Oscar's Health

[Alien J]

I'm just finishing up at the Avian Vet here in Charleston. I thought maybe Oscar's preening gland was clogged bcuz the bump is always there and he doesn't spread his tail feathers out and doesn't preen them much. He preens his wings, his chest, etc., but not his tail.

The vet examined him and everything in the area around the base of his tail is inflamed. She thinks possibly there's an old injury. We're scheduling an X-ray. We're also scheduling blood work, bcuz even though his weight is "okay" his keel is very prominent and there's little muscle around it.

This vet told me something I've read nothing but the opposite about. That's UV light coming through windows. She said as long as the window isn't tinted, the sunlight coming through the glass will be sufficient for vitamin D. Has anyone else been told this?

 

[MommyBird]

NYT says "no" That UVA (which can cause cancer) goes thru windows but UVB does not, it is the UVB that triggers vitamin D production.

Can You Get Vitamin D Through a Window? Doctors Explain

Does Sunlight Through Glass Provide Vitamin D? (Published 2019)

And you can’t get adequate UVB exposure sitting indoors or in a car. Virtually all commercial and automobile glass blocks UVB rays. As a result, you will not be able to increase your vitamin D levels by sitting in front of a sunny window, though much of the UVA radiation will penetrate the glass and may be harmful.

“It doesn’t matter if it’s winter or summer, you will make no vitamin D sitting in front of a window — zip,” said Dr. Michael Holick, a professor of medicine, physiology and biophysics at Boston University School of Medicine.
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And I hope Oscar's tests all come back OK!

 

[Alien J]

NYT says "no" That UVA (which can cause cancer) goes thru windows but UVB does not, it is the UVB that triggers vitamin D production.

Can You Get Vitamin D Through a Window? Doctors Explain

Does Sunlight Through Glass Provide Vitamin D? (Published 2019)

And you can’t get adequate UVB exposure sitting indoors or in a car. Virtually all commercial and automobile glass blocks UVB rays. As a result, you will not be able to increase your vitamin D levels by sitting in front of a sunny window, though much of the UVA radiation will penetrate the glass and may be harmful.

“It doesn’t matter if it’s winter or summer, you will make no vitamin D sitting in front of a window — zip,” said Dr. Michael Holick, a professor of medicine, physiology and biophysics at Boston University School of Medicine.
.......................
And I hope Oscar's tests all come back OK!

That's exactly what I've read over the years! I'll show this to my vet.

Thanks for the good thoughts. I hope he's not going to need any surgery. I hope he's going to be ok.

 

[cnyguy]

All the best to Oscar.

 

[Rebel]

That's exactly what I've read over the years! I'll show this to my vet.

Thanks for the good thoughts. I hope he's not going to need any surgery. I hope he's going to be ok.

Isnt it lovely teaching a “professional “what they are supposed to already know? This has happened to me before.

 

[Alien J]

All the best to Oscar.

Thank you.

 

[zoo mom]

Good luck Oscar.

If you have a sunny window you can open for a few minutes every day that will help with vitamin D production. I know it's a little too cold in the winter.

 

[Pixiebeak]

Sorry his check up didn't go perfectly.
Are you saying his preen gland is swollen? Or something linked with cloaca? Or something with vertebra? Base of tail is just confusing me on what you got going on ?

What was he weight?
The pectoral muscle atrophy pretty quickly with no flying.

Tho he always looks a little unkempt feathers in pictures. Definitely seems more quiet and less active by your posts, than I have known quakers to be. Blood check is an excellent idea!!

Glad you got your buddy in to the vets for a going over after rescue of him.

 

[Alien J]

I believe the Dr thinks an old injury to his vertebrae. She mentioned a possible hard landing. Could be why he won't fly. He never spreads his tail feathers and doesn't preen them much. I had thought clogged preening gland. She checked and it's not. Guess we won't really know until the X-ray.

 

[Pixiebeak]

I believe the Dr thinks an old injury to his vertebrae. She mentioned a possible hard landing. Could be why he won't fly. He never spreads his tail feathers and doesn't preen them much. I had thought clogged preening gland. She checked and it's not. Guess we won't really know until the X-ray.

Definitely something that could happen with a crash land on floor in past . Really glad nit preen gland! But boo if arthritis!

 

[Emma&pico]

Sending positive vibes for Oscar

 

[Alien J]

So, can anyone tell me... How hard is it to get a syringe full of valium up a Quaker's nare? Could I possibly asphyxiate him? I'm really nervous about having to do this. We have to have him there by 9:15 am. The birds don't usually get up till 9. The vet is almost 2 hours away. Should I have Oscar sleep in the living room so as not to awaken the tiels? Won't that make him more nervous? I'm really worried about him.

 

[MommyBird]

I've never heard of doing that!
Two of my birds have needed nasal flushes in the recent past. My Jenday had a rhinolith that needed a lot of flushing after working on it to get all the pieces out (so I was told).
I don't know if there was a trick to it and I have an excellent avian vet but she didn't seem to have any tension about doing it.
It was done in another room from where I was.
I hope someone has more answers for you.
I would let Oscar sleep where he normally does. Just enter the room gently and the cockatiels can nap while you are away, and they will quickly forget the disturbance.

 

[Alien J]

This is so that Oscar will be sedated when we arrive for the X-ray/blood draw. So that hopefully then she won't have to anesthetize him. We live over an hour and a half away. I'm afraid it'll wear off anyways. I asked about that, but she said to go ahead and administer it 1/2 an hour before we leave. I'm feel very uncomfortable doing it. So does George, who will be toweling him and holding him while I do it.

 

[Alien J]

Has anyone ever had to do this?

 

[sunnysmom]

Sending good thoughts to Oscar.

 

[zoo mom]

Probably way to late but I have never had to give Valium to a bird but I have put valium down a humans tracheal tube if there wasn't IV access in an emergency. In humans, it absorbs so quickly that there is no aspiration. It is one of only 5 medications approved for tracheal tube administration.