I used this forum over 5 years ago before deciding on getting an Indian Ringneck as a pet, and I've never regretted my choice. My little Ricky is an amazing bird going on over 5 years old now!!
But about a month ago we had to replace all the window blinds in his room, and I had to move his cage and him to another room for the day. After that incident he immediately started plucking out feathers, and mustard yellow diarrhea. For about three days straight I had hundreds of feathers he had pulled from his thighs and under both wings. For about 3 weeks I've tried about everything (Aloe spray, diet change, thinking this was a stress issue, but each day and night Ricky would pull out feathers, and after the initial 3 days, he started pulling out new feathers along with the shaft, with a little blood on the end.
After numerous internet searches for an answer, I suspected Girardia. Something that was latent, but came to the front when he got stressed out so much. He's lost a lot of weight in about a month, there's stains near his vent from the diarrhea.
Enough was enough, I called a few vets but in my area to my surprise they said they don't handle birds... I found the closest vet that said they would and got Ricky there this past Saturday. The vet agreed with me something was up with his weight loss, I showed him some photos of other birds like Cockatiels with Girardia that had the same pattern of feather plucking and itchy behavior and he prescribed metronidazole in a solution that's 10mg/ml (Can't read the label). Along with a dog and cat Liver flavored (yuck) vitamin supplement, called Liqui-Tinic 4x, both to be given orally in doses of 2 drops three times a day.
So far, after 3 days with the metronidazole and the Liquid-tinic, he's perked up, and actually started playing agressive as he's done before the incident a month ago. he even greatly slowed down on his feather picking and scratching. I asked how long he needs both medications, and the vet assistant said to use it until empty. To me it seems like it's excessive, I don't like this metronidazole when I saw the possible side effects, and there is enough of it for a month of three daily doses. Don't get me started on the dog and cat liver vitamins.... There's enough of that for 6 months of 3 daily doses....
I had three days of stool samples ready for the vet, along with some of his plucked feathers, and the test for mites came back negative. I'm still waiting for the results of the stool samples.
I'm concerned about his weight loss, but he's an active bird with bright eyes, and doesn't show any signs of weakness or dizzyness as of yet.
Does anyone know of any diet tips to help him put some weight on? He's on RoudyBush California Blend and Roudybush Rice diet and has been for 5 years. Each morning Ricky and I poke through the RoudyBush and pick out the carrot and pepper bits and raisin's and put them in a tea scoop, and then I add some water to it and mash it with a spoon so it makes a broth with the veggies, he loves it! I started putting Oregano into it, and his pellets too this week. And he gets apple and banana slices each time he takes his medicine to help get the bad taste out of his mouth. (I noticed this morning he seems to take the metronidazole, but he's regurgitating the Liquid-tinic, so I'm thinking of stopping that and supplementing with Featheriffic formed into a ball of peanut-butter the size of my pinky nail, along with sprouted parakeet seeds.
I've also taken his cage and completely disinfected it on Sunday with distilled white vinegar and peroxide, wiped down, hosed down, sprayed again with the mixtures, then hosed down and wiped off again. All perches were sprayed down with Vinegar and peroxide, then rinsed in hot wather, then all perches were baked in the oven at 255 degrees F for one hour. I've started a regimen of removing all his perches, food dishes, toys and either boiling and baking them each night when he goes to bed. The cage gets wiped down with the vinegar and peroxide and all surfaces he's walked on like the computer monitor, the tv, etc. The sleeper cage get's disinfected the same way during the day when he's in his large cage.
I don't know where I should have put this post, but I guess I just needed someone to hear me out what I'm doing. My family doesn't understand why I'm doing all this, but I didn't want to risk him getting reinfected with whatever caused his problem. I just pray he comes through this. I'm thinking of stopping the metronidazole after 5 to 7 days. I give him a total of 1.5ml of it each day according to the syringe the vet office gave me.
Here's a photo of Ricky this past Thursday, just before his visit to the vets.
And here's one of him now sitting on top of my computer monitor playing peek-a-boo with my camera while I wrote up this post.
Hang in there little buddy, I'm doing my best.
) and less stressed out because I'm not fighting him with the liver flavored vitamin supplement which he was regurgitating.
