GW and URI

[Safira]

Well,

I've been looking for a Green Wing Macaw lately to add to my flock and didn't want to purchase from a breeder.

I kept my eye on craigslist and other places for random things, I usually cruise them daily (I got a great bakers rack for 20 dollars xD)

I happened upon a Green Wing Macaw needing a new home. A lady had rescued him from a bad situation and had him treated for an upper respiratory infection with antibiotics from the vet. She told me he just finished the recommended dosages. I can still hear him breathing heavily though. Hopefully after a vet visit I'll find out if he needs something else, and also have him DNA sexed. No idea if it's a he or a she.

Right now he's on QT in a separate room from my other birds. He was only on seeds but now he's on a pellet/fruit/veggie/nuts diet. He was skin and bones when he was rescued and is slowly gaining weight.

He steps up pretty willingly, only really tried to bite when he was at his rescuers house. Has a bad habit of trying to climb shoulders but I can work with that.

He's about 15-20 years old, maybe a She, and named "Geves" though I may or may not change that. Plucked bald on his legs and under his wings, but hopefully the better diet and a few good baths will help

Has anyone dealt with a URI in an older bird? what I've read said to treat it with an anti-fungal and that antibiotics weren't that helpful.

 

[MonicaMc]

It depends on the cause of the infection. Sometimes, it can be a secondary issue to the main one - i.e. lacking in vitamin A, thus more likely to get infections.


I've used milk thistle to treat bacterial infections in the system, but not for an upper respiratory issue. The milk thistle worked great, because it supports the liver, and the liver helps to detoxify the blood and provide immunities against infections, among other things.



If you get a full blood panel done and find out if he's lacking in any vitamins and minerals, and those are corrected by a proper diet, you may find that his health problems disappear or are at least reduced.

 

[BillsBirds]

I agree with Monica. And thanks for helping this poor angel out! Good luck !

 

[Safira]

I spelled his name wrong, it's Jeeves, not Geves. LoL, I should have known that. Still not sure if I'm going to keep it. He doesn't seem to know it.

He's a sweetheart! He stepped right up for me last night when it was bed time, and let me pet his beak then went right into his cage for a long quiet night of sleep. I left him chowing down on some apples, peppers and carrots when I went to work this morning.

Thanks for the great advice