Vet's Aren't Always Right

[BlueBoy]

I'm posting this story just to remind parrot owners that their common sense is just as important as a vet's advice. A month ago one of my budgies, Blue, ate the *forbidden* avocado. He talks beautifully, hangs out with me 24/7, and is my best friend. I honestly don't even keep avocados in the house, but that day my mother brought her avocado tree inside for some reason. I don't know what avocado saplings look like, I mean, who does? So Blue flies off into the living room, and being the lovely eater he is, takes a couple chunks out of the tree. I didn't know what this plant was, so I rang my mom and ta-dah! The deadliest tree he could have eaten! My mom loves the birds just as much as I do, so she's freaking out and calling the animal poison control center. I call the vet, we look things up online, and we refuse to even leave Blue alone for a second. I shove the sucker full of carrot tops and water so he can flush the avocado out of his system. Now, the vet in our area is and exotic vet, but I doubt they have much experience with birds. Especially little tykes like budgies. The vet and poison control center say they'll put a tube down his throat, suck the food out, and stuff it full of charcoal. Umm, you're telling me you're going to try shoving a tube into my tiny bird's stomach and suck it? And you've never done it before? And "he might die in our care anyways because of complications?" Oh HECK no. So I shove him full of more carrots, watch him for the next week, and now he's perfectly fine. If I'd shipped him off to the vet they could have killed him through suffocation, injured his internal organs, given him a stress-induced heart attack, broken his fragile bones, and then would have said the "avocado" did it. So although I agree you should always get a vet's advice when your bird's sick, use common sense before you act on that advice. 'Cause the vets don't know everything.

 

[ravvlet]

I think maybe the difference here is that it doesn’t sound like that was an avian certified vet.

Glad your buddy is okay!

 

[Henderbird]

My goodness the rollercoaster ride you've experienced with all that!
I'm so glad your budgie is okay now!
And I definitely agree that it is wise to use our judgment with OUR birds before proceeding with certain procedures at the vets, especially if they are not certified avian vets!

 

[Cottonoid]

If your bird had shown signs of avocado toxicity that's exactly the treatment required. Stomach lavage and activated charcoal.

they could have killed him through suffocation, injured his internal organs, given him a stress-induced heart attack, broken his fragile bones, and then would have said the "avocado" did it

I've worked with veterinarians that weren't certified in avian care but did see exotics, and your description is not exactly how I'd characterize their care....

I absolutely think it's important to know your pet and their individual "normal" and "not normal" - I had one dog that I never needed to take in for chocolate ingestion, and one that I take to the emergency clinic for even looking sideways at chocolate, so I do understand that not all animals will react the same way to the same amount of a toxic substance. That said, I think it's important to have a relationship established with a veterinarian before your pets get into trouble, so that when you have an emergency you aren't left questioning their skills or judgment.

I'm glad your budgie is doing well!

 

[BlueBoy]

I agree entirely, I have multiple contacts for when my birds need help. The issue I had was that he wouldn't have even been able to make it to the veterinary office for six hours. With a bird his size, food from the crop digests fairly quickly. So at that point emptying it wouldn't have done much. I also told the vet multiple times that he was behaving normally (from my understanding, lethargy and behavior differences become apparent relatively quickly). They still insisted that I bring him in or he would 100% die (which is a lie). I don't have an avian vet anywhere near me and I know a lot of people don't, so exotic vets are the next best thing. But this incident did make me a little frustrated, because they acted so sure about something they really didn't seem to perfectly understand.

(I admit I do have a small grudge against certain veterinary clinics in my area though, for various incidents regarding my dogs. So do take my rant with a grain of salt.)

 

[Flboy]

Something to remember. You called and asked what can be done! That’s the only direction for avocado poisoning! I am in Central Florida and avocado is a common as dirt! In fact I grow avocados and at times, have them by the dozens in the house!

 

[fiddlejen]

I agree it is wise to use your own intelligence along with research. Neither vets nor doctors, (nor internet), are infallible.

In this case, you were wise to consult them, and also wise to then follow your own instinct, based on your observation of your own bird.

Regarding avocado, I also looked it up in a panic when I realized my conure had been eating my food I cooked with avocado oil. What I found was that there is a toxin - mostly in the skin of the avocado -that Varies Greatly from plant to plant, or even from one fruit to another (and by extraplation, would also vary from one branch to another). So that wild parrots can and do enjoy avocados, yet they are still dangerous plants.

It certainly sounds like you chose the best course of action in this case!

 

[HeatherG]

I agree it is wise to use your own intelligence along with research. Neither vets nor doctors, (nor internet), are infallible.

In this case, you were wise to consult them, and also wise to then follow your own instinct, based on your observation of your own bird.

Regarding avocado, I also looked it up in a panic when I realized my conure had been eating my food I cooked with avocado oil. What I found was that there is a toxin - mostly in the skin of the avocado -that Varies Greatly from plant to plant, or even from one fruit to another (and by extraplation, would also vary from one branch to another). So that wild parrots can and do enjoy avocados, yet they are still dangerous plants.

It certainly sounds like you chose the best course of action in this case!

There should be very little of that toxin in the oil. It goes through a careful separation process before it’s bottled.