is duckie having seizures?

[orphansparrow]

This morning, Duckie was startled and flew around the room, and landed on her cage. She immediately arched her back, put her head back with her wings straight up into the air, very ridgid. She then started walking, wobbling side to side and shaking a little like she was drunk. It lasted just a moment. Then she was acting as if nothing ever happened.

This has happened a couple times before. Each time the little episode was immediately after landing after a big, fast flight. My AV is an hour and a half away, so at the time I just called her, and she said since Duckie had just had her wellness exam, there would be nothing she could do, and as long as she was acting normal, just to keep an eye on her.

I have read about this happening, and described exactly the same way, other places on the internet.

What could be going on?

Last year, she had smacked her head pretty bad twice in flying mishaps, which I wrote about here. She was clipped for a while too, because she flies so fast and so hard. But now she's completely flighted, and flying very fast again.

Is there anything I should do?

 

[starla21]

Oh no, that doesn't sound good. Advice anyone?

 

[AmberMuffinz]

There was another poster here in the past who had this same issue every single time her green cheek flew around the room. I'll try to find the thread for you.

Hmm, I was going to post the video too but it seems I can't find that in my address bar anymore either. I will post again when I actually find the thread on it lol. Unless someone does before me.

I would keep her in a calm place for a while, don't let her get too excited.

eta: Here's the video:

And threads:
http://forums.avianavenue.com/conure-court/49706-talking-about-red-suffusion-here-pesto.html

http://forums.avianavenue.com/healt...d-himself-flying-dizzy-just-short-breath.html

 

[Wasabisaurus]

When my cockatiel has stress-induced seizures, he makes a little sneeze sound and staggers a bit. The vet has seen it and it is a seizure, alright. He only seizes at the vet's. Snuggles does not raise his wings or arch his body or raise his head. He comes out of it like nothing happened. I don't know if there are other forms of seizures than what he has. It's been a long time since he had one. Knock on wood. Whatever it is with Duckie, I hope it stops.

Would a light clip slow her down?

 

[April]

The exact same thing happens when Nala flies laps around the room when she is startled. She always recovers within about 5 mins and is completely back to normal. I'm not sure what causes that,it worries me so.

 

[orphansparrow]

The exact same thing happens when Nala flies laps around the room when she is startled. She always recovers within about 5 mins and is completely back to normal. I'm not sure what causes that,it worries me so.

Wow! I do feel better knowing that is something that happens in otherwise healthy conures. Poor Nala. Its so strange, Duckie just acts all peachy like she totally fine, the minute the episode is through. Very strange....

 

[orphansparrow]

There was another poster here in the past who had this same issue every single time her green cheek flew around the room. I'll try to find the thread for you.

Hmm, I was going to post the video too but it seems I can't find that in my address bar anymore either. I will post again when I actually find the thread on it lol. Unless someone does before me.

I would keep her in a calm place for a while, don't let her get too excited.

Thank you! Yes, I thought of that video, and tried to find it, but couldn't it. Duckie does look like this after she does the rigid wings thing. She staggers around like she's drunk. It doesn't seem to last as long as the sweetie in the video though.

 

[orphansparrow]

When my cockatiel has stress-induced seizures, he makes a little sneeze sound and staggers a bit. The vet has seen it and it is a seizure, alright. He only seizes at the vet's. Snuggles does not raise his wings or arch his body or raise his head. He comes out of it like nothing happened. I don't know if there are other forms of seizures than what he has. It's been a long time since he had one. Knock on wood. Whatever it is with Duckie, I hope it stops.

Would a light clip slow her down?

I don't know if a light wing clip would slow her down enough. Maybe for a little while. She just recently got to where she is very confident flying though. She used to be terrible at it, crashing, and landing weird. Now she flies to me when she wants to be with me. So I'm hesitant to clip her wings again. I don't know.

Thats interesting that your little guy has stress-induced seizures! Poor thing!

I almost feel like Duckie just sort of over-exerts herself, though if its a seizure, I guess that wouldn't be the cause.

 

[Hankmacaw]

The symptoms you have described are pretty common for seizures. Seizures come with many different symptoms and even more causes. Many times the cause of seizures is never diagnosed and it's a case of living with them and medicating if they get too bad. Hank started having seizures in the weeks before he died that were caused by low blood sugar. That was easy to counter.

Here is a link to a pretty good with information about seizures in birds. Seizures in Birds: Causes, Symptoms and Treatment

 

[orphansparrow]

The symptoms you have described are pretty common for seizures. Seizures come with many different symptoms and even more causes. Many times the cause of seizures is never diagnosed and it's a case of living with them and medicating if they get too bad. Hank started having seizures in the weeks before he died that were caused by low blood sugar. That was easy to counter.

Here is a link to a pretty good with information about seizures in birds. Seizures in Birds: Causes, Symptoms and Treatment

thank you so much Mary. i read the list of causes, and the only one that seems likely would be the head injury/trauma. because she's smacked herself hard a few times in the past. so bad, that i was really worried at one point. and she had never had them before that.

 

[AmberMuffinz]

The exact same thing happens when Nala flies laps around the room when she is startled. She always recovers within about 5 mins and is completely back to normal. I'm not sure what causes that,it worries me so.

So strange... Pesto, Duckie, and Nala having similar issues. I wonder how common this is with conures, green cheeks in particular? Neelix has never had an episode like this, and I hope he never does. It seems like all of these instances are caused by over exertion. Very very interesting, although scary.

 

[roxynoodle]

There are a lot of different types of seizures. My Grey has ataxic ones. She has had 2. Both times she was very, very vocal before it started. Then she just zoned out. She would sit at the bottom of her cage when her beak touching the tray and not move. She wasn't able to respond to me calling her or able to step up. The first time she was still coming out of it when we got to the vet, so the vet was able to see it and diagnose it as an ataxic seizure. She was put on an anti-seizure medication and back on Celebrex, which she takes for ABV (the likely cause of the seizure). She also gave me emergency injections that go into the pec muscle in case she had another. She had another 2 days later and then apparently that other medication and the Celebrex prevented further ones. She hasn't had another (yet). She will be on Celebrex from now on from late September until the end of April every year.

Low calcium can cause seizures as well as injuries or anything that can cause neurological problems.

I would discuss it with your vet as there may be something you can do to prevent them, or at least treat them when they do happen.

 

[webchirp]

Carlton had something similar. We finally ended up doing X-rays which showed his lungs were cloudy. Finally put him on a stronger anti fungal and his lungs cleared up and his enlarged heart went down. He wasn't getting enough oxygen during super active moments. I would push to check her heart and lungs...

 

[April]

Carlton had something similar. We finally ended up doing X-rays which showed his lungs were cloudy. Finally put him on a stronger anti fungal and his lungs cleared up and his enlarged heart went down. He wasn't getting enough oxygen during super active moments. I would push to check her heart and lungs...

Oh dear,I'll have to talk to my vet then about getting Nala in for X-Rays. It's weird it doesnt happen every single time she gets freaked out and flys but darn close to it. It normally takes her about 30 seconds to put her wings down and stop staggering around and about 5 mins total before she is back to normal climbing all over me.

 

[waterfaller1]

Wow, that video is scary!
I wonder what is used during exertion that they could be lacking, that is on the list ML gave a link to?
I hope you come up with an answer. Sending healing energy to Duckie.

 

[webchirp]

Initially it was just the wings up and we thought he was not strong and needed to build strength. But when I finished the bird room, he had to fly 25+ feet one way and about down, back and down, he was wobbling so bad he couldn't keep his balance. He had to glide to the floor because he was out of energy/oxygen. Not as bad as Pesto but scared me. I hope Duckie and Nala just may be out of shape but something to think about.

 

[sunnyNshandy]

Hi there. Just joined this forum and wanted to express that I sure hope all the birds mentioned are doing ok. Very similar are the symptoms with my Shandy. Shandy started having seizures a week after I brought the boys home. I thought Shandy's might be stress related too or excitement as he is SO needy. Hard to say. Tests are all normal tho we havent Xrayed his heart or lungs which is very interesting to think of so thank you for this new idea. He is on potassium bromide but it isnt really helping.

 

[webchirp]

Hi there. Just joined this forum and wanted to express that I sure hope all the birds mentioned are doing ok. Very similar are the symptoms with my Shandy. Shandy started having seizures a week after I brought the boys home. I thought Shandy's might be stress related too or excitement as he is SO needy. Hard to say. Tests are all normal tho we havent Xrayed his heart or lungs which is very interesting to think of so thank you for this new idea. He is on potassium bromide but it isnt really helping.

Carlton had a CBC and gram stains which were okay. Just the X-rays showed the cloudiness.

 

[KatherinesBirds]

Thanks for the video and the link. I have bred a lot of green cheeks and never seen this in any of them. It's good to have this information on what to look for and how to help them.