I have a male parrotlet who is 13yrs old. I got him from a breeder and have had him since he was a baby.
He is typically pretty energetic and angry. Bites fingers, definitely defends his home. I am the only one in the house who can handle him, and I do so with a washcloth when he comes out for play time (to save my fingers). Good eater and no history of health issues.
2 days ago I got him out for play time and noticed that he seemed very drowsy. Kept closing his eyes and was very pliable. I could touch him with bare hands with no problem. He would not make a sound or respond to his usual vocal cues. He would oscillate between this near listlessness and then suddenly wanting to fly. The problem was he would just splat right into things without really landing. He seemed distressed and like he didn't know where he was, and would often cower wherever he fell.
I rushed him to an emergency vet. Over the course of the 30 min drive he got a bit better. By the time we actually saw the vet, he was vocalizing and gripping his perch again, and biting people. The vet could find nothing overt wrong and said he's in great physical shape. They gave him a small dose of fluids since he did have 1 runny poo while we were there, and I was sent home with some broad spectrum antibiotics "just in case" there's an internal infection we see no signs of yet.
That evening he was great. yesterday--totally robust, fully himself. This morning--still doing great. Then this afternoon I was vacuuming in the room and I look over to see him crouched on his food bowl looking drowsy again. I got him out and held him, and we had a repeat of the previous episode: no vocal responses, cowering, drowsiness, and then bursts of wanting to fly and ram into things. I transferred him to his carry cage and lined it with soft stuff to prevent him harming himself with impacts. Within 30 min he's fine again!
So what am i dealing with here? Neurological event like a stroke? Symptom of something else? Or is he just having senior moments? What can I do for him? I called the vet to tell them it was happening again but the vet was in surgery at the time.
He is not near any windows or vents, no new food or toys in the mix. Mostly a seed diet because he's a jerk and won't eat his offered veggies or most vitamin pellets in food mixes. I do use Vita Sol drops in his water a few times a week. Seems to eat well when he's feeling normal.
He is typically pretty energetic and angry. Bites fingers, definitely defends his home. I am the only one in the house who can handle him, and I do so with a washcloth when he comes out for play time (to save my fingers). Good eater and no history of health issues.
2 days ago I got him out for play time and noticed that he seemed very drowsy. Kept closing his eyes and was very pliable. I could touch him with bare hands with no problem. He would not make a sound or respond to his usual vocal cues. He would oscillate between this near listlessness and then suddenly wanting to fly. The problem was he would just splat right into things without really landing. He seemed distressed and like he didn't know where he was, and would often cower wherever he fell.
I rushed him to an emergency vet. Over the course of the 30 min drive he got a bit better. By the time we actually saw the vet, he was vocalizing and gripping his perch again, and biting people. The vet could find nothing overt wrong and said he's in great physical shape. They gave him a small dose of fluids since he did have 1 runny poo while we were there, and I was sent home with some broad spectrum antibiotics "just in case" there's an internal infection we see no signs of yet.
That evening he was great. yesterday--totally robust, fully himself. This morning--still doing great. Then this afternoon I was vacuuming in the room and I look over to see him crouched on his food bowl looking drowsy again. I got him out and held him, and we had a repeat of the previous episode: no vocal responses, cowering, drowsiness, and then bursts of wanting to fly and ram into things. I transferred him to his carry cage and lined it with soft stuff to prevent him harming himself with impacts. Within 30 min he's fine again!
So what am i dealing with here? Neurological event like a stroke? Symptom of something else? Or is he just having senior moments? What can I do for him? I called the vet to tell them it was happening again but the vet was in surgery at the time.
He is not near any windows or vents, no new food or toys in the mix. Mostly a seed diet because he's a jerk and won't eat his offered veggies or most vitamin pellets in food mixes. I do use Vita Sol drops in his water a few times a week. Seems to eat well when he's feeling normal.
