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Rescued Blue Fronted Amazon.... I think she’s sick?

ZeusZuul

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Hi everyone!

I am very new to Amazon’s let alone larger birds. I grew up with parakeets and cocktails though and well I went to a reputable rescue hoping to eventually adopt a cocktail, lo and behold I bonded with a 30+ year old blue fronted amazon named Zues who’s owner passed away and the husband brought Zeus to the rescue as he didn’t want her.

Zues pulled out most of her feathers, the husband of Zeus’s owner said it was because they had got a second bird and Zeus got jealous, but the feathers never grew back.

Anyway, I bonded with her immediately at the shop, she’s climb on my shoulder and let me put my hand up to get her off/etc. There was a connection and mutual respect between us but obviously not trust yet...

once I got her home she wouldn’t allow me to pull her out of her cage or pet her and she gave me warning bites when I’d try to get her to step up, but after two days of having her she put her head down and nudged up against me for me to give her head scratches, now she climbs on me and will step up for me.

When she’s hanging upside down from her cage and I open the door (I had a routine to open the door and let her come out on her own as to not break her trust by shoving my hand in her cage) but now when she’s in her cage and I open the door she climbs to the top to hang upside down then puts one leg down for me to help her out. We sing together and she dances, seriously everyone I’ve had Zeus two weeks now and I have such a strong bond with her.

I noticed when I brought her home she REEKED. I assumed it was stress as I read a lot before actually adopting her and know amazons can emit smells based on moods. So i didn’t think much of it, the smell on her has passed but I also noticed her cage always smells, like gag worthy putred. So I gave it a thorough scrub assuming it was dirty. The smell has progressively gotten worse despite me cleaning the liner daily now and I’m convinced it’s her poop. When I bring her out of her cage she herself doesn’t smell, she gives me kisses and her breath doesn’t smell. It’s just her cage. And all I can put that to is her droppings.

I’m at work during the day and so that’s where most of her droppings accumulate, but I have a routine. She’s out for 2 hours before I leave for work, and 4 + hours when I get home from work and she’ll have a few droppings when outside of the cage and I haven’t noticed a nasty scent with a single dropping or two.

She’s on a pellet diet, she eats fruit like bananas and strawberries, I haven’t got her to eat any veggies yet.

I have a vet appointment for this Saturday but I guess I’m hoping someone can give me ideas of what it could be.

I’ve never owned a large parrot so I’m not sure how her stool should differ from the birds I have owned, it’s green (ranges from darker green’s like the color of spinach) and white. Its mostly green though and not a lot of white. It’s kind of runny but not like diarrhea and has almost a wet/glossy sheen look. It’s hard to describe.

I love her so much and am so worried about her, is it possible she’s so unhappy in her cage while I’m at work she’s releasing this foul scent? - I can’t begin to describe how foul this scent is.

Sorry for the long post!
 

Clueless

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Welcome!

I don't know about the scent. I would suggest making notes to ask the vet.

Also beware of letting the zon near your face. You are in the honeymoon stage right now. I've had mine for several years and as much as I love and trust MC, he's given me acouple of bites (my fault) that would have been horrific if on my face.
 

Hankmacaw

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Thank you for taking this bird into your heart and home. She sounds like a special girl.

Smelly poop is almost always due to digestive system infection, but can caused be numerous other issues. Taking her to the vet is the very best idea. Be sure to tell your vet about all of your concerns about the bird and ask questions until you are satisfied.

Welcome to AA.
 

Wthensler

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Thank you for adopting her. When we adopted Mickey, a DYH, he absolutely reeked from a terrible sunflower seed diet. Poor fella. It took a while, but a new environment and healthy diet changed everything. I think a vet visit is wise in any case.
 

geff

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Well done on giving the soul a home.
Amazons love water. In a previous life they must have all been ducks lol.
They love having showers and or baths.
Maybe if you allow the bird access to water, it may improve her .
If I was you take some pictures of her poop, that would be more accurate than trying to describe it (poop).
A visit to an avian vet would help.
 

iamwhoiam

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Thanks for adopting the BFA. Keep us updated regarding the vet appt. Hope all will be well with her.
 

Shezbug

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Welcome and congratulations on your new bird :)
 

melissasparrots

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Stressed out or sick amazons smell like dirty socks. Its just an aroma that their body gives off. If it's her poop, then she needs a vet check. Probably a grams stain and culture and sensitivity. It may just be a yeast over growth and quickly gotten rid of with some meds. In the mean time, you might try putting a teaspoon of bragg's apple cider vinegar per cup of her drinking water. It will not get rid of an infection. But, it might keep a yeast problem from getting worse. Just to be clear, the vinegar is NOT a treatment or substitute for a vet check. Smelly poop needs a vet. Actually, any rescue bird needs a vet check. Especially one with smelly poop.
 

Mockinbirdiva

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Congratulations on your new bird and welcome to the Avenue! I think others have covered the need for a vet visit. I would suggest though, that you do not allow your bird on your shoulder... at all, ever. Often times they can be so well behaved when coming into a new environment and without warning show their true colors of the nature being one of the "Hot three" in most temperamental amazons and give you a nasty bite to the face, which, could be a devastating injury as well as your hurt feelings that it would even do that. Even though you have a strong bond with her I want you to be cautious and keep her on your arm only. Anyway, you deserve a giant gold star for giving this girl a home and can't wait to see photos!
 

ZeusZuul

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UPDATE:

She had her vet visit today. They did a stool sample and there was nothing bad in the stool. No bacteria/not gram positive.

Her crop is swollen and they did blood work and a crop swab, she also has sores on the bottom of her feet along with her feather plucking that I knew about upon adopting her. They gave her a shot for inflammation to help her feet, and I’m not sure what else I can do about her feet. She’s got a sandy perch, a rope perch, two wooden perches, am I not providing enough variety of perches???

a $500 vet bill later I have her home and she’s asleep, it’s been a long stressful day for her. They think she has a liver or kidney disease, but I won’t have any answers until later this week. They send the blood out Monday and it can take 3-5 days max to hear back.

They said she acts as though she’s been abused, and with the story I got from the rescue im wondering if the husband of Zeus's owner wasn’t the culprit. She isn’t trusting or fond of men at all, so that made even more sad for her. Poor thing has been through so much, I just want her to be happy and feel ok.
 

Hankmacaw

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That picture is so pitiful, but you can turn her into a brand new bird with caring and consistency and vet care. You will be amazed at the difference in just a few weeks.

Well, sounds like your new little girl is paying for a lot of neglect. The very first thing you can do to get her feet back in good shape is;

  1. Wrap all of the perches with vet wrap, except the rope perch. This is vet wrap on Amazon; Amazon.com : LotFancy Vet Self-Adherent Wrap - Cohesive Bandage Tape for Dog Cat Pet Horse, 10 Rolls, Assorted Colors, FDA Approved, 4 Inches x 5 Yards : Pet Supplies
  2. Wash her feet well with plain warm water.
  3. Get some vitamin E - oil if possible (vitamin E capsules, if not) and rub the oil on her feet daily - washing the feet every few days.
  4. If you can provide her with a flat perch do that. Like this one; Seriously Nutz - Small Basswood Platform Perch - Natural Flat Perches that are cut thick, side or corner mounted. and pad the top until her feet get well/
  5. If her feet don't improve in a week or two, ask your vet for antibiotics for them.
Get these supplements for her and start her on them as soon as you talk to your vet about them. I've used them for years (on my DR.s orders) and they are life savers.
1. Red Palm Oil - Amazon.com : Nutiva Red Palm Oil, 15 fl oz : Grocery & Gourmet Food
2. Milk Thistle Extract - Amazon.com: Nature's Answer Alcohol-Free Milk Thistle Extract, 2-Fluid Ounces: Health & Personal Care
3. DMG - Amazon.com : VetriScience Laboratories - Vetri DMG Liquid, Immune Support for Cats and Dogs, 30 Servings : Pet Antioxidant Nutritional Supplements : Pet Supplies this will build her immune system.

Be sure you discuss all of these with your vet.
 

iamwhoiam

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Thank you for taking her into your home. So very sad. Good that she is now in a place where she will be loved and cared for.
 

Lady Jane

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Another thank you here. I hope you take all kf Hankmacaw's recommendations. She is amazingly knowledgable.
 

Clueless

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Again, thank you.

Please keep us updated. We care.
 

ZeusZuul

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UPDATE: Her blood work came back! They said everything looks really good! Her potassium was slightly elevated but they said they see that with slight dehydration due to not drinking water with car ride/waiting time/narvousness due to not drinking at the clinic/etc.

So her crop is still distended and her stool still smells really really bad. They want me to bring her back for bornavirus testing. I don’t know anything about bornavirus and have been reading on it a bit, but would that explain the foul smelling stool and swollen crop? I know it would definitely explain the feather plucking.

They asked if the shot they gave her (Robenacoxib injection) to help with the sores on her feet helped her crop or stool at all and I didn’t notice that it did but they said once I bring her in for the bornavirus test if it’s positive I’d have to bring her in for the Robenacoxib injection fairly often. Monthly if not more.

Im taking her in for the bornavirus test as soon as I get paid again (9 days) but in the meantime is there anything I can do to help her/make her feel better or for the sake of my nose feed her anything to help with her stool?

I bought antimicrobial cage liner and still need to change it every morning and by late afternoon it reeks again.

She’s on a pellet diet, should I be feeding anything besides or instead of pellets if she does end up having bornavirus? (I know vegetables are important but I cannot get her to eat them at all so far... she loves banana but no other fruit that Ive offered.... so right now she’s solely on natural pellets and small amounts of banana, more for a treat.)

Any recommendations to reduce the smell? Anything I can use for liner or literally anything. Changing the liner daily isn’t hard but even with that the smell is awful and I rent my condo and am slightly worried about the smell becoming an issue. I know it’s not like a dog or cat pottying on the carpet but I still worry about the smell, plus it’s not exactly pleasant to smell

Most importantly though I love Zeus very much and want her to feel ok. I worry she doesn’t feel well but she hides it (I know birds are pro at hiding illness due to being shunned from the flock) so I just really want to make her comfortable until I can get answers/treatment. and less importantly any advice to help my nose be more comfortable would be helpful.
 

Clueless

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@Macawnutz may chime in on your questions.

Try cutting different sizes in veggies.

My amazons will eat red bell peppers (I buy one organic). Sometimes they eat long thin strips. Right now it has to be thin pieces and short.

Birds can be picky. MC loves baked sweet potato, Secret turns up the beak at it.

Try eating a bite of a veggie in front of her, then offer her a bite.
 
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