CAG first vet appointment, was I scammed?

[noodles123]

Noodles, I think you suggested this to me as well as EllenD a couple of years ago when Tadah was sick!!@@@

Birds are so different than us. But gut flora is hugely important in many creatures, play a role in immunity, permeability, Inflammation...do much.

I have autoimmune cascade of several conditions. One is gi , I get prescribed probiotics......
Anyway we are hijacking this thread.. lol

I think I did lol!!! I still believe--- and no worries Bill, Laura and I are good (seriously!). I just have questioned it since my vet grilled me on it lol! Like I said, I have always given them and continue to do so, but my head started spinning when he explained all of the strains out there!

 

[Laurasea]

Noodles, I think you suggested this to me as well as EllenD a couple of years ago when Tadah was sick!!@@@

Birds are so different than us. But gut flora is hugely important in many creatures, play a role in immunity, permeability, Inflammation...do much.

I have autoimmune cascade of several conditions. One is gi , I get prescribed probiotics......
Anyway we are hijacking this thread.. lol

I think I did lol!!! I still believe--- and no worries Bill, Laura and I are good (seriously!). I just have questioned it since my vet grilled me on it lol! Like I said, I have always given them and continue to do so, but my head started spinning when he explained all of the strains out there!

Yes lively discussion, but zero anger lol I was having fun trying to find info

 

[noodles123]

Noodles, I think you suggested this to me as well as EllenD a couple of years ago when Tadah was sick!!@@@

Birds are so different than us. But gut flora is hugely important in many creatures, play a role in immunity, permeability, Inflammation...do much.

I have autoimmune cascade of several conditions. One is gi , I get prescribed probiotics......
Anyway we are hijacking this thread.. lol

I think I did lol!!! I still believe--- and no worries Bill, Laura and I are good (seriously!). I just have questioned it since my vet grilled me on it lol! Like I said, I have always given them and continue to do so, but my head started spinning when he explained all of the strains out there!

Yes lively discussion, but zero anger lol I was having fun trying to find info

same (birds of a feather lol!)

 

[Littleredbeak]

He sent the culture in but also gave an antibiotic...he also gave a dose in the office before we left.

Pretty sure the liquid has vanilla flavoring...

I live in north Jersey and I went to the only vet that had availability. All others did not have any appointments for a month.

I’ve gone to AV and they give antibiotics and a culture and sensitivity test at the same time. The culture and sensitivity test normally take 7 to 14 days (I can’t remember how many days) this will show what bacteria grows and what antibiotic works best. My Av vet had in house lab and costs around 100 while another vet had to send the sample to a lab and it costed 270. 900 isn’t terrible but it does sound like on the high end. I’d do what others have said above me and ask for it itemized (you should have gotten a receipt) and I personally have my records sent to me so I can have them on hand.

 

[saganismyhero]

So wait, which types of plaques are super serious?! Should I be really worried?

Also, I guess I will try a small amount of yogurt ?

 

[Littleredbeak]

Unfortunately, that looks legit-- although the swabs/cultures seem expensive-- did you ask about the difference between the culture and the sensitivity/aerobic one? I know that is likely talking about aerobic vs anaerobic bacteria, but it's interesting because I'm not familiar with why they would do that if already prescribing meds, but I can see why they would IF trying to rule out other posibilities..did they do anything to test for yeast? I am hoping that initial culture ruled that out and that the second one is just to nail things down further.......Having lived in NYC , I know that a haircut alone (for me) was at least $100 more than it is here. Depending on where you are in NJ, costs are likely also higher. It appears that you filled the prescription there, which also adds to the cost. You can sometimes get a bird script filled at a human pharmacy, but I'm pretty sure insurance doesn't cover it anyway.. Seems like a lot for Baytril, but then again, you are in NJ, so everything is going to be more. I wonder if you drove an hour to a different vet (again, preferably an avian one, and not just exotics) if you could get a better rate in the future-- of course, you will always have those stupid "new patient" intake fees.



The new patient fees always are more, so in the future, it shouldn't be as much because that initial visit always has add-ons (from my experience)


The most annoying thing about this is that they charged separately for supplies etc-- your nail trim wasn't a bad price though.



I have gotten a surprise 500 dollar bill before, not 9....but again, could be location...

Wow I’ve never gotten a new patient fee knock on wood

 

[Littleredbeak]

I use yogurt too- I buy Maple Hills grass fed organic plain yogurt.

 

[Laurasea]

So wait, which types of plaques are super serious?! Should I be really worried?

Also, I guess I will try a small amount of yogurt ?

There are some parasites that show up as plaques, super rare in parrots , tho chickens wild birds can get . ( highly fatal, not seen in parrots, chances less than 1 in a million, aviary situations with wild birds having acces)
Oral lesions caused by. Trz'chomonas

Or aspergillosis, some viruses

Id make sure you feed foods that have vitamin A. Like pepper, cooked sweet potatoes. As low vitamin A linked to respiratory, oral cavity disease. Vitamin A plays a huge role in respiratory health.

Most common, yeast, or low vitamin A
Why I recommend yogurt. And foods wuth vitamin A

Yes I'm believing in yogurt, been doing 2 years.

More info




Avian gastrointestinal anatomy and diseases (Proceedings)
October 1, 2008
Tracey Ritzman, DVM, DABVP


Gastrointestinal diseases and disorders are common in avian patients. This presentation will give an overview of anatomy and clinical presentations of gastrointestinal (GI) disease in birds.


Gastrointestinal diseases and disorders are common in avian patients.This presentation will give an overview of anatomy and clinical presentations of gastrointestinal (GI) disease in birds.

Anatomy
The avian gastrointestinal tract (GIT) consists of the oral cavity, esophagus, ingluvies (crop), proventriculus, ventriculus, small and large intestine, and cloaca.

Diagnostic Techniques
Numerous diagnostic techniques are available for the diagnosis of GIT disease. The order of testing is based on signalment, physical exam findings and clinical signs. Consideration of species predilection for certain diseases can be helpful when developing a diagnostic plan. The history should include exposure to infectious diseases, diet, environment/housing, reproductive history, administration of medication and management practices. Critically ill birds should be stabilized prior to performing stressful diagnostic tests. Staging of diagnostic tests is often necessary for the patient. Anesthesia may be required for diagnostic testing such as radiography. Diagnostic tests useful for the evaluation of gastrointestinal disorders include a gram's stain of a crop swab or feces, parasite analysis, hematology, biochemistries, electrolytes, cytology, protein electrophoresis, microbiology, Chlamydophila testing, lead and zinc blood levels, viral testing, acid fast stain, radiography, endoscopy, biopsy, or necropsy.

Oral Cavity
The oropharynx is common site for variety of lesions. A thorough examination may not be entirely possible in the awake patient. A quick visual examination can be performed in most birds. Clinical signs of oropharyngeal disease include halitosis, anorexia, inappetence, dysphagia, rubbing of the beak or face, gaping, oral lesions such as plaques or granulomas. Differentials for oral plaques include bacterial infection, yeast/fungal infection, hypovitaminosis A, parasitic (trichomoniasis), or viral (pox). Cytology and/or culture of the lesion will help to determine the etiology. Cytological samples may be collected by rubbing a sterile cotton-tipped applicator along the lesion. This sample can then be placed on a clean glass slide. Samples for culture can be placed into proper culture media tubes for processing. Fresh preparations are good for looking for parasites (wet mount).
https://www.dvm360.com/view/avian-gastrointestinal-anatomy-and-diseases-proceedings

 

[noodles123]

Aspergillosis can sometimes also cause this, according to what I read.

 

[saganismyhero]

The former owner had wild chickens in their backyard...

 

[Laurasea]

Your bird isn't acting sick tho, I really think will be ok.
Most coomon low vitamin A, or and yeast
What is your parrot eating or bern fed with previous owner?

 

[saganismyhero]

His poop has been super clear the past 24 hours..


Previous owner only gave the bird seeds, peanuts, and cherries.

 

[noodles123]

when you say super clear....do you mean no solids?


Don't cut him off what he knows. Clear poop without solids usually means that a bird is not eating or that there is a blockage. The old diet was bad- for sure!!! But you have to wean them off slowly...So, introduce new foods, but keep giving the old ones for the time being, just because a transition is SO stressful for them and because your bird doesn't know your home or other food options at this point.

 

[saganismyhero]

There’s some different colors in there.

He was getting a seed mix with the veggies the first 2 days and today was the first time I added the chop. So maybe that is it...

 

[noodles123]

Are there any solid snake-like bits..or blobs of poo though? That is what I mean when I say solids-- there should be squishy bits

 

[saganismyhero]

Yea there was a snake like part, it got me concerned because it looked like a worm

 

[noodles123]

lol-- look up bird poop for your species and then know that it can vary based on what they eat. The poop should generally take up more space than the liquid, but that can vary some..Passing 1 clear poop a day can be normal (e.g., no solids) but that is not typical. When excited, mine will produce droppings without fecal matter, but that is somewhat rare. If it happens once or twice in 24 hours, as long as the rest looks normal, I would say that is fine, but definitely keep an eye on it, because solids in poop are more typical than droppings without (and poops without often indicate a blockage or lack of food when they happen repeatedly).

 

[saganismyhero]

We did some training tonight and he was so much more receptive than he has been. (I’m working on biting) he let me pet him for the first time!

So in my mind I’m like, maybe the antibiotic is helping? Maybe the veggies are helping?

I hope it isn’t a more serious issue, because I’m really worried.

 

[noodles123]

Just keep an eye on him and take it slow- remember to move at his pace! If he is open, go for it, but if his body language says he isn't interested, don't push.

 

[Laurasea]

I think you are going to be ok. Noodles and I are both bird moms that worry so you are in good company!!

Yes diet switches should be slow. I offer unlimited whatever they had been eating, plus everything I want them to eat. Then I slowly start offering less of tge old yucky food.

You need to get a digital kitchen gram scale and start tracking weight. For your size burd it's ok to see a fluctuations of a few grams. You want to track trends.

Have you had a parrot before? Because their are many household dangers that can kill them. Like non stick cookware, thst non stick is on air fryers and ironing boards abd many other things. We can link safety stuff if yiu needed.

You can post poop pic, or a oic of your baby.
An easy way is to click go advanced under text box, paperclip upload. Close window and post.