Liver and cholesterol blood results!

[xo Missi]

OMG I'm freaking out. I just checked my cell and I had a voicemail from baby's vet. He said the blood results were in and the liver and cholesterol
results were high so he'd like to put Baby on antibiotics. He said sometimes when baby birds are weaned this happens. He also said he will be in a surgery all evening and to leave the name and number of a pharmacy and he'd call in a prescription. I NEED details. I don't understand! Someone comfort me. I'm scared to death! I called and asked the receptionist to have the vet call me asap. *sigh*

[Dani03]

I dunno much about that but if he said that most babies are like that...then most get through it. Some breeders are ignorant about feeding babies...and will not make sure they are feeding the proper stuff...

*hugs*

Dani

[xo Missi]

I just spoke with the vet. He said the main thing was the liver number. He said most birds are a 50-350 and Baby was a 370...whatever that means. He's calling in a prescription and it's one human antiobiotic capsule per 6 ounces of water per day. I'll put Baby on all the pills and then we'll do another blood test in 3-4 weeks (when I'm SUPPOSED to be on vacation so wtf does this mean??). I am talking to the boyfriend via gmail chat and I think we're agreeing on taking Baby with us on vaccay. We can't leave him knowing this!

[surferdon]

Good call!!!

[xo Missi]

OMG what if it's this http://www.avianweb.com/psittacosis.html

People can get it from the bird too! http://www.birdsnways.com/wisdom/ww23eiii.htm

I do kiss Baby a TON. Does anyone have any experience with this?

[goro]

sometimes weaning / lil changed like new carpeting, paint etc. can cause lil infection causing numbers to screw around. with that said it difficult to understand the true logic behind why this at least for me. Fyi mango trees have a bug that is toxic to both bird and the tree so that could have caused it. But baby will be fine i will pray for her. I know me saying this has no comfort to you because thats your baby but take it from a person who dealt with a lot of sick animals half the time it is the owners vigilance that cures an animal and we know what a great mommy you are keep at it.

[xo Missi]

sometimes weaning / lil changed like new carpeting, paint etc. can cause lil infection causing numbers to screw around. with that said it difficult to understand the true logic behind why this at least for me. Fyi mango trees have a bug that is toxic to both bird and the tree so that could have caused it. But baby will be fine i will pray for her. I know me saying this has no comfort to you because thats your baby but take it from a person who dealt with a lot of sick animals half the time it is the owners vigilance that cures an animal and we know what a great mommy you are keep at it.

Goro, I thank you for your responce! It made we feel a lil better actually I remember the vet saying it may be because of weaning or the long drive to the vet office and the hour wait for our appointment (although I don't understand why that would effect the numbers) but I always talk myself into thinking it's the worst option so I'm worried he has psittacosis It's the anxiety disorder in me.
Anyhow, I am calling the vet again tomorrow because Baby won't drink his water with the antibiotic in it.

Maybe someone can answer me this...is a test for psittacosis in the acerage blood test? Baby sows no physical symtoms of it but you never know.

[goro]

he didn't tell u the apple juice trick? well i had a fisher lb way back in the day my first bird ever. Making it take meds was impossbile so i used to mix it apple juice (non from concentrate) and it took it. But like i said ask your vet about the apple juice ( can't use orange because of acid) . Plus you irn in general won't drink a lot of water. they are small birds so i dunno if the water ratio is higher then pill ratio. Birds do have taste buds. Anyhow ask him if you can give it in apple juice or syringe it but leave the last one as the last resort because it jsut liek weaning you gotta know just how to do it/ I;m sure if he is a good vet he will show u how and have visit a few times till u get a hang of it. But it won't come to that. sorry if i made you worry but it better to be prepared then sorry.

Don't worry baby be fine. You worring is natural hell when max ( dog) got sick and when i first got kannah my vet hated me her ear. I do suggest taking the apples out if you decide to go with apple juice trick and just throw in a white bread t soak up juice so it thinks it got a treat. But ask your vet as meds have various interactions with deiiferent element. Please keep me / us informed on how the visit goes. Im curious if your bird is doing the business normally.

and as far as the reason of why he is sick it could be anything from stress, to weaning ( most birds revert back to begging) and sometime petstores believe in forced weaning which causes medical problems.

goro

[Bird crazy]

Missi:
Hope the little fella does ok. I'm glad you're taking him along on vacation with you. But call the airline asap and make sure you have a ticket for Baby. I don't know if psittacosis is in the usual test but would say probably not. Now that there is reason to suspect an infection it would be best to treat right away with a broad spectrum antibiotic and hope that would get it, if on second testing still shows an infection of some sort them they would test for specific type and what antibiotic the germ is sensitive to, really the same thing they do for people. You take good care of Baby and he's showing no signs of illness so he should be fine (think positive).
In people the liver is involved in the stress response so maybe it's the same in birds and so numbers were high because of stress of long ride and wait and being stuck by the doc.
At any rate thinking of you, you're in my prayers, keep us posted.
Sue and Nila

[carrie]

If it turns out to be psittacosis (which sounds pretty unlikely) then it's not as bad as you may first think. Atticus was diagnosed with psittacosis almost a year ago after we had moved house. I was pretty shattered at the time. The vet said that most birds carry the virus but show no symptoms. Symptoms can come out under times of stress (i.e. house move). She had a 6 week course of injections - which was absolutely terrible because she screamed like blazes, but she always screams like that at the vet! Anyway she was re-tested a few months ago and came back negative. Unfortunately she was positive for PBFD, but that's another story.......

I know it's a horrible gut wrenching feeling when your little baby is sick - but be positive and please keep us updated.

[goro]

missy what you refering to is not a common test that vet will do right of the vet i just got off the phone with my ex ( avian vet) she said most likely it was cause by stress or other mitigating factor and most likely she would get a general antibiotic so i hope this puts you at a lil ease and she also stated even if it is nothing to be scared of.
best of luck
sorry my previous post was long but i wanted to bring you a lil comfort and an alternative way to puting meds.
goro

[julie]

missi i would be thinking how lucky baby is that he has a good owner that had tests done and that he is going to be ok because of this.

[xo Missi]

You guys *hugs you all* You're all *so* supportive. Thank you so much for all your information and care! And Goro, to call your ex and ask about my situation...I thank you SO much! Really, it makes me feel better to hear from you all..

I will do whatever I can to make sure Baby is okay. I am hoping it is jsut stress that is causing this. Of course, how my mind wanders, I am convinced it is psittacocsis and that I have to from kissing Baby as well! Yes, I'm a lil nuts.

Well. Nervous about calling the vet because I don't want him to hate me for calling for the 3rd time now and also I want to make sure I get everything covered and understood. Also, the vet is about a 50 minute drive for me so I will have to take a lot of personal time off work for tests and shots (if it comes to that), so of course I am totally a stressed soul. Not to mention Baby is on his antibiotic for another 23 days and I leave for vacation in 15 days. *sigh* I swear the timing of everything in my life is messed up.

Once again, you guys are so lovely! I can not thank you again for your support!

[julie]

is there someone at work you can swap a shift with when you have to go to the vets.by the way what type of job do you do?

[xo Missi]

Hmm no, we don't have shifts. I work as an office assistant at a law firm. I am the only assistant. I get personal time and vacation and sick days. I will have to dip into them even more but it is a pain because I have to find other admin around the office to cover my tasks and it's hard to ask anyone because everyone is already so tied down with their own overwhelming work.

[julie]

yeah that wouldnt work.WE have several shifts so if i cant do a day shift i just swap with night. Try not to worry too much you will end up sick from stressing about stuff.One day you will look back at this and go wow everything turned out ok. kinda like a diary..

[xo Missi]

Thanks. I sure hope it will all be okay. As for right now I can't focus on anything at work. I'm so down and depressed I just want to go home and crawl in bed and cry. Sorry guys. I'm a nervous worrying wreck.

[xo Missi]

Update:

Alrighty, talked with the vet and got a few more details. He said the white blood cell count in Baby's blood test was normal. The liver enzymes are the things that were up so he said it was most likely him being stressed from the long ride to the office and the hour wait in the waiting room with all the dogs and cats. Also it could be bruising from when he has fallen (like when he tries to fly and on the occasion I can't catch him that time). I asked if psittacosis is a possibility and he said it is always a possibility but since the wbc count was normal, it is probably stress. He said there isn't really a way to test for psittacosis but a swab test might do it only if the bird is shedding the organism at the moment of testing.
He said he only gave an antibiotic just to be on the safe side and to mix the antibiotic with apple juice since Baby is not taking ti with water (thanks again goro ) and give it that way and if that doesn't work I'll have to administer the meds myself....which I am nervous about because I've never hand medicated! Anyhow, I'm TRYING not to jump the gun anymore. *just breathe, Missi, breathe and stop forgetting to say your prayers!*