Anxious father

[jamcq]

Hi all,

Saw the vet and they confirmed he has a gram negative bacterial infection. They gave me antibiotic drops to give him and they orally wormed him.

Obviously the dealer sold me a sick bird..... im pretty furious about it all right now but at least my little boy is getting what he needs.... so far im over $300 in vet bills and will need to get him retested in 14 days....

The bird did come with a health warranty so im going to speak with the dealer and see if I can recoup some costs....

[Wolf]

Do you know what the bacterial infection is? Gram negative covers a lot of territory. Also don't let them have Heracles back! He will not get medical treatment, it is not cost effective.

[Pajarita]

Thank you so much for acting so promptly on his behalf! Please let us know what the vet says, quakers come from my country of birth and they are very close to my heart.

[jamcq]

Hi guys,

No I dont know exactly what the infection is.... im still waiting on other results too.... the gram negative is based on what they could see immediately under microscope....

Wolf I dont intend to give him back.... what I want is for them to pay the costs. ... probably a long shot.... but there are laws relating to sale of animals and I intend to do everything I can to hold the dealer to account.... probably make an enemy but after this experience id never buy from them again anyway.....

Will let you know how herc goes... if you have any other tips that might help me keep him healthy feel free to let me know.......

Thank you for your help and support.... its wonderful to have someone to talk to!

[Wolf]

Find out all that you can from the vet. This may or may not be the fault of the dealer, it could have it origins at the breeder. Which would make this a bigger problem.

[jamcq]

Wolf,

Any suggestions of what I should ask specifically.

I am having the chlamydia test done and will have the results today. Going to rule out beak and feather too.

If you have any specific things to ask id be grateful. ... want to give my boy the best I can.

[Wolf]

I would think that other than what is it that how do they get it and how contagious it is, would be the most important questions. After those find out every thing you can, it is hard to say what may be important.

[jamcq]

Update,

The general consensus from the vet is that its a minor bacterial infection that could have come from anywhere... they didn't give me anymore info..... vet was a bit cagey about whether it could be from dealer and said it can even happen with stress or just change in environment. I am going to ask more when I go back in 14 days for a followup test to make sure its gone.

The chlamydia test was negative. so thats good news! Now I just have to wait on the beak and feather test.... bloody expensive test at $270! or the vet is a ripoff...... I don't know which.

Hercules seems to be accepting the Enrotril drops well.... and is more active.... and I'm praying my little boy will just get healthier now! Thats the most important thing to me...

I had it out with the dealer and they basically just said if it dies they'd give me a new bird otherwise I'm on my own..... and I have to say I was a bit disgusted at the lack of care. They suggested it was a waste of my money to go to a vet and they could have just given me antibiotics...never mind they didn't the day before when I went there!!!! They did tell me that he is 3 months old... thats about all I got from them.....

I told them off for not even suggesting new owners get wellness tests...... as a new bird owner I would have liked to have been given more info and to have been better prepared and had him checked earlier etc etc...... I did specifically ask and they said no and I was stupid enough to go with that info initially but at least I came to my senses, got on here and asked questions and got my boy some help....

I will certainly be telling everyone I know just what the owner of the shop is like..... I went there on a personal recommendation and I will make sure noone else I know does without being warned.

I will update further and when he's had a little time to get better I will get some pics for you all to see...

[Wolf]

I am glad that the chlamydia came back negative, but unfortunately it doesn't really mean that you are in the clear on it as the test does produce false negatives and retesting will possibly have to be redone in the near future. In the meantime get some betadine to scrub down his cage with.
Pet shops are usually the main factor for the spread of this bacteria and are supposed to recommend an independent wellness exam by a licensed avian vet within a few days of purchase.
Look at all paperwork from the purchase of Heracles to see if there is any mention of this.
Keep a close watch on him and record everything that you are doing as well as all changes that you notice. This is a precaution and it may or may not be needed in the future. It is a good idea to keep such a record any way.

[jamcq]

No paperwork other than a basic receipt im afraid....I asked at the time and it seems not much is done with paperwork here unless you are buying a $5000 or more bird... there is certainly no mention and I even specifically asked at the time and was told no.... just to worm and use lice/mite spray.....

I will get betadine and scrub down the cage..... any recommendations as far as ongoing cage sanitisation.... is there a particularly good recipe I can make up for cleaner or should I regularly use betadine then give a good rinse