Booger's struggle to survive..

[Notdumasilook]

I've owned Booger, my lil Sun Conure for a while now and want to tell his story. I got him as a rescue bird about 9 months or so ago. All in all hes an amazing loving lil bird that has capture the heart of my wife and myself. Back in early may I notice he was flapping harder when flying for some reason. Kinda had me scratching my head. I figured maybe he was dealing with the confined area of my den and on purpose flying with the "brakes on". A few weeks went by and one day he could only make it half way across the room before gliding to the floor. NOW I'm worried and make an appointment with my avian vet. I examine Booger myself and note that other than being kinda scrawnier than usual he looked fine. Visit to the vet... no idea.. he said maybe "diet related" and beak color was off .. perhaps a vitamin deficiency. And he suggested exercise his wings and feed him good. Hmmm.. I feed my birds better than I feed me. So I take Booger home and start watching what hes eating a bit closer. I bought a set of scales to keep track of his weight... Discovered that when hes digging in his food bowl hes doing very little eating... just crunching. Went and bought a set of scales to track his weight which is about 88 grams... shy for a sun conure. I try stuffing snacks in him and excecising him in the hallway. He cant get lift but he flaps as he glides down the hall. A few weeks of this he is getting weaker, not better. I consult Dr Google to see whats out there that causes weakness, lack of appetite and weight loss. One thing pops up.. Macaw wasting disease. I call the vet for another appointment. I asked about the wasting disease and he say nope.. not the right symptoms. He decides to X ray.. looking for an injury that I know full well there was not one. Returned from X-ray Booger was in crisis. His wings were drooping and he was biting hell out of me for no apparent reason. Looking closer I say that the nurse had somehow jerked the band on Booger's leg down around his foot, crushing it!!!!.. I try to get it to slide back up but its stuck. Vet comes back in the room and I tell him to help me .which he does, with some effort he got the band back off his foot and I insisted he cut it off so that NEVER happens again. Grrr I'm kinda peeved and hope she gets chewed out over that. Ok back to Booger.. Vet says he has no idea whats wrong, perhaps a specialist a few hundred miles from me can help, maybe an MRI. Well.. with an MRI bird has to be sedated, 2nd, my wife is in too bad a shape for me to leave her overnite. Vet gives me Baytril in case theres some infection ( which there is no sign of) and Meloxacam for pain. Got Booger home and noticed his left wing was drooping...... geeeeeeeeze.... looks like the nurse hurt Boogers wing too!..
Well I start giving the meds... no amount of beggin will he take Baytril. I tasted it...and know why. Its horrid. I can get a lil meloxicam in him but not much. Booger keeps going downhill. My vets staff calls me a week later asking how Booger is doing. I told her hes dying and I don't know what to do. She's like.. well sorry. I get online some more looking for another avian vet in my area. By just dumb luck I discovered there was an Avian Specialist 20 minutes from me!!!!!!!!!!.. (why didn't my vet tell me this??) I have to be referred so I get all of that taken care of. Booger gets to see a specialist!! First words to this lady vet from me was "save my bird". She examined him... got Xrays from the last vet and listened carefully to all that had gone on. Her opinion... Macaw wasting disease... ABV/PDD... which she explains theres really no decent test for. She gives me more meloxicam... a more concentrated form to help make it easier to get him a full dose. Also she mentioned heavy metal poisoning (not likely but treatable) Test for that ended up sadly negative. So Booger goes home with a bleak outlook... hes dying and theres nothing I can do for him other than give him meloxicam. He goes in to a nosedive healthwise. I'm trying to feed him lil treats, eveng getting baby bird formula so he can get a lil nourishment. He gets weaker by the day. Digging more with Dr Google on ABV/PDD I see you don't wait too long before euthanizing them... otherwise they die a horrible painful death. Shooting emails back forth with the Specialist lady vet, and calls my reg vet considering euthanizing Booger.. wife and I are both tore up... BOTH of us are in tears. I told the specialist that all the reading I have done and the info that I have I just found that the meloxicam is the wrong med to treat ABV according to some new 2016 info. (if that's what he has) In fact,, it says on one test it made the birds worse!! I told her he was at deaths door now, and I was taking him to my other vet to get evaluated for euthanasia. He is so weak,,, hes falling off his perches, he cant climb the front of my shirt. Anything I give him to eat... he tries but you can see him hurt when hes trying to digest anything. Wife and I are a wreck expecting him to die any moment or get another secondary infection that wreaks havoc on him.
I actually showed up at my vet with Booger in his travel cage.. and a box in hand to take him home in. Knots in my throat and tears in my eyes. Vet takes a look at Booger and notes hes in bad shape,, but he tells me the Specialist lady called him and they discussed switching his meds to the oneI read about online. .... Celebrex... I go for it with fingers crossed. I owe it to this lil guy as hard as he has fought to try one more thing... chancing he might die miserably but heck....
Took 2 days to get the Celebrex from a specialty pharmacy... meanwhile I wont leave Booger but for short trips to the store or something.. trying to get lil bits of stuff in him. Finally I get the Celebrex... and dose him that afternoon... following morning hes no worse for wear and I dose him again.. fingers crossed. At 10 am hes at his food bowl EATING!!!!!!!!!! Not ravenous... but eating without being coaxed. Later that day hes ripping treats out of my hand and devouring them with apparent relish!!! Its been a few weeks now and Booger is STILL eating and getting stronger. Still scrawny as hell... poor baby is feather and bone... but hes ALIVE and he is EATING!!!!!!!!!!...
At this point we still don't know what Booger has/ had... but at least he has a chance now... Wife and I cried again together... this time it was a happy cry. Lemme tell you its a horrid feeling watching such a loved lil critter suffer and feel so damn helpless... and even the experts cant figure out what to do. I just thank ""Dr Google"" and the specialist vet. Had it not been for her intervention Booger would have gone home in that box I had. Its been 10 days now and Booger is still eating and getting stronger... fingers crossed!!
Booger may never fly again after being injured by that nurse during the X-ray... but I don't mind carrying him where ever he wants to go.... Wish Booger luck... He's been thru a hella ordeal..

 

[Tsali]

WOW, what a roller coaster ride. I am SO GLAD to hear that Booger is recovering. I read your post through tears - first sadness, then of joy. Thank you for not giving up on this precious little one. Will be watching for updates and doing some research on the Macaw Wasting Disease and add it to my growing folder of need to know bird information

 

[Notdumasilook]

I appreciate the thoughts. Note there is still not a confirmation that ABV/PDD is what he had. We know its not heavy metal poisoning. Whatever it was/is poor lil guy a had severe inflammation in his GI tract. All I know is one vet says its NOT ABV and one said it can be ABV. Regardless, if any of you are going thru a similar problem don't settle for Meloxicam. Insist on Celebrex. Kudos to the specialty pharmacy that made this med for my lil Booger. They went the extra mile to concentrate it to as compact as they could knowing it was an 86 gram bird I was giving it to. Smaller dose is easier to give whether you are restraining them or attempting to mix it in a "disguise treat".

 

[wrench13]

Roller Coaster ride is putting it mildly. Bravo to you. And also to the vets out there that stay on top of the latest information. We still do not know enough about avian medical conditions, so your good vets will, if not actively participating in research, be aware of what is going on in their field. Saying a prayer for lil Booger, that he continues to recover.

 

[Notdumasilook]

I'm just darn lucky I found that research info online really. Neither vet seemed aware of it. Oddly enough the meds the pros were giving did no good or even made it worse... and heartbreaking still is the nurse that hurt Booger giving him Xrays. He is not that hard to handle.. even with strangers.
I still know nothing about treatment other than what I read online.... maintain dose 6-24 weeks until he gets closer to 100 grams.... then stop and keep a good check on his weight weekly and WATCH him eating. I know the half-life of the Celebrex in a bird is as close as they know.. 11 hours, so 1 dose a day is sufficient. Of course he's gonna get spoiled rotten while this old fart "Dr Hippie" and "Nurse Wifey" keep him in intensive care. Thanks for the best wishes bro.

 

[Piasa]

I am crying reading your post. It is so hard to know how good a vet or their staff is until you are in a dire situation. My super docile parrot was also injured not long ago in a similar circumstance. I hope you have some better help now.

Kudos to you for being a wonderful advocate for your little conure, for finding the healing info you need to help him and sharing it with all of us. I hope things get better for all of you now.

 

[GaleriaGila]

I can only echo everyone's support and admiration for you and dear Booger. I had a tabby cat called Booger when I was in high school, by the way.
Please keep us updated. I don't want to press during this time of stress, but... pictures would be so nice! I want to look into this little warrior's eyes someday when you can post photos. Meanwhile, I'll just watch this thread and send virtual Patagonian hugzszszszs.
Gail and the RB

 

[Flboy]

Awesome baby! Awesome-er you!!

 

[faeryphoebe1]

Thank goodness he's eating! Your perserverance, dedication and love shine through. I hope Booger continues to do well.

 

[SailBoat]

Thank-you, for never giving up!

I would recommend that you jump back on Dr. Google and relocate the information on that medication and contact them with your story. If nothing else, it will provide support for their work!

Again, Thank-You and God Speed Booger!

 

[Flboy]

I really have to admit, I still can't read all the way through your original post! Just knowing what I am blocking has me in tears!

 

[SailBoat]

I really have to admit, I still can't read all the way through your original post! Just knowing what I am blocking has me in tears!

Totally understand! I chose to read from the bottom up, to be able to make it fully though. Buck-up good friend, its worth it!

 

[plumsmum2005]

I really have to admit, I still can't read all the way through your original post! Just knowing what I am blocking has me in tears!

I have to admit been quiet on this for the same reason. Seen the words "alive and eating".

Wishing this little bird lots of love and loads of strength for a good recovery.

 

[Blancaej]

Wow! What a great job on your part! I am so glad you kept searching for answers. Booger, you and your wife will be in my thoughts and prayers that he will continue to get better!

Sent from my XT1254 using Tapatalk

 

[Notdumasilook]

Just a happy update. Since the 16th of July... Booger was a horridly scrawny 86 grams.... He is still taking treats with relish and eating on his own as well. Wife and I are of course feeding him hi protein treats... Harrisons Power treats, walnuts, almonds, pecans, and pine nuts. Weighed him yesterday and he is now at 90.5 grams!!.. Very excited to see him gain weight. He still can't straighten his left wing, but hes flapping them and building up his muscles. We played Rub my Belly, Pee Pie/ Hide and Seek, and Pull my tail all weekend. Hah only bird I have EVER had that loves his tail pulled. Hope I can figure out how to post pics of him soon.
Tell you a short story about how smart this lil guy is. He would always fly to his cage to crap... not trained to do that , it was just his way. After his loss of flight ability, he would run across the back of the couch for me to put him back on the cage...when he had to crap. Nite times when he would go to the cage he would say "Nite Nite"... but NOW hes made the connection. NOW, when he has to crap he looks at ya and says NITE NITE... (which now means Take me to the cage!! I Gota poop!). Amazing how he gets his point across with such a limited vocabulary.... Booger is teaching US

 

[plumsmum2005]

Yep they sure are not daft and always love to surprise us! Glad he is gaining weight and things improving.

 

[Piasa]

I am so glad Booger is showing improvements! He sounds so smart and endearing. I am always amazed how well they get on with life despite all they go through.

Just a thought for the future. I hear that laser therapy (you need the stronger of the 2 types of lasers) can be used to heal and regain range of motion in wings. It's still very new and not too many vets use the stronger laser yet. I'd be happy to share what I know via PM if you'd like.

I had laser done on my one parrot who was injured, and it helped her a lot during the healing process. She was mutilating and it kept her from getting worse until her infection that was causing it was located and cleared.

 

[Notdumasilook]

My avian specialist says the jury is still out on laser therapy. She IS in touch with one of the dr's that did the huge study on ABV/PDD and got more advice on the meds .... correct dosage and all, plus stuff to help his wing heal. I am amazed at this new avian specialist I met... by pure luck. She has gone the extra mile to be Boogers advocate.. going way above and beyond normal. Again, appreciate yalls best wishes.. and indeed, Booger is a very special lil youngin and is getting spoiled rotten while bein in intensive care..

 

[GaleriaGila]

This is the best kind of story!
I'm staying tuned...

 

[BillieD]

I am glad to hear of buggers progress. That is good stuff, I am looking forward to some pics soon.