dkg362

Wellll... her sweetness occasionally disappears when she isn't getting her way! For instance, last night when she didn't want to step up, she chomped down instead. Hopefully it won't be a permanent part of her personality though! Funny, last night I gave her some raw carrot chunks. You should have seen the suspicious glare she gave me... like this: :angry: Of course, then she decided to take a bite. Her eyes starting pinning in excitement and she proceeded to wolf down the rest of them in a not-very-ladylike manner. :laugh: I was pretty happy, to say the least! The more I can entice her to eat some healthy stuff, the more it will help her recover and beat this disease. Dawn

Wow, what a cutie! And such a sweet face too. Is he as cuddly as he looks??

Ok, it's official. Her name has been changed to Bonnie. It suits her perfectly, I think. I also just got the final test result from the vet - she is negative for PBFD! Major relief. Now I just need to clear her psittacosis and she'll be good to go. Injections start Saturday morning. Does anyone have experience with their grey getting any kind of injections? I'm not sure what to expect. Is it very painful for them? Will she be sore afterward? I will ask the vet these questions also when I'm there, but I would love to hear some feedback from others who have gone through something similar. Thanks! Dawn

Hi there, After much searching, I found a former avian vet tech (used to work at the avian vet clinic I take my birds to) that will house and pet sit for me while I'm away. She has birds and other pets of her own, plus she stays at my place (so all my pets get to stay at home), so it's worth it to me to pay the extra cost for the peace of mind. You might want to ask around at vet clinics like I did, to see if any of their techs are interested. Dawn

Ok, here's what the vet said today when I talked to her. She actually did two different tests for the chlamydia - one tested for antibodies and the other for shedding. The shedding test was negative (relief!), but the antibodies were high which she thought indicated a current or recent infection. Not sure where she would have picked it up though, since her owner was in the hospital and she was confined to that tiny dark room. They did have another bird (cockatoo) in the house upstairs that I didn't see (I know, very unfortunate for that poor bird to be there)... it's possible she picked it up from that one. After reading up on this disease, it says the incubation period is 3-10 days. Since I had her tested within 48 hours of getting her, it's highly unlikely it came from me or my home, so that's good news. The vet feels that I'm doing everything I can to keep Frog and Tizzy safe. She also knows that they are healthy and feels that their immune systems should be strong enough to withstand any stray germs that might get out. And since we caught it so quickly and will start treating right away, we're looking pretty good. I just need to continue my quarantine for another 6 weeks... I feel so bad for her alone in that room! Oh, and I think her new name might be Bonnie! It was my brother-in-law's suggestion and I love the Clyde association and that it's a pretty name for a pretty girl. I hope changing her name isn't a bad idea. Dawn

luvparrots, Thanks for your thoughts. I'm hopeful that treatment will take care of this for Clyde, but my big worry right now is keeping my two other birds healthy and not spreading it to them. I'm definitely considering a better name for her. Something that popped into my head the other day was "Cameo". No idea where it came from, but it's a possibility. As far as the quarantine procedures I've been following, she's in a guest bedroom with the door shut. If the weather is decent (and it has been, mostly), the window in the room is open (screened of course) to let fresh air in. Her cage is fairly near the window. I haven't had the air/heat on since I got her, so no worries there. I also put something over the vent in that room, just in case. That room is right next to a guest bathroom, which I've been using to change clothes in before/after entering or leaving Clyde's room. However, the door to that room is very close to the living room where Frog and Tizzy (my other two) are. It isn't a perfect situation, but it's the best I could do. I've also been washing my hands after leaving Clyde's room (getting dishpan hands big time). But that doesn't mean it isn't in my hair or clinging to me somewhere else. Something else that worries me - I have wall-to-wall carpeting, so this stuff could get in the carpet and possibly be made airborne just by vacuuming. Trying not to worry, but I'm awfully good at it. :unsure:

The vet left me a voice mail message tonight with some of Clyde's test results. Ok, first of all, I'm pretty sure she said Clyde's DNA test shows FEMALE. I replayed the message a few times to make sure I heard it right. Hmmm, now to figure out what to do about his name. I mean her name. The test also showed her low on calcium, but hopefully an improved diet will help take care of that (and I'm working on it!). Unfortunately, Clyde's chlamydia test came back positive. I can't say I'm too surprised (I was expecting health issues), but I am certainly disappointed. The vet is recommending treatment of a weekly antibiotic injection for 4-5 weeks. I'm assuming I will need to keep her quarantined during this time, which is really a bummer (I really hate isolating her). I'll get more details from the vet tomorrow, but that's what I have so far. I think the only test result remaining is the PBFD. Has anyone had to go through this chlamydia treatment before? Any thoughts or experience you can pass along? I'm feeling a bit deflated right now. Sigh. :unsure: Dawn

Ok, I temporarily ran out of patience and called the vet to see if they had any updates for me yet... The CBC results are sitting on the vet's desk, waiting for her. GAAAAHHHH... Re-summoning my patience mantra now. :whistle:

Awww... thanks everyone! I'm glad you like the updates. Here I was thinking I was babbling on about boring stuff. tycos_mom, unfortunately Clyde is still quarantined from my other birds until I get the thumbs-up back from the vet. That means he doesn't get much "flock time" yet or get to be a part of the every day activity. He does get out-of-cage time for about an hour every morning and an hour or so every night. I've also been trying to take him outside in the travel cage (weather permitting) after work every day, so he can hang out with me there while I'm doing yard work. Yesterday he critiqued my bush pruning techniques and offered pointers... well, I'm sure that's what all his jabber was about. :laugh: I've given him a few misting showers while outside in the travel cage, but he doesn't love it, so I don't want to do it every time (that whole negative association with the travel cage thing). His feathers look about the same, but they are definitely starting to lose their cigarette smell (which I'm thrilled about). Last night during our out-of-cage time together (and before the biting episode), I was treated to beak-grinding, sleepy, contented birdy sounds... first time he's done that with me. It was nice to hear. I wish the vet would call with test results. And I'm waiting on the DNA test before deciding on what to do about his name. Dawn

Ok, first of all, I'm not sure I like his name (which he came with), but that's a whole 'nother topic. I'm still waiting on test results from the vet. The only one I've received so far was the gram stain, which was normal. Clyde has started talking more, although most of it I can't understand. His previous owner had a pretty thick southern drawl, so I'm not surprised I can't quite make it out. :lol: He has picked up some new sounds: the squeak the floor makes when I leave the room, my sneeze, my wimpy attempt at a whistle and my voice saying hello. That last one I heard today for the first time, which caught me totally by surprise. :laugh: Something I'm very happy about - he's discovered that pellets are actually food and they aren't too bad. I've been spending time with him every night before bed and he's mostly just hung out on my hand or leg with one foot tucked up and getting sleepy eyes. I've been giving him scritches most nights, which he seems to love (although tonight was not one of those nights... lol). I've discovered that what I thought was part of what I thought was a breathing problem is actually... uh... hormonal behavior. The droopy wings and then the fact that it always stopped when I put him back on his perch clued me in. He hadn't tried to bite me again... until tonight. I went to put him back in his cage for the night and he didn't want to go back in. It wasn't as hard of a bite as the day I first met him, but I could tell he was testing me. I ignored it and continued asking him to step up, which he did - but he gave me a "I'm not pleased" look, lol. Stinker. Instead of putting him right into his cage though, I kept him out on my hand for a few minutes and talked to him until he seemed relaxed again. Not sure if that was the right approach, but I was going on instinct. So that's where we are. If anyone has any pointers to offer or thoughts on what I might expect behavior-wise in the coming weeks, I'm all ears. Meanwhile, I'll continue reading through past threads on this forum. You guys are great - thanks! Dawn

Well, I've gotten the gram stain result back and that was normal. I think I should have the rest of the test results back by early next week. I can't wait until this quarantine is over and I'm very hopeful that everything will look good. I'm anxious to get him in the living room so he can be with the rest of the bird/animal family and hang out. He's got to be lonely in there by himself. I got him a new rope perch yesterday (so far he's only looking at it suspiciously) and also a new toy that I hope he will investigate today. Also hopeful that he may want to take another bath today... Dawn

Either that or I am a convenient preening tool. Last night I spent about an hour with him in his quarantine room (spare bedroom). He shared some cereal with me (just a little - organic and whole grain!), which I was happy about (it wasn't seed!). I then brought him over to the bed and was half-sitting/lying down with him perched on my hand. He stepped off of it onto my stomach and walked up to my chest. I was a bit nervous having him that close to my face (with memories of his biting attack when we met), but I just kept a very close eye on his expression and decided to go with it and just be ready to move him off me immediately if his demeanor changed. Well, he totally surprised me. He slowly put his head down near my chin and asked for head and neck scratches. After a few minutes of scratches (he looked very content with his eyes closed), he decided to settle in and was almost lying down (kind of like a bird sitting on a nest)! He stayed there for about 15 min and then went back to my hand to perch, tucked up one foot and started to go into "sleepy birdy" mode. I was absolutely thrilled and so amazed that he was able to be that trusting with me already. My nanday will cuddle with me like that, but only after years of building our relationship. I kept wishing someone was there to get a picture so I had proof! Now I'm starting to believe he might actually like me and his good behavior isn't just a result of changing his environment... {Feel-good-00020114} Dawn

As requested, a few photos from his first and second day with me. Dawn

doubletefarm, I keep the vets in business also with my crew... I'm right there with you! Tycos_mom, thanks for your good wishes. Yes, I was lucky that Clyde's previous owner had a good relationship with him. I'm amazed this is the same bird that tried to take chunks out of my hand when I first met him though! The guy had told me that I was the first woman who could hold him and not freak out when he got aggressive... but yet the vet and vet tech were women also. I have a feeling that the change in environment is what had something to do with it. My thought is that maybe Clyde was protective around his previous owner or his home/cage (I was right next to his cage when he went after me). In any case, I'm hopeful this change is permanent. We'll see as he gets more comfortable in his new home. Dawn

Gram stain test results are back and are normal. One down!

As far as cost, keep in mind that he had A LOT of tests done and they are shipped to different locations (one to Miami, can't remember where the others were going) and they charged a Fedex overnight fee for one of them (to speed up getting test results), PLUS the DNA test (which wasn't necessary, but I want to know). Ready? It was $433 and change. I can itemize it for you later tonight, if you like. It was about $100 more than I expected. Not sure if they charge more for larger birds or not (my guess is yes). Plus, I know the rates have gone up since I last had this kind of work-up done (4 years ago when I rescued my nanday conure). I just took a deep breath and handed over my credit card and smiled. Dawn

Thought you all might like an update on how he's doing. Yesterday was his first visit (probably first ever) to the vet and I was anxious to get him in so we could find out what issues he might have after living in his previous smoke-filled home (and being fed seed, hamburger and sausage... and coffee - forgot to mention that before). When I got home to pick him up to go to the vet, I was thrilled to see that his cage was drenched - he had taken a major bath in his water bowl! The more of those we can do, the faster we can get the cigarette smoke film off of him and his feathers. He did great in the car (treated me to a new sound I think he picked up yesterday - a cardinal chirp) and when we got to the vet's, he started whistling and saying "hellooooo" to everyone. We soon had a small audience cooing over him, which he seemed to love. He went to the vet and the vet tech without a problem - no fear and seemed calm. He even treated them to some whistles. His weight was 319 grams, his eyes and mouth looked good, vent area and preening gland looked good AND his breathing sounded good! They drew blood (he was a star, although he chewed up a towel pretty good during this) and they will be doing a gram stain test, CBC, chlamydia, PBFD, DNA (not sure he's male), and whatever else I may have missed (basically the whole nine yards). They also trimmed his nails (they were very overgrown - perching had to be difficult for him), but we decided to leave his wings alone for now to avoid adding any more stress. Expensive! This rescued "free" bird is not so free! :lol: On the way home, I stopped at a drive-thru to get a sandwich and gave him a small piece of bread so he could eat with me. We also stopped at my parents' house so they could meet him. I don't want him to only associate the travel cage with negative things (vet visit), so I thought that would help. By the time we got home, he seemed pretty cheerful and starting chowing down on some food. All in all, it went as well as it could. Now we just wait for test results. Dawn

Thanks for the support! I'm relieved to have a resource here, that's for sure. Took a few more pics tonight. I tried to get a few that showed his feather condition better. I did think his breathing sounded better than yesterday. And I discovered he's a dancer... :laugh:

Hi everyone! Thanks for the warm welcome. Clyde's previous owner wasn't sure how old he is - he guessed around 8-10 years old. Heck, I'm not even sure he's a "he". Right now he stinks to the high heavens of cigarette smoke. I think it will take awhile before that fades away. I scrubbed his cage with disinfectant and the hose outside last night for about an hour - it was disgusting. His first vet appt is Thurs morning (soonest I could get him in) and I'm eager to get some tests done to see what health issues I'm dealing with. I'm pretty sure he has respiratory problems, since I can hear a rasp when he breathes. Here are the few pics I took of him last night: http://picasaweb.google.com/dkgarner/Clyde# And here is the rest of my furry/feathered family: http://picasaweb.google.com/dkgarner/MyFurryAndFeatheredFamily# For those of you who would rather not follow the links, let me know and I'll be happy to post some of them. Dawn

Wow Pat, what a difference! I'm amazed at how different he looked in one week. I have to say, I was very tempted to try him in the shower this morning, but I don't want to traumatize him either. He's already going through a lot of changes - I'm worried about throwing too much at him at once. I went to the vet's office at lunch and talked to them about the situation. They'd like me to do nothing but starting to mist him until they can examine him to see what his condition is. The soonest I could get him in is Thursday morning, so I'll have to be patient until then. I'm very grateful for all of your input. This all happened so fast (got the call Sunday night and picked him up the next night) and I'm feeling a bit overwhelmed at the moment. I hope I'm not in over my head. And while I'm concerned about him, I'm also worried about my other two birds catching anything he might have. I'll feel better once he goes to the vet and we have some test results, so I know what I'm dealing with. Thanks! Dawn

Thanks Dan - that was quick! His feet definitely don't look like that. They are pretty dark, almost "blackened". And the bottoms look pretty callused. I'm a little worried because they only had one wooden perch for him, so I know his feet are likely not in great shape. We'll see what the vet says. When I get home from work tonight, I'll see if I can get a close up photo of his feet to see what you all think. Thanks! Dawn

Hi Tycos_mom, You are correct - Clyde was not abused physically or emotionally. His owner was in tears when I took him away last night (he was rehoming him because he has cancer). I didn't mean that the bad situation was abusive, I was referring to his health. He definitely sounds like he has respiratory issues, as I can hear a bit of a raspy sound when he breathes. He also has a head twitch that he seems to do every few seconds. His feathers are in poor condition, but he DOES still have them, so that's a major plus. I'm attempting to gradually introduce him to some healthier foods (starting with organic pellets and bits of whole grain crackers). Since I know he's eaten spaghetti before, I may try making that with some canned pumpkin instead of tomato sauce (we'll see if I can fool him into trying it). He really is being a good boy and is whistling for me and stepping up well. I'm thankful that the behavior issues aren't bad, since I've been through that before with another rescue. You're right, it takes a long time to gain their trust. He seems to be trusting me right from the start, which I'm thrilled about! Dawn

Dave, thanks so much for that info. I was afraid I'd have to wait until he molted again and that confirms it. Until then, I'll just keep misting him and taking him outside in a carrier to "air out". I haven't seen him preen himself once yet, so I'm keeping an eye on that. I was actually talking about the white skin area around their eyes, not the area around the pupils. :-) Would someone be able to post a close up photo of their grey's feet, by any chance? His don't look good to me, but I don't know what is normal for greys. Dawn

Hi everyone, I'm new here and just rescued a timneh african grey named Clyde tonight from a bad situation. The home he was in was filthy (shockingly so) and was filled with chain-smokers. He was kept in a dark room (walls painted dark purple) with the curtains drawn and a dark blanket over most of his cage with a small light on in the room. He was fed seeds, hamburger and sausage. I was told he is 8-10 years old. Even though he attempted to take a few chunks out of my hand, I couldn't get him out of there fast enough. Surprisingly, he isn't plucking (at least not where I can see without examining him more closely), but his feathers are fairly ratty looking and he absolutely reeks of cigarette smoke. Even the white area around his eyes have a yellowish tinge and the skin on his feet look awful. When I got him home, I let him hang out in the travel cage outside with me while I scrubbed down his cage (it was gross). I've cleaned everything I can... except him. What can I do to help him out? I'm already planning on starting to mist him with a water bottle tomorrow and taking him outside when the weather is decent, but is there anything else I can do to help the process along? I will, of course, be taking him to see my avian vet asap. He is currently quarantined in my guest bedroom, as I do not want to spread anything he might have to my two birds (a cockatiel and a nanday conure). Amazingly enough, he seems to be adjusting well so far. No biting since I brought him home and he's been stepping up for me and even asked me for neck scritches! Any pointers you might have, please pass them my way! I'm in unfamiliar territory here. Thanks! Dawn

Hi everyone, Just wanted to introduce myself - I'm Dawn and I currently have a cockatiel (Tizzy) and a nanday conure (Frog)... and as of tonight, a rescued TAG named Clyde that I pulled out of a bad environment (he's been here all of 3 hours now!). I'm sure I will have a lot of questions as I get to know this guy. Dawn