sick conure, long train ride

[Grubsich]

hi, i've only had my ggc two weeks, and he is my first bird. im pretty sure he's never been to a vet, im not sure of his age, but he's starting to molt, im also pretty sure hes under a year. today he woke up with a funny small sounding voice which lasted about a minute, and hes sounded like hes whistling through his nose. hes eating drinking and playing.

i called the emergency vet today and after speaking to her,decided to wait until the avian vet tomorrow as he had not worsened. the closest avian vetis 3 hours there by train, and 3 hours back. im worried if i bring him on that long journey, if he's not sick, he might get sick going there.

is there anything i can do in the meantime? foods to boost his immune system or something.

i also cleaned his cage with a mixture of distilled malt vinegar and water, but his cage did not smell and it was a small amount. i also slept with the window open last night, but his cage was covered.

any help would be appreciated

 

[clark_conure]

my conure had a what I think might have been a cold once but before I could take him in he was already better the next morning.

Anything with vitamins would be good, try some "real" orange juice as a treat/cure and monitor.

 

[LordTriggs]

I would advise taking him either way. If possible try finding a CAV nearer yourself but I'm sure you already have. Would it be possible for anyone to drive you? More-so for the changes in temperature when getting on and off trains/walking. The symptoms may be nothing but it's better to check, and considering they're new and you're under the belief they've never seen a vet it's a good idea to get a check-up to make sure there's nothing hiding beneath the surface

 

[SailBoat]

At some point, you will need to set-up a visit to your Avian Vet (CAV) for a Base New Parrot health screen!

As part of your Bill of Sale, the age of your Parrot should have been part of the Paperwork! You are under EU guidelines regarding Sale of Companion Parrots and as part of the Sale, there are requirements on Buy and Selling Parrots. If I recall correctly, you are required to provide said documents to your Avian Vet as part of your first visit!

Reality, Companion Parrots hide their illness very well and that is why it is important to have your Avian Friend see its Avian Vet at least yearly.

I am not sure what you mean by a weak voice. But, anytime a Parrot is seen having difficulty breathing it should be a point of concern. If you ever find your Parrot working to breath (tail pumping or like), you should be rushing to your CAV.

 

[Grubsich]

thanks for replying everyone, i've called all the family i know, and they said they cant unfortunately. he's still doing ok, has some more pin feathers coming in.

i got him off a craigslist type website, from a man who bought parrot eggs to hatch and hand raise, but i never got his paperwork but i'' try and ring the guy. if he wont send me a copy of the original what questions should i ask other then his date of birth (hatch) ? it was just a hand him the cash deal so i dont think im covered by regulations..?

if i have to take him by train which i probably will, i thought maybe i could put a little blanket over his carrier to keep him warm getting off the train and walking to the next one, cuz we'll have to change trains 3 times. ( irish public transport is a nightmare) i'de bring food water toys and paper towels, but is there anything else i should have?

and what questions should i ask the vet re: his yearly exam, our vets here usually are also not great and i have to bug them for a full checkup. i wanted to get him micro chipped if possible.
i'll try and get him some plain orange juice and red pepper tommorw while i ring the vet and find a route to take.

hes not carrier trained yet, and the furthest hes been is the bathroom with me so im worried about stressing him. im wondering if i could get him a harness so i could take him out of the carrier cuz he hates being in his cage

 

[Grubsich]

update: at 10pm he was shivering and seemed cold, so i brought him to the emergency vet in town and she gave us 7 days of antibiotics. she said if he improves to wait to take him to the avian vet so to not stress him, if he worssens in any way to take him right away. he also got 2 injections but i cant remmeber what they were, but he seems ok now hes eating and looks like hes about to sleep in his cage.
u-u she recommended not changing his diet while hes sick right now, but she said he didint seem in any immediate danger

 

[LordTriggs]

you'll never get anything from that guy. Craigslist is the worst place to look, this guy has sold you a bird who he has most likely made ill by not hand-feeding properly. Do what you can to get them better. hopefully they recover quickly

 

[SailBoat]

you'll never get anything from that guy. Craigslist is the worst place to look, this guy has sold you a bird who he has most likely made ill by not hand-feeding properly. Do what you can to get them better. hopefully they recover quickly

LordTriggs: So, what is the Law? Does the Law require Documentation of Parrots in the EU? My understanding that Birth documentation is required for newly hatched Companion Parrots. In North America it is for newly hatched endangered species Parrots, but will be expanding to all Parrots within the next couple of years.

 

[LordTriggs]

you'll never get anything from that guy. Craigslist is the worst place to look, this guy has sold you a bird who he has most likely made ill by not hand-feeding properly. Do what you can to get them better. hopefully they recover quickly

LordTriggs: So, what is the Law in the Laws regarding Documentation of Parrots in the EU? May understanding that Birth documentation is required for newly hatched Companion Parrots. In North America it is for newly hatched endangered species Parrots, but will be expanding to all Parrots within the next couple of years.

unless they are on the Cites list the only thing I'm aware of is they need to be rung. Aside from that there's not really much. The smaller conures aren't on the list, from what I have seen it's mainly the larger ones and endangered parrots. With my conure all I had given to me in terms of documents was his ring number written on a card and a receipt for the card transaction and this was a full time breeder/store owner. Some guy of craigslist isn't always going to be as professional as that, it's actually seen as a selling point here if they have any documents with them. Even less regulations on selling other animals such as cats and dogs. My mother sold a litter of kittens with no paperwork involved at all.

I do wish there was more legislation in regards to breeding/selling pets over here as it would force less reputable people to stop breeding and would give more confidence in people buying them. Unfortunately after the bird flu scare those few years ago (like 10 years I think?) businesses stopped selling birds, the pet store round the corner from me used to be 50% dedicated to birds, a good quarter of the store was aviaries for many different parrots. Was where I got my first cockatiel from. Now the parrot section is the smallest section of the store and most stores specializing in parrots have completely closed up forcing most people to go through private sellers meaning a lot of them go unregulated. It's to the point that bird ownership is so rare many children now don't even know what a budgie is