Zilla is ILL again...

[Amanda_Bennett]

I took her in yesterday for her open beak breathing and sleeping more than usual.

We spent most of the day at the vets because she gets so worked up we have to let her calm down and catch her breath often.

She has so much scar tissue in her air sacs it's hard to read the scans to see if anything more is going on in there, but the vet is thinking she has Asper again. After my meetings today I will be researching more about this to see if I can find a way to keep her from continually getting it over and over again. The vet said once a bird has had it that she will continue to get it throughout her lifetime until it gets so bad there is too much scar tissue and she just can't survive. I know I can't rebuild healthy tissue where there is scar tissue, but there has to be something I can do to keep her from getting it again. Vet says there is nothing I can do, no matter how much I want to, she says the "spores" are all around us and we breathe them in with every breath we take, especially here in Oregon's humid/rainy climate.

We can give her meds, but they will continue to harm her liver and kidneys, so basically we treat one thing but cause damage to other organs.

A new thing we didn't see last time (Jan. 2015) was that her gizzard isn't working properly. It's not grinding her food to "powder" so she is not getting all the nutrients she should be getting out of what she eats. I'm going to start making her some "juices" to help her get the nutrition she needs from her veggies & fruits (wish me luck on finding a combo she will drink without me having to feed her with a syringe)

If anyone has any advice, articles I can read, anything I can try I would really appreciate it.

I have ordered the Aloe Detox to start as soon as we are done with this round of anti-fungals.

I also asked the vet to send her scans & throat/nasal swabs to a specialist in bird respiratory health. We should get the results back next week.

Pretty much I was told "we can manage her health until it becomes a quality of life versus a quantity of life decision" at which time I will have to decide what to do. Could be 1 year, 5 years, or 20 years, no way to determine that at this point.

 

[Birdman666]

The coating on the air sacs is made from vitamin A foods.

The more vitamin A she gets, the better coated her air sacs will be. Pecker had 3 vitamin A shots over the course of 8 weeks, and that helped tremendously... though in her case, she was just fed horribly... it wasn't scar tissue.

You can ask your vet about it.

Aloe detox helps with liver and kidney function.

Not sure about anything else.

 

[JerseyWendy]

Gosh, Amanda, I am SO sorry!

I will attach any and all links I can find (I know you're looking, too).

https://www.beautyofbirds.com/aspergillosis.html
April 2011 Newsletter
Aspergillosis in Birds - VeterinaryPartner.com - a VIN company!
http://nilesanimalhospital.com/files/2012/05/Aspergillosis-Updated.pdf
Aspergillosis in Birds | VCA Animal Hospitals

Say, Amanda, I don't know if you use one, or if it even helps, but could/would a good air filter be beneficial in any way?

 

[Allee]

Amanda, I'm so sorry to hear this news. Zilla's health has improved so much since she's been with you, this is unfair to both of you.

Great decision to consult an avian respiratory specialist, hopefully he or she will be able to offer more options. Juices sounds like the perfect way to get more nutrients into Zilla. You and Zilla will be in my thoughts, please keep us updated.

 

[BIRDIGIRL]

So sorry to hear that Zilla is ill. I dont know a whole lot about aspergillosis but as someone mentioned about the vitamin A being what coats the air sacs perhaps more vitamin A may help. I do hope you find something that helps Zilla so she doesnt get an attack again. You and Zilla are in my thoughts and prayers ...Get well soon Zilla

 

[mh434]

Poor Zilla! I feel for you - having a sick bird is a helpless feeling, sometimes.

If you don't have one, a high-quality large-volume air filter for the bird room might help. The good ones filter waaay down to the tiniest particles, more than enough to remove spores, and filter all the air, in even a large room, several times a day.

We have a Filter Queen "Defender" filter, which actually has several filters including activated charcoal, paper, etc., and is specifically designed to remove pollens & spores from the air. They're not cheap, and require filter replacement from time to time, but we think it's worth it. Bird dander, dog dander, dust, pollen, etc. all collect on the filters (supposedly, both HEPA- and HEGA- ratings), so it's not going back into the air.

It can't hurt, right?

 

[Piasa]

I don't know if there is any kind of cold laser therapy for the air sacs, but maybe something you can ask the vet.

My Jimmy has been getting laser therapy for a few months to heal wounds. It dulls the pain and makes things heal faster - but I was also told it helps break up scar tissue. Granted I am talking about a surface wound, but maybe it works internally too. The lasers are supposed to go all the way through the body.

Wishing all the best for your little beautiful Zilla.

 

[RavensGryf]

Amanda I am very sorry to hear of this with Miss Zilla. I think that juicing is a great way to go! You are one of the best bird moms out there, and whatever can be done to improve and prolong Zilla's life, you are the person to do it. Hugs Amanda.

That is scary news what the vet told you. As we know, mold spores are just there "everywhere" in the air at all times. Raven had a fungal infection too, and most likely Asper because his operculum (flap over nostril that keeps debris out of the inner parts) was damaged from an accident he had as a chick. The vet told me the same thing about being always more susceptible than other birds.

I have a HEPA air purifier running, and I hope it's "good" enough to protect us. Do you have one for Zilla? Maybe more than one... one by her cage and another in your place might help?

Best of luck with this, I'll be looking for updates.

 

[Taw5106]

Amanda I'm sorry to hear this news. Prayers to you both. She's such a dear and you've done so much for her, increasing her quality of life. She loves you. Keep us posted please!!!


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[OOwl]

That Aloe Detox product is all the rage in all avian circles so I hope it works some kind of magic with your girl. I ordered some to have on hand. Some of the stories are pretty incredible.

 

[GraciesMom]

So sorry to hear about your baby.
I don't have any aspergillosis experience with birds or much knowledge but we did just have a client who had a home mold remediation to eliminate/reduce aspergillus in the home (ducts, vents, crawl space, in walls, whole home etc.). They are now running a few of air purifiers geared towards minute partials, microbe/mold removal, dander etc. they mentioned they run them on high at night since their son has the worst reactions due to his asthma.

She also swears by aloe vera, coconut oil, goldenseal root & olive extract. I just did a quick google search to see whats doing what & looks like the claims are that coconut oil flushes the body of dead spores, boasts immune system & anti-fungal - olive extract halts the reproduction of the mold in the body. etc., aloe vera & goldenseal - antifungal.

Not sure if any of this would help in your situation or if it's safe for birds just some avenues to explore with your vet and/or human docs if your affected.

Hope Zilla feels better soon... keep us posted

 

[Kiwibird]

Oh this is so sad to hear Zilla is such a sweet bird and you have and continue to do so much for her. I really hope that things improve for her and altering her diet helps.

Have you considered soaking her pellets in juice and blending them into mush? Not sure if it would have the same affect as a liquid, but maybe she could get more nutrition from them if they are moist and go down "already ground up"?

 

[Scott]

Oh Amanda, I am sorry to hear of Zilla's illness. She is so fortunate to have a parront who cares so deeply. We all know you and Zilla's vets will leave no stone unturned in every effort to help her thrive.

 

[Amanda_Bennett]

All of you guys are so great! Thank you so much for all the encouragement and suggestions!

I have a small air purifier, but am getting another bigger/better one this afternoon.

The juicing is going well, as long as I drink it she wants to have some too...LOL I am lucky enough to already have a blender/juicer that turns whole fruits & veggies into juice without losing the "pulp" and fiber. I put some in an ice cube tray and she thinks it's a frozen treat. I also have a YONANNA which I love for making frozen deserts, I've never put frozen veggies through it, but the bananas and fruits are yummy.

 

[Piasa]

Frozen desserts sound yummy! Glad to hear she loves the juice too. Veggie baby food might be another thing to try, it's a hit here

I found some info I saved, it's probably something you have already read but in case you haven't, one of the drugs that can be used to treat the asper is called voraconazole and it's not supposed to be as hard on the liver and kidneys as some of the other drugs.

Hope the specialist gets back to you with lots more good ideas <3

 

[Terry57]

Amanda, I am so sorry to read this. You have already been through so much with Zilla.
She is so lucky to have you. I have no tips to add that have not already been mentioned, but am praying for you both and I hope the specialist is able to help.

 

[itchyfeet]

Amanda this really sucks and I'm sorry to hear you and Zilla are facing such challenges.

I'm really grateful you've posted this though. Within the South Island of NZ, I can find no specialist avian vets and only the one with a strong interest in parrots, which is a 90 minute drive should we need it. In same cases that doesn't bother me, but I dread the day I'd have to do it with a distressed bird. My local vet is a rural animal vet he copes with small animals well enough though. Posts like this, and then with everyone else's input, are an amazing source of information and education in what could happen and how to cope with it. I've made a word document with this stuff and saved it to my computer. Google is always great, but can be overwhelming.

Thinking of you guys x

 

[Amanda_Bennett]

So the meds are making her feel crappy. I knew to expect this because it did the same thing last time, but I feel so guilty. I know I'm doing what is right for her in the long run, but the short term sucks! She is taking more naps throughout the day and wanting to go to bed earlier in the evenings, so our time together is being cut shorter in the evenings. She's been snuggling into my neck falling asleep while I watch TV in the evenings after dinner, so I get stuck not being able to move so I don't wake her up...LOL

She still loves our "juicing" sessions in the late mornings and thinks she is getting special treats (which of course she is)

Organic baby food is a HUGE hit! Whoever suggested it is a genius! 1/2 teaspoon carrots/squash/apple/pear combo add meds and give to happy girl who thinks she is getting a treat! The only thing left on the plate 10 minutes later is her tongue tracks.

No results from the specialist yet though. I hope we get them back soon with some definitive answers.

 

[RavensGryf]

You are one of the best bird mommies out there Amanda! Zilla is so fortunate to have you. Crossing my fingers you get some concrete answers from the tests soon.

 

[Pinkbirdy]

Please check out this site allbirdproducts.com. I would read through this site and ask your vet about anything that you can try . Theirs even a 1888 number to ask questions..You can have your vet get it or if you get desperate you can order it from there.Its safe ,I have used their product with good results.It should not take weeks to know if somethings working. Use your gut feeling you know whats best for your bird.