I have a 6 year old Pacific Parrotlet. She's suffered from seizures since she was 1, but they are controlled with low dose phenobarbital in her water. About four months ago, she had some major health care crisis. The avian vet at my area vet school was never able to say what was happening, but my bird lost enough weight that they considered it critical. She was also leaning to one side and breathing with difficulty. They got her breathing and leaning stable over a few days, but her weight continued to plummet (lowest was 23 g) at the vet ICU. We all decided that the stress of the ICU was probably worse for her than my own home care so I took her home. managed pain meds, antibiotics and hand feeding. She seemed to recover well, and was recently back up to her pre-illness weight (30 g).
Here's her current problem: She has not been able to fly well since her illness or stroke or whatever occurred. As she started to feel better though, she tried to fly and landed badly. One leg or foot seemed to be injured. Back to the vet, who could not feel a fracture but prescribed rest. It took two weeks for her to start bearing weight on it again, but she did. A week later though, she once again launched herself out of my hand and landed on the carpet, and her leg was again not working. This time it took a week for her to be able to perch or toddle on it in her cage. She has since done this 4 times, and I am so frustrated. She re-injured it for the fourth time early this week. I have her back on rest, and my current theory is that I just need to keep her resting in her cage for much longer than I've presumed. She beeps pathetically to come out and will try to fly at the slightest chance, even though I've tried to keep her "still". I take her out for her own enjoyment (she is bonded to me), but also because I am still feeding her gruel to supplement her pellets because she does not reliably eat enough to stay at her normal weight yet.
Has anyone experienced a foot or leg injury? Any advice? I worry that she cannot access her food dishes on the ground of her cage well, and she always manages to get to her highest perch in her cage only to get stuck up there and cry. She just seems to need so much help and with the re-injuries it has been a few months of this now.
I am going to make another appt with the avian vet to follow up, but honestly have terrible PTSD from her near death experience there, and also they did send me home the first time with instructions to just let her rest.
Here's her current problem: She has not been able to fly well since her illness or stroke or whatever occurred. As she started to feel better though, she tried to fly and landed badly. One leg or foot seemed to be injured. Back to the vet, who could not feel a fracture but prescribed rest. It took two weeks for her to start bearing weight on it again, but she did. A week later though, she once again launched herself out of my hand and landed on the carpet, and her leg was again not working. This time it took a week for her to be able to perch or toddle on it in her cage. She has since done this 4 times, and I am so frustrated. She re-injured it for the fourth time early this week. I have her back on rest, and my current theory is that I just need to keep her resting in her cage for much longer than I've presumed. She beeps pathetically to come out and will try to fly at the slightest chance, even though I've tried to keep her "still". I take her out for her own enjoyment (she is bonded to me), but also because I am still feeding her gruel to supplement her pellets because she does not reliably eat enough to stay at her normal weight yet.
Has anyone experienced a foot or leg injury? Any advice? I worry that she cannot access her food dishes on the ground of her cage well, and she always manages to get to her highest perch in her cage only to get stuck up there and cry. She just seems to need so much help and with the re-injuries it has been a few months of this now.
I am going to make another appt with the avian vet to follow up, but honestly have terrible PTSD from her near death experience there, and also they did send me home the first time with instructions to just let her rest.
