Need ideas/advice...how to move a B&G

[Catalytic]

I forgot to mention, Amitriptyline can be compounded into a transdermal, meaning you won't have to give it to her orally, just rub prescibed amount up under her wing and it absorbs through the skin. Works just as great.

I honestly couldn't tell you how it works, I don't think any ever actually made it into her digestive system. I think I will look into getting some transdermal after we move, THANK YOU for telling me about that!

I doubt most of her feathers will ever grow back, but if she would STOP plucking what do come it,my heart would really appreciate it. About once a month I uncover her in the morning and see blood drops on her foot, or her belly, and my heart just about stops. I'm so afraid one day she will get a bad bleed during the night and I won't find it in time

 

[Riley's mom]

If it gets that bad, there is also another med that can be used that is somewhat more potent. It can be made into transdermal also. But I would try the Amitriptyline first. Good luck.

 

[Riley's mom]

Just wondering how things were going. Getting everything squared away and ready to move?

 

[Catalytic]

Just wondering how things were going. Getting everything squared away and ready to move?

I goofed and double scheduled myself Monday, so I had to change my girl's vet appointment to Tuesday. (I go to the doc twice a week for non-stress tests and amniotic fluid indexes on the baby, plus a regular OB appointment)

Going to talk to the vet about sedatives then, and get her nails and beak trimmed. I may ask about the amitriptyline in a transdermal, but I'm thinking I will wait on that until we move.

I'm so frustrated with customs/border crossings, I called I don't know how many places this week, and I know nothing more than I did when I started...that if she doesn't LOOK healthy, they won't cross her. Apparently whether she looks healthy is arbitrarily up to whomever checks her at the border. No one has a solid answer on what happens if they say she isn't healthy, other than for us to turn back, and at that point, we'll be hundreds of miles from the nearest airport, so I'm pretty much set on flying her right now.

I do want to see what my vet thinks, though. If she has reservations about putting my girl on a plane, I will have to decide at that point whether perhaps a new home is the best thing for her...I don't want to think about that until I talk to the vet, though, because she's MY baby, and I don't want to rehome her.

We don't actually move until mid-July, so most of my focus, besides a bajillion phone calls to Canada, is on the baby, he'll be here in about 3 weeks, give or take, of course, and I'm really not completely ready

Hubby told me last night...you know, you REALLY need to pack a bag for you and him to have at the hospital...yeah...and I should probably put his clothes in his dresser and fold his diapers and get the changing table set up, but I'm totally missing any energy LOL. Gah, so my focus right now is getting my little one out and home safely. We'll start the major stuff for the move in May, probably. We're still mostly packed from a move last September (we knew we would be moving again soon, so we unpacked the basics and left the rest packed), plus we have movers that will come in and do the rest of the actual packing and loading the trucks and such.

I've scheduled the cats for their health checks for the move in July (has to be within 10 days of border crossing, I believe), and I'll schedule the birds once I've talked to the vet.

Our 'tiels will probably be rehomed. I adore them, but they aren't really "pets". We sort of rescued them from a lady dying of cancer about 5.5 years ago, but they prefer to be caged birds and get miffed if we take them out to let them wander. I've tried to find out if they need CITES certificates, I think they do, but seriously, trying to get answers from Canada is like trying to have a conversation with a rock. Anyway, I don't think they really care about WHO they live with, as long as they get their food, water, and treats, so I think it might be kinder to give them away than stick them in the car for a month or longer. Haven't decided about that, either....even though they aren't the most friendly things in the world, I'm used to their whistling and chirping, and I find them very entertaining. I may even fly them to my son in Florida, not sure if the airlines would let them fly together or not, if not, that wouldn't work, they freak out when they are more than a foot from each other

 

[Riley's mom]

You sure have got your hands full right now. Concentrate on the baby right now and the other will fall into place.

 

[deniseb925]

here's my dumb idea. How about transporting by boat avoiding Canada altogether?

 

[Riley's mom]

Actually, that's not a dumb idea. I wonder if it can be done?

 

[parrotqueen]

That'd sure be helpful, going by sea.

I hope all goes well for you, and I'm sorry about everything you've been through.

 

[Catalytic]

here's my dumb idea. How about transporting by boat avoiding Canada altogether?

There is a ferry from Alaska to Washington. Unfortunately, from where I am, I have to drive through Canada to get to the port in Alaska to board it.

 

[Riley's mom]

Oh my gosh!! It seems like you are stuck at every turn!! Flying sounds like your only out. It will work out for you, just have faith.

 

[parrotqueen]

Dearly sorry for what you've been through, sending P&PT's to you!

Let us know how everything goes...

 

[Catalytic]

I've found a port that I can actually get to without having to drive into Canada, however...

(Nothing can be easy, right????)

We can't leave where we are before July 16th. We HAVE to leave where we are by July 19th. The ferry leaves that port on July 14th and then not again until August. (The 11th, I think)

AND...holy cow, for us to take it, it's $8471!!!!!!!! The military will pay for some of that, we aren't sure how much, and we've been told they will not pay out of that particular port. I'll be calling this week to try to get specifics about what taking the ferry entails. From what we've been told, in addition to not being able to board at that port, the military will not pay for our travel trailer on the ferry...if that's the case, we just flat-out can't afford it, no matter how much I love my girl.

Good and bad news from the vet today...the bad, she won't even consider giving my girl a sedative, she'd rather I find her a new home. (And she did have a contact for me if that becomes necessary)

The good, she got me amitriptyline in the transdermal. I can't get to the pharmacy to get it until after the baby comes (it's like 20 miles away, doc would kill me if my water broke that far from the hospital, too risky for baby), so I'll be hitting you up for the best place to put that on my girl once I get it. She said the pharmacy will supply it in a 30 day use syringe? Anyway, she told me I needed to figure out a spot to put it where my girl won't be able to lick it off, then she said, well, if she did, that would get it into her system at least, so I'm not sure whether the transdermal would hurt her if she ate, so anyway, I'll hit you guys up about that next month.

The other good...she recommended I go ahead and set up the kennel I would use for her on the plane now, and start using it at night for my B&G (and cover it, which we also do with her cage) After a few weeks of her sleeping in the kennel, then we should take her for drives in the kennel (again still covered) and try to get her used to it in a moving vehicle. She thinks if we work on it from now until when we leave, my girl might do OK on the plane, because she would be used to the kennel moving. She also said if I wanted I could board her with them and they would take her to the airport for me....which would be really handy, because 1) my friend wouldn't have to deal with it, and 2) would put her on the plane the same day as her health certificate (rather than me praying we got to Seattle before the 10 days was up and rushing to take her myself before we left)

So, some more options for me.

The ferry really isn't appealing to me at this point for a couple of reasons:

1. The cost....wow, I love my bird, but I also have to buy a house when we get to Alabama...to spend over $8000 to transport my bird may be a bit of a reach, even for me.
2. Pets have to remain in your vehicle, on the car deck, and can only be visited when in port...I think I saw one of the stretches between ports was almost 48 hours...YIKES??? She would definitely be out of food by then, if she didn't eat it, she'd just fling or drop it out of the carrier from sheer boredom.
3. She needs a CITES certificate to take the ferry, even without a Canadian stop. (With a Canadian stop, she also needs a Canadian CITES certificate or something like that LOL) So...if the ferry is going to happen, I need to get to work on the CITES ASAP. (My cockatiels would, fortunately, be exempt from needing CITES on the ferry)

 

[Riley's mom]

Wow! That's alot for the ferry. But on the up side, she won't need a sedative if you've got the amitriptyline. That's a good thing. She will do just fine flying. If you need help, please let me know.

 

[Catalytic]

Wow! That's alot for the ferry. But on the up side, she won't need a sedative if you've got the amitriptyline. That's a good thing. She will do just fine flying. If you need help, please let me know.

Really? The ami would keep her calm enough on a flight??? (Sorry, my web searches must be horrible, I really can't find anything about its avian use)

Wow, I think you just made my day, because we found out shortly after I posted that the ferry just isn't going to be an option, we absolutely can't get our dates changed to leave here any earlier, so we can't catch the ferry even if it could be financially feasible :52:

 

[Riley's mom]

Sure, she should be just fine with just that.

 

[Catalytic]

Wanted to update this thread, maybe it will help someone else someday.

We did fly our B&G from Alaska to Georgia with NO PROBLEMS. We didn't even use the ami. Our girl is now sitting behind me in our new home, happily shredding a toy.

Thank you all VERY MUCH for the help and reassurance!

 

[Bobby34231]

Though I wasn't here on the forum at the time I'm glad it all worked out well for you