Macaw degrading health

[GPKeller]

Good day All, I live in Panama where the veterinary knowledge of parrots is minimal. I have a great green macaw, Papi, with diarrhea, sometimes with strong odor like vomit, progessively was getting worse over about 8 days, not always with bad smell, looking like pea soup about 5 days ago. I consulted a vet in the USA who suspected a gut anarobe and I put him on flagyl (metranizadol). The next day Papi presented with blood in his stool so I rushed him to a vet who took blood and stool sample, examined both for parasites and bacteria. Found no parasites but did see bacteria in the stool and prescribed neomycin with kaolin, 0.5 ml of a 10% soln, 2x daily and gave him the first dose.

In afternoon I consulted with poultry vet who said more likely coccidiosis with signs of wasting with good appetite, diarrhea and blood in the stool, the same symptoms as Papi. Also, urates are not white but creamy yellow when they used to be white. He has been showing a huge appetite but has lost weight. Since the symptoms most fit the coccidiosis I decided to treat for that and started him on a poultry medicine that has dimetridazole 16.5mg and sulfadimethoxine 25mg twice a day PO.

The next morning, 2 days ago, the blood was almost gone from his stools and the fecal portion was firmer, in one morning dropping instead of several in the night and with whiter urates.

Yesterday, the second day of this treatment Papi showed more improvement in strength and still was eating well.

Today he's not much interested in food and the pea green diarrhea has returned as well as the urates are off color. Does this mean that the treatment isn't working or his system is reacting to the meds_ No blood in stool today.

Any suggestions are welcome. Tahnks for reading this. Gwen

[gizmo101]

2well id go back to the poltry vet not the normal vet. although ust today i went to the vet for dogs cats ect and he found th virus its a tummy bug sortof issue although my parrots a cockateil gizmo still had the same simptims and hes taking 12.00 psittavet doxycycline HCI

the dosage is 1/4 of a teaspoon of the powder to 100mls of water of course a maccaw will need a higher doesage or something stronger if its the same problem but just visit your preffered vet and see what they can do

also find out an avian bird clinic even if its 2-8 hours away its soo worth it.
also he wasnt eating so i got a siringe to feed him some mushy food
i hope that helped i know its stressful and meds can be difficalt

[patdbunny]

Hi Gwen,

Here's an article by a well known US avian vet about poop:
http://www.exoticpetvet.net/avian/droppings.html

She mentions blood in the poop towards the bottom of the article.

For any bird that's not feeling well, I always get them on some supplemental heat. I prefer a heat pad under an enclosed carrier or aquarium, but a heat producing light bulb works in a pinch.

Good luck to you.

[pfinarffle]

Don't forget the importance of a probiotic for any bird on antibiotics. When you give an animal antibiotics, you kill all microorganisms in their system (bad *and* good). When they stop taking the antibiotic, they're at high risk of reinfection with the same or another strain of bad microorganism because all this space that was once filled with good bacteria is now empty. Not saying that this is necessarily what's going on with your bird in this case, but I'm sure it can't help things. There are many commercial suppliers of avian lactobacillis like Lake's http://www.lakesbirdfood.com/avian/Lacto.php and Bene-bac http://www.drsfostersmith.com/Product/Prod_Display.cfm?pcatid=6015&c=5059+5992. And if you can't find that where you are, you could also give your bird some yogurt or kefir.

Good luck!

[entrancedbymyGCC]

If I read this right, he was on three different antibiotic treatments in a very short period of time. If he showed improvement and then reverted, it is possible one of the earlier antibiotics was effective. I'd guess the one that the vet prescribed after doing a fecal test -- he or she should have been able to see the bacteria that were there and treat specifically for that type. Personally, I think I'd go back to that vet and resume that treatment. Typically an antibiotic won't show improvement for a day or two -- or even longer -- after treatment starts and if you don't continue it, the population will build back up fairly quickly. MHO. I'm not a vet.

[GPKeller]

Thanks to all for your replies. There are no decent bird vets in Panama and vets here are more likely to kill your bird than to cure it. There's really only one 'bird vet' in Panama City and he doesn't have x-ray, his microscope doesn't have a light that works, can't do fecal exams....typical Panama and especially frustrating when I need answers. I've been to a series of different clinics to have fecals done, another to take an x-ray, of course I have to hold the bird for this. Results - no parasites and nothing but some bacteria in the stool. Gram stain - what's that? After one injection of sulfa drug the poor bird passed some worms. Took these to the clinic for ID but no one could ID the worms, have to take them to the department of agriculture where there is someone who might be able to ID them. I gave Papi pyrantel pamoate and he begane passing more worms, by gross visual they look like round worms. From the x-ray no PDD, thank goodness, also no impactions, no lead anywhere. Probably all due to worms, now to bring his health back. I do have bene-bac powder to reestablish gut flora. But 'bird vet' has prescribed doxycycline because Papi still has diarrhea. He's also received rehydration from non-bird vet who wanted to also inject him with ivermectintapeworms in case the worms were . I said no thank you.

I want to buy avian veterinary books now so that I can bring myself up to speed on how to diagnose diseases in birds. Any suggestions? I now have Avian Medicine and Exotic animal formulary. The first really shows what I'm missing by not living in the USA with access to modern veterinary medicine.

The Panama paradox - there are hundreds of parrots and macaws kept as pets because they are easily obtained and inexpensive, but there are no real avian vets because no one can make a living from that because if your bird dies, you can easily replace it and its cheaper than paying a vet.

[patdbunny]

Your vets can log in here to get "veterinarian" info on birds: http://www.lafebervet.com/

Books my vet recommended I get: Psittacine Aviculture, Perspectives, Techniques and Research
by Richard M Schubot, Kevin J Clubb and Susan L Clubb, A publication of the Avicultural Breeding and Research Center
You can get it here: http://www.susanclubb.com/store/04.html

AVIAN MEDICINE AND SURGERY
Author: Robert B. Altman,Katherine Quesenberry,Gerry M. Dorrestein,Susan L. Clubb
Publisher: Harcourt Brace & Company
PARROT IN HEALTH AND ILLNESS : AN OWNER'S GUIDE
Author: Bonnie Munro Doane
Publisher: Howell Books
AVIAN VIRUSES : FUNCTION AND CONTROL
Author: Branson W. Ritchie
Publisher: Wingers Publishing, Inc.

Manual of Avian Practice
by Dr. Agnes E. Rupley you can get it here: http://www.avianpublications.com/items/ ... tem131.htm

Good luck to you.

Roz.

[Kathleen]

Gram stain - what's that?

Gram stain is a method to try to identify bacteria based on the characteristics of the cell wall. I've done gram staining.