sigh…my beautiful boy Oliver has been sick for quite some time now. It started in May where I would catch him sleeping in a corner of the cage while his bird family played without him. I took him to vet #1 who felt he looked and weighed just fine and gave me some antibiotics (doxycycline) in case he had an infection. He seemed to improve for about a month but then one night things changed. I was sleeping when I heard a ruckus in his flight cage. This time he was sitting with his eyes closed, fluffed up. Even though I turned on the lights, there was no alertness. I thought he went blind and quickly quarantined him away from the others. The next day he slept all day and ate periodically. I took him to vet #2 who did a crop swab and X-ray to rule out heavy metals. Test results came back fine and he was sent home with a shot of antibiotics and Reglan for any nausea. He came home in better spirits but a few days later I noticed slimy seeds that he regurged on the cage bars. In other words he vomited his food and I rushed him to the vet once more. This time they kept him there for 3 days and administered supportive care such as fluids and gauge feeding as well as start him on amphoterecin B as they felt he may have AGY. Brought him home and he was still legarthic although in better spirits. I had to give him ampho twice a day and Reglan for the nausea and vomiting. Then the AGY tests came back negative and I was advised by the doctor to stop giving it to him and to monitor him. Being off of ampho improved his health greatly as the medication is really strong. However, the vomiting returned a week later. One night, he started vomiting and at first I thought it was rain pelting my windows. Poor thing looked horrible and I thought he might die. Gave him some leftover Reglan which seemed to help and took him to the vet who did a sedated X-ray. His X-ray came back with an enlarged proventriculus and that is when the vet mentioned PDD and avian borna virus. My heart sunk when she said it was terminal and there is no cure. Oliver vomited two days later and the same thing happened where I gave him Reglan to calm his nausea.
I went to vet #3 today and he did a fluoroscopy and anti ganglioside assay. The vet just called and said that there was some defective movement with his GI tract and we will have to wait for the blood test to confirm PDD. I’m heartbroken. For one thing I don’t think it’s PDD. His poop looks normal with no whole seeds in it, he is back to being bright, although still not 100%. Except for legarthy and vomiting, that’s about all the symptoms he has of PDD. I’m remaining hopeful he doesn’t have it. Can a defective GI be other things besides PDD? I have other birds that he’s lived with his whole life and I’m worried for them as well. This is truly a parakeet owners worst nightmare and I’m just asking for any similar experiences, healing vibes for Oliver, and best wishes. Believe it or not I was hoping it could be AGY with a false negative, but his crop swab today was still negative
I don’t know what to do and hope if it is PDD that he doesn’t suffer for long.
Thanks for reading if you got this far!
I went to vet #3 today and he did a fluoroscopy and anti ganglioside assay. The vet just called and said that there was some defective movement with his GI tract and we will have to wait for the blood test to confirm PDD. I’m heartbroken. For one thing I don’t think it’s PDD. His poop looks normal with no whole seeds in it, he is back to being bright, although still not 100%. Except for legarthy and vomiting, that’s about all the symptoms he has of PDD. I’m remaining hopeful he doesn’t have it. Can a defective GI be other things besides PDD? I have other birds that he’s lived with his whole life and I’m worried for them as well. This is truly a parakeet owners worst nightmare and I’m just asking for any similar experiences, healing vibes for Oliver, and best wishes. Believe it or not I was hoping it could be AGY with a false negative, but his crop swab today was still negative
I don’t know what to do and hope if it is PDD that he doesn’t suffer for long.
Thanks for reading if you got this far!