Sam21 Posted May 11, 2009 Share Posted May 11, 2009 Background info ----I have a Congo East African Grey, male, about 15 years old. This is the first one I've ever had. He was born with a chronic cold that never goes away so he always has a runny nose, but its not contagious and we got rid of any actual infection at least a year ago. Sometimes it makes him have trouble breathing, I try and wipe the snot off his beak and get it out of his nostril if I can, but he's sensitive about being touched there. The problem ---- last night I hear a small ruckus in his cage, but it sounded like when he attempts to take a bath in his water so I ignored it. I also ignored him because I have been sick and could barely get out of bed. Tonight, however (its 3 AM right now - this happened only minutes ago), I heard it again but multiple times and the noise seemed very frantic. He's fallen off his perch before, but I came out of my room to see what happened. He was in the corner of the cage opposite the post he likes to go to sleep on and he was laying down in the bottom of the cage. So much so that his beak was through the slots of the bottom of the cage. When I lifted up the bottom of the cage cover to see what was wrong and saw him like that, he started flapping his wings around and kind of bounced around until he stopped in the other corner, knocking into the walls of the cage the entire way. I have NEVER seen him do this before! He didn't respond to my voice and when I reached in and picked him up out of the cage he barely put up a fight! (usually he starts screaming because he hates when I towel him). I put him in my lap and just sat there with his head lying on my leg and didn't really respond to my petting him (usually he closes his eyes and coos). I checked him over to make sure I could see anything broken. When taking him back to the cage, he attempted to fly back ahead of me, but when he got to the cage he seemed to be weak. He attempted to step back onto the guard that surrounds the cage to stop poop, food, water, etc from flying everywhere and he didn't reach back far enough so he just hung his foot out into that space for a while before bringing it back and just sitting in the door of the cage - half in and half out. He is starting to return to normal behavior...tried to bite me when I tried to put him again, chewing toilet rolls, but he just doesn't seem like he's quite right. I am going to call his vet in the morning, but I am very worried about him!! Please, any insight you might have!!!!! I need help Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Natasha Posted May 11, 2009 Share Posted May 11, 2009 Aww man please get him to a vet!!!!!!!!!! Let us know what's happening!!!!!!!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Talon Posted May 11, 2009 Share Posted May 11, 2009 He needs to be rushed to the vet asap if he's even still alive. And I pray he is. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tycos_mom Posted May 11, 2009 Share Posted May 11, 2009 It sounds like your bird is haveing grandmal seisers and needs to see a vet as soon as possible this is not good the vet can help by putting him on medication to control this poor bird has epalepsy Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
judygram Posted May 11, 2009 Share Posted May 11, 2009 Please get this grey to the vet now as he needs help and let us know what you find out, I pray that he will be ok, my thoughts are with you. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
casper Posted May 11, 2009 Share Posted May 11, 2009 I hope you have been to the vets, I pray your grey was okay. Please keep us posted. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sam21 Posted May 11, 2009 Author Share Posted May 11, 2009 The vets only just opened, only one bird vet in the area. It was 3AM when all of this happened. He's alive today no worries, back to talking and whistling and eating just fine. When he was on the floor and started flopping around he was using his wings a little bit, so I dont know if it was a seizure. I am a veterinary technician, so Ive seen seizures before, but I dont know what they would look like in a parrot to be honest. He looked so scared. I am on the phone with the doctor right now, so hopefully we can get this figured out. <br><br>Post edited by: Sam21, at: 2009/05/11 15:54 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sam21 Posted May 11, 2009 Author Share Posted May 11, 2009 The doctor is a nut-case. She's not a certified Avian vet, but she handles them anyway. The last time we took him to her we had a bit of a falling out because she was charging me outrageous amounts for things that I didn't even have done or ask to have done for him. So even after I told her what I told all of you, she asked me to go somewhere else. :sick: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
judygram Posted May 11, 2009 Share Posted May 11, 2009 Then you will have to travel a distance to see an avian vet even if you have to travel for hours but it kind of sounds more like your grey may have had a night fright, they do thrash around in their cage and are very frightful and scared but then calm down. Since he is eating and acting otherwise normal this is my opinion but you really need this bird checked out if you haven't had it done in a while, like longer than a year. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sam21 Posted May 11, 2009 Author Share Posted May 11, 2009 Yea, I've gotten in contact with another vet that does birds. I am waiting on them to call me back. He falls off his perch a lot, I think partially because of his chronic cold that he has, probably upsets his equilibrium a bit. But usually he just picks himself up and carries about his business, maybe he hit himself harder than normal? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
casper Posted May 11, 2009 Share Posted May 11, 2009 Let us know what the other vet says. I think its most worrying when you dont know whats going on. Does he fall off his perch a lot through the night? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sam21 Posted May 11, 2009 Author Share Posted May 11, 2009 He falls a lot Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
myafricanqueen Posted May 11, 2009 Share Posted May 11, 2009 Oh my goodness. Poor lil guy. I hope that you get to a good avian vet and find out what is wrong with him. I hope he will be ok. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Raposa Posted May 12, 2009 Share Posted May 12, 2009 Sam, please tell us what your new vet has to say, this is very worrisome! ~frets~ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
she Posted May 12, 2009 Share Posted May 12, 2009 What you discribe sounds very much like a seizure.I have seen my old tiel have seizures much like you discribe.There are verious reasons for seizures in birds,ranging fron calcium deficiancey to in my old birds case kidney failure,only your vet can say.Please let us all know the outcome. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
casper Posted May 12, 2009 Share Posted May 12, 2009 Have you heard from the vets yet? I hope everything is okay:) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
danmcq Posted May 12, 2009 Share Posted May 12, 2009 Ok, there are a few things you listed that are very disturbing: Constant Cold and Nose is always running since birth. This is more than a cold and I'm uncertain whom told you this. This is either the result of a fungal disease such as Aspergillosis or some other serious disease. Losing balance constantly. This is probably a result of the underlying health condition with runny nose and breathing problems. Flailing around in the cage. Perhaps a seizure as others have mentioned. This bird needs a complete examination with blood work-up by a competent Avian Vet. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Natasha Posted May 12, 2009 Share Posted May 12, 2009 Any news about your Grey?????? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sam21 Posted May 14, 2009 Author Share Posted May 14, 2009 He's had all the blood tests and work up done. Everything came back negative so far. He hasn't acted weird since it happened, has acted very happy actually. Can't find anything wrong with him. So right now, just observing him. The only way to get rid of the runny nose is drilling a hole in his head to clear out his sinus cavities, because the way their sinuses are set up is complex, but he has no infection and he'll be given meds to bring the discharge to hopefully a minimum. If it starts to affect his quality of life than we will def. do the surgery, but right now he's happy. I just want to watch for anymore odd behavior. Thanks all for such a large amount of response! I'll let you know if anything further happens. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
judygram Posted May 14, 2009 Share Posted May 14, 2009 This is a highly unusual situation with his chronic sinus problem and having to drill a hole in his head to clear the sinuses is an ordeal I wouldn't want to deal with but I am surprised that all the blood tests and such came back negative. Please keep us informed of any further developments. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Luvparrots Posted May 14, 2009 Share Posted May 14, 2009 I pray this sweet grey's health problems can be diagnosed correctly. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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