Urgent NOT emergency but extremely concerned... experienced parronts please help

[PeppysPal]

Fruit isn't as necessary in their diet, especially the stuff we feed them. In the wild all fruits are eaten before they even have a chance to ripen so it's possible he is getting a little too much fruit in his diet. There really shouldn't be much of an issue with how much veggies you feed them though as long as it's a nice variety.

 

[Hankmacaw]

@Spacerella
Here is an article by Dr. Sakas (Macawnutz's vet) about Vitamin A deficiency. I thought if you could read it and compare the symptoms he lines out to what your bird has, would be a good idea.
www.nilesanimalhospital.com/.../Vitamin-A-Deficiency-in-Pet-Birds.pdf

Here is an article about Asper - not the best, but you can compare the symptoms to Vit A deficiency. I want to mention that Vit a deficiency will lower the immune system and sometimes allow Asper a foothold.
Aspergillosis In Birds

 

[Tami B]

@Spacerella - can't get the Vit.A article to open.
What am I doing wrong?

 

[Hankmacaw]

It's a PDF file and you have to have Adobe Reader on your computer. It is a free download and worth having since many documents are published i PDF.

If you can't get Adobe let me know and I will convert it and copy/paste here.

 

[rocky'smom]

@Hankmacaw Vitamin A article does not open says page not found

 

[Tami B]

@Hankmacaw
Oops.
That's it. Don't have adobe on my cell!
And no computer/laptop here.
If you would do the conversion and copy/paste - that would great!

 

[Tim]

If you look at the top of the page, and click on "Avian Articles", you can scroll down to the nutrition section and find the article. Lots of good information on this page, as well!

 

[Tami B]

I'll try again, thx @Tim

 

[Tami B]

@Hankmacaw & @Tim
Thank you!
Got it to open in I-books!

 

[Hankmacaw]

Try this and scroll down to "bird nutrition" Avian Articles | Niles Animal Hospital & Bird Medical Center

 

[Hankmacaw]

The Aspergillosis article is very good too.

 

[Tami B]

@Hankmacaw
Thanks!
Looks like I will be reading more then just those two articles!

 

[Tami B]

(That worked!)

 

[Macawnutz]

I love his articles! There is one for everything.

You can mix up hankmacaw ( Mary Lynn ) and I anytime. I wish I had half her knowledge. I recommend aviculture probiotic's. It's what my vet recommends too.

You first have to first imagine the amount of vit A deficent birds a vet must see. Let's guess 85% of first time patients, new bird owners that don't realize the importance of a fresh diet. Then factor in the amount of birds that even if you are feeding fresh, don't actually eat it. I think it's pretty safe to say that most birds they see have this deficiency.

I'm not saying it's your answer, I'm saying it's a safe bet for a vet to say. I have a bird that eats great but does not seem to process vit A well, I add prozyme to his food a few times a week to ensure better absorbtion.

 

[Tami B]

I'm not sure how important true light is for birds, but reptiles need full spectrum light to be able to absorb and process Vit. D, and with that calcium.
(Just like humans)

Just in case, i have a full spectrum light hanging over one side of my bird cages.
(Off course out of reach for the birds!)

 

[LunaLovebird]

Where abouts in QLD are you? I use Brisbane Bird Vet, which is located on the north side, and have found them to be great. Of course, if you aren't here in Brisbane then that's not much help.

 

[Spacerella]

Hi @Hankmacaw and @Macawnutz, thank you both for your wealth of information. I've just called my current vet and waiting for a callback, and have also called the other well-regarded avian vet near me ( @LunaLovebird, that's the one!)... Called a couple other local vets to see if they would do just the blood test, but no dice. I'm about to go read the articles and try to get a better feel for what might be going on, but I doubt I'll truly know until he's been tested. I'm just praying and hoping that I wasn't a fool who refused to take the vet's advice... if a few extra Vitamin A shots could have gotten him better and I've put him through all this for nothing, I'll never forgive myself. My bank account will DEFINITELY not forgive me, like ever

I just hope that Brisbane Bird Vet won't require an X-ray because that's the one they need to anaesthetise him for, and that really freaks me out as I once lost a bunny to anaesthesia (it was/is considered a rabbit-safe gas)... sooo... yeah.

I will continue to update as we plod along. Thanks again to everyone who contributed to my post; thank you for not bringing up the fact that I brought this on myself by neglecting my Dragon; thank you for your kindness and empathy. I hope you all have awesome days.

 

[Spacerella]

PS Neither of the receptionists at the avian clinics seemed to know what an "asper titer" is - and neither do I - can anyone enlighten me? I will be checking Dr. Google after I read the articles..

 

[LunaLovebird]

Hi @Hankmacaw and @Macawnutz, thank you both for your wealth of information. I've just called my current vet and waiting for a callback, and have also called the other well-regarded avian vet near me ( @LunaLovebird, that's the one!)... Called a couple other local vets to see if they would do just the blood test, but no dice. I'm about to go read the articles and try to get a better feel for what might be going on, but I doubt I'll truly know until he's been tested. I'm just praying and hoping that I wasn't a fool who refused to take the vet's advice... if a few extra Vitamin A shots could have gotten him better and I've put him through all this for nothing, I'll never forgive myself. My bank account will DEFINITELY not forgive me, like ever

I just hope that Brisbane Bird Vet won't require an X-ray because that's the one they need to anaesthetise him for, and that really freaks me out as I once lost a bunny to anaesthesia (it was/is considered a rabbit-safe gas)... sooo... yeah.

I will continue to update as we plod along. Thanks again to everyone who contributed to my post; thank you for not bringing up the fact that I brought this on myself by neglecting my Dragon; thank you for your kindness and empathy. I hope you all have awesome days.

Great! You'll love them. They are all very good at what they do. Our vet there, Dr. Loughlin,had to anaesthetise Luna once during our last wellness check and it went very smoothly. They have wonderful nurses (on of their nurses is the daughter of Dr. Gallagher) and receptionists on staff there, all of whom are very knowledgable and helpful when you need them to be. Good luck with your visit.

 

[LunaLovebird]

PS Neither of the receptionists at the avian clinics seemed to know what an "asper titer" is - and neither do I - can anyone enlighten me? I will be checking Dr. Google after I read the articles..

It sounds like an Aspergillosis test.