birdhouse

It's been a week so we're still in the patience & TLC stage. Her crop is still slow. Her sinuses are still irritated & she still sneezes & regurgitates some. Insists on eating anything she can get off the cage floor. Treating her has stressed her out badly enough that she feather barbered her entire front, again. The cultures finally came back & she's not contagious. Still looks like we caught it early, but I doubt the little episode on Wednesday was the beginning. She was probably already incubating the infection & something irritated her. Thank goodness I didn't wait for more symptoms & gave in to my paranoid instincts when I did!!! On the upside, her crop is better. Her appetite kicked in which allows her to get her meds in the dish. When she likes something, she's a very neat eater & doesn't fling things like most birds. I'm reasonably confident that she's getting a pretty accurate dose from mixing the meds with a little oatmeal. And it's far, far less stress on her. Since most human foods have processed something, if only vitamins, she's been living on oatmeal mixed with a smoothie concoction of cantaloupe, broccoli, Stoney Field Organic active culture Greek yogurt & beef Gerber baby food. Over the next few days we're going to start to work back toward her normal diet (fingers & toes crossed!). I'll feel a lot better when she's finished her meds & can handle a normal diet. Right now, I'm guardedly optimistic. Realistically it will be sometime next week before we hopefully, finally know we've got this thing beat.

When I called the vet, it was just too full. I thought I might be over reacting. In the 4 hrs until she was seen, it definitely became overly full & I hadn't seen her eat anything. Her crop is larger than it s/b given the amount of food she's eating. It does increase & decrease in size but isn't really emptying. The vet said she couldn't find any block & there was still room in the crop. The stain had unacceptable bacteria but not a huge amount of white blood cells. So she recommended the culture & Baytril until the results came back.

I think things are better. She's eating a little better. Made her oatmeal because Dave had suggested it was good for crop issues (thanks Dave). She flung it in my face initially. But I finally found the magic combination with cranberry & got her to eat some. Hell to pay getting her medicated. She's big & strong enough to put up a fair fight. Peanut butter antibiotics are apparently as gross as they sound. It's very sad to see her shake when I look at her too closely now. I'm really off her favorite people list because of everything in the past day & a half (has it really only been that long??). The longer this goes on, the harder it will be to get her to trust me, again & that's really sad, too. Her crop is less extended & that counts for a lot. But it's still too full. I was hoping it would be better than it is by now. Guess we're going to have to wait for the cultures to get the right meds. Last night we had little black outs & I was really scared we were going to have a heat problem on top of everything. But we didn't & at least the storm's over. Just hope the soaked snow & winds don't cause any more problems. So, I'm still sitting & worrying. But she's doing ok for now. She's not improved enough to suit me, but she has improved & I'm really grateful for that.

In hindsight... Wednesday AM, Kura did a little sneezing over maybe an hour or so. Then she regurgitated clear liquid w/recognizable bits of lunch into her dish. Nothing else happened & I took it to mean she had something temporarily lodged in her pallet. That was it. That was the only hint. Everything has been normal, normal until she didn't finish her meal this am. I wouldn't have given it a second thought if it had been one of the other birds. But with Kura, that was enough to know there was a problem even before I realized her crop looked full. Begged our way into the vet this afternoon (TUVM!) & came home with 10 days of peanut butter flavored antibiotics for what appears to be a bacterial infection in her crop. Have to wait for the cultures. Best guess is that something was lodged, but didn't clear & became infected. Even though the stoic little beast didn't show any signs she was having problems, we caught it before her white blood cells got very high. Which was good. She came home & tucked into an orange with some interested. Which was also good. But there was a small pool of juice in the bottom of the bowl a little while later. Not so good. So, I'm sitting here worrying. I don't want to have to take her back out into the 20 degree world of ice, again. It's going to be the weekend, so I'd have to take her on a 4 hour round tripper if she doesn't get better in the next 24 hrs. And we're getting another storm this weekend which could certainly make bad matters worse. I really know I should really tuck her in because she really needs her sleep. But I really hate to have her out of my sight. So I'm sitting here worrying & just hope it's ok that I really needed to vent.

Hope it's ok to post this. But it looked like a good deal & I wanted to share. http://slickdeals.net/forums/showthread.php?sduid=0&t=2639239 For anyone who isn't familiar with them, slickdeals.com can be a great place to find some good deals. And Meritline is a good site for little techie things. So you don't have to worry about site security or anything.

Mmmm, Yummy! Don't think I'll be handing boxes of raisins out for the kids to snack on anymore.

NOT GUILTY, Shanlung!! LOL Yes, I love them Yes, they're worth the time to feed them a healthy diet You're really preachin' to the choir, here I'm pretty much the old fashioned, “all natural” type. I make & freeze the base for my bird's diet. I have an Eclectus who came to me with stress bars because she really doesn't tolerate any artificial additives in her diet. So, I have to be even more careful. However, organic produce is limited by the season. “Fresh” produce is often irradiated. I'm not all that convinced that genetically modified veggies really are all that great. Pesticides are always a concern no matter how much I wash things. Realistically the cost of keeping the flock in healthy, homemade food is up there, too. TOP pellets not only meet my criteria for a healthy supplement to their diet, but they allow me to offer additional ingredients that I may not have available. They're a different presentation to help guard against birdie bordom in the eating department. I can also rely on them to not turn in the dish when it's hot & I can't be around to change food. And, the fids like them. I'm very convinced that homemade food is the best way to go. But I'm also convinced that there are some rare commercially available foods which are a nice, safe & healthy addition to my fids diet. Check it out & tell me what you think... … All ingredients are Human Grade and Certified Organic. … An all natural source of vitamins, minerals, amino acids, and other nutrients for a happy and healthy bird. Naturally Preserved with Rosemary, Rose Hips, Lemon and Orange Peel No Artificial Anything No Artificial Preservatives like BHA, BHT or ethoxyquin. No artificial colors or flavors. No artificial vitamins. No sucrose/sugar added. No Animal Products or animal by-products. … No genetically modified organisms. Certified Organic Ingredients: Brown rice, barley, sunflower seed hulled, alfalfa leaf, sesame seeds unhulled, amaranth whole, quinoa whole, buckwheat hulled, millet hulled, dandelion leaf powder, carrot powder, spinach leaf powder, purple dulse, rose hips powder, rose hips crushed, orange peel powder, lemon peel powder, rosemary whole leaf, cayenne ground, crushed red chili peppers, wheat grass powder, barley grass powder. Guaranteed Analysis: Protein 15% Max, Fat 6% Min., Crude Fiber 6% Max. … TOP pellets are cold-pressed (not extruded or baked) to keep natural enzymes, vitamins, and other nutrients intact.

Greys can take quite a while to adjust to a new home & at 6 yo, they're mature enough to know what they will & won't stand for. Patience is probably the solution. And maybe, some practice reading your new fid's body language. Apparently his is different somehow from what your Macaws displayed. The fact that Romeo loves your wife may be that he's been a mommas boy or may be that "All she does is talk to him and never even tried to touch him." They are a lot like young children in that they will often demand attention if you don't give it to them. But, they'll totally refuse to give you the time of day when they feel scared or crowded. Remember, you've just rocked his world & everything he used to call home. It really sounds like he wants some space & time to adjust. Let him settle in. Let him tell you how he's willing to interact with the new flock. He needs to feel he can trust you before anything. Meanwhile, Welcome to the forum. Maybe you could tell us a little more about your new fid & post some pics. And please let us know how it goes or if you have any more questions.

Raisins are found in some bird treat mixes & they're ok, but there are a couple of issues. They contain sugar & salt so should be fed on a limited basis. They tend to be preserved with sulpur dixoide, which some feel should be avoided. Also have to watch that the fids don't feed them to the dogs as they're supposed to be toxic for them.

While many of us know that there's little fun to be had with our current weather, it could be worse... much worse. Saw this in the news this am http://news.yahoo.com/nphotos/image-provided-NASA-shows-Tropical-Cyclone-Yasi-approaches-Queensland-Australia/photo//110202/481/urn_publicid_ap_org6ad5933c6e4b44bbb041fe1d00bcfc05//s:/ap/as_australia_storm Sending our Australian members & anyone in that thing's path my sincere hope that you stay safe.

Planning to start fund raising in Baudette, MN. You know that place from the Acura commercial w/the tag line "...you don't need a new car, you need a new place to live."? But if there's quarters to be gotten in SC for whatever reason, we'll take them! That's for next year, though. Phil (James?!?) saw his shadow & all is well for this year. Or so we' really hope!

That's a solution? Don't think so! All we have to do is collect a quarter from everyone with a vested interest, here. We use the money to bribe whoever takes care of the little rodent. A very rich, happy handler mixes a little sedative into a meal. Phil & Pete get to sleep late & never see their shadow. B'bye winter! EVERYbody wins!

I'm starting to worry, again. They haven't been on the forums in a couple of weeks. I emailed last week & didn't hear back. Has anyone heard from them lately??

Roll on the floor! I wondered if you'd see that because the thread was so long. btw those pics remind me of what what we sprayed on the Xmas decorations. So, in the interest of peace on the forum... Limited Time Offer... No south bound snow if you just stop sending us this uhh, crap & start sending us 3 mos of that sleep with the windows open, camping weather. You'll have to organize something pretty convincing by Thursday, though. If the snow keeps us from getting trash pick up again this week, well, I'm just going to have to do what I have to do... you know? So there's my offer. Toss it around. Have your people call mine. Lets if we can't make EVERYbody happy!!

My grey has baggage & doesn't travel or socialize. But I'm a returning student & have taken my ekkie to school. I think the important thing wasn't her age when I started (about 1 yo) so much as she'd gotten comfortable traveling & had been introduced to people in some different settings. The first time, I took her with me to do homework on a Saturday & could leave any time. We settled into a empty corner. No one seemed to notice. Since she was in a new place, Kura watched the colors on the computer screens & played quietly. In a few minutes I was working away much like we were at home. After a good while, someone drifted by close enough to see Kura. I was facing the wall & the room still seemed silent, but I could just feel it. My biggest concern was that we not become a distraction. So I decided it might be time to take a break. I took her out in the lounge & eventually the lab pretty much emptied. Then some random students just came by. Then some other people who had "heard about the bird" joined us. I was a little concerned because Kura had never seen a group nearly this large. To my utter surprise, no one had ever been near a parrot. I remember thinking it was just like first grade show & tell only bigger words & people. I also remember being amazed that Kura had no fear; just curiosity. Finally, I let someone I could tell really wanted to, hold her. I asked Kura if she wanted to go & she just went. She charmed the socks of the woman, then casually asked to come back. She stayed with me for a few more questions & went on to her next new admirer. It went like that for maybe half an hour. Boy, did we make new friends on the playground that day!! It was a great experience for everyone. Maybe we've been fortunate in that we've never come across anyone who is totally freak by birds. But taking Kura places has all been pretty much positive. Being able to take her to school when I feel like I'm living there, is a huge plus. The one difficulty is if she wants to join the discussion. Occasionally, we need to go to the ladies room because it's the only place she can't be heard down the halls. LOL Better when it's nice enough to go outside. Usually though, everyone gets a good laugh & I just drop the towel over her carrier for a couple of minutes or hand her a distraction. Taking a fid to work/school has to be limited by the individual bird's temperament & your coworkers'/teachers'/students' sense of humor & tolerance. Kura is, in general, a quiet bird which counts for a lot here. School outings for us work well as a few hours in the afternoon so she doesn't get caught up in the morning frenzy. I go get her, then have lunch with her at school. She gets some individual attention, acclimated & settled in for afternoon classes. It's worked well for us & she really seems to enjoy it.

Hi Tommy & Welcome! Sounds like you've started your parronting at the deep end of the pool. You might be glad you found your way here because there's a huge collection of knowledge to help with your new fid. I think the first tip I'd suggest is that you read every sticky in the Nursery, Health & Grey Lounge forums. Then really go thru the Nursery threads. These are discussions by a big group of people with all different types of experience & perspectives from all over the world. You won't believe the education you'll get! The second tip I'd give anyone new to greys is that a grey isn't like a dog or a parakeet. If you start out really understanding that your new fid is a surprisingly sensitive & intelligent bird who can be more like raising a child than a pet, it might make parronthood a lot easier. Last tip... POST AWAY...questions, stories, venting... any thing, any time. btw There's a thread on naming here http://www.greyforums.net/forums/showthread.php?191920-How-did-your-bird%28s%29-get-it-s-name

Maybe, maybe not. Sounds like we're in for some more fun tomorrow thru Thursday. Horoscopes are usually more accurate than the weather forecasts but at the moment it's saying we're in for the ever popular "Wintery Mix". Sounds like a boat drink, but it means a couple, three days of ice, snow & rain on top of what we've already got.

"Beauty is in the eye of the beholder." ... and I may be looking at it from the wrong end of the shovel.

:cool: Very Cool!! It's always so greyt to hear break thru stories. Especially when an abused fid is learning to trust again. Very, Very Cool! :cool:

Thanks! I only feed them as a supplement to their regular food or when I don't have time (or am too lazy) to fix dinner. I also like the idea that they might fill in for any nutritional something that might be missing. I only use the TOP pellets because everything else I've found has processed vitamins, etc that I don't feed my ekkie. I was very excited when I saw my local store got them. But their distributor isn't at all dependable & they didn't have any again this weekend when I was there. So it's good to have an alternate source. And there looked like there might be some other interesting things on that site, too.

He is having such a good time!! If that doesn't make you smile, nothing will.

O!K! Way To Go Louie!! You're looking all handsome sitting there. Ana Grey got her feathers a little ruffled. Janet's doing the Dance of Joy! Yep! Very good stuff!

Wow, very scary!! It's amazing how much trouble these little guys can get into in a matter of minutes! Glad to hear this Blue is doing okay. Please keep us posted.

Very cute! Surprised Murphy's not sitting beside you "helping" you feed her.

Maybe it's both. You can vent & get support here whenever you finally get to the end of your tether. Then you go back to Patient Parront Mode. "Too much of anything is just enough" for most fids of any breed. But then the party's over & it's time to move on. Glad to see this post because I was wondering how it was going. Greyt to hear Murphy is moving along to new & exciting things. Think we'll see a Vocabulary Thread post from you pretty soon. Can't wait to see what his first words are! LOL