I haven't posted much lately. Mainly life is keeping me too busy, but I wanted to post what is going on with my quaker Niki. Lately, I've noticed a change in his droppings. They have been more watery than normal and he doesn't drink all that much water to account for that. He also hasn't been looking very well. His color isn't bright like it should be. A couple of days ago, I came home to find him very lethargic and there was some pink goo on his papers. At first I thought it might be blood, but it wasn't the right shade of red. He must have vomited because it was all over his head.

I made a vet appt for the next day with Dr. Orosz in Toledo, Ohio. I'm very glad I did. She was wonderful and gave us a lot of time. The gram stain was fine, but his blood tests made her conclude that he is having some kidney problems. He is taking three medications. We go back tomorrow to follow up and to have more tests if she thinks he needs it. He also has some swelling in his abdomen and in his upper chest. We are hoping he has not developed gout.

Already I have noticed an improvement in his droppings and he has more energy. The poor little guy. Please say some prayers for him. He's been through a lot the past couple of days.

I am so sorry to hear about Niki, I hope that the meds will work well and he'll make a full recovery. Keeping you both in my thoughts.

Awwww poor lil Niki Good for you for getting him to the vet so quickly. Will be keeping you both in my thoughts. (((HUGS)))

I know all to well how heart breaking it is to have a sick birdy to nurse back to health. I am optomistic the Vet has you on the right path and things will look better. Please do keep us posted.

Awww Im so sorry to hear this b/c it hurts these things that come upon us. He will be in my prayers and you too...lots of huggs

Niki is in my prayers and I'm sending well wishes for a quick and complete recovery.
tikileahsmom

Hugs and prayers flying your way from downunder...

Just wondering how Niki is doing today?

Awwwww I hope little Niki is feeling better soon. My Prayers are with you and Niki.

Niki, Morgan says to get better cause he does not like it when one of his little cousins is sick.

Thinking of little Niki...Hoping he is well on the way to better health...My prayers are with him....It was so good you went on and took him to the vet; the sooner, the better.

Get Well Niki.......

Please keep us updated......

Thanks everyone! Niki is a lucky birdy to have so many prayers for him.

I took him for a follow-up yesterday and the doctor thinks he looks better. She also felt his abdomen and some of the puffiness that was there, was gone. I'm to continue with the meds and we're going back next Friday.

It's kind of funny because he hadn't taken a bath since last Saturday, but he wanted one yesterday before his appointment. He was still damp when I brought him in and the doctor's asst. thought he was doing worse. I told her his feathers looked so bad because he was damp. We laughed. She thought his wanting a bath was a good sign.

We are there for ya Niki praying all the way...Get well little one.....



Thanks for bringing us up to date..........

Thanks for keeping us posted. Yeah, I also think that the bath is a good sign. Any idea what exactly is wrong with the kidneys? What blood values were off? What meds is Niki getting?

Ange - always trying to learn

Glad to hear your Niki is getting better. prays and hugs for you both.

I'm really glad your Niki is doing better.

So happy he's doing better!

I'm so glad that he's doing better..I would be curious as to the lab values too...I'm like Ange, wanting to learn...

Keep us posted..

Rebecca
p.s. I've not been getting post notices, so haven't been up to date on things...not sure if it's a forum problem or what...

I am glad you took niki to the vet I will keep niki in my thoughts hang in there and keep us updated hugs impy

Sorry not to reply sooner. Niki seems to be doing pretty well. He's building as I type this.

As for what his blood results revealed, his uric acid was up a little (6.2). There was one other count that was really off and I'm afraid I can't remember what it is! I will find out when we go again on Friday. He also had low potassium, sodium and calcium. I don't know why the calcium was low, but the potassium and sodium because his feces have been kind of watery and he had vomited. She told me that when something isn't right, other areas of the parrot's body get stressed. She took an x-ray and he seemed to have something gathering in his chest (fluid? I hope it's not gout). He also seemed to have some swelling lower by his legs. That swelling was causing his organs to push up into his body. As I said, the swelling around his legs seems to be going away.

She has me giving him ginger for nausea, the herb rhemania (it's interesting that women take that for menopause) and lasix. She also gave me a calcium supplement to put on his food and some palm oil.

I'm really thinking he has a nutritional problem. He is such a picky eater. I'm trying to make him eat pellets which he hates. I almost have to take my food to my room and eat because he always wants what I am eating. It's not always what a birdy should eat.

Hopefully, he'll continue to do well.

Thanks for all your concern and prayers. We appreciate it!

Chris

Chris,
Are they going to keep a watch out for his potassium levels? The lasix will remove potassium too, along with fluid....
brocolli has good calcium in it, as do almonds too...don't give salted almonds, but raw ones...
Did she say why he got sick to begin with?
Another thing is that you can ask for copies of his labs to keep on hand..I always get them....they don't mind giving them to you...most people don't think about getting their own labs copies either...but remember they are "yours"...I guess being a nurse makes me want to have them here to keep in my folder...:-))

Rebecca

I just thought I'd give the latest update on the Nikster. We saw the vet today and she did another blood draw. His uric acid went up from 6.2 to 8.0. The AST (a liver enzyme) is very high. His calcium and potassium were better. She wasn't too happy with the results overall. I told her he is better but not himself. He has not been as active and his feathers are not bright and healthy-looking like they should be.

We talked about diet and basically his sucks. He has gotten to be a very picky eater over the last year or two and I think most of this problem he is having now stems from poor nutrition. Any of you newbies out there, make sure you get them started early on pellets and only give other foods (people) as treats. I let Niki dictate what I give him and I'm killing him by spoiling him.

The vet told me bluntly that it looks like his kidneys are failing him. She wants to keep him on herbals instead of starting a drug like allopurinol, so we are trying some concoctions she put together:

1. Kidney blend -- it looks like it comes in a capsule and it was something human might get at the health store. It was quite interesting how she did some calculations, had her assistant break open a capsule and make something that he can take orally. She also mixed it with some dandelion root which is high in potassium.

2. Rhemania --antinflammatory since there is some swelling around his kidneys.

3. Meloxicam -- She told me that this is one of those drugs that you have to be careful with. Over time it could actually lead to renal failure, but she has seen much success with it.

4. Supplement of vitamins A, D3 and E (just a drop 3x week on his food)

5. Palm oil -- a few drops on his food. She says it's high in omega 3

She also told me that if he gets worse and starts suffering that she recommends putting him to sleep because an animal shouldn't suffer. I appreciated her honesty about this. I don't want someone hiding the seriousness of his condition, but she still has hope for him.

I am to call her Tuesday or Wed. to give her an update on him. She said the meloxicam should be helping by then.

I feel very lucky to have found a vet who is board-certified within 10 miles of my house. I have to go to a conference for work the week after next and I'm going to board him there. They will give him his meds and I feel good about leaving him there. The staff is wonderful. It might even be beneficial for him to be around other birds and watch what they are eating. It can't hurt as long as they aren't eating pizza!

Sorry to be so long-winded. I hope that others can learn from this. Diet is very important. What you give him today may seem fine, but over time it can do some damage.

Thanks for all your support and the prayers. Niki is in the fight for his life.

Chris
(in the doghouse because Niki didn't like his dinner )

oh, I wish the best for little NikkiB and you......

Pulling for little Niki...Come on boy and fight hard....We need you here....

I just know he is going to be fine after he gets these meds going and I'm praying all the way for him....



Thanks for the update and the information you gave about diet....My best to you and Niki....

Yes, Chris,
This is terrible to happen to your baby, but a good warning for others to start early feeding a healthy diet. I am praying that Niki will recover and give you many more years of companionship...I look forward to hearing some good news next week..Yes, you are very blessed to have found such a good vet close to home, and she sounds very thorough....

Hugs,
Rebecca

Hi Chris,

So sorry to hear this about Niki, but you're right; your "misery" may help someone else and don't ever worry about being long-winded. You are helping every other quaker out there by all the things you post. Right now, you have me wondering about and checking into palm oil, for instance.

I do hope Niki picks up soon. How is he acting? How is he holding up under all this?

Ange

Niki is doing surprisingly well considering. He was very active today and into his building. He was very hungry this morning. I'm not sure if he's eating his pellets like he should be. I try to "sweeten" his bowl a little by putting a couple of almonds in there. I don't know what else to do to get him to eat them. Maybe I should sit down with a bowl of them myself and eat them. Yum!

I feel really bad because I think this has probably been going on since last summer. I originally thought he had hurt his toe because of the way he was walking. The vet I took him too really didn't help much. I think it was just out of her scope. Then my life got disrupted because we moved out of the area. He seemed better so I didn't think about it too much. He obviously wasn't. I do feel fortunate to have a vet so close by.

I'm sorry about Niki. I hope he will get all well soon. The herbs you vet recommended are very good. Ask your vet what she thinks about also giving him Milk Thistle and/or Aloe Vera Detox. I heard those work wonders.

Aloe detoxyfying formula worked SO well for Joy when she was almost dead at one time, due to aflotoxins from molded "organic" pellets..Not harrison's....Dr. Rich also had said it was very good for her since the first ingred is milk thistle.
Try to give too many almonds..Just think about the size of the almond in comparison to the bird's weight..it would be like us eatting a whole watermelon in comparison. Try putting baby food on the pellets..And I would recommend Harrison's pellets, get the fine grind..Your vet probably sells them...Joy loved them and Gabby loves them too...Try different baby foods on it..but remember to remove the moistened food after about 2 hours, no longer as it can spoil..
I am so glad he's doing better and praying that he will improve much more...

Rebecca

I'm very worried. I'm not really sure how Niki is doing because this morning I realized that I've been giving the wrong dose of one of his medications. I've been giving him too much (0.4 cc instead of 0.04cc). I'm going to call the vet today and tell her. I pray to God I didn't do more damage to the little guy. I feel sick.

I hope Niki pulls through this and is able to reach a full recovery. Keeping you both in my prayers ...

Praying that the increased dosage didn't hurt your baby...It's an easy mistake, if you're not really familiar with syringes..I am surprised they didn't mark the place on the syringe...Even though I am a nurse, my vet always marks the syringe....I know you are worried, but accidents do happen, it's just good that you found it...they may want to check him for fungal infections after the larger dose of antibiotics...You know how us females get yeast from taking antibiotics...maybe they'll suggest a probiotic to give along with it...
Hugs & prayers,
Rebecca

Fingers and toes are crossed for Niki and a speedy recovery.

Any news on Niki?

Thanks for being concerned. I'm not sure how Niki is doing exactly since I am away in California (Niki and I live in Ohio) and he is being boarded at the vet. I called yesterday and they told me he is doing fine. I was worried he might not be eating, but he is. They are making sure he gets his meds too.

I was really impressed with how they handle boarding birds at the vet's office when I took him in Saturday. They will take him out and move him around so he can have some variety. They have a white board in his room and they list all the instructions for caring for him. He seems to be in good hands and I think he'll like being with all the other birds. Generally, he is a loner since I have to leave him alone every day when I go to work. He's not used to being around people that understand him (birds) besides me. I wish I could see how he is interacting with everyone.

I pick him back up on Saturday and I'll let you all know how he's doing. I miss him!

Chris

Chris, when I had to leave my guys at the vet, I was also wondering how they'd respond as my guys also aren't used to other people at all. The first day they were home again, someone who didn't know them at all and doesn't know birds either, offered Mo a piece of apple while Mo was sitting on top of the cage and just the way he responded to that and accepted that was very telling! These birds are smart and that helps.

Had also been wondering how Niki was doing.

Well, I picked up Niki yesterday. I had called on Tuesday and they told me he was doing fine. When I picked him up, they told me he had stopped eating on Wednesday so they did a gavage feeding Wed, Thurs. and Friday. I had never heard of that. They said that with his kidney condition, they didn't want him to lose any weight and they wanted him to stay strong. They said he was eating better on Friday and Saturday morning.

I'm worried about him. I'm trying to get him to eat healthy things, but he is very hungry and doesn't want the pellets. I gave him some nuts and a little bit of bread because I felt bad for him. I even sat down with a bowl of pellets and ate a few myself so he could recognize it as food!

I have to say he does look better now and he has stopped shaking. He seems stronger. How do I get him to eat what he should? It's very stressful for both of us.

I also want to add that while he was boarding, one of the vet's assistants left her quaker Obie there with him for company. The doctor wants to know how Niki is doing in a couple of days because she said he REALLY liked Obie. Niki has a girlfriend!

Glad to hear that Niki is still fighting!!! I hope he makes a full recovery and soon!

Keeping up with the updates on Niki...Thanks again....Get well Niki and eat your pellets, they are good for you....Maybe try him with some warm oatmeal....See if he will eat that...Just keep trying to see what he will try to eat...Thinking of you both....

sending parayers and hugs your way - come on Nikki - your mommy needs you well.

Chris,
Have you tried putting baby food fruit on his pellets? This may work..try apricots or pears, peaches etc...
Hope that Niki will make a full recovery..I know how stressful this is on you...

Rebecca

Hi, thanks so much for the update! (What is this "shaking" about? I don't think you mentioned that before? What is it related to/caused by?)

I do hope you get him to eat well, must be very frustrating for you. One thing you may want to try... they'rre social eaters, so I hope that eating in front of him/with him etc etc might help a bit. I soooooooo hope he pulls through!

Ange

The shaking thing he does sometimes when straining to pass a poop. He also does it when he's overly excited or overly nervous. I thought he had developed a nervous condition. I even researched seizures, but it's not that. He grips really hard and can't seem to move until it passes. The vet told me that it could be happening because he has some internal swelling around his kidneys and it's pressing on a nerve.

Anyway, that seems to be getting better. He is still not happy with me though. He is getting better about eating his pellets. I'm going to be calling the vet tomorrow to give her an update and find out when she wants to see him for a checkup.

Thanks for all your concern. I feel like such a bad mommy.

You shouldn't feel like a bad mom....you're doing everything you can for Niki and getting him the help he needs...I don't call that being a bad mommy! Good luck and I hope he has a full recovery. Poor little guy.

You are a very good mommy. You are doing everything you can to help Niki. Maybe you could mix some soft warm "comfort" food like Beak Appetit in with his pellets. Maybe he'll like it and will eat more.

Crossing all fingers, paws and wings and sending good vibes to Niki in hopes for a full recovery.

Have you tried softening the pellets with some pinnaple or orange juice ..??? he may take them then , did the vet manage to get him eatinmg pellets ?? what did they feed him..???
What about a nice shared morning breakfast with you my guys share my Poridge and eat about a desertspoon full each I don`t add sugar but sprinkle with Cinnamom wich is another good spice ...
Best of luck is so draining and stressful having a ill fid , heart breaking really ..
Sending Prayers and good wishes across the miles ..

P.S here is a good herbal list , but sounds like your vet is right on top of that ....

http://www.birdsnways.com/wisdom/ww24eii.htm

I think one of the reasons why we feel like bad mommies is that part of us is convinced that if we were good mommies, we would be able to heal them instantly and fix all the problems (like with the pellets).

HUG!!!

Thanks for giving me some moral support.

How is Niki doing? I'm not sure. He seemed better last week, but then yesterday he was pretty quiet and his droppings were watery. I'm going to call the vet tomorrow to ask her when she wants to see him next. He's still getting his meds twice a day. He's gotten better about taking them. I think he even likes the taste of one of them. He's eating a few pellets too. I saw what people said about pretending to eat some in front of him. Well, Niki was on to me and didn't believe it, so I actually did eat a few. They're not that bad

Come on Niki and get well baby...We are all pulling for ya girl....

Glad you liked the pellets!

What did the vet say? Also, when you talk about "watery droppings", what is it exactly that you see? You mentioned those in the beginning as well.

Not that I would have any advice to offer, but I am curious (also because of my own fids).

Ange