Bosley's eye again.

[SandyBee]

So Bosley is closing one eye again, not all the time but more than he should.
We went to the vet for this a few months back and the assessment at the time is that he had hit or scratched it.
Meds were given and eye returned to normal.
About a month ago it happened again but cleared up by itself in no time.
So I have a vet Appointment this week but have to wait till the vet gets back, he's on holidays. Am going to call the other avian vet to see if they can get me in sooner.
Bosley is eating, drinking, playing so that is good.
My question is should we be looking for anything else to be causing this or is it possible that he is hitting his eye that much. I notice sometimes when he brushes past me he doesn't close his eye. all advice welcome.

 

[BillsBirds]

I would get a second vets opinion. When in doubt, or a situation continues, a second opinion is a good idea. Different people (doctors & vets) know different things, and look at things differently.

 

[SandyBee]

Thanks Bill, I was thinking the same thing. In fairness to the first vet though his diagnosis was made on the first incident and he might look at it differently now that its reoccurring. I guess it all depends if I can get an appointment with the other vet first.

 

[BillsBirds]

Agreed, but, "two heads are better than one"! And the original vet may see something different now. But, you may be talking about your birds eyesight. I've fostered birds with vision problems, and it is a very difficult and involved situation. You want to avoid any issues before there is a problem. If it were me, I'd want as much input as possible.

 

[henpecked]

I'm with bill on this. It's good you have choices, I'd use them.

 

[SandyBee]

Thanks I will, the other vet only works with birds and does all the rescues birds as well. I'm sure she will be pleased to see Bosley, unfortunately she's closed on Monday, but I will take the first appointment I can get.

 

[MikeyTN]

Second vet is always recommended! But have you looked into getting some Vetericyn? It's Ophthalmic Gel that you can use in their eyes as I've seen birds getting food crumbs in their eyes and end up getting an infection but this stuff clears it right up pretty good. I keep it on hand at all times.

 

[JerseyWendy]

Oh no, Sandy, not the eye again. I'm so sorry to hear that.

I genuinely hope the vet(s) can figure out what's going on with it. And I double Mikey's recommendation about the ophthalmic gel.

Hopefully by this morning it's all better all on its own.

 

[BillsBirds]

Even if it's all better on it's own, and you get the gel, I think you should consult with the vets about why it continues to happen. Eyes, (yours, your bird's, your kids, or any other eyes) are nothing to take lightly. I've been there, having almost lost my own eyesight to diabetes, and fostering a blind dog, and two almost blind parrots. You really don't want to know how those situations can be.

 

[SandyBee]

Appointment made for first thing Wednesday morning.
Eye was open this morning, but closing early again. I agree I don't want to mess around and want to find the root cause. If it turns out to be a bump or scratch so be it, I will get some gel to have on hand, It can't hurt.
I couldn't get in to the vet I wanted, but have another avian vet where my parents go and they can fit me in. I am blessed to have so many choices.
Thank you all so much for good advice and wisdom.

 

[JerseyWendy]

Please keep us posted, Sandy!! I'm hoping for good news, and nothing serious.

Also, please give your maneater...I mean Bosley some scritches from me.

 

[SandyBee]

Thanks Wendy,

I will complete with pictures after our appointment on Wednesday 10 AM.
The flying attacks have settled down LOL, he has been showing off his air acrobatics though. He can fly straight up from the floor, he can hover and does U turns as well as precision landings.

 

[SandyBee]

So we just got back from the vet, and Murphy's law Bosleys eye was fine as of yesterday.
No trauma could be found and he presents in good health.
So we did gram stain and blood panel, results in a few days.
There is the very beginning of cataracts, normal for his age.
So for now we wait, but he handled everything well.

 

[JerseyWendy]

Thanks so much for the update, Sandy. I'm glad his eye cleared up on his own. Fingers and toes are crossed that his blood will come back a.o.k.

I'm also happy to hear his Kamekaze days have ended.

 

[SandyBee]

Thanks, I'm hoping all the panels come back good too.
They did a corneal scan in office, that was good.
I guess we wait for tests and go from there, he is in perfect feather. Could lose a few grams, but not much he is fligjted.

 

[SandyBee]

And as always would love more input.

 

[SandyBee]

Ok The vet just called with the results!!!

The GOOD news - Blood panel is fantastic, no liver or Kidney issues, all fantastic!
I am so happy about this for a bird his age!!

The Problem - low level bacteria and yeast found in the gram stain
Going back in the morning for another swab to isolate the bacteria as she doesn't want to prescribe broad spectrum antibiotics due to his age.
Cha Ching LOL Oh well, he's so worth it.

Any advice?
All comments appreciated!

 

[JerseyWendy]

Those are great news, Sandy.

I wish I had some constructive input as for the bacteria that was found, but I honestly have NO clue.

THIS is what I give to my Hunter daily ever since she's had 3 surgeries in one year to have a Xythoma removed. The third time apparently was the charme, as the thing hasn't come back.

Ok, here's a link to what she gets:
Avi-Immune by Avitech 4 oz - AVITECH by MY SAFE BIRD STORE

 

[SandyBee]

Aww poor hunter. I'm glad it's staying away
I'll look into that after we find out what the bacteria is. I'm happy the new vet is being very careful about things.
And poor Bosley, going back to the vet, I am so happy that we got him used to his travel carrier, he seems to enjoy the drives and doesn't get stressed.

I am just so pleased to find no liver and kidney disease, bacteria can be treated.

 

[SandyBee]

Whew, glad thats over, 2 vet visits in 3 days. More swabs taken, fresh nail trim and back to waiting for the cultures to grow. This time we are looking at 7-10 days for results.

Got copies of all the lab results, His blood work is excellent. Now to keep him on the healthy track.