Giggleagain
New member
Almost 4 weeks after I adopted Sweet Pea the weather yesterday was finally decent enough (temperature in the 40's) that I dared take her to the vet. Reminder for those who haven't read my previous posts: Sweat Pea is a plucker and self-mutilating QP. Her legs have healed somewhat (one of them completely), but as soon as they're better she slashes them again.
The vet diagnosed infection on the legs and believes that she is biting her legs because a) they hurt and b) they are infected. He put Sweet Pea on Metacam for pain and on Enrofloxacin for the infection. She also gets Bene Bac powder in her water.
She weighs 99 grams and the vet indicated this is not abnormally low. He approved of her diet (Nutriberries) and told me to feed her ANYTHING I EAT as long as it is low-salt and low-sugar. Of course no avocados nor chocolate. I urgently need to weigh Clover, because she definitely weighs twice as much! She's a petite, fat chicken!!
He did a throat swab and is sending it out to the lab along with the fecal sample because he could not detect bacteria in her feces. The only abnormal reading is slightly elevated yeast.
A blood sample was not taken because of the blood loss she suffers every time she mutilates her legs. We see the vet again in 2 weeks. He hopes that the antibiotic and the pain med will help her heal and stop the mutilation. If she doesn't bite herself for 2 weeks she'll get a blood exam and we'll also test her DNA at that time. I won't submit her to a blood exam JUST to find out whether she is a girl or not (but I have a feeling she is a BOY...she's much too nice to be female
Does anyone have experience with self-mutilation? I really hope that the cause is physical because it can be fixed. If it is emotional we're in for a life-long problem.
Today she has been mostly resting. Does the Metacam make them drowsy? She's usually on her play top by now, but not today.
I'm looking forward to your comments. Do you agree with the vet's treatment? Disagree? What is your experience with Metacam and the antibiotic he prescribed? (This avian vet is one of only TWO avian vets recommended by the local parrot club).
The vet diagnosed infection on the legs and believes that she is biting her legs because a) they hurt and b) they are infected. He put Sweet Pea on Metacam for pain and on Enrofloxacin for the infection. She also gets Bene Bac powder in her water.
She weighs 99 grams and the vet indicated this is not abnormally low. He approved of her diet (Nutriberries) and told me to feed her ANYTHING I EAT as long as it is low-salt and low-sugar. Of course no avocados nor chocolate. I urgently need to weigh Clover, because she definitely weighs twice as much! She's a petite, fat chicken!!
He did a throat swab and is sending it out to the lab along with the fecal sample because he could not detect bacteria in her feces. The only abnormal reading is slightly elevated yeast.
A blood sample was not taken because of the blood loss she suffers every time she mutilates her legs. We see the vet again in 2 weeks. He hopes that the antibiotic and the pain med will help her heal and stop the mutilation. If she doesn't bite herself for 2 weeks she'll get a blood exam and we'll also test her DNA at that time. I won't submit her to a blood exam JUST to find out whether she is a girl or not (but I have a feeling she is a BOY...she's much too nice to be female
Does anyone have experience with self-mutilation? I really hope that the cause is physical because it can be fixed. If it is emotional we're in for a life-long problem.
Today she has been mostly resting. Does the Metacam make them drowsy? She's usually on her play top by now, but not today.
I'm looking forward to your comments. Do you agree with the vet's treatment? Disagree? What is your experience with Metacam and the antibiotic he prescribed? (This avian vet is one of only TWO avian vets recommended by the local parrot club).
