Knowing when a Quaker is sick?

[sherylb]

I don't think my Quaker is sick but I've heard they hide their illnesses well. I keep getting asked by someone on a facebook page that I am on if my bird is sick because everytime they see a pic of her she is puffy. SHe isn't always puffy but when she is just perching and relaxing she's puffy. According to this other person this isn't suppose to be how Quakers are??? Just trying to get other opinions? She eats just fine....she plays a little, she doesn't play alot with toys, she chews some and plays a little but not like I've seen others play. Any helap with this would be helpful. She just had her vet visit with a CBC. She talks, chirps, sings, eats....she just likes to get puffy when she is doing nothing....but does this mean she is cold or sick?

 

[JanEgeland]

Quaker’s generally puff up if they want to relax, just like other parrots, some quakers do it because they’re happy or excited. Since she’s eating fine and is active then you have nothing to worry about, if she does nothing but sit there puffed up all day then I’d suggest taking her to a vet, for now though, seeing as you’ve just taken her to one, she’s fine.

 

[Laurasea]

My two quakers will puff when taking a nap. But otherwise not, I do not see them sitting around puffed. Igner and I both recently had sick birds, and man was it subtle! My GCC was napping more, and very very slight tail bob, and smelled yeasty. Once she was treated the change in her energy level was dramatic. I would check to see if a a/c heating vent is hitting her. That caused a problem for me once. What are you feeding her? What do the droppings look like? You do not put vitamins in water right? That will grow all kinds of nastiness. So no mine don't sit around puffed all day, they puff for a 20 min nap once a day , or the will puff if I am scratching their head. Feed a hot chili pepper they have vit A and vit C and have immune boosting capsicum!

 

[sherylb]

I dont put vitamins in her water. Should I? I've thought about it. She isn't puffed all day. just when she is napping and relaxing.

 

[Laurasea]

No don't put vitamins in water! Do you feed peppers? And other good stuff? How often is she napping? Their GI can get out wack if you feed to much fruit due to the sugars. How old is she I forget? If young they nap more, or if really old, otherwise not so much. If she getting 10 to 12 hours if un interrupted sleep a night? Very important, my girl got sick when she wasn't getting enough sleep. I was recommended to feed probiotics and I am now a huge believer in them! With out a doubt that's what helped mine get past a yeast issue.

 

[Laurasea]

I looked at your past threads, so is she still OCD on the feet? Both myself and EllenD posted I. Your thread about this being a thing with Quakers, can lead to self mutilation and feather picking, definitely an indication of stress . Did she recover from vet visit and beak and over trimming of nails? The vet did a CBC, did they do any chemistries? Did they do a fecal gram stain? What are you feeding her? How often do you offer baths?

 

[EllenD]

I dont put vitamins in her water. Should I? I've thought about it. She isn't puffed all day. just when she is napping and relaxing.

NOOOOO! Don't EVER put anything like vitamins or other supplements, or any type of medication like Antibiotics in her drinking water, and if any Vet ever tells you to medicate her drinking water, then you need a new vet. First of all, you have no way of knowing how much of whatever you're putting in the water your bird is getting, which is dangerous, and secondly it contaminates their drinking water immediately, growing all kinds of bacteria, fungi, etc. Only give your bird medications by exact dosage/amount either right into their beak with an oral syringe, or by putting the exact, measure amount into a little bit of food. That's it...

She should get all of the vitamins/minerals and nutrition in-general that she needs from her daily diet. Only if a bird is diagnosed with a nutritional deficiency or metabolic issue by an Avian Vet should they be given extra vitamins/minerals, and that would be by injection...

****As far as your Quaker being sick, how is she doing since the beak grinding/toenail trim incident? That would be my major concern, as you said she wasn't acting normally days after that happened to her...If it weren't for that incident and her behavior after it for days I wouldn't worry, but based on just that and the fact that she's still not acting quite right, if I were you, I would find the closest Certified Avian Vet or Avian Specialist other than the one who did that to her beak/toenails, as they are obviously not going to be objective and just tell you there is nothing wrong with what they did and send you home...You need an objective opinion, as it's quite possible that she was injured during that experience, or that she inhaled enough of the beak dust to cause an infection in her lungs/UR system, as they had to wash her off she was so coated in it...

At this point I would not feel good about letting this go any longer, not because she "fluffs-up" when she's sleeping, that's normal, but because she seems to be sleeping too often and is actually what I would classify as "lethargic" based on what you've described...