I've hit a road block!

[jessykai]

Some of you might have seen my thread about picking up an 11 year old galah.

Over the past few days, he has become terrified of me. He's fine with my mum, a friend came round last night to see how he'd react to her and he was fine with her.
The only triggers I can think of for this is either my body language when i'm not actually interacting with him (lots of stress from work atm, but i make sure I a happy chappy person when I'm with the animals), or a few nights ago I had a bit of a "break down" when I thought I had lost my grandmother's ring (and I was running around the house like a headless chicken but not in the room that he was in!)

One day we were playing nicely and he was being a cheeky little bird, and then the next he was quivering in fear, getting in a panic and flapping around, heavy breathing etc. There is no aggression from him, just pure fear, and it's breaking my heart!

I have him booked in with an avian vet today to hopefully rule out anything medical and make sure he has a clean bill of health, after that I'll know if it's that i have to try and rebuild his trust.

Does anyone have any tips or advice on how to go about doing that? At the moment he will take sunflower seeds from hand through the cage bars, but anything else just gets thrown on the floor!

 

[plumsmum2005]

Some of you might have seen my thread about picking up an 11 year old galah.

Over the past few days, he has become terrified of me. He's fine with my mum, a friend came round last night to see how he'd react to her and he was fine with her.
The only triggers I can think of for this is either my body language when i'm not actually interacting with him (lots of stress from work atm, but i make sure I a happy chappy person when I'm with the animals), or a few nights ago I had a bit of a "break down" when I thought I had lost my grandmother's ring (and I was running around the house like a headless chicken but not in the room that he was in!)

One day we were playing nicely and he was being a cheeky little bird, and then the next he was quivering in fear, getting in a panic and flapping around, heavy breathing etc. There is no aggression from him, just pure fear, and it's breaking my heart!

I have him booked in with an avian vet today to hopefully rule out anything medical and make sure he has a clean bill of health, after that I'll know if it's that i have to try and rebuild his trust.

Does anyone have any tips or advice on how to go about doing that? At the moment he will take sunflower seeds from hand through the cage bars, but anything else just gets thrown on the floor!

Hi he's probably just tuning into you atm.

Make sure you use soft eye movements, no direct staring, bit submissive to put him at his ease. You may or may not realise that he is probably watching you most of the time so really easier said than done you need to conquer your stress if you want him to bond with you.

When you are able to be calm sit with/near his cage and do calm stuff - read, sew, knit, paint, draw, write and talk to him softly, engage him in what you are doing.

Try almonds and walnuts (tiny pieces) as a treat. Think the walnuts better than the almonds. Mine loves Nutriberries and banana.

Ps go easy on Sunflower seeds as high fat - I wont feed them anymore.

 

[Siobhan]

'Toos are very reactive and emotional birds and almost anything could be at the root of this. Maybe you remind him of someone who frightened him in the past. Maybe he doesn't like your hair or your clothes or your scent. Maybe you're doing something unconsciously that reminds him of something that scares him -- like body language, I mean. Settling in takes a long time, and usually birds go back and forth with which person they like best for a while before they make up their minds. So ... suck up to him! LOL Treats and special attention and share your food with him and sing to him and maybe he'll get over it.

 

[jessykai]

Unfortunately he's a poorly birdie
He's back to the vets tomorrow for X-rays and lots of tests, but at the very least they suspect chlamydia and liver disease. Liver disease I was half expecting after his previous 11 years diet of sunflower seed and peanut mix. But if it is that causing this level of symptoms (he does have a few things I didn't mention on here), then he is much worse than thought

 

[Christinenc2000]

Unfortunately he's a poorly birdie
He's back to the vets tomorrow for X-rays and lots of tests, but at the very least they suspect chlamydia and liver disease. Liver disease I was half expecting after his previous 11 years diet of sunflower seed and peanut mix. But if it is that causing this level of symptoms (he does have a few things I didn't mention on here), then he is much worse than thought

That is sad Keep us updated please

 

[plumsmum2005]

Hi jessykai, so sorry that your little fella is not well.

Here is a link for information sake re Chlamydia - Chlamydia Psittaci

Please let us know how it goes with him.

 

[Blancaej]

I'm so sorry to hear that your galah has such health issues. It's hard when you get a bird from another home. Especially if they were not cared for properly. You never know what adverse effects that will have on them. You always hope that there health is at least ok. Good luck and keep us posted.

 

[jessykai]

Just a quick update before I go to bed.

Chlamydia test came back negative!
Bone density is shockingly low.
Liver doesn't look enlarged but we have to wait for blood test results to rule out liver disease.
He's had an array of other tests carried out that I need to wait for the results for (full blood profile/iron & zinc toxicity levels/fecal tests/& few other things I can't remember)

i took the opportunity while he was under anaesthetic to have him microchipped.

 

[ToMang07]

Sorry to hear you're having issues with the guy. Hopefully the vet can get to the bottom of things and get him on the mend.

 

[Scott]

Just a quick update before I go to bed.

Chlamydia test came back negative!
Bone density is shockingly low.
Liver doesn't look enlarged but we have to wait for blood test results to rule out liver disease.
He's had an array of other tests carried out that I need to wait for the results for (full blood profile/iron & zinc toxicity levels/fecal tests/& few other things I can't remember)

i took the opportunity while he was under anaesthetic to have him microchipped.

Thank you for taking in your galah and caring enough to seek out veterinary care. Glad the Chlamydia test is negative, and hope the remaining tests will be more positive. If liver disease is indeed present, please discuss the full spectrum of care in addition to conventional medicine.

 

[jessykai]

Bad news.

He has lead in his system and also extremely high levels of zinc (vet said he's supprised that with levels of zinc he has he is supprised he isn't fitting and convulsing!)

He does have liver damage, but not as bad as we feared
And high calcium deficiency.

Still waiting on results from fecal test.

I need to find him a stainless steel cage, as we can not risk him getting any more zinc etc in his system, but I can't seem to find a stainless steel cage

 

[Scott]

I have not yet dealt with the cleansing of heavy metals, but I believe there are therapies that can help. Hope your vet has experience with these issues. Stainless Steel cages are expensive and not always available at retail stores. You may have to purchase one online; there are many sources and some will provide free shipping.

 

[jessykai]

My vet has got experience luckily, and I trust him with my birds health (I am very picky with vets!)

I'm looking online, but so far the only ones I've found are in the states and I need one in the uk!!
Unfortunately the expense is something I'm just going to have to deal with for him, but the money is a non issue if I can't even find one!!

 

[Scott]

My vet has got experience luckily, and I trust him with my birds health (I am very picky with vets!)

I'm looking online, but so far the only ones I've found are in the states and I need one in the uk!!
Unfortunately the expense is something I'm just going to have to deal with for him, but the money is a non issue if I can't even find one!!

I did some Googling for SS cages in the UK and could not find a source. Amazon sells them in the U.S. but apparently not from the .UK site.

Unless your bird is a voracious chewer of cage metal, might a powder coated cage with non-leaded paint suffice? It is possible the metal contamination was via toys; some innocuous items are horribly constructed with heavy metals.