the male's uric acid and CPK profiles; postural changes?

[oldguy]

Does anyone know if the male's uric acid and CPK profiles elevate during the reproductive cycle and if postural changes occur?

Sunny, the male lutino, is exhibiting a new posture while at rest: The best way I can describe it is to say it is like when we fall asleep at the desk -- his head tips straight back with his beak straight up.

He is lively, and does all the normal things with his partner Shy Anne, including all the appropriate mating behavior, in particular, eating like a little piggy and then rushing to feed her. In all other activities, he has full mobility with his head, it's just when he rests. In fact, it's almost as if he is passing out.

The only other times I have seen this head posture were with a female Amazon and a male conure, both, just before they died. But Sunny shows no other symptoms of illness. Today he begged be for his shower and couldn't get enough.

Sunny's blood work shows everything normal except Uric acid at 19 when the lab says it should be between 2 and 10, and CPK at 572 when should be between 50 to 400.

I have read, and I can't remember where, because I have so frantic for information (no avian vets within 3 hours), that during this reproductive phase the male's testes can expand anywhere from 50 to 500% and that they are right next to the kidneys.

[oldguy]

I have spoken with my local vet, not avian, who sees birds and she says that the CPK is not particularily concerning especially since Sunny was captured and then transported for 45 minutes in a hyper-aggitated state, perhaps that even influenced the uric acid.

I'm waiting for an avian vet to comment on the condition after I Emailed the bloodwork and the photo which is on a format that I couldn't post here below. But 'stargazing' certainly is an apt description for what he is doing. It started very mildly the day after they did 2 night flights within 10 minutes. Alot of flapping against the cage bars.

If you can pass anything on, I'll be very grateful.

[ellieelectrons]

molossus, when you say 'stargazing'... that is also a term used with a kind of autism isn't it? Is that what you are talking about? or are you just describing the posture of the bird?

I've only heard the term with reference to birds once before where someone who has a parrot hobby home show was saying that she took one of her birds to the vet and the vet called him a "stargazer" / autistic. At the time, he offered to euthinase the bird. She was horrified that he would even suggest it. This lady trains her parrots to do all sorts of tricks and her "stargazer" Alexandrine is the only one who will do the riding a skateboard trick.... he really seems to love it. He seems like a very content bird.

Ellie.

[oldguy]

Ellie: In Sunny's case, this is intermittent, only under certain circumstances with absolutely normal posture in all activities. Just when he's at rest, or sleeping.

It is coincident with the intensification of the reproductive phase as well as the night flight previously mentioned. E.

[oldguy]

Molossus and Ellie:

I DO have a couple of vets working on this but none has seen or treated this "stargazing", under Sunny's circumstances, so I'm still looking for information about it from someone who has experienced it.

I've been communicating with a Manhattan vet who has extensive experience with birds but is not an avian vet, who thinks that the uric acid level requires admission to an avian clinic for hydration and nutrition; the local vet who took the blood and is not an avian vet, who felt that the uric acid level was not so serious as that at this time, based upon his vigor, and that my initiation of profilactic doxycycline was correct as a precaution against psittacosis (to which he has probably been exposed in his history) and upped the dosage to an actual treatment level, but felt that Sunny was not in immediate danger because his activity level and other indicators were so strong (we'll take another blood level next week to see if there has been change, possibly an X-Ray to see if the testes are exerting pressure against the kideys or if tumors, and the brain, and hydrate if appropriate); and a student team under the supervision of an avian vet at Cornell University Exotics Clinic, yet to convey to me any conclusions or indicate if they have seen this before -- I await.

The reason I have not wisked him off to the Manhattan clinic at her first alarm is that I want to spare Sunny the stress of the long trip and removal from his now stable environment and mate, after their confiscation in a cruelty case in my area, without knowing that the place is familiar with his symptoms and won't just subject him to a lot of stressful tests to try to figure out what to do. For example, he can only spare so much blood before the testing itself endagers him further.

I've had a couple of VERY bad vet experiences.

Thanks for whatever observations and insight anyone can provide.

[ellieelectrons]

yes, trips to the vet can be very stressful. Probably good to spare the bird that if you can given its history.

Get well soon, Sunny!

Ellie.

[oldguy]

Thank you, Ellie. It's usually the caretaker who becomes the basket case. The non-human animal may suffer but works with it, doesn't add the agony of thought to the agony of the disease.

Sunny remains stable, though I have now collected enough medical opinion from three avian and non-avian vets to proceed at the beginning of next week. I think it's time for another blood profile, hydration, and some X-Rays to rule in or out the various speculations.

Thank you both for holding my hand.