Does anyone have advice for an Amazon Parrot with Aspergillosis?

[Beako_N_Kiwi]

As mentioned before, we adopted two parrots from a bird rescue. We took them both in for wellness checks, and they both have a bad sinus infection. One also has Aspergillosis, and that's been known for the last year (and attempted to treat by a previous vet). Don't know how she got it; there are so many ways to contract it. We are doing everything we can to give her clean air, fresh safe food, clean water, changed papers, we use a hepa vacuum (Dyson Animal), saline face misting for both of them for the sinuses, etc. We've done a WBC count and Asper. panel on her, waiting for those results. She's thin We may do x-rays. Picking up two medications today.

We love her so much already, and want to do everything we can for her. Has anyone had experiences with Aspergillosis, particularly with an Amazon? How did you treat it, anything help?

What do you think about me steaming up the bathroom good from a hot shower and bringing her in on my arm to breathe in some warm steamy air? I'm so worried!!!

Thanks!!!

 

[ShreddedOakAviary]

X rays are usually done to determine the size of the blockage from the aspergilliosis. A vet has to decide how bad, and if I remember correctly they usually order a daily nebulization of medication. You'll need to find a good avian vet if the bird is to have any chance of being treated properly and surviving. An aggressive treatment is usually called for since asper can be a death sentences in it's later stages. I watched helplessly as a lady lost her black pal to it because her vet didn't take a slightly more aggressive approach early on. Call all the local avian vets and ask how they would treat if it is confirmed aspergilliosis, this will help you decide who might be the best vet for him. As far as getting it, more often than not it is either in the environment or picked up from peanuts or corn in dry food mixes. Aspergilliosis is caused by an over abundance of aflatoxins, which in human grade foods is only allowed to be 30ppb, in animal grade food (if monitored at all) can be at least 200ppb or more. This is why one should never feed peanuts for squirrels to parrots...fyi. I'll call my vet in the morning if you'd like and see if I can't get you some more specifics on treatment types. Good luck.

 

[ShreddedOakAviary]

What kind of bird rescue allowed sick birds out its door? Have you considered taking them back and explaining that the birds are quite ill and at least alerting them to the problem?

 

[Beako_N_Kiwi]

Hi there,
Luckily, we have been recommended a great avian vet that we have been going to. She has a lot of experience treating Asper. She said that she will decide if we need to do an x-ray after the Asper. blood panel comes back on Monday/Tuesday. Do you think hot steam from a clean bathroom shower would benefit cleaning her nasal cavity?

As for adopting sick birds - They told us the one most likely has Asper. and has been trying to treat it. They let us adopt her for free and did warn us of the medical costs for her. The other Amazon turned out to be sick as well. We paid the full fee for a young, healthy bird for her, and ontop of that paid over $250 in treatment for her already. I am a little upset about that, yet I feel very bad asking for the money paid to be given back or waived because it is being used for a good cause. I'm worried if I ask them to refund the money or at least put it towards the vet bills for her, they will misunderstand me and think I'm in over my head or can't afford them. I can, but I just thought I would be treating one sick bird. What are your thoughts?

 

[ShreddedOakAviary]

At the very least you should notify them that the other bird was ill. This is going to sound harsh, but it doesn't say much for a rescue to not notice a sick bird. I check poop here daily, and I do check throats and so sinuses weekly. They should be told though so that they can test and check and treat any other ill birds in their care. As far as a steam treatment, I'd avoid it until you know how bad the asper is.

 

[ShreddedOakAviary]

As for nasal cleaning, your vet can tell you what she'd like done... here we actually flush sinuses on rehab birds (our vet taught us how, and explained what to look for and when to do it)

 

[roxynoodle]

I have been doing a sinus flush weekly on my Grey although not for aspergillous. It goes a lot easier though if you have a helper so one can hold the bird in the towel while one does the flush. I bought Bausch and Lomb Eye Wash as instructed by my vet.

 

[Beako_N_Kiwi]

Hi Again! So how this rescue works is there are foster homes where volunteers take in birds that need temporarily living until they are adopted out. I told the foster, who has other birds, that they both have this. I didn't mention that I paid the fee for a healthy bird or anything like that. The bird that was sick didn't really show signs, so she was pretty shocked, and also felt bad that on top of Asper. she also has the infection! We got a saline solution to mist their faces with, but we haven't done a sinus flush! Out of curiosity, how is that done? I will ask my vet about it.

 

[roxynoodle]

Very carefully, lol!

You want to use the absolute gentlest squeeze on the bottle. It would be best if the vet could show you of course.

First make sure the bird is wrapped up well in the towel and that a good hold is on the head and neck, as they are much stronger than you will expect.

Then the gentlest squeeze with the tip of the bottle directly on the nare. Just 2 or 3 seconds and then do the other nare. Do it over a sink if you can as this fluid will then come out of the bird's mouth. Use a Q tip to very lightly clean both nares.

 

[ShreddedOakAviary]

That is nothing like how our vets have showed us... lol. That is aparently the gentle approach. Our vets have us wrap the bird and hold them upside down over a sink and use a syringe to push fluid through... of course we are usually doing big macaws. But this is how our vets have shown us. I had 2 vets and one from a zoo show us this way... I imagine the difference is that they don't expect me to get terribly irritated if my bird hates me... I have often noticed that there are 2 ways our Vets do things..
The way they show pet bird owners
and the way they show breeders and rescues
I like your way better for a pet bird. My vet always asks me..."do you want me to do it the nice way or the effective way?". He says he knows I usually prefer the "big stick" method. Although my birds are breeders and the faster we get them better the faster they can stop being mad and being handled... since a lot of them aren't tame.

 

[ShreddedOakAviary]

On a side note:I. With our tame pets and the friendly breeders I usually err on the nice way to keep the stress down. Our breeding pairs are mostly agreeable when left alone, but they get pretty hostile when we take them out... or at least the mates do. So each pair is a slightly different call. I always try the easiest for them approach first... ie taking meds in handfeeding formula or some bird bread, but with quite a few it' s "catch, force the meds down, and release.". So if you have a beloved pet, don't do things my way.... lol

 

[roxynoodle]

That is how the vet did it and she gave me this little squeeze on my arm to show me how gently to squeeze the bottle. I just copied what they did. Maybe the pressure from the whole bottle though is less than what comes out of a syringe?

 

[ShreddedOakAviary]

I believe you, I am sure it's effective and less traumatic than our method... just pointing out the vast difference between methods.

 

[roxynoodle]

They didn't hold up upside down until after it was in, then they did to help it come out, which I also did. Heck, I had to hold her in my lap because I don't have 3 hands, and put this big sheet over me and the couch, lol!

Maybe I'll put it in a syringe though as she is now very afraid of that bottle.

 

[roxynoodle]

Oh, she doesn't mind being held with her face pointed down, lol! Actually she has tried to dive off my hand toward my body to cuddle and I've had to catch her and hold her like that, like she was a football, to keep her from falling to the floor, lol!