I don’t know why he does it.
 

Kassiani

Biking along the boulevard
Celebirdy of the Month
Mayor of the Avenue
Avenue Spotlight Award
Joined
9/12/20
Messages
6,832
Location
Southeastern U.S.
That's pretty cute! Parrots can be so contrary sometimes, lol! Tell Widget I'll send him a scritch if he promises not to bite :)
 

AGS

Sprinting down the street
Joined
1/14/20
Messages
406
Real Name
Ava
He likes scritches from everyone. He’s very sweet.

I was also wondering whether heated perches are safe and if that might help with blood flow to his legs? He seems to get leg cramps from the low blood flow at night. My brother has Raynaud’s syndrome and uses a heat pad to increase blood flow so that’s where I got the idea.
 

Kassiani

Biking along the boulevard
Celebirdy of the Month
Mayor of the Avenue
Avenue Spotlight Award
Joined
9/12/20
Messages
6,832
Location
Southeastern U.S.
I think @Mizzely has a heated perch and I use a Sweeter Heater for Opie. It is a radiant heat panel that hangs outside of the cage next to a perch so it will keep his naked self warm on cold nights. Some people also use them for older birds.
 

AGS

Sprinting down the street
Joined
1/14/20
Messages
406
Real Name
Ava
I will definitely look into a heated perch then. I don’t know if a heat panel would work since he has a sheet over his cage at night.

And any ideas for a heat pad? He’s out with me almost all day so he could lay on it, but I don’t know how warm those things get. He also likes to lay on my chest but if I put the heat pad there, it would basically force him to sit on it even if he’s uncomfortable/getting too warm.
 

tjc

Walking the driveway
Joined
10/17/18
Messages
201
Location
Lubbock, Texas
Real Name
Tammy
I been using a heated perch for about six months. Boo has arthritis in his feet. He seems to like it. When I received it, I plugged it in for three day to test it. Their little feet always seem to be cool.
:coldfeet:
 

Kassiani

Biking along the boulevard
Celebirdy of the Month
Mayor of the Avenue
Avenue Spotlight Award
Joined
9/12/20
Messages
6,832
Location
Southeastern U.S.
Good catch @tjc! Yes, there is always a ‘burn off’ period for any heating element that should be done in a garage or outside away from any bird.
 
  • Like
Reactions: tjc

AGS

Sprinting down the street
Joined
1/14/20
Messages
406
Real Name
Ava
@tjc do you have any specific brand recommendation?
 

tjc

Walking the driveway
Joined
10/17/18
Messages
201
Location
Lubbock, Texas
Real Name
Tammy
K and H Pet Products. They also offer a warm heat panel your bird can suggle up next to. It is inside the cage. I purchased it also. I found them on Amazon, and Chewy has them. Seems they’re very popular.
 

AGS

Sprinting down the street
Joined
1/14/20
Messages
406
Real Name
Ava
I looked those up and it seems they have a lot of reviews saying they overheated and burned the birds feet so that makes me king of hesitant. I think it would really help him but I don’t want him to burn his feet on it if it malfunctions.
 

Kassiani

Biking along the boulevard
Celebirdy of the Month
Mayor of the Avenue
Avenue Spotlight Award
Joined
9/12/20
Messages
6,832
Location
Southeastern U.S.
If I'm remembering correctly that @Mizzely has one, I don't think it was K & H. Hopefully she'll have time to stop by. Have you thought about an old-school hot water bottle? If wrapped in a nice piece of flannel, it would stay warm for a while. Plus, it would be easier to control the temp than a heating pad and no electricity. Maybe get 2 or 3 so that you could fill one up and immediately replace the one he was lying on? Just a thought.
 

AGS

Sprinting down the street
Joined
1/14/20
Messages
406
Real Name
Ava
I will definitely look into that. I also got him some birdie bread to try. I think he will like it.

He has been doing okay. He has bad days and good ones. He is determined to play even when he’s feeling bad. His whistle used to hurt my ears but now it sounds like music just because when he’s really feeling bad he doesn’t whistle at all. CAFC8E07-0ABF-4D88-8400-9565AD8C4B2E.jpeg
 

Kassiani

Biking along the boulevard
Celebirdy of the Month
Mayor of the Avenue
Avenue Spotlight Award
Joined
9/12/20
Messages
6,832
Location
Southeastern U.S.
Sweet Widget! He looks happy in his spot :)

I know there are dog and cat safe heated pads. I don’t know much about them, but that could be one way to provide some heat.
 

AGS

Sprinting down the street
Joined
1/14/20
Messages
406
Real Name
Ava
I will definitely look into them.

He had some issues taking his medicine again yesterday. It wasn’t anywhere near as bad as the time I was sure he aspirated. He just made a couple weird breathing sounds then was fine right away. But now I’m worried because he seems pretty low energy today. Might just be a coincidence since he usually has a low energy day after he’s had a few days where he was playing a ton.

His appointment for the echocardiogram is coming up at least. It’s on the 19th this month.
 

AGS

Sprinting down the street
Joined
1/14/20
Messages
406
Real Name
Ava
@Hankmacaw or anyone who knows, what symptoms should I look out for when it comes to aspergillus infections? I know Widget is more susceptible to it because of the heart disease weakening his immune system. I know it can sometimes cause a birds voice to change, but would they still continue talking and whistling as normal or would they also vocalize less?

At night sometimes Widget gets leg cramps from the low blood flow and will squeak, and it has sounded different the past few nights than before. But he is talking and whistling during the day and his voice sounds normal then. It’s only at night that it sounds different. He doesn’t seem to have any breathing difficulties otherwise.
 

Hankmacaw

Ripping up the road
Avenue Veteran
Celebirdy of the Month
Mayor of the Avenue
Avenue Spotlight Award
Avian Angel
Avenue Concierge
Joined
10/18/09
Messages
1,000,001
Location
Arizona
Real Name
Mary Lynn Skinner
Breathing difficulties are the most reliable symptom. Changes in vocalization is also an early symptom, but much less easily determined. Exercise him now and then and pay attention to 1. if he wheezes and 2. how long he pants - he should not take more than 2 minutes to recover his breath.
 

AGS

Sprinting down the street
Joined
1/14/20
Messages
406
Real Name
Ava
Thank you. He actually was just flying and didn’t pant at all afterwards or have any breathing sounds.
 
Top