Help! Is my IRN sick?

[ihijazi]

Hello guys,

Sam here, a new member.

I got an IRN about 7 days ago. The breeder told me that he/she is ~3 months old, and that I still need to hand-feed him/her.

That sounded a bit awkward to me, do they at age of 3 months need to be hand-fed? That didn't bother me, it'll create "bond" anyway. What's making me nervous is the fact that he/she sleeps a lot. Almost only awake to to have food, by screaming for it.

My observations
1. Always stays on the top perch, within a big cage. Never on bottom. And on two legs.
2. Comes to me when I open up the cage top.
3. Have no problem in staying outside on any of his/her stands
4. Has NO discharges (nose/eyes). Beak looks healthy, not sharp yet though.
5. Feathers not the cleanest or shiniest. I rarely see him preening himself.
6. Droppings look normal
7. Not much of noise, only when seems to be hungry.
8. Been with me for only 5 days now.

My observations for the last two days:
1. He still sleeps a lot, never on ground, always on top perch. On two legs, never on one leg. Tucking his head back.
2. When in cage, and wakes up, he keeps calling (me I assume), going up and down, left and right, looking at me, bobbing his head. When I open the cage top, he comes up and jump right into my finger. I put him on his stand outside, still he keeps calling and sometimes flies to me. All good. I try to feed him formula, he doesn't accept anymore, but I push him to because he doesn't eat on his own.
3. When in cage, doing what I mentioned in preceding point, he tries to eat, few seeds but that's it.
4. Once I feed him, he's back to sleep again. He's even half-sleeping while feeding him. He's only active when he's awake in cage, begging to get out, then sleep again after I feed him outside.
5. Droppings seem to be okay, normal ones. No discharges from eyes or nose.
6. His eyes are almost full black.

Can you please help with comments/notes/suggestions? I'm lost here...

Thanks

[Pajarita]

Take the bird to an avian vet ASAP. At three months of age, he should be active and not sleeping all the time - that lethargy and the fact that you have to force him to eat are both symptoms of disease. Babies that are not handfed correctly (handfeeding a bird is not something that you learn as you go along) get sick very easily and, usually, it's a yeast infection in the crop and which requires prescription medication. Please don't wait.

[Bird woman]

Why on earth do breeders let these baby's go so young , shouldn't all the hand feeding be over before they rehome them? I know nothing about this . BW

[ihijazi]

Thanks everyone.

I just got back from the avian vet. The doctor said he's definitely sick

Long story, short, I got home with the medicines to give him twice a day. The doctor was positive that his chances are great to survive, and that I should see improvement by tomorrow. If not, to bring it back to incubate it.

Hope he gets better!!

[liz]

Bird Woman the breeders are in it for the money. They feed them as cheap as they can and encourage breeding as soon as their last nest becomes empty.

I have never liked breeders. My sister breeds English Bulldogs and Yorkies. Even though she raises them in her house they don't get much attention. Any time she says one is pregnant she gets to hear how I feel again.

Ihizazi keep him with you and touching as much as you can. You are not just a heat source but a comfort when he is feeling bad just like a child would be.

[Pajarita]

Make sure he is kept VERY warm (85 to 90 degrees) all the time, that he is in a quiet, out of the traffic spot and that he has complete darkness at night (no artificial lights once the sun sets). I would put a heating pad at the bottom of his cage and cover it on all sides but one (the front so he can get light during the day). Put a thermometer inside his cage, at the same height his roosting perch is and check on it several times a day. Also, make sure his crop empties completely once a day, that his formula is at the right temperature from beginning to end of his feedings, that you never use 'old' formula (meaning, you need to mix it fresh for every feeding) and that the implements you use for handfeeding are sterile every time. And don't forget to weigh him every single morning at the same time.

[Bird woman]

What was the tests the vet did and what was THE diagnosis? BW YOU KNOW MAYBE IF THESE DAM BREEDERS HAD A PARROT OF THERE OWN, OTHER THAN A BREEDING PAIR WHICH MOSTLY ARE NOT HANDLABLE THEY WOULD SEE WHAT INTELLIGENT CHILD LIKE LITTLE BEINGS THEY ARE, COMPLETE WITH THERE OWN PERSONALITIES AND QUIT TREATING THEM LIKE A COMMODITY! ( JUST HAD TO GET THAT OFF MY CHEST!!!!!)

[Pajarita]

BW, they don't care. Anybody who sells babies of any species to whoever has the money to pay for them couldn't possibly give a flying fig about them. They are just merchandise.

[ihijazi]

Quick update:

Today, I woke up, still he's sleeping quite a lot. Yesterday late afternoon, I thought he was getting better, as he was somehow a little bit more active. But this morning, he's sleeping still, ate few pallets, and then back to sleep tucking his head in his back. I continued on the medication, and on hand feeding. He just wakes up calling for food. Even though he resist it a little bit, but then back to sleep.

Doctor told me that I should see improvement today. Thus far, I didn't

Praying he gets better before the end of the day...

[Wolf]

Could you please give us a run down of the diagnosis that the vet gave to you for your bird as well as the medications that were prescribed for it. This information could help us to make better suggestions to you.

At this point, I like Pajarita, suspect that this is probably a yeast infection, a condition that I myself have a newly found respect for as I am still fighting off the effects of a yeast infection in my throat that I got from a breathing med prescribed to me by my doctor. Although parrots are built differently than humans and therefore some of the symptoms will be different, this infection made me extremely fatigued as well as prevented me from being able to eat nearly as much as I should have eaten, all of this while it was eating my throat away rapidly. It is also very painful to endure, at least in the throat. It takes a while for the antifungal to do its job and kill the infection, I have been treating mine for nearly 3 months, so while you may see improvement in short order, expect to treat it for at least three months if it is a yeast infection.

I would also take the time to re-evaluate this birds diet as well as your husbandry and light schedule as a suppressed immune system is often a large part of the reason that the yeast infection got started. It could be from a diet that does not provide adequate nutrition all the way to the bird being stressed out from just about anything including but not limited to not having enough one on one time with and on you.

I hope that this will prove to be helpful to both you and your bird, am wishing both of you well.