DawL Posted December 29, 2011 Author Share Posted December 29, 2011 Oh I love this update. Such good and encouraging news about Barnaby!!! That he is playing with his toys is wonderful and that his vent area is clean is phenomenal. I am happy, happy for Barnaby and Kudos to you Dawl for being a great parront!!! Thank you so, so much luvparrots! I am proud of my little guy for being so tolerant of me, and such a trooper through all of this! It had to be scary for him. A new house, new people, first trip to the vet, yucky medicine, ect. but he has taken it all so well! He just makes it so easy to love him. Thank you so much for your compliment on my parronting! It means a lot to me, and is so encouraging to hear it from other people that share my love of birds, and animals in general. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CLB Posted December 29, 2011 Share Posted December 29, 2011 Always good to hear when bonding is going so well, especially when there was so much prior abuse. I am so happy for you and Barnaby. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DawL Posted December 29, 2011 Author Share Posted December 29, 2011 Thank you so much CLB I am very happy with how things are going, and feel like things couldn't be going better for us. He will be going to the vet next week for a weigh in, and check up, and I am hoping he has put on some weight It will be a slow process, but any gain for him is a good thing, and a step in the right direction! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jimmydreams Posted December 29, 2011 Share Posted December 29, 2011 One word: YAY! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
birdhouse Posted December 29, 2011 Share Posted December 29, 2011 (edited) There probably isn't a reason to stop hand feeding Barnaby since he seems to like syringe feeding so much. Seems like it would be a very good way to ensure his food intake. You could run this by your vet. It's my "recovery formula" from back in the Dark Ages when I was first rehab'ing Phenix. I thought it might be good to feed him to help w/recovery & weight gain, if Barnaby's other problems allow. The active culture yogurt helps correct the natural microorganism balance that the antibiotics etc might have put out of wack. It's calorie heavy & well balanced. I just put everything together in the blender & the fids have all loved to eat it off the spoon. Kind of like their version of ice cream when they're sick. Plain active culture yogurt Gerber baby beef Broccoli Cantaloupe * PLEASE DO NOT USE THIS - Gerber baby rice cereal * EDIT Please do not use the Gerber Baby Rice Cereals as I've just found out that they are adding a great deal of iron, as well as zinc, now. Possible substitutes: Quinoa or Nabisco Cream of Rice Hot Cereal. Edited January 18, 2012 by birdhouse Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DawL Posted December 29, 2011 Author Share Posted December 29, 2011 (edited) There probably isn't a reason to stop hand feeding Barnaby since he seems to like syringe feeding so much. Seems like it would be a very good way to ensure his food intake. You could run this by your vet. It's my "recovery formula" from back in the Dark Ages when I was first rehab'ing Phenix. I thought it might be good to feed him to help w/recovery & weight gain, if Barnaby's other problems allow. The active culture yogurt helps correct the natural microorganism balance that the antibiotics etc might have put out of wack. It's calorie heavy & well balanced. I just put everything together in the blender & the fids have all loved to eat it off the spoon. Kind of like their version of ice cream when they're sick. Plain active culture yogurt Gerber baby beef Broccoli Cantaloupe Gerber baby rice cereal Hey Birdhouse, I had a typo in my last post which may have led you to think I was not going to be handfeeding anymore. It was this sentence: "He has done with his feedings and meds today as well". What I meant to type was "He has done very good with his feedings and meds today as well". Sorry about that! NO, I will absolutely NOT be stopping his hand feeding any time soon, if at all. I enjoy the bonding experience, and I like to know that he is definitely getting enough to eat. Also, I love your little "sick ice cream" recipe! I was thinking of possibly giving him some plain yogurt anyhow to keep him from getting a yeast infection from the antibiotics. I think your recipe would be even better, and he will get even MORE extra calories from this little concoction. I am definitely going to give it a shot (after I consult my vet). I upped Barnaby's feeding a bit ago to 20ml from 10ml. My goal is to get to 40ml in one feeding, and offer this 3-4 times a day. I am taking it slow because since he hadn't been fed correctly for so long, his crop has shrunk significantly. I am just so glad he has taken to the hand feeding so well. Edited December 29, 2011 by DawL Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Life is Greyt Posted December 30, 2011 Share Posted December 30, 2011 What an ordeal for poor Barnaby and you, but he is in the BEST possible hands now and I'm sure he knows he will be taken care of. I'm so glad to hear that he is slowly doing better. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
katana600 Posted December 30, 2011 Share Posted December 30, 2011 I have been traveling and just home to start catching up on our forum. I have been reading Barnaby's start with you with my stomach in a twist and tears in my eyes. As Talon stated, you are his angel. He will come around with good vet support and your love. It is hard to imagine just getting him and already being able to handle him. If it is hard for us to imagine, think of what this must mean to him. I am so glad you have the attitude to take a deep breath and jump right in with him, he deserves you. Thanks for sharing your story of inspiration. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MarcusCAG Posted December 30, 2011 Share Posted December 30, 2011 Thinking of you guys... hope you and Barnaby have a great day together tomorrow. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DawL Posted December 31, 2011 Author Share Posted December 31, 2011 Hello everyone, and thatnk you for your kind words. Barnaby is doing okay today. He is actually taking the formula completely willingly, but he hates the pedialyte, and antibiotics, and I have to towel him in order to force him to take it. I didn't want to do this because I thought it would set our relationship back, but so far he has been very good about it. After I am done. I will let him out of the towel, and he will sit on my lap for a bit. He is still nervous about my husband, and kids. I am starting to think that maybe the previous man was not really nice to him, and they may have let their grandkids mess with his cage as well. I know they were aloud to stick things in his cage, including their fingers. They even told me "Dont stick your fingers in his cage, he will bite".... well, he doesn't do that to me. Also, I have not heard from the pervious owners in a couple days now. They were emailing me to check up on him, but have since stopped. I can't say that I am shocked though. Barnaby's vent area is still clean, and he can stop with the Baytril on the 4th of January. As of now, I think it is more than anything, him trying to settle in, and get used to this new environment now that he is feeling better. He does not like to step up for me from the top of his cage, but anywhere else he will step up without hesitation. I know this is normal, and I dont worry about it. It will take a long time to get his full trust, but I cant wait until that day arrives. I also bought him a harness the other day in the hopes that when he is feeling better he can go out to Petsmart with me Hopefully he wont just chew right through it LOL! I may have to buy a few more. Anyhow, thank you everyone for keeping up with Barnaby. I think we are outof the woods, but I wont know for sure until his blood work comes back, and we go to the vet next week for a weigh in. If he is not gaining any weight, he will have to stay there and be tube fed I hope and play that does not happen though. I will miss him so much if he is not home. I will update once again when I know more Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Talon Posted December 31, 2011 Share Posted December 31, 2011 Thank you for the update. He is thriving so well in your loving care. I would recommend purchasing a scale to have on hand. It really is a must have when you have birds. It can behard to noticenifnthey lose weight sometimes. I never thought I would use one, but bought one just in case. I weigh all my birds very couple of months and keep tack of it. It is always fun to follow their progress, and I do worry if I see a drop, but so far they have stayed the same or I creased in weight! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DawL Posted December 31, 2011 Author Share Posted December 31, 2011 Thank you for the update. He is thriving so well in your loving care. I would recommend purchasing a scale to have on hand. It really is a must have when you have birds. It can behard to noticenifnthey lose weight sometimes. I never thought I would use one, but bought one just in case. I weigh all my birds very couple of months and keep tack of it. It is always fun to follow their progress, and I do worry if I see a drop, but so far they have stayed the same or I creased in weight! Thank you Talon! I actually did purchase a scale, but I ordered it online yesterday, and because of the weekend, and the observance of new years day on Monday, it won't be delivered until sometime after that. I used to have one, but I moved and have no idea where it went! Hate when that happens. I am going to call tomorrow and make his vet appointment, so I will update tomorrow evening and let everyone know when it is, and I may POSSIBLY get his blood work results tomorrow as well. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DawL Posted December 31, 2011 Author Share Posted December 31, 2011 Hello everyone. I got a call from the vet today. I got Barnaby's blood test back. She said that his white blood cell count is high, he was slightly anemic, and also she said that his uratic acid count was sky high. The normal level on a test is 11, and his was 42 She said that this could be from a kidney infection, which we are hoping, as the alternative is kidney disease. We have to take him in again on Tuesday to get more blood drawn, and see if his levels have went down. If they have, then it was just an infection, and the antibiotic would have cleared it up. If it is still elevated, it is kidney disease and we will have to talk about other options. This is very hard for me. The wait is unbearable. I am really hoping to get some good news next week. It is just such a blow to know he may be suffering still, and there is not much I can do about it. If it is kidney disease I just dont know what we are going to do as it calls for diet modification among other things, and as of now he is only wanting to eat seed. Everyone please keep Barnaby in your prayers. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
judygram Posted December 31, 2011 Share Posted December 31, 2011 I will keep good thoughts that it is an infection and not kidney disease, Barnaby has been thru so much and you too Dawl since you took him in, bless you for what you have done and still doing for him and I hope you hear some good news soon, he is in capable hands thats for sure. Thanks for keeping us updated. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
katana600 Posted January 1, 2012 Share Posted January 1, 2012 Barnaby is in a good place with you. I sure hope you have good news on Tuesday and your time with him is measured in decades. Thanks for the updates and for your devotion to him. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DawL Posted January 1, 2012 Author Share Posted January 1, 2012 Thank you to you both. I guess all that I can do now is wait. It is just so difficult to differenciate between what is normal from a new home, and move, and him being sick. He has times where he is very quiet, and just sits there, and I worry that he is not feeling well. It is so hard to tell. I just have to rely on the fact that I am doing EVERYTHING that I can to try and pull him throught this. I do feel like he has come a long way since he has been with me, but I definitely fear the worst. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
birdhouse Posted January 1, 2012 Share Posted January 1, 2012 This is another place to remember that our fids know what we're thinking. So try to focus on every positive thing when you have no reason to actually believe something's wrong. You don't know how old Barnaby is or what his life was like before this. Certainly doesn't seem likely it was anything good. Barnaby's been thru so much in the short time since he's come home, too. You obviously have to watch for symptoms & are going to fear the worst sometimes. But maybe you should interpret his quiet times for peace & contentment. He may well just be resting, recovering & settling in ...happily. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DawL Posted January 2, 2012 Author Share Posted January 2, 2012 This is another place to remember that our fids know what we're thinking. So try to focus on every positive thing when you have no reason to actually believe something's wrong. You don't know how old Barnaby is or what his life was like before this. Certainly doesn't seem likely it was anything good. Barnaby's been thru so much in the short time since he's come home, too. You obviously have to watch for symptoms & are going to fear the worst sometimes. But maybe you should interpret his quiet times for peace & contentment. He may well just be resting, recovering & settling in ...happily. Yeah, you are right. I do stay absolutely positive when I am with him because, honestly, spending time with him takes my mind off of it. I guess I just worry. When we went to the vet last time he kept peeing A LOT of the vet table, and has done it a few times here as well, so I am hoping for just an infection, but there is definitely something going on there. I do know that Barnaby is 8 years old, so still very young for a U2. I am looking forward to many more years with him. I am definitely trying to stay positive, and usually I am, but every now and again I let my thought process take over, and the worrying sets in. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Morana Posted January 2, 2012 Share Posted January 2, 2012 I think that there is something you may forgotten about. Barnaby is really new to your home so his health issues is not the only thing that he must process. He could be quiet just because he hasn't quite figure out where is he, is this place permanent, is he going back to his last home,.. He just needs a bit time and since he is sick, he needs some more time to process and adjust. I hope it is just infection but as we said before the worst is behind him. Even if it turns out that he has kidney disease he'll be doing much better and have much higher chance to have a (happy) life than he would have if he stayed with that other folks. I think nothing is coincidental so he came to you with a reason and since you are taking such a good care of him he now has a chance. A chance to have a real flock and many decades to come. I honestly believe he wouldn't have that chance if he stayed in his old home. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DawL Posted January 2, 2012 Author Share Posted January 2, 2012 I think that there is something you may forgotten about. Barnaby is really new to your home so his health issues is not the only thing that he must process. He could be quiet just because he hasn't quite figure out where is he, is this place permanent, is he going back to his last home,.. He just needs a bit time and since he is sick, he needs some more time to process and adjust. I hope it is just infection but as we said before the worst is behind him. Even if it turns out that he has kidney disease he'll be doing much better and have much higher chance to have a (happy) life than he would have if he stayed with that other folks. I think nothing is coincidental so he came to you with a reason and since you are taking such a good care of him he now has a chance. A chance to have a real flock and many decades to come. I honestly believe he wouldn't have that chance if he stayed in his old home. I agree Morana, 110% actually. That is what makes this such a different situation, as opposed to my other rescues. Before I only had to worry about how the acclimation process was going, but this time it is hard to tell the difference between acclimation, and illness. That is what makes it so difficult. It is sometimes hard for me to tell what warrants a call to my vet, or what is perfectely normal as he settles in, and establishes a pecking order. I guess I will have to rely on what the vet tells me, as well as wait for the honeymoon period to end, and he gets settled in. I agree also that he would not have this chance at a better life if he had stayed with the previous owners. I honestly believe that by this point, his life would have ended. I am thankful for any time that I have with him! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DawL Posted January 3, 2012 Author Share Posted January 3, 2012 I forget to mention this in my last post, but Barnaby will be going back to the vet tomorrow at 4:30pm. I am hoping it goes smoothly! Since I posted last he has seemed pretty perky, and nice and vocal. I think I may be the only person in history that has cried tears of joy when their Umbrella Cockatoo flock called LOL! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MarcusCAG Posted January 3, 2012 Share Posted January 3, 2012 Oh, but he knows they were happy tears, and I'm sure they were a great encouragement to him--that he could feel your love. I hope things go well for you and Barnaby at the vet tomorrow. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
birdhouse Posted January 4, 2012 Share Posted January 4, 2012 How did it go w/Barnaby's vet appointment? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chezron Posted January 4, 2012 Share Posted January 4, 2012 I hope Barnaby gets better soon. Is Barnaby a CAG or a U2? Am I missing something? My thoughts are with you and Barnaby. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DawL Posted January 4, 2012 Author Share Posted January 4, 2012 (edited) I hope Barnaby gets better soon. Is Barnaby a CAG or a U2? Am I missing something? My thoughts are with you and Barnaby. LOL, Barnaby is a male U2. My CAG is still in the process of being weaned, but will hopefully be home soon UPDATE: So, we had our visit to the vet today. Barnaby is no longer dehydrated. She decided that he will do another 10 day round of Baytril to be safe, as she said the infection he had was a pretty nasty one, and we want to be sure it is cleared up completely. She also took another blood sample. I hope to get the results to this one by this Saturday. We will compare the numbers on his uratic acid levels to his last blood test. We are hoping that the number has decreased. He did very well at the vet. THEN....RIGHT BEFORE WE LEFT WE WEIGHED HIM....Barnaby has gone from 514 grams, to 550 GRAMS IN A WEEK!!!!!!! I couldn't get over it. It was like a breath of fresh air. Our goal is around 615 grams, so we are well on ourt way to getting there! Now, I am just hoping for some good news on this blood test I feel so happy, I mean, it is so hard to express with words. I have been caring for him all hours of the day and night. It has been an ordeal for both me and him, but I feel so accomplished. I feel like I saved a life. I am not even sure there is a word to describe that feeling. A higher power brought him into my life, and just in time. I have had hardly had any sleep in a week, and have had the flu the last couple days (still do) but you can bet I put on a smile for him every day, I love him every day no matter how I feel, and I make sure he (and my other animals) are taken care of. Yesterday I didn't even want to get out of bed, but I did because I know he needs me, and I promised him I will be there for him no matter what. I have a responsibilty to him, and he is counting on me. I couldn't be more excited. I feel like he is doing so much better. He seems to be settling in very well, and he loves for me to rub him under his wings. He will even stretch them out to ask for a rub He is a total sweetheart. Since he is starting to feel much better now, I will try and post some pics of him in the next day or 2. Thanks for your concern everyone! Looks like we are headed down the right path. Now.... I shall go put myself in a nyquil coma, and do it all again tomorrow Edited January 4, 2012 by DawL Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Create an account or sign in to comment
You need to be a member in order to leave a comment
Create an account
Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!
Register a new accountSign in
Already have an account? Sign in here.
Sign In Now