We are back from the vet..

[AmyMyBlueFront]

...and it didn't go as well as I anticipated.

Some things were fine. I found out that Amy's first visit to her doc was 4/16/90 just a week or so after I got her,and she was 16 weeks old then,so that makes her birthday sometime in January,making her 26 yrs old..geez I thought she was an old broad lmao :54: And she is a wild caught with an open band.

She lost a little weight. Last year she was 507 grams,today she weighed 492..the doc said at her "porkiest" she was 526 :11: lol.

I asked what was the procedure for the DNA test...they draw blood,I didn't want Amy to go thru anymore unneeded stress so I declined that...but..let me continue.

She got her wings and nails done. She fought more than usual..kicked her little legs. She bit the poor nurses aid through the towel <NEVER bit or fought before> and it took an unusually LONG time for Amy to recouperate from the ordeal. She was panting heavily and her arms were out stretched and drooping..even the doc was a bit concerned. Looking under her arms,there was signs of plucking from one..just a little. She has never plucked before either.
I told the doc about Amy loosing her best buddy Jonesy and that stress might be a reason,but the Doc suggested blood work,which I agreed on,so they drew blood and now they will also do a DNA on her.

The doc talked about cardio-vascular problems..said birds are now experiencing that now..fatty foods,little exercise etc and it is very difficult to pin down the causes.

The Doc said her heart sounded good,lungs were normal abdomen etc was all "normal'. She was able to give me results of the blood testing then,but the other part..white blood count etc I will hear Saturday..the DNA I should hear Monday. I cant desipher the abbreviations of the findings so I will include them in this post..One test was WAYYY high,the doc said it most likely was caused by the stress of the visit and possibly stress from The Cockatoo Man not being around anymore

Well here is what the report tells me. Maybe someone here can help with the diagnoses..



AST.. 238..normal 150-344 U/L
BA..35..normal 33-154 umol/L
CK..1296 HIGH..normal..117-425 U/L I was told it could be STRESS
UA..2.4..normal 2.2-10.0 mg/dL
GLU..228 LOW..normal 246-378 mg/dL
CA..9.4..normal 8.0-13.9 mg/dL
PHOS..3.6..normal 3.1-5.5 mg/dL
TP..4.3...normal 3.5-6.5 g/dL
ALB..3.1 HIGH...normal 0.3-2.4 g/dL
GLOB..1.1 LOW..normal 1.6-3.7 g/dL
K+..5 HIGH..normal 1.6-3.7 g/dL
NA+..147..normal 136-152 mmol/L

Anyone have a clue here?? Now I'm STRESSING!

Jim

Oh and I took pics of the visit too..will post later.

 

[JerseyWendy]

Oh Jim, I'm sorry this was so stressful for both you and Amy. HUGS to you!!

Here's a comprehensive and detailed article on each individual test: http://nilesanimalhospital.com/files/2012/05/Understanding-Avian-Laboratory-Tests.pdf

The levels that were abnormal in Amy were CK (creatine kinase) & ALB (albumin)

Those and all the others are explained in my link.

 

[JerseyWendy]

Jim, Amy's CK levels were indeed FRIGHTENINGLY high! First time I looked at her results I misread that particular one. :11:

I honestly don't know if 'just' stress would cause those levels to be that sky-rocket. Has Amy been acting normally? What does her diet consist of?

 

[AmyMyBlueFront]

Wendy..yes she is her normal self..talkative and playfull...alert. Her diet does have seed in it,but she also gets all sorts of good things..fruits and veggies..corn and peas and beans..apple and 'nanna..grapes..people food..pasta,chicken bones..just about anything Arleen and I eat,she eats.
She prefers to eat out of her "nummy bowl" before she goes for her seed bowl. As soon as I put it in her house she makes a bee-line for it.
I give her on occasion "Kashi" cereal..its all organic..wheat and rice and oats..something like nutraberries but a lot cheaper:54:

I am wondering if her sleeping routine is doing anything. Arleen has the VERY bad habit of watching tv at night and falling asleep on the couch. Amy is in the living room,her house uncovered..and the blasted tv can be on ALL NIGHT! Ticks me off to no end! I can shut it off,then Arleen wakes up,turns it back on..then falls asleep again! Amy might not be getting proper rest.

I am NOT a big tv watcher..and when it was just me and Amy and Smokey lights were off at a reasonable time. I am wondering if the tv has anything to do with it. I have talked to Arleen about this,but it continues..

My job hours are screwy..6pm to 3am..so Arleen waits up for me..watching tv..then falls asleep..so the boob tube is on til 3:30 am!

I am going to try and cover Amys house tonight and see if that helps my little girl. Amy has been in my life WAY longer than Arleen and that little green bird means the world to me..I don't know what I'd do if I lost her


Jim

 

[plumsmum2005]

Wendy..yes she is her normal self..talkative and playfull...alert. Her diet does have seed in it,but she also gets all sorts of good things..fruits and veggies..corn and peas and beans..apple and 'nanna..grapes..people food..pasta,chicken bones..just about anything Arleen and I eat,she eats.
She prefers to eat out of her "nummy bowl" before she goes for her seed bowl. As soon as I put it in her house she makes a bee-line for it.
I give her on occasion "Kashi" cereal..its all organic..wheat and rice and oats..something like nutraberries but a lot cheaper:54:

I am wondering if her sleeping routine is doing anything. Arleen has the VERY bad habit of watching tv at night and falling asleep on the couch. Amy is in the living room,her house uncovered..and the blasted tv can be on ALL NIGHT! Ticks me off to no end! I can shut it off,then Arleen wakes up,turns it back on..then falls asleep again! Amy might not be getting proper rest.

I am NOT a big tv watcher..and when it was just me and Amy and Smokey lights were off at a reasonable time. I am wondering if the tv has anything to do with it. I have talked to Arleen about this,but it continues..

My job hours are screwy..6pm to 3am..so Arleen waits up for me..watching tv..then falls asleep..so the boob tube is on til 3:30 am!

I am going to try and cover Amys house tonight and see if that helps my little girl. Amy has been in my life WAY longer than Arleen and that little green bird means the world to me..I don't know what I'd do if I lost her


Jim

Hi I would say Amy needs her rest so if you can sort something out - maybe another room for bedtime even a sleep cage. From experience it does affect them.

(Just a little point to clarify re the Kashi cereal and Nutriberries and more for the record really "I give her on occasion "Kashi" cereal..its all organic..wheat and rice and oats..something like nutraberries but a lot cheaper".

Nutriberries are nutritionally balanced like pellets, just not ground up, they contain seeds and grains. These are hulled and coated with stabilized vitamins, chelated minerals and amino acids as well as a balance of omega 3 and 6 fatty acids. Granted they are not cheap but if it doesn't say Nutriberries on the label then it isn't Nutriberries).

Sincerely hoping that Amy is okay.

 

[AmyMyBlueFront]

Wendy..yes she is her normal self..talkative and playfull...alert. Her diet does have seed in it,but she also gets all sorts of good things..fruits and veggies..corn and peas and beans..apple and 'nanna..grapes..people food..pasta,chicken bones..just about anything Arleen and I eat,she eats.
She prefers to eat out of her "nummy bowl" before she goes for her seed bowl. As soon as I put it in her house she makes a bee-line for it.
I give her on occasion "Kashi" cereal..its all organic..wheat and rice and oats..something like nutraberries but a lot cheaper:54:

I am wondering if her sleeping routine is doing anything. Arleen has the VERY bad habit of watching tv at night and falling asleep on the couch. Amy is in the living room,her house uncovered..and the blasted tv can be on ALL NIGHT! Ticks me off to no end! I can shut it off,then Arleen wakes up,turns it back on..then falls asleep again! Amy might not be getting proper rest.

I am NOT a big tv watcher..and when it was just me and Amy and Smokey lights were off at a reasonable time. I am wondering if the tv has anything to do with it. I have talked to Arleen about this,but it continues..

My job hours are screwy..6pm to 3am..so Arleen waits up for me..watching tv..then falls asleep..so the boob tube is on til 3:30 am!

I am going to try and cover Amys house tonight and see if that helps my little girl. Amy has been in my life WAY longer than Arleen and that little green bird means the world to me..I don't know what I'd do if I lost her


Jim

Hi I would say Amy needs her rest so if you can sort something out - maybe another room for bedtime even a sleep cage. From experience it does affect them.

(Just a little point to clarify re the Kashi cereal and Nutriberries and more for the record really "I give her on occasion "Kashi" cereal..its all organic..wheat and rice and oats..something like nutraberries but a lot cheaper".

Nutriberries are nutritionally balanced like pellets, just not ground up, they contain seeds and grains. These are hulled and coated with stabilized vitamins, chelated minerals and amino acids as well as a balance of omega 3 and 6 fatty acids. Granted they are not cheap but if it doesn't say Nutriberries on the label then it isn't Nutriberries).

Sincerely hoping that Amy is okay.

Thanks Plum..I DO understand about the nutraberries being of proper ingredience. The Kashi cereal being in "clusters" like the berries, is not a staple food for her..treats.

Jim

 

[plumsmum2005]

That's OK and thanks for understanding just would hate for folks to think they could go out and buy all sorts thinking its the same but cheaper.

 

[JerseyWendy]

Jim, how do you like the idea of a sleep cage? Can Arleen pick Amy up? If so, you could get a small, inexpensive cage, place Amy in it when it's 'night night' time, but in another room, where it's quiet and dark.

I only asked if Arleen could pick Amy up because of your work schedule, as I'm sure you wouldn't want Amy to go 'night night' before 6PM, LOL.

Just a thought.

 

[AmyMyBlueFront]

Wendy..Oh Amy just LOVES Arleen! She has no problem handling Amy.

Even tho Amy's house is large,it is also on casters and could be moved fairly easily into the guest bedroom.

We will try covering her where she is for now. When I first got Amy she was in a much smaller house that was on the floor,and she and Smokes got covered every night.
After getting her a new LARGE home,it wasn't covered since it is so big :11:


Jim

 

[kozykitty]

I'm amazed at how well a cage cover works. Gloria's cage is in our family room. We put her to bed around 7:30 - 8 pm but we stay in there watching TV until after 10. We turn the TV down a bit. Within 15 minutes of covering her cage, she is asleep (we can hear her making her little sleepy noises). She's also quiet in the morning until I uncover her about 7:00 am. She won't sleep at night until she's covered.