Update on Birds

[Teddscau]

Hey guys, you're probably not all that invested in my guys, since I haven't posted any pictures or anything. Anyways, exciting things have been happening. Turns out Samantha's sensitive to quinoa, resulting in vomiting and undigested food in her feces. So, no more quinoa, and no more Goldn'obles allowed.

Tiki and Ria were improving a lot, but Tiki's lost several grams. They also seem to still have infections (non-contagious), and they no longer seem to be getting stronger.

Lara's abdominal tumour has been bothering her, as she's been kicking at it. Not much we can do but keep everyone happy, encourage exercise, and continue to give them dandelion root extract.

Noah's still been inhaling water while bathing, so we've been dealing with a bit of crackly lung (it clears up on its own in a day or so).

Oh, and the feather lice. Last Friday we did their second and final dose of Revolution. It's a fairly mild case, and I think Rumi, Lara, and Pollo were responsible for bringing it into the aviary.

Oh, and over a year ago, Samantha had an issue with her preen gland. One day, when I walked into the main-floor living room (we kept the birds there before building the aviary), Samantha had a bit of blood on her. I thought it might've just been a pinny, but I finally tracked it down to her preen gland. It was covered in blood, and she kept picking at it with her beak, so I had to make an e-collar and stick it on her until she healed (the vet thought it was ruptured due to vitamin A deficiency). Well, when I looked at it again this Friday (I know guys, but I try to stay hands off with my birds since Noah's the only tame one), what I saw was NOT a uropygial gland. It's huge, lumpy, looks dried out, and I seriously doubt it's producing oil. It's a normalish colour, but it looks like a tumour or a feather cyst.

So, I have an appointment with Dr. Yee for Friday for the kākāriki and Samantha. Although, I think I'll just keep Samantha at home since it isn't bothering her and she's freaking ancient. I mean, I love my old bird, but I don't know if it's worth the money. That sounds horrible. I mean, she'll probably need surgery, and I doubt the mass on her preen gland is life threatening. I don't really want to have her put under unless it's absolutely necessary. If a younger bird needed surgery, then I'd probably bring them in, but I'd hate for her to die during surgery.

Oh, right, the kākāriki are so freaking gimpy. Their joints are just so loose. It looks like they have cerebral palsy the way they move. And they're so weak. Their legs splay out to the side when they walk...it's not pretty. Seriously, cerebral palsy is the best description for them. Or Polio. Or rickets. Their legs are like rubber. I'm going to have them checked for aspergillosis too, just in case. They'd been fed animal grade peanuts, soybeans, etc. at the shelter, so I'm not feeling too confident about things. Oh, and it might sound like I'm being insensitive when I say it looks like cerebral palsy, but it's an accurate description, and I mean it with the utmost respect. If leg braces for adult parrots are I thing, I'd buy them in a heartbeat. Anyone have a 3D-printer? Need to stabilize those joints.

 

[Inger]

Your sweet flock! They’re lucky to have you caring for them.


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[Soyajam]

Sounds like your flocks' in the wars at the moment!

 

[GaleriaGila]

Oh, I'm ALWAYS nosy about other peoples' flocks!

Thanks for the good reading!

 

[Flboy]

It is always good to hear from you! You are an amazing caregiver!

 

[LeaKP]

Thank you! I too love hearing the news.


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[Flboy]

This was just posted and I was thinking about Samantha’s sensitivities to quinoa!
http://www.parrotforums.com/parrot-food-recipes-diet/72104-quinoa-our-birdies.html#post688687

In our never ending search for variety of foods for our youngins you may run across a "super food" called Quinoa. I had it recommended by a vet then did some reading on it. It does seem to be some good stuff but my reading lemme know of a potential issue. The hulls have a natural occurring pesticide called saponin. It does not seem to be harmful to humans but the potential to hurt our precious youngins is there. Some claim to come pre-rinsed to remove the toxin.... some are left as is and need to be well rinsed to get that nasty stuff off. Myself, I don't care if it claims to have been rinsed.... just to be sure I soak mine about 5 minutes then rinse it several times. Cookie seems to really enjoy it with no bad effects.Im not a birdie dietician by any means, just thought Id give yall a heads up in case you are thinking bout adding it to birdie diets. It is nutrient rich and seems fine if cleaned of the nasty stuff.

 

[Teddscau]

Oh my gosh guys, you should've seen the bloodbath we had in the aviary a few months ago. Tiki broke a nail, and the aviary was covered in blood. Well, maybe not completely covered in blood, since he would've had to be the size of an emu to make that happen. Honestly, the only time I've seen that much blood before was when my shih-poo, Teddy, ripped his dewclaw off. I can't believe Tiki didn't pass out. There were little puddles of blood underneath all the food and water dishes, and the blood was caked onto the dishes.

Right, thanks for the link, Flboy! I knew a bit about saponins before, and as such, I always make sure to scrub my quinoa for a few minutes before cooking it for the birds (and the bag claims that it's been triple washed already). I also did some more reading after the incident, and it turns out quinoa isn't actually all that nutritious. People claim it's a good source of protein, but it actually has hardly any.

I wonder if for the sake of my budgies, whether I should just go back to the way things used to be, when I only ever fed them things that didn't have to be cooked. It wasn't until I got Noah two summers ago that I started feeding them birdie bread, mash, and lots of pellets. Before then, we never had to deal with vomiting. It's just that I kept getting flack (slack?) from avian vets for not having them on an almost exclusively pellet-based diet. But everyone was healthier, but now Pollo always looks like he's in discomfort, Ju's been vomiting on and off, and Samantha looks like she's in pain.

Like, before meeting Dr. Yee, I'd seen two or three other avian vets at Bowmanville. They didn't seem to take my budgies seriously (budgies easily die from stress, budgies are weak, my budgies are older individuals so their bodies are probably just shutting down), and they blamed pretty much all their health problems on not eating pellets, since pellets are like a cure-all or something. Well, considering none of my budgies were overweight (okay, fine, a few were since I'd adopted them only a few months before going to the vet, and Rumi and Lara were morbidly obese when I got them), had good endurance, large muscles, healthy feathers, were energetic, happy, and alert, I'd say their sprout based diet (with plenty of raw veggies to munch on) wasn't hurting them.

Compared to other parrots, I'd say budgies tend to have a more specialized diet, having evolved to eat tons of grass seed and wild grain. While other species might benefit from not being able to pick and choose what to eat (i.e., finely chopped chop, birdie bread, mash, puréed food, pellets, etc.), I don't think it's fair to apply that to budgies. Many parrots live in places where different foods are only available at certain times of the year. But with budgies, given the harsh ecosystem they live in, grass seed makes up the majority of their diet, since it's the only food they can rely on.

Obviously, this doesn't mean that I think they should be fed a diet of 99% seed in captivity. In a captive setting, budgies are far less active, and the seed we feed to them is undoubtedly higher in fat and has a different nutritional composition than that found in arid Australia. For example, Australian plants grow far faster in "garden" soil, since this soil is abundant in nutrients and minerals, unlike your typical Australian soil/sand.

What do you guys think about all this? And interestingly, kākāriki need a high-fat, high-protein diet in captivity. In the wild, they're far heavier, whereas in captivity, they're a lot smaller. Given that kākāriki are colder climate species, you'd think the opposite would be true, since you'd think it would be warmer in captivity. HOWEVER, in the wild, many kākāriki species eat large amounts of insect protein (except for the red-fronted kākāriki who gets its protein from pine seeds), with some species regularly consuming fish and seabirds.

 

[Teddscau]

Well, you're probably wondering how the appointment went. Well, I only took the kākāriki in. Wow, that's a great paragraph structure. Anyways, Dr. Yee was definitely concerned about them. They've lost weight (Tiki was 64g on the last visit, but now he's 57g), and Tiki was open-mouth breathing while she handled him. When she listened to his heart, she noticed it sounded muffled, as though it was surrounded by fluid, air, swelling, etc.. She also noticed that his ventriculus seemed pronounced, as though something was pushing on it. He was also coughing, gagging, and flinging his head while she examined him. She was also concerned about how bad the feathers on his head looked, as his head's patchy and is starting to go bald (the feathers and skin are also dry looking). She definitely noticed a startling decline in his health. She actually put him under a heat lamp in the back after examining him because he became so unwell. Like, he actually hasn't been bathing because he's too weak to get into the bath (I'll have to try a glass pie plate with him next time).

Ria, on the other hand, has gotten a bit weaker, but she's not nearly as worried about her as she is Tiki. I told Dr. Yee about some concerns I had about Ria displaying potential signs of focal seizures, so she took blood to see if anything seems off. Sometimes, Ria will just be sitting on the ledge or whatever, when all of a sudden she starts "vibrating" for 10 seconds or more. The other day, she dangled her right leg over the ledge and her leg started vibrating, and it went on for at least a minute. This definitely seemed different from her typical trembling due to weakness. She still seems fairly aware of her surroundings when this happens, but I really don't like the look of it.

Dr. Yee asked about if they were still eating, and I told her that they seem to eat a lot and definitely seem to enjoy their food. As you all know, sick birds usually lose weight because they quit eating, but the kākāriki have been eating lots of pellets, leafy greens, mash, birdie bread, millet, sunflower seeds, etc. They've also been drinking well, too.

Dr. Yee would've liked to do an X-ray for Tiki, but with him being so unwell she told us to bring him in after he's first been on medication for a week. She's prescribed antifungals and antibiotics for them, and she agrees with me that aspergillosis or some sort of fungal infection is messing with their respiratory system.

 

[Teddscau]

Hey everyone! Time for another update on the cripples! I have them on chop now, and they're actually eating it. I know, I'm shocked, too. Samantha is feeling so much better now (she got her beak on some birdie bread, so she was sick for a few weeks).

Took Tiki to the vet yesterday, and he's lost three grams in only two weeks (he's only 54g now). However, he's been bathing almost daily the past week, so he's definitely getting stronger. Dr. Yee couldn't find any gapeworms (did I tell you about the concern over gapeworm?), but she sent him home with some oral antiparasitics. She also took a fecal sample to check for parasite eggs. I also had her clean is nostrils while we were there, and she did a quick nail trim.

Poor Tiki has some pressure sores on his feet, and his heartbeat is still muffled. She didn't do an x-ray since he's still quite weak, but we're going to have one done after the kākāriki finish their antifungals and Tiki finishes his antiparasitics. Oh, and he wasn't gasping as much this time during the exam (last time it looked like he was going to pass out from lack of oxygen). His poops might be a bit more firm now, too! Typically, they're this gross messy paste (think baby poop), but I've seen him have some normal looking Noah-like poops!

Ria is doing just fantastic guys (she stayed at home)! She's a lot perkier, her movements are more coordinated, she's been biting us extremely hard, her eye isn't as swollen, and she just looks so much better! She's still sick, but she's looking so much better! Guess what!? I caught her preening! Not only was she preening, but she was even nibbling on her preen gland and rubbing her head against it! Before, she was way too weak to reach her preen gland without falling, but she's actually using it now!

Oh, cutest thing ever, guys. I gave the kākāriki pomegranate for the first time this weekend, and Tiki is absolutely crazy about it! Holy fudge, I've never seen him this thrilled about something before!

Right, so the bentonite clay came in and I think the birds have been eating it (I've been mixing it in with their chop). I also ordered some red palm oil from a parrot supply place in Mississauga, but they still haven't shipped the order! I NEED that stuff for my kākāriki, so hurry it up! Honestly, my orders from supply stores in Vancouver come in quicker than from a city less than two hours from here -_-

I've sent Dad on an important mission today. His goal: pick up one of each worm-like feeder insect (waxworm, butterworm, silkworm, mealworm, etc.) from the local exotics store (I didn't want to go because they have parrots there, and I don't want to contaminate my birds). Anyways, I'm going to try to convince the kākāriki to eat the bugs, because they need the extra protein! Their protein requirements are a lot higher than that of most parrots (with the exception of kea who eat nothing but protein). I know what you're thinking, but my kākāriki are a special case. They desperately need that protein, and the plant sources of protein are either too high in oxalates (refer to earlier comments concerning Ria's low blood calcium), or they just don't have enough protein. Heck, I even offered them some Babybel cheese, and Ria actually ate it!

 

[dhraiden]

Always gratifying to see someone put so much attention and care into their lil bird-buddies. kākāriki are beautifully colored with very cute faces, to my thinking - their issues 'walking', I'd imagine, could be that it looks like their legs are more for 'perching' than waddle-walking (unlike, say, the super-bouncy appendages of a stout caique).

[ame="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0t6Rc3h1cIE"]Cinnamon Kākāriki - YouTube[/ame]

 

[Teddscau]

Believe it or not, red-fronted kākāriki are supposed to be ground foragers O_O. My poor kids have jelly legs, although their legs are slowly becoming more stable. When I first got them, their legs were about as sturdy and coordinated as a newly hatched chick's.

Holy fudge! Just put a few butterworms and waxworms on a plate for them, and they immediately went over and started eating them! I can't believe my plan actually worked! I'd imagine most parrots would be confused or nervous, but the kākāriki are actually eating them! I'm so happy! I'll have to email Dr. Yee!

...everyone has avian gastric yeast X_X. I'll vent in a different post.

 

[Teddscau]

Well, here's the update for today. Ria had to be put down a few weeks ago after having her leg trapped in the bottom grate all night long. It was absolutely horrible. She shredded the muscles in her leg struggling, she had a full blown pneumonia, she was in pain, was going going into shock...the vet did what he could but she was dying, so we did the only humane thing we could.

As for today, Samantha had part of her toe amputated. Yesterday she seemed worse than usual (laboured breathing, in a lot of pain), then I found out in the evening what was wrong. Her right front toe on her right foot...something bad happened to it. I don't know if she got it caught on something or if someone chomped down on it, but the tip of it was twisted around and barely attached. Brought her to Morris this morning and had the necrotic tip, along with part of her healthy toe, removed. More than half of her toe is still there, but it hurts a lot, as you'd expect. We gave her Baytril last night (there's perks to having unhealthy kākāriki since you always have a shelf full of meds), and she's going to be on it for a few more days just to make sure her toe doesn't get infected.

She was very quiet at the vet and she barely struggled. I had to hold her for five minutes while Dr. Morris put pressure on her partially amputated toe. She just sort of closed her eyes and laid there. Normally she'd be screaming bloody murder, so I'd nudge her gently every so often to make sure she was still conscious. Dr. Morris advised against giving her painkillers since her digestive tract is slow.

She's currently in a small flight cage in the aviary, separated from the others since they're annoying to be near at the best of times. She's resting on top of her perch tent thing (it's a wooden swing with material on either side for privacy), and her head's drooped right down. She's tough as nails, so she should be fine. I mean, it couldn't be any worse than the time Lara had that episiotomy. Her poor little cloaca was so swollen and was hanging right out...it was bad, guys. It was so messed up looking. It was very gory.

Oh right, so when we were pulling into the garage after Samantha had her minor surgery, she suddenly started screaming bloody murder. I'm not going to lie, I was extremely proud of her when she started cussing like that. She may be small (smaller than any budgie I've ever seen before), but she's never been afraid to speak her mind. Man, I still remember when I brought her to see Dr. Yee. When she uncovered the carrier, Samantha started screaming at the top of her lungs and the doctor just about had a heart attack. I forgot to warn her that Samantha was a screamer. Man, Samantha doesn't take nonsense from anyone, especially a human .

 

[Teddscau]

Hahhh... Well, we've run into problems. Samantha's become weak from being in the cage and is becoming depressed, but when I released her earlier, Ziggy started humping her (she did not want him touching her) and Noah was charging at her and threatening to eat her face. I mean, it's normal for Noah to pick on her a bit (he never hurts the other birds, just scares them a bit and gives them superficial nips), and Ziggy's always been a pain when it comes to sexually assaulting others, but Samantha's still experiencing some pain and just can't handle the extra stress. Not to mention the digestive issues.

Grr, so I'm thinking of sticking Ziggy in the small cage, letting Samantha fly loose in the aviary, and try to keep Noah upstairs with me for longer periods. She's just been sitting on the bottom of the cage all fluffed up, wings all droopy, eyes heavy... I don't know if her toe's healing properly. About a millimetre or so at the tip is dark, so I don't know if it's going necrotic or what. I'm going to get a better look at it later and take some pictures to show the vet. I freaking hope it's just bruised -_-

 

[LeaKP]

Yes, I would agree that a vet visit is in order. Hoping all goes well.


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[Kentuckienne]

I second the vet ... but I'd let the others fly free and put Samantha in a hospital cage. Some small box, soft padding, food and water bowls on the floor, source of heat .. there are good links here somewhere. She sounds like she's fighting an infection and it helps if she can divert all her energy to that and not to keeping warm or evading marauders.

 

[Teddscau]

It's not good. We're leaving for the vet in a few minutes, but when I packed her up, she didn't try to get away from me, and her feet are almost in fists. I don't know if she'll make it. I think she probably needs to be put on fluids or something. I don't know.

 

[Teddscau]

Turns out her toe is fine, but she's extremely weak and is only 20–25g. I should've done more to make sure she was eating. However, Dr. Morris syringe-fed her sugar water and when I brought her home I put seed in her carrier and she started wolfing it down. I kept her in the carrier until a few minutes ago on a barstool near Tiki's cage (outside the aviary) with the heater going.

Dad's exercising where her carrier is, so I just put her in the flight cage in the aviary (I cleaned it, scattered seed on the bottom, lowered the perch, etc.), and she's been fluttering around and trying to climb (which I don't want her to do since she's too weak). I didn't put water in with her because I'm worried about her drowning or soaking herself. After he's done exercising I'm going to put her back in the carrier with a dish of water (and seed) and sit with her to make sure she stays hydrated and keeps eating and avoids drowning.

Update:
She's still alive, but her legs aren't working properly. Her feet are in tight little fists and her legs are hard and I have a hard time bending them while I massage her legs to try to keep her circulation. I don't know if I should bother trying to keep her legs working at this point, since it seems like she's dying. I'm pretty sure she's dying. It'll take a miracle to save her. Her bum's dirty, so I'm going to clean it for her after she rests for a bit. She clearly wants to live, but I don't think I acted in time. All I had to do was weigh her every day and I would've seen that she was losing weight and I could've acted sooner.

 

[Teddscau]

Well, it's Thursday now and Samantha's still alive. She's been drinking her sugar water well (still watering her by hand because I don't trust her to not drown), and she's been eating a lot of oat groats (she says she only wants to eat oat groats, so I have to pick the stupid grains out of the seed mix by hand). Her little legs still aren't working properly, but I've been massaging them and exercising them several times a day to try to get them working again. It actually looks like fluid might be pooling in her legs, which isn't good. Like, it almost looks like fat is solidifying in them, like when you put gravy in the fridge and all the fat ontop solidifies. She's still pretty alert, and I've been keeping her in the cage in the aviary. I stuck Noah in the other half of Tiki's double flight cage since the little demon screams in Samantha's face and tries to grab her through the bars -_-.

Oh, and Tiki's legs are getting weak(er) again. I'm trying to find new perches to order to strengthen his legs (you know those twisty pedicure perches by Polly's and the comfy clam perch?). Can't freaking find them in Canada, though, but I really need them to strengthen his legs. His gimpy little legs.

Oh, and Dad brought home a free female peach-faced lovebird from the Humane Society yesterday. Apparently she was from a home that's notorious for surrendering animals. Her cage reeks of cigarettes, so that's nice. I'm kind of short on cages right now, so she'll just have to stay in the cage she came in for now. She's really outgoing and social, which is unusual for a new bird. Anyways, her name is Snuggles, which we hate, so Mom decided to name her Rosie. Not a fan of that name either, but whatever.