URGENT! African Grey w/Severe Respiratory Problems!

[Natoshka]

URGENT! African Grey w/severe Respiratory Problems.
Been giving Antibiotic, from vet for a least a week. She’s constantly getting worse. Had to take to vet 2 times, due to her ‘Mouth Breathing’. Vet thought her to be mimicking sounds, due to her being fine 1st time. 2nd, she did not react as badly as she does here @home. If taken outside for length of time, she seems to do better. Thinking it may be something to do w/house. Not sure what it could be. Have only lived here since last June.
Now, she’s very lethargic, not eating enough, (breastbone very prominent). I cannot find vet, within 2 hour drive, who can see her now. Some recommend taking her to OSU, but they are not open/answering phone yet!
Have four (4) parrots total. All in same area, of same room. Yet, she is *only one*, W/breathing issues. As far as we know, she’s @least 20 yrs old. Have had her for around 8-10 yrs. Never had any issues, until 2mths back. Right after it began getting extremely cold w/snow & ice.
Any info/recommendations would greatly be appreciated!

[Pajarita]

Hi, Natoshka and flock, welcome to the forum and so sorry your bird is having issues. Unfortunately, without diagnostic tests (CBC, chem panel, bile acids, full body Xray) is impossible to figure out what the problem might be because labored breathing can have many different causes... Usually, it is a respiratory infection but this can be bacterial (for which the antibiotic should work), fungal (for which you need an antifungal), parasitical (as in air sac mites for which you will need specific medicine like ivermectin) or even viral (like Newcastle) but it can also be caused by accumulation of fluids caused by heart disease or advanced liver disease so without tests results, one doesn't really know what is causing the labored breathing or what the treatment would be. And, to make things more difficult, environmental toxins could cause it, too (as in cooking with Teflon, for example).

Did the vet do any tests? If so, do you know the results? If not, I suggest you take her back and ask for all the diagnostics tools I mentioned because they would determine if it is an infection and what kind or if it is liver or heart problems (the organs would appear enlarged).

In the meantime, I would keep her quiet and very warm (85 to 95 F - use a heating pad at the bottom of her cage and cover half the top, the back and sides with a material so as to keep the heat inside the cage - put a thermometer at the same height she perches to make sure the temperature is good), feed her things like bread, white rice and millet (is she getting enough vitamin A? - you did not mention her diet or supplements and that's important too) to fatten her and, if she doesn't eat on her own, get yourself some Harrison's Juvenile Handfeeding formula and mix it with baby food puree (sweet potato, butternut squash, apple, pear, etc) and feed her twice or three times a day (she might not want to eat a lot so you might have to try several times during the day). It worries me that she has lost so much weight... Put an air purifier and a humidifier in front of her cage so she gets the benefit of the moisture in the air.

Let us know if you have questions and also, please come back and tell us how she is doing - we all worry about sick birds...