Sick Blue And Gold :(:(:(:(:(:(:(

[Chicago Discus]

Sorry to post here but I don't belong to any Bird Forums its just you guys


DISEASE QUESTIONNAIRE


Problem

1. Please explain the problems with your fish. When did you notice the problems and did anything unusual happen that you think started them?

About a month ago she started plucking her feathers around her neck so I took her to Dr. Sakes ( Avian vet Niles Bird Hospital) and he said that she had a throat infection (Bacterial) so he prescribed some antibiotics. It seemed to clear up and the feathers on her neck started growing back. Yesterday I noticed she seemed to be in distress and plucking out her feathers so I made another appointment with Dr. Sakes they ran all the blood work and swabs and said she now has a mild yeast infection in her throat area. They wanted to keep her for the day and observe her behavior and start the new meds.


2. Symptoms (i.e. turning dark, excess slime, not eating, clamped fins, flashing, darting, clamped gills, white/yellow/green poop, hiding, headstanding or tailstanding, white on tips of fins, rotting or fungus, blisters/white zits on fish, bloated, cloudy eyes, wounds).


Same as above

3. What medications/ treatments have you already tried and what were the results. Include dosage and duration of treatment.

Antibiotics and aloe Vera mist prescribed by her Dr.

Cage

4. Cage size and ages, numbers and sizes of Birds.

Three feet by four foot by seven feet high


5. Cage cleaning regime (What percentage and how often).

Every day on the bottom of the cage with a hot vapor scrub once a week.


6. What do you feed and how often.

She gets filtered tap water changes twice daily, fresh vita pellets, fresh fruit and mixed nuts daily.


7. Any new people, plants or animals added.

The house keeper moved and we hired a new one

[Chicago Discus]

Dr. sakes said it might be hormonal because she is thirteen and at the age when Macaws start egg laying......

[Skip]

Table salt

[Chicago Discus]

Table salt


LOL...that seems to be the fix all lately... :)........Josie

[yim11]

Distract her with a bunch of new toys and chew things.

[Second Hand Pat]

Josie, could she be missing the old housekeeper? Sorry to hear. :( I have a congo so can relate.

[Chicago Discus]

Distract her with a bunch of new toys and chew things.

I'm at work I just sent My Aunt to the Bird store to pick her some stuff up..

[Chicago Discus]

Josie, could she be missing the old housekeeper? Sorry to hear. :( I have a congo so can relate.

I think so because the new lady is scared of her and Maria would play with her so I do think that's a good point...

[musicmarn1]

i give my eclectus a shower, is she friendly>? is she happier when you hold her? i have an eclectus who plucks and the more time and toys i give her the better she is BUT she has something else going on, we never found out what - i tried aloe vera, i think thats when i had the most feathers, i feed her a varied diet but honestly i love that bird guy Chris Womach he is VERY good even if he is a bit commercial in his adverts :)http://birdtricks.com/

but shower mist, helps her, letting her run around the house (for me that works my cats and dogs are very good with her) giving her more pellets in her diet and i cook for her too, sweet potato mash and all sorts of things, and the aloe vera mist did help her, hmm i need to get more of that OH and a humidifier i just remembered. and lastly a sun light so she can choose when to go under it and when not.

[Chicago Discus]

i give my eclectus a shower, is she friendly>? is she happier when you hold her? i have an eclectus who plucks and the more time and toys i give her the better she is BUT she has something else going on, we never found out what - i tried aloe vera, i think thats when i had the most feathers, i feed her a varied diet but honestly i love that bird guy Chris Womach he is VERY good even if he is a bit commercial in his adverts :)http://birdtricks.com/

but shower mist, helps her, letting her run around the house (for me that works my cats and dogs are very good with her) giving her more pellets in her diet and i cook for her too, sweet potato mash and all sorts of things, and the aloe vera mist did help her, hmm i need to get more of that OH and a humidifier i just remembered. and lastly a sun light so she can choose when to go under it and when not.

We also cook for the birds I agree it's a good idea. Her cage is in a big picture window so the sun thing is not an issue BUT I think the humidifier thing is a great idea. The funny thing is that with all the tanks we have in the basement one would think that humidity wouldn't be an issue how funny is that. Just got some more aloe vera mist and spent over 200 dollars on toys. She gets baths but I think your right I need to up her bathing routine........Thanks ........Josie

[Chicago Discus]

If only she were a fish I could help her more :(

[Kal-El]

Probably a case of HITCH... a dose of metro should fix her right up in three days with lots of water bath... lol... Anyway, I'm sure your doctor knows it best and will help your bird with a speedy recovery...

[dirtyplants]

Birds become very attached to people. They morn for lost soles perhaps eaten by predators. If you can find nothing wrong with her physically then I would look at her emotional state, help her through her lose of a friend in your case that may be the house keeper.

[SMB2]

As above, most feather plucking usually is behavioral, sexual maturity, boredom, change in routine, loss of a "mate". (The antibiotics may have caused the yeast infection.) Since the B&G just started you have a better chance at stopping the behavior. I have done some parrot rescue and birds with long standing feather mutilation can be a real problem. Lots of toys that can be destroyed with chewing is a good idea. The big toys are sure expensive now. Sometimes I would just give my Moluccan a shoe box! When we cooked chicken, I used to give the birds the drumstick bone, a big favorite. Warm pasta, especially spaghetti was also for some reason a great play food. If there is less going on around the cage, a radio/TV also diverts their attention (my African Grey however never stopped singing a McDonalds ad.)
Sounds like you have ruled out, as best you can medical issues, so I would work on distraction.
Good luck, if your Blue and Gold is cared for like your fish, I bet it will be fine.

[Chicago Discus]

As above, most feather plucking usually is behavioral, sexual maturity, boredom, change in routine, loss of a "mate". (The antibiotics may have caused the yeast infection.) Since the B&G just started you have a better chance at stopping the behavior. I have done some parrot rescue and birds with long standing feather mutilation can be a real problem. Lots of toys that can be destroyed with chewing is a good idea. The big toys are sure expensive now. Sometimes I would just give my Moluccan a shoe box! When we cooked chicken, I used to give the birds the drumstick bone, a big favorite. Warm pasta, especially spaghetti was also for some reason a great play food. If there is less going on around the cage, a radio/TV also diverts their attention (my African Grey however never stopped singing a McDonalds ad.)
Sounds like you have ruled out, as best you can medical issues, so I would work on distraction.
Good luck, if your Blue and Gold is cared for like your fish, I bet it will be fine.

It's kinda crazy I have a teen age son and a teen age Macaw there's just no hope for me.....LOL....I think your right about ruling out a medical problem. I definitely think its hormonal. The Vet gave her a depo shot today to curb the hormonal thing going on I hope it helps. I rearanged her entire cage and added tons of new toys and stuffed animals which is her favorite. I'm going to up her bathing to everyday and I added a very large Manzanita Perch stand in the fish room so she can hang out with me all day long while I'm cleaning and feeding. I also read recently that citrus can cause there tummies to get upset and she gets fresh oranges as well as other fruits everyday so I guess I can stop feeding the citrus for a while and see if it makes a difference.
She defiantly likes chicken drum sticks its one of her favorites. I think for the time being I will keep her distracted and see how things go.....Josie

[musicmarn1]

They love chicken! My vet was shocked, I was a vet tech then and I bought her into work because she missed me, he could not get over her being a "cannibal"! Heheh

Sounds like she is a lucky bird Josie ! My Eclectus female, Ohanna was in a bare cage when I got her, she chose me by following me around the store, she has no toys and only seeds and her stunning purple and red feathers were chewed on and bald in places, I bought her fresh organic produce daily I felt so bad for her, Eventually the owners gave her to me

She never stopped scratching/plucking, but she will not play with bird toys or anything inside her huge cage, When I let her out each day she chases the cats off the catbox, she loves to chew wood and I let her since she won't do it in he cage. She talks in my voice, and cuddles with me on the bed or follows me into the shower. She loves any food off my plate, obviously no advocado etc, and she attacks bare feet except mine of course. Birds are so funny! But I hate keeping them locked up, so why she still self mutilates I feel must be because of the habit she developed or I'm still missing something in her diet. I'm glad you posted makes me want to work on it again

[Chicago Discus]

They love chicken! My vet was shocked, I was a vet tech then and I bought her into work because she missed me, he could not get over her being a "cannibal"! Heheh

Sounds like she is a lucky bird Josie ! My Eclectus female, Ohanna was in a bare cage when I got her, she chose me by following me around the store, she has no toys and only seeds and her stunning purple and red feathers were chewed on and bald in places, I bought her fresh organic produce daily I felt so bad for her, Eventually the owners gave her to me

She never stopped scratching/plucking, but she will not play with bird toys or anything inside her huge cage, When I let her out each day she chases the cats off the catbox, she loves to chew wood and I let her since she won't do it in he cage. She talks in my voice, and cuddles with me on the bed or follows me into the shower. She loves any food off my plate, obviously no advocado etc, and she attacks bare feet except mine of course. Birds are so funny! But I hate keeping them locked up, so why she still self mutilates I feel must be because of the habit she developed or I'm still missing something in her diet. I'm glad you posted makes me want to work on it again

she looks much better this morning. She said "Hello" when I walked up to her cage which is what she always does to me. I think the Hormone shot that Dr. Sakes gave her made a huge difference. She seems calmer this morning and not as much in a panic as she has been for a few weeks. I have my fingers crossed that this treatment works she is such a part of me and its painful to see her in distress. I think I have driven my Avian Vet crazy over the last few weeks LOL. I am going to try a post some photos of her so you guys can see how she is doing.......Josie

[Second Hand Pat]

Josie, that is great she is doing better and would love to see pictures of her.

[Chicago Discus]

Josie, that is great she is doing better and would love to see pictures of her.

Len took a bunch of her when he was here the other day maybe he can throw one up or I will take a few in the morning :)....Josie

[musicmarn1]

+1


Josie, that is great she is doing better and would love to see pictures of her.


So glad it worked or helped! I just bought some new things too to distract Ohqnna and improve her feather growth etc. hers was established habit when I got her, but I wonder if I should look into that too. she is extremely sassy and happy but she wants to follow me all day and sadly I must be shared by 3 million others Hehe. I'm getting her a new distraction strategy going for when I'm training dogs which is when she does it. So thanks for posting, inspired me to up my game plan.