Rook got new radiographs today!

[ardence]

As some of you may know, I'm currently fostering a Goffins Cockatoo with a myriad of issues, the biggest of which being his zinc poisoning. Today was day 10 of his chelation therapy, so it was time for new rads. Ya'll asked for me to keep you updated, and I'm a lady of my word.

Verdict? Nooot much change.
There is still quite the ball of zinc in him. His kidneys don't look quite as enlarged though.

Physically, he is starting to do muchmuch better. He actually has a bit of feather regrowth, he's switched over to 100% pellets (minus the seeds, nuts & dried fruit I roll his peanut butter in), and his colour is a lot better. He's lost a gram (199 vs 200 10 days ago) but that can easily be attributed to the diet change.

We're going to do another week of the chelate injections, and then get another set of rads. Fingers crossed that the zinc starts really making it's way out of his system!

Enjoy this picture of him enjoying the sunset.



PS: He still doesn't want to step-up! Sometimes he will sit on our forearm, but he vastly prefers to sit next to us, and lean over for scratchin'.

 

[GaleriaGila]

Oooooooooooooooooh, you are brave and good!

I'm glad there are people like you in the bird-world...

 

[SirEdwin89]

Awww, well, it's not the update I would have preferred to get, but hey *any* positive news is good news, even if it isn't the BEST news. Hopefully this next week is a game changer for that zinc, and things continue to look brighter. Either way, at least he is in a positive environment now!

I know I'll be continuing to have your little guy in my thoughts, and the Davy Flock will all be rooting for him, and you!

 

[ardence]

Awww, well, it's not the update I would have preferred to get, but hey *any* positive news is good news, even if it isn't the BEST news. Hopefully this next week is a game changer for that zinc, and things continue to look brighter. Either way, at least he is in a positive environment now!

I know I'll be continuing to have your little guy in my thoughts, and the Davy Flock will all be rooting for him, and you!

Thanks! It broke my heart a little that there wasn't much change. He's an amazing bird, and I'm trying my best for him. I'm going to go hard with the metamucil over the next week. I've been a little lax with it, since he hates it so much, but it's better for him this way.

 

[SailBoat]

Thank-you, for the update!

Very few bird people and nearly zero non-bird people understand the effects of heavy metal poisoning and in your case Zinc poisoning. Zinc by its very nature resists being broken-up, which means the start of this process is always painfully slow!

The weight change is more likely an issue of time of the last meal and/or movement than anything else.

Regardless of whether he is Stepping Up at this point, the fact that he likes being around you and moves in for some special attention is Great! I will take wanting to be with you everyday! Its a great start and a wonderful place to move forward from!

Thank-you, for taking on this needing and wanting Parrot - lots of his Love coming your way, for sure!!!

 

[Terry57]

Thank you so much for the update! Every little bit of progress is still progress, and I am hoping his next checkup continues to get better.
I bet he is feeling much better, even if his tests aren't showing that much of a change. Bless you for giving him a chance and taking such good care of him.

 

[Scott]

Really appreciate the update! Rook has a fan-club here, anxiously awaiting what will hopefully be a positive next update!

At least he feels the love and dedication!!

 

[ardence]

Really appreciate the update! Rook has a fan-club here, anxiously awaiting what will hopefully be a positive next update!

At least he feels the love and dedication!!

No problem! I'm really hoping for some significant movement before the 8th At least he seems to be happy.

 

[ardence]

We got a surprise when blood-work came back today...it's a girl!

Sorry little hen, I didn't mean to call you "him" for the better part of the last three weeks!

Unfortunately the Zinc was still in the same state as her rads last week, so no news there. We just finished up chelation therapy yesterday, so the shelter vet is going to consult with an avian vet on Monday to determine what our next steps need to be. Depending on what they decide, I may start reaching out to bird specific rescues for her. We are an open door shelter, but our exotics resources are limited, and Rook deserves every chance that can be given to her!

There have been lots of good advancements though over the past week, for instance, she gained 36 grams! At 236 she is still well below the average of 350 grams, but that is some serious progress. I'm actually surprised she was so underweight, considering her inability to fly, and the fact that she was kept on a seed diet.

She's also gotten a LOT of colour back into her feathers! She is so much more salmon-y around her beak and under her crest:

She has some more little feathers coming in at the base of her abdomen too! (Her poor keel is bruised from all of the injections she's been getting.)

We've made behavioral advancements, too. She still doesn't want to step-up out of her cage, but when she is already out, she is pretty game to get onto a hand or forearm. She even perched on Tyler's shoulder once! She is a very cuddly little thing.

Last but certainly not least, we were able to find out some personal information about her, via her legband. She went through an independent quarantine facility in Florida, as an adult, in 1994. I'm tentatively guessing that she is around 30 years old.

 

[Allee]

Thank you for helping this lovely girl, she deserves the very best care! Thanks for the continuing updates. Rook's fan club is growing. Wishing her a full recovery.

 

[Scott]

Very much appreciate the update and hope the next analysis shows diminishing zinc. Well, SHE is a beauty and looks full of personality. Does Rook have lighter brown eyes? While not definitive, males generally have very dark eyes.

Still underweight, but many Goffins are at or near 300g. My female Peanut is 275, one of her sons is 295, and her former mate (separated due to aggression is 310. Don't have weights on the other 2, but they are probably around 280 to 300.

Behaviorally, Goffins can be readily tamed and generally love people. Peanut is at least 40, wild-caught, and nearly as sweet as her offspring.

Hope to hear more good news!!

 

[ardence]

I guess her eyes are pretty light brown. Just a few shades lighter than the male cockatiel's. The avian vet had guessed she was male, based on her bones, but blood doesn't lie!

 

[Scott]

I guess her eyes are pretty light brown. Just a few shades lighter than the male cockatiel's. The avian vet had guessed she was male, based on her bones, but blood doesn't lie!

Figures, comparing eye color with a male and female together is telling.