marie83 wrote:A couple of times now I have found a dry biscuity lump in the cage (ollies) when I've got up in the morning. Its exactly the same colour as his pellets is and I am assuming he has regurgitated overnight and it has dried out. ... I then wondered because of the randomness of it if it was actually vomit but I heard when birds vomit it tends to splash/get shaken around but this is one perfectly formed lump more or less.
It's possible he is vomiting but if he is it's for a short period of time; maybe he is vomiting once or twice.
Eric&Rebecca wrote:That is true Marie, our avian vet said if a bird vomits you will know all about it! Their faces get sticky and the vomit is usually like a white-brown clay like substance or clear which will end up all over their plumage and head and surrounding cage. This is accompanied by violent head shaking normally. They can't control themselves as much as we can when we vomit. (From our avian vet)
Vomiting begins like regurgitation (open beak, neck pumping up and down) but it ends with violent, uncontrolled head-shaking, which is why it can be so messy. However, your vet's description (while accurate) is a bit of an over-generalization; how messy the vomit is depends on the stomach contents and the duration of the vomiting.
This information is based on watching my GCC vomit in the car (he gets car sick) which I have seen many times in the past several years, unfortunately, as he goes to the vet every few months to get his nails trimmed. When his stomach is full of pellets the vomit consists of large solid lumps that end up at the bottom of his cage, even though he shakes his head. It doesn't get on his feathers at this point and if the vomiting stopped there that's all that would remain. However, as he continues to vomit (the car trip is 15 - 20 minutes) that's when there's a huge mess on the cage bars and across the feathers on his head because the stomach contents become more liquid.
marie83 wrote:Rightio, I spoke to the vet today, we are going to re-test for giardia. He actually suggested treating for it anyway right as I was about to ask for a re-test, so I've told him I dont mind paying for a re-test to be sure. We are going to do it via the feacel method atm as it is none invasive doing it that way but I'm going to ask about the ELISA.
I'm glad you're going to re-test for giardia, because it sounds so much like giardia (lethargy, screaming, irritated, itchy skin and feather plucking that is intermittent and not constant). The really tricky thing is:
"The organism is difficult to diagnose for several reasons. Giardia is not shed in every dropping. It is a very fragile organism in one form, and may disintegrate before it can be diagnosed. Regular fecal parasite exams, performed in a vet's clinic or by a professional lab, may miss this organism because of its fragility. A new procedure has greatly increased the chance of diagnosing giardia in birds. This involves preserving the feces (and giardia cysts) in 5% formalin (NOT the usual 10% used to preserve normal tissues). The preserved feces are then sent to a special lab that only studies parasites, and a different type of microscope, called a phase contrast scope, is used to diagnose giardia. By your veterinarian going the extra distance, this elusive parasite has been diagnosed in your bird."
Giardia in Birds (Honestly you have probably already read this but I'm linking just in case).
If the fecal results come back negative again I would consider treating for it, anyway (if it were my bird) but if you did go that route you would have to treat both birds, as it is contagious, as well as sterilize all cages, toys, etc. with a water and bleach solution several times during the duration of the treatment to prevent reinfection from the environment. Porous surfaces such as wood would have to be replaced as they cannot be thoroughly disinfected.
