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Need help with a sick Parrotlet

2K views 14 replies 8 participants last post by  laracroft 
#1 · (Edited)
Our 3 year old Pacific Parrotlet Monte had a minor crop bacterial infection 2 months ago. He was getting a bit better but we uncovered him this morning and he did not say a peep and is just sleeping with laboured breathing. I gave him the antibiotics again that the vet told us to stop a month ago, gave him some water with a syringe, put water and millet near him on his bottom purch. He drank a little bit on his own sneezed 3 time in a row twice which is odd for him. I put a radiator heater next to him to keep him warm. We called the vet and left a message but they only open in 17 hours. So we are really really desperate right now for any advice....
 
#2 ·
Sounds like respiratory ( with the sneezing).


If he had a crop infection, did the vet clean out his crop? This is important. Also, tell us what is the name of the antibiotics and did you keep it in the fridge? How long did you give the antibiotics before the vet told you to stop?


This is Sunday and this forum is not real busy late afternoon to evening, but if Mont is still having problems Monday, call the vet as soon as possible Monday morning and get that bird there!


You are doing the right thing by keeping him very warm. Try to keep feeding him water by dropper every hour or so.


It sounds like the infection has spread to his lungs. Typical dosage for antibiotics is 10 days or use all the medicine until used up, unless the vet tells you to stop.


Keep us posted!


David and Vicki
 
#3 ·
Sorry to hear of your issues with Mont. it sounds like you are doing everything that can be done. The only addition I can think of is maybe a bit of apple vinegar in his water. Just a few drops. Some recommend it for crop issues.
 
#5 ·
So yesterday we took Monte to our vet as soon as they opened up. So they put him in an incubator with oxygen, gave him antibiotics and feed him through a tube.
We called later in the day and he was still the same and because the vet does not do 24 hour care, they suggested we take him 45 minutes away to a vet that does provide 24 hour care. To ensure that he would make the trip, we had the vet do a standing xray as we wanted to minimize the risk. So we went to pick him up and get the xray results. Now because of the Covid-19, only vet personnel are allowed in the vet office. So we had to call when we got there. That is when the vet told us that it looked like he had an enlarged heart and liver, us they were unsure if he would survive the 45 minute trip so euthanasia is an option....our hearts dropped.
So we decided that we owe it to the little guy to try to help him as much as possible without any regrets. Because if we went ahead and had euthanized, we would never know if he would have made the trip. So we told the vet and because of the Covid-19, we paid our bill with them with interact etransfer, they put a glove with hot water in the box and away we went with the heat on high in the car.
As I drove my wife kept the top of the box open as per the vets instructions to allow him to breathe. He opened his eyes a few times to look at us on the way there. We got lost thanks to signs that were missing on the road. But he did make it there. We gave him to the vet outside, because once again we could not go in. They gave us an estimate of treatment we paid the deposit and back home we drove.
This morning my wife called them and Monte is still the same. They have him in an incubator, on antibiotics and to make it less stressful on him they only have the feeding tube in his crop. The vet told us that they are waiting until he is a boy better to do a proper xray and blood work. Now as Monte is our first parrotlet and we had birds decades ago, we are unsure if the vet believes he is going to get better for them to do all these tests or if they are letting us know what is presumably next providing he gets better as we do not know how resilient parrotlets are. Do they recover from respiratory illness quickly? As the vet has given us a 3 day rate plan with 24 hour care.
 
#6 ·
Monte is tough! We are praying for him! When a p'lett gets ill and is getting good vet treatment, it is hard to tell what will happen. There are too many factors out there to consider. I do know from experience that you have to keep them very warm and give them water. You are doing this now, so keep it up!


Please keep us posted! We want to know how he does. We learn from these posts.


David and Vicki
 
#7 ·
Thanks U.J. for the update on Monte. They definitely can get better from respiratory illnesses, but not all do. So that is something to keep in mind. His chances are improved since you brought him for vet attention quickly in my opinion. Please keep us updated on his progress and we will keep our fingers crossed for him...
 
#8 ·
this time of year --- late winter, early spring, our birds need extra warmth. Oliver is covered with a heavy fabric around his cage at night. during the day it stays on the cage with an opening in the front. I don't have a space heater nearby. we keep the house around 70-72.
When I heard him wheeze, he went quickly to an avian vet and got him on antibiotics. The vet was more expensive than the antibiotics, but it was well worth it.
 
#9 ·
Thank you all for your suggestions and help with Monte. He was at the vets for a total of 5 days. For the first 2 day there was no change but on the third, the vet said he was like a different bird. So we were relieved. So he went in on April 6 and we were able to take home on April 9. He was sent home with medication to be taken 4 times daily. Baytril, Doxycycline and Metacam taken twice daily and Intrafungal taken once daily. After 5 days the Metacam was stopped. After 14 days the Baytril was stopped. Then we had to take him back for the second part of blood work after 3 weeks but the vet did not have a small enough needle so that was delayed for a week. So we went back for that and the results were perfect and he just had to stay on the Intrafungal and Doxycycline until June 10. Which was ok.
So on Monday June 1 we ordered a new cage and perches for him to celebrate his good health and knowing what we knew now, a clean slate. We received the perches and cage liner on Wednesday. Showed it to him asking who is this for and he say "MMMonte's?". In the afternoon I made a video of him saying almost every phrase we had taught him. It was odd because he wasn't himself as he was talking while both eyes were closed. It was amazing to hear him and I thought it was going to be ok. But then I noticed that he was sleeping a lot and he hardly ate anything all day but he was drinking a lot. That night we was quiet and spent most of his time out away from us. The next morning he was barely moving so we rushed him to our vet as he was barely moving. Then rushed him to a specialty vet an hour later. Unfortunately, he passed away at 12:40pm. We came home and noticed that from Tuesday night until Thursday morning that there was only one dropping and it was bright yellow so the infection was back and whatever was wrong with him was only being held back because of the two meds that were stopped. His new cage arrived at 4:30pm. So that was gut wrenching. We looked back in hindsight and realised that once he was down to 2 meds a day, he must have been in pain because he was aggressive and spending a lot of time away from us. Like he was in pain and not well again. The next day we talked about what to do next. Then seen an ad for pellet weaned Parrotlet blue male available in 3 weeks. So we will start a new chapter.
But Monte was an incredible little guy. He knew 40 words/phrases and will never be forgotten. We got him in November of 2017 and neither of us have had a pet like him. Our new parrotlet will be named Buby (pronounced like Ruby except with a b) in Monte's memory because he used to sing "Monte, Monteeee, baby, bubbbyyy" which we called his opera Monte.
 
#10 ·
I am so sorry to hear of Monte's passing. He fought until the end! What a fighter! I lost Ricochet in March and I am still not over it!


You were really great parronts to Monte. He loved you dearly and he will be missed, for sure. My Bogie passed at age 10 one and a half years ago. He spoke 66 words and sentences. A great part of me died the day he died. I have written a book about him ans it is almost ready to publish.


Keep us appraised of your new little guy. We would love to hear from you from time to time. I kept a daily life journal on Bogie until he passed. I love reading about him in the journal.


Again, sorry to hear about your little one.


David and Vicki, in the memory of Ricochet and Bogie
 
#11 ·
This is heartbreaking. I’m in tears. I'm so sorry for your loss. It's so sad that Monte was taken so soon, but what a lovely way to remember him through your new baby that's coming in a few weeks. (The story behind it is so sweet).



I’m glad you are getting another parrotlet. It's amazing how fast they get into your heart, isn't it? Like David said, when you get Buby, please let us know how he's doing.



I'm sure sweet little Monte will always be in your hearts. Fly high, little birdie!
 
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