The Last 6 Weeks With My Baby, Chilly

[Lambert58]

About 6 weeks ago, we noticed our baby Sun Conure (10 months old, pet store rescue) wasn't acting as energetic as usual. Less energy, just depressed behavior, in general.

 

Off to the vet.

 

Vet said she was showing early signs of malnutrition, did a crop swab, found some bacteria, upper GI only, lower GI was fine. We started a 10-day run of antibiotics.

 

No progress, after 8 days we contacted the vet again. She'd been losing weight and given the previous malnutrition diagnosis, we were concerned. She spent 2 days at the vet being tube fed and received antibiotics via needle as the vet was concerned that the meds were irritating her crop.

 

She came home after the vet said she'd made progress, but once we go her home, she continued to decline. We have an avian heating panel (at 85F) that she wouldn't leave, and continued to lose weight.

 

Back to the vet. Discovered a yeast infection, likely secondary to the bacterial infection, in her crop, and also in her lower GI tract. Started her on a 10-day run of anti-fungal and an anti-inflamitory for her likely irritated crop.

 

No progress, she continued to lose weight and become more listless.

 

Day 22: Vet thinks the original antibiotic was not effective toward the bacterial infection, so we start a new round of separate antibiotics + antifungal to keep the yeast at bay (when you treat bacteria, you run the risk of a yeast infection).

 

We feed her every 2 hours with a mix of kaytee baby parrot food + peanut butter (to increase caloric intake) by hand. She's reverted to infant-type behavior, but has increased her feeding over the last 2 days, and appears to be improving.

 

Why did I write all that? Vet told us that without us catching it early, and our constant, hourly care, she'd never have made it this far. It's just FYI. We're not out of the woods, yet, but she's improving, so far (I'm not happy, yet).

 

If we'd have waited another day, we'd have lost her. So: if your fid changes their behavior, pay close attention, and don't put off going to your avian vet.

[Birdnut]

Thanks for sharing this important reminder. I have a little sun conure and can empathize. They are such sweet little birds.

 

How is Chilly doing?

[Talon]

Thanks for the reminder of how important to not let things go. I hope and pray all is well very soon/

[Lambert58]

She's still not in good shape, but both the vet and I agree that it's a chronic issue that existed before we got her. She's still on antibiotics and antifungal. After 30 days of twice a day towelings to medicate her, she's gone from the sweetest bird on earth to a sick bird scared of syringes I have to feed her a combination of warm baby food + apple juice hourly to keep the malnutrition monsters at bay. She literally eats a little bit each hour from 0600 - 0100... means I we both get 5 hours of sleep a night.

 

Good thing I left my job two weeks ago or we'd have lost her. Funny how things work out.

Edited November 29, 2010 by Lambert58

[Lambert58]

On day 7 of the new antibiotic. No progress. Back to the vet tomorrow. Words cannot express the frustration and helplessness I feel. She's only a baby and I can't do anything to save her.

 

The last 30 days have only made her fear me because I'm the one pulling her out of her cage to medicate her in a towel. Now she looks at me with fear every time I approach the cage. If this goes badly, I can't express how upset I am at the thought that her last few days are filled with fear...of me...who loves her the most.

 

I'm angry and crushed.

[Barbara2]

I am there with you in spirit, hoping for the best. I really hope your baby responds to the meds.

[Birdnut]

Thanks for the update. My heart goes out to you.

 

Does your vet believe that this is a condition Chilly could recover from with treatment?

[Lambert58]

My heart goes out to you. I know how hard this is. I went through this with Phenix years ago. Lucky for us, Tufts Vet School is about 2 hrs away.

 

This is probably old school, but they put him on a diet of active culture yogurt, Gerber baby beef, cantaloupe, raw broccoli & Gerber rice cereal, pureed together & fed cold. He actually loved it. He'd sit in my lap & eat it off a spoon & we'd spend as much happy time as we could to try to make up some for the rest. Sometimes he'd doze off & I'd just sit & hold him & usually cry.

 

I don't know if Colorado State is like Tufts. No disrespect to your vet, but if they or any other reputable facility is reachable, Chilly might benefit from a consult with them. Tuft's save Phenix when the local vets couldn't. So, if it can be any help, I thought I should pass it along.

 

I appreciate the post. Over the last 4 weeks I've thought more than once that we would lose her within the next 12 hours, but she just keeps fighting. I've spent as much on tissue as I have on medicine.

 

Her issue is with her crop, and what you described has me thinking and I'll bring it up to our vet. Our vet is fantastic, she constantly calls to follow up and is doing everything in her power to help. Chilly was on antibiotics + antifungal for the last 3 weeks. Two towelings a day. I'm starting to think the stress from being toweled and medicated is almost doing as much damage as whatever it is that's killing her. I'm probably going to pull her off her meds for a couple of days to see how she does; I have a 2 week supply of antibiotics, antifungal and an anti-infalmitory/pain killer. It's been 27 days on meds with not much progress so I'm wondering if she could do with a few days of just recouperating.

 

She eats every 2 hours. A mix of baby food + harrison's mash + peanut butter or palm oil in warm water. She's maintaining her weight, but you bring up a great idea with the yogurt and I will call the vet tomorrow and see what she thinks.

[Lambert58]

Thanks for the update. My heart goes out to you.

 

Does your vet believe that this is a condition Chilly could recover from with treatment?

 

well, we ruled out the 10 or so terminal viral issues that she was symptomatic for, so in short, yes. The vet is running out of solutions, though. We're on our second round of antibiotics and nothing is working.

[Birdnut]

So sorry things aren't going well. Please keep us posted.

[katana600]

My heart is with you while you work on giving Chilly the loving care she needs. It is really hard to do all the right things and still feel like the bad guy. I am sorry for both of you going through this rough time. I hope you start seeing some improvements in her health. Good luck, and keep your chin up, she needs to see you smile for her too.

[KimKim]

I hope Chilly gets better soon.

[Jingles]

i hope Chilly gets better soon too. you're doing an awesome job! I remember a story about an eagle and a man...he had to nurse her back to health and when he got sick, it's like the bird just knew and wrapped his wings into like a bear hug... keep your chin up!

[Greywings]

Probiotics would have been one of the things you consider after antibiotics have been in the system. Hoping for good news and thinking of you both.

[Karcar]

Praying for a speedy recovery.

[Lambert58]

Update: Her weight went down dramatically over the last 5 days. 81 grams. Took her in to the vet today. Vet thinks it's Proventricular Dilatation Disease (PDD; fatal, no cure), even though the viral check was negative. She's not 100% confident that the negative result from the blood test was accurate, as Chilly is very symptomatic of PDD. She said to be sure if it is or isn't PDD would require anesthetizing Chilly and taking a crop biopsy. We both agreed that in her state the surgery and recovery would probably kill her. The vet and I also agreed that we are going to taker her off the meds. It's been almost 6 weeks, and if we haven't killed any fungus or bacteria, there's no killing it. The stress of the meds are probably doing more damage at this point than the meds are helping.

 

I feed her a combination of Kaytee baby food, pedialyte (to keep her hydrated), and alternate with additions of peanut butter, cinnamon, Harrison's adult mash, mashed up mix of boiled sweet potatoes and carrots, bananas, gerber baby rice, and pretty much anything that we can add to a warm soupy mix that adds calories.

 

She wants to eat. She's hungry. She's literally starving to death. Her crop is so irritated that she can only take little helpings before she becomes uncomfortable.

 

We're fighting a losing battle, it feels like. We'll see if taking her off the medications helps.

 

Over the last 2 weeks she's slept on a perch in front of the avian heating panel. Her cage mates, Merlin and Maddox, sleep in a little cozy (happy hut) on top of one another (yeah, they're weird, but cute). Prior to her going down-hill, she would sleep in there with them. The last two nights she's returned to the cozy with them.

 

They say PDD is fatal. I reject that. If I have to feed her every 30 minutes 24 hours a day to keep her alive I will.

[Birdnut]

Thanks for the update. Poor Chilly. But sounds like she's getting all the love and care that could possibly be had. My thoughts and prayers are with you.

[Lambert58]

84 grams this morning. I never thought 3 grams could make me cry (in a good way) lol.

[Lambert58]

UPDATE: we're 10 days sans medications. Yesterday morning scared the life out of me, as Chilly was wheezing and very sedentary all morning. I was preparing myself for the worst, so I got her out of the cages, spent lots of time with hugs and kisses, thinking that I might be saying goodbye to her. Took her outside and walked her around the lot, talking to her and showing her the world.

 

At noon, She finally ate for the first time since 0700 that morning. At 1, I figured I'd try again to feed her and she ate very well and started to perk up. At 3, she ate like a horse! At 5 I fed her again and she ate for a solid 5 minutes, and then zipped off to her pellet bowl, where she spent the next TWO HOURS sifting eating seeds, nutriberries, pellets. I thought her crop would pop.

 

I tried to turn off the UV light at 7 because her cage mates were like, "WTF, man, we need to sleep here!" but she barked at me so I left it on for another hour while she ate and drank tons of water. She finally snuck into the cozy with Merlin and Maddox at around 2130 and slept all night long (I checked on her every couple hours).

 

This morning she woke up and ate immediately. She didn't run to the heating panel right away, as she has every morning for the last 6 weeks, but instead hung out with her buddies. She ate a huge meal again at 10. Sometimes when I feed her, Merlin and Maddox drop down to the floor and play a great game we call "Kill Daddy's Feet While He Feeds Chilly." What fun... BUT, once she'd eaten, she raced down the cage door and joined her fellow monsters!

 

One day at a time, but over the last 24 hours Chilly has made more progress to getting back to her old self than I've seen in nearly two months.

 

Hoping it continues.

[Luvparrots]

Many good and healthy thoughts coming Chilly's way. I am so happy that Chilly has perked up. Praying for a full and speedy recovery!!!

[Birdnut]

Good news! Thanks for the update.

[Lambert58]

Update: Chilly is a whole new bird. She's playing with toys, eating great, rifling through her pellet bowl like it was a Christmas present. She took a bath on her own yesterday, is preening actively AND... for the first time in 4 months she's relaxing with 1 foot up. She's still underweight by about 10g, but it looks like we're making progress. Best Christmas gift ever.

[Birdnut]

Wonderful news!!! I always think about Chilly, 'cause I have a sweet little sun. Aren't they just the best?

[birdhouse]

This really is great news! I'm so glad for you & Chilly!

[Lambert58]

More update. Sorry it's been a while, holidays and all that.

 

Chilly went to the vet today for another beak trim because she's doing SO GOOD! 90g dry, 92-96g during the day. She's trying to fly again, interacting with her cage buddies, eating pellets, and generally starting to try to make a nuisance of herself which is WONDERFUL!

 

I'm having to basically re-wean her off the baby food, but just this morning she attacked an apple slice and I nearly cried as I witnessed it. Hand feedings, every 2 hours, 24 hours a day for 45 days makes you a bit punch drunk, but it's all worth it

 

I'm convinced it's not PDD, as is the vet that did the beak trim today (when she pooped on him... we both examined the poop as if it might contain a precious metal).

 

I think she's a tough girl, and I'm glad I was there for her. Not to toot my own horn, but she's a Pet-Co bird so I shudder at what her fate might have been...