Vets out of town...

[94lt1]

And all of a sudden our Amazon is wheezing when she breathes out. I'm thinking its just a cold, she was looked at just a few weeks ago...

My vet is out of town with family issues... what timing.. thoughts??? The bird is about 16 yrs old.. she's in good health as far as we know.. pellet diet, just all of a sudden she's wheezing. Thanx in advance.

Still can't get ahold of the vet, but my wife is being told that birds don't get colds.. I don't know... I thought they did..?? I know its important to get her warm and keep her warm...

Thoughts..

 

[Aquila]

Odd, mine just started this too, though it's not all the time, I only caught him doing it once today, and I put him in the bathroom with the shower on hot/full blast to get the room steamy and let him sit in there for about half an hour or so, and he seems to be fine.

Birds get upper respiratory infections just like anything else, they're actually more sensitive. I'm assuming in my situation it's lack of humidity making him a little wheezy.

Keep an eye on her, if you see any mucus in her nose or see her panting, that's a sign of some distress.

 

[MonicaMc]

I've asked my avian vet, and she confirmed that parrots don't get a cold. A cold is a constantly mutating virus that has no cure in humans. If birds get sick, *most* illnesses there are cures for. Parrots don't cough, but they can get a runny nose and "watery" eyes which are signs of a bacterial and/or fungal infections most often.

You may want to check your amazons nares for any blockage and keep an eye on him.

 

[ShreddedOakAviary]

You might also ask Henpecked. Our Amazons here are kept at a higher humidity and lower temp than the rest of the birds. Do the nares look clear?

 

[94lt1]

Yeah here nares look clear, and the wheezing isn't there this morning.. idk.. her eyes aren't watery, she seems healthy... so I'm sure she'll hold out until the vet gets back...I hope.

We live in South East TX, so the humidity here is typically 70% or higher, except we had a from blow through and the humidity level dropped down some...

I'll keep an eye on her..Thanx for the info people.

 

[94lt1]

Apparently this fell off the rotation so I'm bumping...

 

[henpecked]

Yes she most likely needs to go to the AV. What is causing the wheezing could be several things. Bacterial infection, fungal infection, inflammation from toxic fumes. Bacterial infections could be a secondary sign of issues such as Vit A deficiency and impaired liver functions, and more common in older birds on poor diet. Fungal infections are also common and can be brought on by poor living conditions , old paper in cage,infected seeds/shells, or household molds. Things like new carpet,cleaning supplies, fresh paint,air freshners, non-stick cookware can give off harmful fumes that are much harder to treat. Without much history about you or bird we would just be guessing. I'd see a AV ASAP.

 

[94lt1]

That's my plan... as soon as he gets back.. or I'll have to take her to Houston..I don't know the vets there... I don't trust them either.

Thank you

 

[94lt1]

Vet got back.. came and checked Seminole.. she's fine.. but he wants me to watch for any other signs, her diet is fine, pellets and other things. Lots of fresh vegies and fruit...he said it could've been humidity... or lack thereof .

Good to hear. Thanx for the advice.

 

[henpecked]

Glad to hear all is good. How old is your zon? Could he have gotten himself a little winded? Older clipped(not flighted) birds can over exert themselves sometimes.That and mine will start coughing,snoring, etc, anything that gets a reaction.

 

[94lt1]

She's 16-17.. I only got her a few years back.

 

[Kiwibird]

It's most likely just a mild upper respiratory tract infection (the birdie equivalent of a cold). Keeping her warm, upping her fresh produce intake and monitoring her condition will be about all you can do until the vet gets back in town (by then, she will likely be completely recovered).

One other thing you may want to keep in mind is if there are any new things in your home for the holidays. Parrots have extremely sensitive lungs, and something you barely notice may be really causing her some problems. Especially since it's cold out and any fumes or allergens have no way to escape. If you have been burning any candles or bought any kind of new plastic decorations that are putting off an odor, remove them and see if that helps. She may also be suffering allergies if you have a real Christmas tree. Again, try moving it out to the garage for a few days and see if that helps. I never burn candles, because they can put off toxic fumes for our bird, but I once bought a decorative scented pumpkin candle I just put on the coffee table to look pretty. Within hours, I noticed our BFA (who lives in the living room) wheezing and kind of puffed up and lethargic. I was able to make the connection right away, and removed the candle from the house. By the next morning, his symptoms had resolved. They really do have sensitive lungs, so always be careful what you bring inside. Anything I can smell, I now "air out" outdoors until the odor has dissipated before bringing in. I no longer buy any kind of deliberately scented products either (candles, room sprays, poppuri ect...) It's probably healthier for us as well as him.