Is my parakeet going to be okay? Please answer

maymayfrauzel

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Nov 7, 2018
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My parakeet began throwing up clear liquid this afternoon, is lethargic, and not behaving normally. I took her to the vet, they did a physical on her and said everything seemed normal. They said they could do x-rays and other diagnosis things, but they said the stress could potentially kill her which worried me a lot.

Instead, I took home some antibiotics to give to her for a few days and see how she improves or worsens and then take her back to the vet if needed.

I gave her some water a bit ago and she immediately threw it up. The other parakeet in the cage is perfectly fine. She is 2 years old, and I'm insanely worried about her. I can't constantly watch over her as I go to school and work. Is she going to be okay? What should I do? I'm at a loss :(
 
That vet doesn't sound too competent... Was she/he a Certified Avian Vet (CAV)? Any bird that is vomiting is clearly ill. Moreover, while there is a risk with some procedures, I have never experienced any of my birds that have been correctly given X-Rays or further investigations such as crop-needling under anaesthetic die from stress. Of course there is always a risk, but avian science has improved a lot and it is definitely possible for birds to be totally okay in veterinary procedures.

The antibiotics might help, if it is in fact a bacterial infection - do you know what kind of antibiotics they are?

I would seriously consider finding another vet to examine her - where are you located in the world? I just think for the vet to say that everything is "normal" when the bird is clearly ill is just really, really questionable.
 
Yeah, you absolutely need to find a Vet who is an Avian Specialist, as this Vet doesn't sound like they know much at all about treating birds....You should NEVER just give a bird an antibiotic without first doing cultures to diagnose #1) Whether they even have an infection in the first place, #2) What specific microbe is causing the infection, and #3) What specific medication will treat this specific microbe. No Avian Specialist Vet will ever just put a bird on an antibiotic on a "just in case" or a "wait and see" basis, because they know that the antibiotic could actually make them much, much worse, or not help them at all because it may not be the correct antibiotic, and in the meantime you have a bird who is already vomiting, which is an indication that they are quite ill.

Did they even take a Fecal Culture??? A Fecal Culture is done on a fresh dropping, and obviously does not cause the bird any stress at all, and will typically diagnose a Gastrointestinal infection and tell them what medication will be effective against it...So obviously this Vet doesn't know what they are doing and you really need to find either a Certified Avian Vet or Avian Specialist and get your bird to them immediately.

***As an example to help you understand where we are coming from, it's quite common for birds to develop Fungal/Yeast infections throughout their GI Tracts, from their Crop right down to their intestines. A simple Fecal Culture will diagnose a Fungal Infection, as well as a Bacterial Infection...Let's say your bird has a GI Fungal Infection...The antibiotic that this Vet gave them will not only NOT TREAT a Fungal Infection at all, but it will actually make the Fungal Infection much, much worse, because it will kill-off all of the healthy, normal Bacteria that is supposed to normally live in their GI Tract and which keeps Fungi/Yeast from forming in the first place. So it's quite possible that the antibiotic you're giving your bird may be making him worse; at best it's probably not doing any good, and could very likely cause an additional Fungal/Yeast Infection on top of what is actually already making her sick.

What antibiotic did they give your bird? And how are you supposed to give it to your bird? (meaning is it a liquid that you are to give him in a syringe directly into his mouth/beak, or are you giving it to him some other way?) Typically these Vets will just prescribe Baytril/Enrofloxacin, that's the most-commonly prescribed antibiotic with these Vets that are just guessing...And it tends to not be the correct antibiotic for them, or not needed at all, and it causes other issues....Your bird is quite ill if he is throwing up even water, and is also most-likely severely dehydrated too. I highly suggest that you get him to a CAV or Avian Specialist immediately, and when you go take a fresh stool-sample with you if you can get one, though if he's not eating he may not produce one for you (if that's the case it's okay, they can take a Fecal swab/culture from his vent/cloaca and run the Culture and microscopy on that)...A fecal culture is simple, quick, and accurate, they may also want to flush his Crop out and then collect the flushing and do a culture on it as well. It's likely that if all of his symptoms are GI related, such as vomiting and loose/runny droppings, or droppings that have bubbles in them, that he probably has a GI infection of some type, and they absolutely need to diagnose exactly what it is and give him the correct medication...I would not hesitate, as if this antibiotic is not the correct one then your bird is going to much worse very quickly...
 
I would say you need a new vet and I would get to a CAV as soon as possible. Sounds like a bad situation. It is essential that you find out what specifically is wrong with your bird...even if the other bird isn't acting sick, doesn't mean it is okay...I am sorry you are going through this.



Although this could easily be bacterial or fungal (as stated by EllenD) some diseases can take YEARS before showing symptoms (depending on the age at exposure, number of past exposures, species, immune system etc)...those same diseases can often show up right away in other birds (even when they are the same species), so it is very hard to go on symptoms alone.



You also need to know if something is going wrong with a vital organ...A the very least, a gram-stain would have at least informed you about the poop situation (bacteria/yeast etc). That isn't invasive at all. A CAV would also likely do a blood test after ruling out other issues (depending on the state of the bird) in order to test for liver problems etc.



My biggest reason for chiming in is to emphasize the importance of you figuring out exactly what is wrong (for the sake of your sick bird, her bird friend, other birds that they may be exposed to in the future (e.g., boarding etc), as well as any future birds you own).



I am not saying she has one, but certain viruses remain viable for LONG periods of time on surfaces (e.g., carpet, drapes, your clothing, the hvac systems= the air in your home etc), as they are shed via feather dust etc (and disinfecting after exposure to said viruses is VERY complicated). Birds can spread these diseases asymptomatically (they don't all show symptoms, but carriers can spread viruses once infected)...Meaning, regardless of how this turns out, you can't assume that your other bird isn't :
A) a carrier of some sort of virus ,

B) undergoing an incubation period

C) sick and hiding it, or

D) Healthy.



The timeline (especially for viruses) can range from a few days to 10 plus years, to never showing any symptoms (lifetime). The thing is, infected birds still pose a danger to other birds (even if they aren't showing symptoms)...



That is why you need to get both tested.
That is also why vets will perform a necroscopy on birds in order to determine the cause of death (because of the risk involved with certain causes).
 
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The medicine that the vet gave me is called "Bene-Bac", in a syringe that I am supposed to feed to my bird. I just moved, so I don't have an official vet for her right now; I had taken her to an emergency animal hospital last night. Today, she is acting very close to normal -- even stopped vomiting and has a good appetite --, but she is having diarrhea so I am worried about her staying hydrated. I'm not entirely sure how to go about finding a CAV in my area. This is my first time owning a bird. Would a pet store or animal clinic have a CAV I could talk to? Thank you so much for the help.
 
antibiotics can cause diarrhea.
I'm glad she is feeling better.
 
The medicine that the vet gave me is called "Bene-Bac", in a syringe that I am supposed to feed to my bird. I just moved, so I don't have an official vet for her right now; I had taken her to an emergency animal hospital last night. Today, she is acting very close to normal -- even stopped vomiting and has a good appetite --, but she is having diarrhea so I am worried about her staying hydrated. I'm not entirely sure how to go about finding a CAV in my area. This is my first time owning a bird. Would a pet store or animal clinic have a CAV I could talk to? Thank you so much for the help.


Bene-bac is a probiotic.not really a medicine...I mean, they can have too much of it, but that is not going to fix a bird who can't keep down liquids long term (there must be more going on...) ...I give this to my bird daily, so while safe when dosed properly, I would still be concerned about the root of the problem...
And no, a pet store or animal clinic most likely won't.
See Galeriagila's post on CAV's.
As a new bird owner, you don't use any cleaning products, candles or scented things near your bird, do you?
Have you researched any items that heat to ensure that they don't contain PTFE/PFOA/Teflo/fluoroplastics- irons, blow-dyers, steamers, humidifiers, space-heaters, air poppers, microwave popcorn, curling ironss, hot rollers, straighteners, rice cookers, drip trays, roasters etc?
 
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The medicine that the vet gave me is called "Bene-Bac", in a syringe that I am supposed to feed to my bird. I just moved, so I don't have an official vet for her right now; I had taken her to an emergency animal hospital last night. Today, she is acting very close to normal -- even stopped vomiting and has a good appetite --, but she is having diarrhea so I am worried about her staying hydrated. I'm not entirely sure how to go about finding a CAV in my area. This is my first time owning a bird. Would a pet store or animal clinic have a CAV I could talk to? Thank you so much for the help.


Bene-bac is a probiotic.not really a medicine...I mean, they can have too much of it, but that is not going to fix a bird who can't keep down liquids long term (there must be more going on...) ...I give this to my bird daily, so while safe when dosed properly, I would still be concerned about the root of the problem...
And no, a pet store or animal clinic most likely won't.
See Galeriagila's post on CAV's.
As a new bird owner, you don't use any cleaning products, candles or scented things near your bird, do you?
Have you researched any items that heat to ensure that they don't contain PTFE/PFOA/Teflo/fluoroplastics- irons, blow-dyers, steamers, humidifiers, space-heaters, air poppers, microwave popcorn, curling ironss, hot rollers, straighteners, rice cookers, drip trays, roasters etc?

I haven't done any research on it, but I'll be sure to. I keep my birds in my room, and I have sprayed Febreeze on a couple occasions in my room, and one time I sprayed something (that didn't belong to or make any contact with the birds) with ant repellent before I knew that it was harmful to birds, and I've made sure not to do anything like that again. Both of these instances were awhile ago. I don't keep anything that produces heat in my room. Do you have any advice on trying to get my bird to keep down water in the meantime until I'm able to get her to someone else? Or any advice in general. I just want my birds to stay healthy and I'm worried about my lack of experience or knowledge
 
Gail gave you a great link, so I hope you will not have any problems finding a real (good) CAV.


If your bird is really not holding *anything* down he wont last long - sorry to say.
You can tell by sunken eyes if he/she is really dehydrated.


But if the liquid benebac stays inside ... that is a good sign.
I mean: not comming back out of the front end again, the diarrhea is not good, but at least things pass through the bird -> no blockage.
 
As Noodles said, BeneBac isn't a medication. It's called a "Probiotic", which I also give my birds daily just as a supplement, many people take a Probiotic daily just like they do a vitamin, as it replaces the healthy bacteria in the intestinal tract and can help to settle the stomach, so that's probably why your bird is seemingly feeling better...However, it will not treat or cure what is making your bird sick.

There is nothing at all you can do to help your bird at home, and unfortunately as already mentioned, you need to get him to a Certified Avian Vet/Specialist immediately, because otherwise he is most likely not going to make it much longer. Birds instinctively hide all outward signs of illness for as long as they can, so he's probably been sick for a long time, and by the time he started vomiting and having watery stools he was very sick...Birds cannot survive under this kind of stress for very long, and unless cultures are taken to diagnose what is wrong and the correct treatment is provided, he's not going to be okay for much longer...

Gail's link with the search tool for finding an Avian Vet is excellent. Please use it immediately and tell them it's an emergency, and that your Budgie has been vomiting and had runny droppings for quite a while, so that they know that they need to see him immediately. Also be sure to tell them that you've already taken him to the emergency animal hospital and all they did was give him a probiotic and send him home.
 
A CAV is vet who has taken advanced courses specifically on bird care. Do not go to a pet shop for medical advice on birds. What country are you in? Makes a big difference in the availabilty and quality of specific avian vet care.

Water - I would not try to force water into your bird, just leave clean fresh water in her cage - she will drink when thristy.
 
I too recommend a second opinion from a certified avian vet, or equivalent if she begins to deteriorate.

As others stated, please don't force water, but you might enhance the appearance and flavor by adding a small amount of pure fruit juice - not drinks loaded with artificial colors and high-fructose corn syrup.

Please keep us updated!
 
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I randomly started thinking about this thread and realized I had forgotten to update: My parakeet is doing great! She recovered very well and is happy :) Thank you for all of your advice as this is my first time owning birds
 
Thanks for the update! Glad to hear your budgie is happy and healthy!
 
I'm so glad she's OK. Budgies are amazing little things, luckily they can survive several weeks without water (when otherwise healthy), but if I had seen your thread at the time I would have suggested asking a vet to hydrate her with an injection. That saved my budgie's life the first time she got ill, she looked dopey and somehow damp and matted after the car journey to the emergency vet as if sweating profusely, and I thought she could die that night. The vet wasn't qualified to do much with birds either, but what they did was a fluid injection and she looked much much better immediately afterwards that I'm sure she wouldn't have survived long enough to see the avian vet without that injection.
 
I randomly started thinking about this thread and realized I had forgotten to update: My parakeet is doing great! She recovered very well and is happy :) Thank you for all of your advice as this is my first time owning birds

thats good to hear happy she is okay
 

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