cruelfeline
Moving in
- Joined
- 7/17/10
- Messages
- 8
Hey all,
So my cute little lovebird hen was doing all right until, about a week ago, I noticed her tail bobbing. After having my little moment of panic and putting a light over her, I called a vet and got her in last Monday.
The vet looked her over and told me it could be any number of things, but that we'd start by trying a dewormer to see if it was a parasitic thing that could be knocked out quickly. She gave me some ivermectin and told me to come back if it wasn't better in a couple of days.
So, a couple of days later, my lovie is still tail bobbing. I took her in again on Friday to get some radiographs taken. The vet essentially said that, other than parasites, it could be a fungal or bacterial infection (though since my bird is young, she was leaning towards bacterial rather than asper) or it could be some sort of organ enlargement pressing on her air sacs or a bound egg pressing on them.
The radiographs showed no egg, no organ enlargement. The only abnormal thing was a little bit of cloudiness in the upper air sacs, but nothing dramatic. So I was given the options of trying a couple of antibiotics or having her put under for an air sac wash. I have to say, I was really nervous about putting her under, not to mention that I'm a student and, while I have an emergency stash and credit card for moments like these, I'd rather not blow it all at once if I don't have to.
Let me say that throughout all of this, her only real symptom has been the tail bobbing. She did open her beak and stretch her neck out a couple of times during the last week, but not consistently. Also, no sneezing, normal poops, normal appetite, playing every day, preening, no voice change, steady at her weight and nicely padded alongside her breastbone. Just tail bobbing, but enough that the vet justified my concern. Right now, she's having a blast hanging upside down and chewing her rope toy.
Anyway, the vet suggested Baytril and Doxycycline, either trying first one and then the other, or doing them both together. I opted to try one first, since I didn't want to shock her system with two. Right now, she's on Baytril, .04 mL once a day. She's had three doses so far. The vet told me to try it for 2 weeks, and if there was no improvement, to come back to try the doxycycline for 2 weeks. If that doesn't work, I'm left with having her knocked out for a wash to see exactly what's down in her air sacs.
So, after that longwinded explanation, I'd like to ask if anyone has any advice? She's been on the meds for three days, and while she hasn't gotten any worse, there has been no change whatsoever. Still tailbobbing. I realize that the air sacs have a weak blood supply and that oral antibiotics take a while to work, but does anyone think I should see improvements before 2 weeks in? The vet said that I should wait 2 weeks (unless she's getting worse, of course), but I just want to know if anyone has any experience with this situation?
Basically, I'm looking for a little pep talk, as I'm insanely worried .
Any advice for me?
~CF
So my cute little lovebird hen was doing all right until, about a week ago, I noticed her tail bobbing. After having my little moment of panic and putting a light over her, I called a vet and got her in last Monday.
The vet looked her over and told me it could be any number of things, but that we'd start by trying a dewormer to see if it was a parasitic thing that could be knocked out quickly. She gave me some ivermectin and told me to come back if it wasn't better in a couple of days.
So, a couple of days later, my lovie is still tail bobbing. I took her in again on Friday to get some radiographs taken. The vet essentially said that, other than parasites, it could be a fungal or bacterial infection (though since my bird is young, she was leaning towards bacterial rather than asper) or it could be some sort of organ enlargement pressing on her air sacs or a bound egg pressing on them.
The radiographs showed no egg, no organ enlargement. The only abnormal thing was a little bit of cloudiness in the upper air sacs, but nothing dramatic. So I was given the options of trying a couple of antibiotics or having her put under for an air sac wash. I have to say, I was really nervous about putting her under, not to mention that I'm a student and, while I have an emergency stash and credit card for moments like these, I'd rather not blow it all at once if I don't have to.
Let me say that throughout all of this, her only real symptom has been the tail bobbing. She did open her beak and stretch her neck out a couple of times during the last week, but not consistently. Also, no sneezing, normal poops, normal appetite, playing every day, preening, no voice change, steady at her weight and nicely padded alongside her breastbone. Just tail bobbing, but enough that the vet justified my concern. Right now, she's having a blast hanging upside down and chewing her rope toy.
Anyway, the vet suggested Baytril and Doxycycline, either trying first one and then the other, or doing them both together. I opted to try one first, since I didn't want to shock her system with two. Right now, she's on Baytril, .04 mL once a day. She's had three doses so far. The vet told me to try it for 2 weeks, and if there was no improvement, to come back to try the doxycycline for 2 weeks. If that doesn't work, I'm left with having her knocked out for a wash to see exactly what's down in her air sacs.
So, after that longwinded explanation, I'd like to ask if anyone has any advice? She's been on the meds for three days, and while she hasn't gotten any worse, there has been no change whatsoever. Still tailbobbing. I realize that the air sacs have a weak blood supply and that oral antibiotics take a while to work, but does anyone think I should see improvements before 2 weeks in? The vet said that I should wait 2 weeks (unless she's getting worse, of course), but I just want to know if anyone has any experience with this situation?
Basically, I'm looking for a little pep talk, as I'm insanely worried .
Any advice for me?
~CF