GCC sneezing fits at night

[wiababe]

Hello everyone! I apologise but this is going to be a long post, I'm desperate for some advice/reassurance!

My 6-year-old GCC, Medli, has started sneezing a lot in the past few weeks. There's been no discharge at all. She was often sneezing many times in a row, so I took her to the vet the week before last. The vet said she looked totally healthy in every way, gave her a vitamin A shot and flushed her sinuses. He also suggested I remove any potential allergens at home (the only new thing in the house were flowers I've now thrown out), increase humidity and try an air purifier. I've done all of these things, and her sneezing during the day has reduced quite a bit.

Unfortunately, I keep waking up to her having non-stop sneezing fits between 3am and 6am, to the point that she's wheezing. I noticed this three nights ago, but she may have been doing this for longer and I just wasn't woken up by it.

When this happens, I've been taking her into a smaller room and steaming it up. This makes the sneezing stop, so I thought great! The problem must just that the air is too dry. So yesterday I tried doing this before putting her to bed, but alas, I was awake at 5am again this morning trying to calm her down.

I'm exhausted and so so worried. Aside from this, she's acting 100% normal. I want to take her back to the vet, but I can't afford to until I get paid in a couple of weeks. Has anyone been through something similar? What else could be causing this if it's not dry air or allergies? Thank you in advance for your help

 

[noodles123]

most vets have payment plans- please consider this, rather than waiting.

 

[LaManuka]

Hello wiababe, welcome to the Forums, but I'm sorry for the worrying circumstances. I'm very sorry to hear that Medli has been unwell, and that the treatments and you have tried so far don't seem to have resolved the issue with her sneezing. Was the vet you consulted an avian health specialist? Even if so, perhaps it may be time to seek a second opinion from a different avian vet. The following link will help you find one close to you...

https://www.aav.org/

As noodles has suggested, if finances are an issue some vets will enter into a credit arrangement with you so it's worth calling them to enquire. Unfortunately it is very difficult to determine what may be troubling Medli via a forum like this, at best we can only take a guess at what might be wrong. I hope you are able to get a conclusive diagnosis and help for your baby soon. I wish all the very best to you both!

 

[Ellie777Australia]

Welcome wiababe. If you hadn't had Medli to the vet already I wouldn't write this because that is the best approach. Since the vet said Medli was healthy I'm hoping that my comments will assist your trouble-shooting.

My two have been having sneezing attacks during the night this past couple of weeks - no sinus discharge, nothing out of order otherwise. So...I went through the process of eliminating allergens:
1) We have a chocolate lab - increased her brushing, baths, and more frequent vacuuming and dusting etc to get rid of dander. Also, threw out her old bed and made one that we can wash a couple of times a week. Result - less sneezing intensity at night but still some.
2) We live in a 'dusty' area so I increased washing of cage covers and regular shake down of covers outside before covering them for bed. I also mop and dust more frequently etc. Result - still sneezing at night but routine continues to minimize allergens.
3) Wet food out only 1hour then gone to reduce risk of mould (mold). Cages wiped down every night and fresh paper under grate. Result - still sneezing but routine continues due to very hot summer here.
4) Hubby and I walked outside under a flowering pepper tree and went into full blown allergy attack. We also have had itchy eyes, runny nose and sneezing past couple of weeks but didn't make the connection. We suddenly suspected that pollens were also affecting Bertie and Ellie. We now ensure we have more air flow through the cage at night from window away from the pepper tree. Result - minimal sneezing at night now.
5) High humidity has been a problem lately as well. Dust Mites thrive in this condition as does mould. We keep the AC on as needed. A Humidifier will assist also if you have this problem.
6) Feather/Parrot Mites can also trigger sneezing. Treat for same regularly. We do this.



https://www.birdcagesnow.com/blogs/bird-blog/parrot-sneezing-and-coughing
https://beakcraze.com/why-is-my-parrot-sneezing/
https://birdscoo.com/care/bird-sneezing


Why at night? Is the cage covered and air flow reduced? Window open? Moist air at night causes my asthma to worsen much like the birds sneezing??? All the best. If you figure out the 'cause of night sneezing' in Medli please let us know.

 

[noodles123]

to piggy-back on what was said above, while humidity can cause issues, too little humidity can also cause problems--- if you can get it in the 60% range, that's a good level to shoot for...I think most people say that mold etc becomes a problem in the 70s, or if you start seeing condensation on windows etc.