LuLu has giardia

[kathysmith38]

Saturday during bath time I noticed that LuLu had been plucking close to her air sac. This morning I saw that she had been plucking again and this time she had caused a lesion that had not been there on the bath Saturday. I immediately put aloe vera gel on it and rushed her to the vet.

The vet understanding my financial situation at the present time was considerate and said we will start with the most essential but least expensive test and go from there. Well she did a fecal gram and a wet smear and she found giardia in the fecal.

She explained that LuLu could have gotten this before she even came home from the breeder as birds can harbor it for long periods of time before shedding it so it didn't show in the initial exam. Apparently, LuLu could even have contracted it with the corn cob litter that we use for the bottom of her cage. I thought since it was below the grate & it was recommended at PetSmart that it was safe. Now I am thinking my sister-in-law may have a better idea with placing the paper on top of the grate instead of the litter. The vet says the giardia is most likely the explanation for why LuLu is actually plucking her new incoming feathers as it can cause itching.

LuLu is now on Metronidazole Suspension for 7 days. She is also using AviBird Soother spray and AviBird Rain & Natural Bath. The good news is LuLu is at 419 grams and very alert! So the skinny thing was definitely my imagination. The vet said LuLu was one of the nicer greys she has met even though LuLu really gave her the "what-for." It is obvious LuLu is well bonded to me as I was the only one she would allow to handle her while the vet did her exams. When a man would walk in the room she immediately went off on her angry hissing & sqwauking temper tantrum. I really wanted to put a collar on LuLu for a couple of days to let the lesion heal but LuLu would not hear of it even when I tried to be the one putting it on her.

I am so distressed thinking I must have missed something with LuLu when I became sick with the heart issues. I have LuLu in her sleep cage and am going to put her to bed now but first thing tomorrow I am going to be scrubbing down all of her cages with Clorox and letting them air dry completely before putting her back into any of them.

One other suggestion that the vet had has me a bit concerned. She suggested that we take LuLu's outside cage into a full sun condition, rather then the covered deck, and give LuLu full sun for 20 minutes 3x a week. My concerns are that right now we have a lot of air quality alert days due to the high counts on mountain cedar & molds that I don't want to expose LuLu to allergens that will aggravate the situation. I am also concerned that the temps in South Texas right now are subject to such huge swings that I am afraid she would catch cold. One last concern, the neighbor behind us has 3 cats that she allows to run the neighborhood and it scares me senseless that they will get to my LuLu. I usually have her outside on the covered patio while I am out there but I cannot spend 20 minutes in the sun as I have Lupus and I am not sure I could run fast enough to protect LuLu from the darn cats. So what do I do? Is anyone having success with heat lamps because I will go buy one immediately if it will give her the benefits of sunlight without having to take her to the outer deck.

Lastly, someone please tell me that LuLu won't die from giardia and that this medicine is the cure! I had a huge fight with my husband as it is because he says we cannot afford another bill when I haven't even seen the last of my medical bills for the heart condition. Thursday is when I am scheduled for the pacemaker and I just used the money I had saved for the medications I am to come home with on the vet. My husband is furious and telling me that if he gets one more bill I will have to give LuLu away or he will, I can't do that and if he tries to I am going to be single so damn fast! I love LuLu too much and she loves me...I WON'T BE WITHOUT LuLu!

[judygram]

Kathy, it pains me to hear of your continued troubles, but hang in there and I pray that your problems will resolve themselves.

 

I don't know much about giardia but hopefully it is not a life threatening illness for greys, maybe some of the other members will know more about this.

 

I would discontinue using the corn cob litter and just use newspaper, that is what I use, Josey can't get to the newspaper for the grate that sits a few inches above the tray.

 

I would imagine the sunlight would be the most beneficial to her rather than artificial light and if you have some kind of travel or portable cage that you can put her in and take her outside for the light that would be the best bet. You could stay close by out of the sun to keep an eye on her and to keep the roaming cats away for the 20 minutes necessary.

 

I understand where you are coming from when you have a husband that argues that he won't pay any more vet bills for the bird or he will get rid of it, after all it is only a bird, I feel just like you do, Lulu is part of your family and as such you could never part with her. You do what you have to but I think she is your saving grace, she is helping you as much as you are helping her.

 

I will keep you and Lulu in my thoughts and prayers for her to be cured of this giardia and you to get this pacemaker and get back to really living and enjoying life.

[Shamelessmuse]

Poor buggar! Giardia is not a fun thing to have! I've had it! Yuck!! Now that she is on the meds she should get better pretty quickly. Just make sure that she stays well hydrated. As far as the sun goes, you could supplement this with a bird light. Dr. Foster and Smith have one the cheaper set ups I've found. Some regular lamps will also hold the bulbs. This will help her with her vitamin D and thus calcium. Good luck to you in your own medical issues. I am sure Lulu will be fine!

[spookyhurst]

I've read that Grapefruit Seed Extract works great for stubborn cases of giardia. Here's a link where you can read about it:

 

http://www.landofvos.com/articles/wingtips/gse.html

 

I use GSE for cleaning Nikko's cage, gym, etc., as well as use it on my dog. He has skin problems, and a diluted solution works great on clearing up the bacteria and fungus that gets to growing on him :sick:.

[danmcq]

Here is some good information on Giardia, from a vet:

 

Giardia

 

Giardia is a one-celled protozoal organism that is commonly found in pet and aviary birds. It lives in the small intestines (usually the duodenum) and is shed sporadically in the droppings. It may cause diarrhea, malnutrition and malabsorption in affected animals. In some birds, especially cockatiels, it may induce pruritis (itching), causing a bird to scream and pull feathers or dig at the skin with the beak. The skin of birds infested with giardia may appear dry and flaky. Most often, the underside of the wings, the insides of the thighs and perhaps the chest are plucked.

 

Giardia is quite common in cockatiels, lovebirds and budgies, however, it can be found in most species of birds, including Amazons, macaws, pionus, Eclectus, lories, parrotlets, parakeets, African grey parrots, Poicephalus and cockatoos. It is also found in canaries, finches, doves and pigeons. Groundbirds are commonly infested. In addition to causing diarrhea, malnutrition, itching, feather picking and weight loss, it may also cause mortality of baby birds in the nest. Often, the babies will be very thin, have poor feathering and will cry excessively to be fed. Many will die before fledging. The droppings may be malodorous. Adults and babies may show staining of fecal material around the vent.

 

The organism is difficult to diagnose for several reasons. Giardia is not shed in every dropping. It is a very fragile organism in one form, and may disintegrate before it can be diagnosed. Regular fecal parasite exams, performed in a vet's clinic or by a professional lab, may miss this organism because of its fragility. A new procedure has greatly increased the chance of diagnosing giardia in birds. This involves preserving the feces (and giardia cysts) in 5% formalin (NOT the usual 10% used to preserve normal tissues). The preserved feces are then sent to a special lab that only studies parasites, and a different type of microscope, called a phase contrast scope, is used to diagnose giardia. By your veterinarian going the extra distance, this elusive parasite has been diagnosed in your bird.

 

You may be surprised that your bird is being diagnosed now with giardia, as it may have been examined by a veterinarian previously, and it may even have had fecal parasite exams performed in the past. A solitary pet bird may harbor giardia for long periods of time before showing signs of illness. New methods of testing have greatly improved the chance of a positive diagnosis.

 

In the past, treatment was usually administered by using a drug called Flagyl (metronidazole.) This drug only comes in an injectable form, which is not good for birds, and in a tablet that is so bitter that no matter what it is mixed with, it is very unpalatable. Flagyl only is effective in about 40% of giardia-positive birds. Another drug, fenbendazole (Panacur) may work well to clear many birds, however, it can cause feather deformities and it may cause liver problems in some birds. Other drugs have been tried, with varying success. Another drug that may be somewhat effective is Humatin (paromomycin). This drug must be administered orally by syringe. Dr. Wissman usually chooses to use a drug that she imports from Germany, that is not available in the U.S. to treat giardia. It is called dimetridazole. It is a drug that can be easily administered in the drinking water. Properly administered, it is safe and effective in clearing a high percentage of birds harboring giardia.

 

It is probably a good idea to treat all birds directly exposed to an infested bird or its droppings. Testing prior to treatment will identify the degree of infestation of those birds. Retreatment may be necessary periodically. Retesting is an important part of managing giardia, and follow-up examinations are necessary. Be sure to follow your avian veterinarian's advice.

 

It must be noted that some birds will never be completely cured of giardia, and it may occasionally flare up. Providing your bird with a secure environment, feeding a balanced, nutritious diet and using a water bottle will help prevent reoccurrence of problems. Excellent sanitation and husbandry practices must be employed, as well. Exposure to droppings should be minimized. A grate at the bottom of the cage should be used. Spraying the grate with non-stick cooking spray (PAM) will allow droppings to slide off the grate and into the bottom of the cage.

 

Water bottles may be purchased at most pet stores and feed stores, and are useful in preventing contamination of drinking water with fecal material. Water bottles also prevent high levels of bacteria from growing in water bowls. One of the best preventative medical things that you can do for you bird is to buy it a water bottle today and begin using it. Birds are so smart that almost all birds will discover how to use a water bottle immediately after it is placed in the cage. Plastic bottles may be used for the smaller birds, but for large birds, a glass bottle with a stainless steel drinking tube, which is almost indestructible, should be purchased. The tube should be checked daily to ensure that the system is not plugged up and is delivering water. Some birds will stuff a seed, piece of toy or shell into the tube, effectively plugging it up. Other birds may learn how to stick a toenail into the tube to take a shower under it, thus emptying the whole bottle in short order. If your bird loves to take a bath, provide a large bowl of water several times per week for this activity, or try taking it in the shower with you.

 

Your bird's giardia should not be contagious to humans or other types of pets in the home. It is contagious between birds, however. It is not thought to be transmitted through tap water (unless it is contaminated with bird droppings!) The giardia that infests humans is a separate organism, according to latest research, and is not contagious to birds.

 

Protozoal parasites can form cysts, which are shed in the feces of infected birds. These cysts are infectious and are easily spread to other birds if ingested. Cysts can survive in the environment for several weeks.

 

All cages should have grates to prevent access to droppings, and cage papers should be changed daily. In addition, a thorough disinfection of your bird’s cage, toys, and play areas is an integral part of eliminating a protozoal infection.

 

Medication alone will not prevent your bird from getting reinfected from his environment’. While treating your bird with the medication prescribed by your veterinarian, clean and disinfect non-porous cage, toy, and dish surfaces at least once a week.

 

Effective disinfection can be performed as follows: first, thoroughly wash surfaces with a mild dish soap, and rinse well. Then, apply a dilute bleach solution (1 part bleach to 32 parts water) and allow 10-20 minutes of contact time. finally, rinse thoroughly with water to remove all traces of bleach. Remember that while bleach is an effective disinfectant, it is also a respiratory irritant and should never be used around your bird. Porous surfaces, such as wood toys or perches, cannot be effectively disinfected, and should be replaced.

 

Protozoal cysts can also survive on your bird’s feathers, and be reingested during grooming. Follow your veterinarians recommendations concerning bathing or showering your bird while he’s on medication.

 

The sensitivity of protozoa to antiparasitic medications is variable and difficult to predict. It is therefore imperative that your bird be retested after treatment to determine if the treatment was successful. Because reinfection can mimic resistance, appropriate cleaning and isinfecting must be instituted in conjunction with treatment. If the environment is not adequately cleaned, relapses are common.

[kathysmith38]

I wanted to thank each of you for your support. It may be my wishful thinking but I think this morning LuLu is not plucking but maybe once or twice! She has itched a couple of times but I started immediately with the AviBird Soother. She is eating up a storm with her breakfast, but then LuLu always has a large appetite.

Thank you for the info on the Grapefruit Seed Extract. I just ordered it from the Nutriteam website. Hubby is going to throw another fit but I don't care!

I am going to go bath LuLu with the AviBird Rain Bath the doctor prescribed and I am going to take out our powerwasher and really make sure the cages are all sparkly clean! I have been using Poop Off to clean them but I guess it isn't strong enough at disinfecting so until the GSE comes I am going to use a bleach solution with the power sprayer and then a heavy heavy rinse and dry.

I went to bed last night in tears just fearful of what life would be like without LuLu. She is the one to talk to me each morning and the last one to say goodnight to me. I have been trying to teach her to pray but all I get so far is "Jesus" and "Amen." She chatters away at me when she knows I am feeling sick and loves to do "Batman." Whenever you sing the "da da da Batman" LuLu goes into her acrobatic little stunts that get me to laughing so hard I nearly end up crying! She is quite a goof but she is my goof! I want LuLu with me until the day I die and then I want her to stay with my son who loves birds even though right now he is afraid of LuLu as she is jealous of him whenever he hugs me!

[kathysmith38]

Oh I forgot! DanMcQ, that information is the same exact info sheet the doctor gave me yesterday. I know it has to be the best info out there or it wouldn't be so widely circulated right?! Thank you for going that extra step with the information. It is nice to see that people still care enough to help each other. Very rare to find that in today's world where for the most part it seems to be every man for himself.

[danmcq]

Your welcome Kathy!!

 

I will fill-in the prayer for Lulu between Jesus and Amen :-)

 

I am confident that you and Lulu will be together for a long, long time!!

[lovemyGreys]

Hi Kathy sorry to hear this news,i wish Lulu a speedy recovery, with the love & care of a special mum im sure she will get there