Can anyone help me. Gonzo my quaker is about 3 years old now. This morning when I took the cover off his cage I noticed he was acting very quiet. When he tried to talk or chirp, it sounds like he has lost his voice and only gets half out. He has been puffing his feathers most of the day and breathing heavier then normal. Otherwise he is acting "normal" just a bit tired. When I was sitting rubbing his head, I felt a hard lump in his neck, I guess this is his crop??? Is it normal for it to be hard. He was making the motions of trying to vomit, but nothing comes out. He is eating & drinking normally too.
Does anyone have any ideas of what this might be?
There are no avian vets near me, the closest one is a few hours away.
Any thoughts would be appreciated.
Thank you, Linda

Firstly, welcome to the forum!

I would definitely take him to the closest avian vet ASAP! It kind of sounds like he has an impacted crop or it could be an air sac thing... but I can't say for sure. I don't think it's normal for their crop to be hard. Does the lump move around in his neck or is it attached? Eating and drinking is a good sign... is he still pooping too?

Try setting a lamp beside his cage (take the lamp shade off) and he'll move closer to it if he needs it and farther away if he doesn't.

Good luck, I hope he's okay, but it definitely sounds like he needs to see a vet! *Hugs* Others should have some more ideas...

Thank you for the welcome. I never noticed the lump before, but I never really rubbed under his beck area much. It just feels like a hard lump that isnt squishy when I try & move it. He is still pooping normal. Thank you for you help.

I agree with Casey's mom. Take him to the Vet ASAP.

I would also try getting him to a vet. I'd call around and see if there are any in your area that may not be "certified avian" but have or will treat birds.

While I realize that not every one has close access to an avian vet (I'm one of them!), it's important to make sure we are giving our birds the care they need. Like Connie suggested, call around and see if there are any vets in your area who treat birds. If not, then please make the trip to the avian vet asap.

here is a name of a timbrado canary breeder in your area (maybe)? I just did a random search on the internet, maybe he knows of a good avian vet in the area???? Best of luck.

BILLY
Timbrado breeder
Breeding timbrados for song Email: bad10703@aol.com. St Augustine, FL

Hi and welcome to the forum. I hope Gonzo is ok...I too would be trying to get him to a vet asap, they can get worse very quickly. I agree with the what a couple of other people have said, ring around and find out if there are other vets in your area that treat birds, but be careful. I went to a vet that treated birds and not an avian vet and got REALLY BAD ADVICE, it ended up that I had to take my bird to an avian vet 3 weeks later and she needed surgery (she had a very different problem to your Gonzo). But I'm just saying be careful.

Good luck and I hope you find answers soon

I hope you got the little guy to avian vet and his okay! Please lets us know when you get a chance!

I've been thinking about this a while...Call around, see if anyone treats exotics.

In the mean time, keep him warm with a light as Casey's Mom suggested and make sure he continues to eat, drink and poop. Also check his toys for missing parts such as bell clappers and beads etc. Good luck and please keep us posted.

Any news about Gonzo? How is he doing today??

Hi everyone, Gonzo seems to be a bit better today, more lively and trying to speak more. I did get in touch with a local woman who breeds birds and rescuse birds. She said it sounds like he has a full crop or maybe a parcially blocked crop and told me that she would take a look at him. She said to massage the crop and make sure he drinks plenty of water so that maybe it will break up. Ill be taking him to her tomorrow morning. She also did recommend an excellent avian vet that she uses about 30 minutes from me. So we have some options now. But like I said he is acting more normal today & his breathing isnt as heavy as yesterday. He is loving all the attention Im giving him. Ill keep you all posted as we progress. Thank you all so much for your support.
Linda

Hi Linda,

Others here have given you wonderful advice, though I am feeling the need to put in my "two cents". NOTHING and NOONE can take the place of an avian vet. I cannot stress enough the importance of vetting your bird annually, at the very least. More so, at the very first sign of an odd behavior, it is urgent to have your bird seen by an avian vet.

Birds are wonderful little masters of disguise when it comes to illness. Perhaps this is because they are still so closely associated with the wild, and instinct tells them that any sign of weakness will allow them to fall prey to a predator.

It is wonderful that the breeder in your area has offered advice, and even better that this individual has shared the name of a reputable avian vet in your area. Though this person may have experience in breeding birds, that is no substitution for the medical knowledge an avian doctor brings to the table.

I believe most on this forum would agree with me; the single most important thing any companion parrot owner can do for the health and well being of their bird is to establish a relationship with an avian veterinarian, and vet appropropriately. Part of vetting appropriately is knowing what signs to look for in order to recognize your bird may be ill. I am positive the avian vet can visit this topic with you and give you wonderful information about it.

All of us live and learn ... and this forum makes it very nice to learn from others about what to do when, and how. Everyone here is extremely helpful, and I do hope you will take into consideration what I have written about this subject.

Kind regards,
Joni

Great post, Joni

Thank you for the advice Joni, and I totally agree. We have an appointment tomorrow morning at 10:30. It is a very well known avian hospital with a top rated doctor, so I know Gonzo will get the best care available.
He is doing much better today then yesterday, but Im still concerned about the lump in his neck and his breathing. He is my main concern right now and I will do whatever it takes to make him well again. Hes my baby.
I'll report back here tomorrow afternoon with an update. Thank you all again.

Good luck with the vet appointment , this is the best action to take and I hope that Gonzo will be o.k..
Keeping him in my thoughts ..sending Hugs from across the miles ...

Good luck at the vet, hopefully it's easily fixable and Gonzo will be all better in no time!

*Hugs*

Just checking for any up-dates...fingers crossed here...

I hate it when our babies get sick. I am hoping your little guy gets better. Please let us know what the vet said, waiting on pins and needles.

We're back from the vet. They took blood, feces and crop cultures to do a complete screening. The Dr. will call me tonight or tomorrow morning with the results from the blood tests. The culture results will be back in 7-10 days.

After a complete exam, the doctor said the crop was normal and she didnt feel anything out of the ordinary. As for his breathing, she did detect a slight heart murmur and she said that after we get the test results back, she will do an x-ray to see if his heart may be enlarged. Shes also wants to check his liver. This may be because of his diet.

She said Gonzo will need a change in diet, that he has a little too much fat deposits. So its only fruits, veggies & pellets now, no more junk. His weight was 138 gr. so its a little on the high side.
The vet assistant also said that he might be acting different because of a hormonal change, but again we have to wait for the test results and see how he progresses.

He is so exhausted after the vet visit that he just wants to lay on me on his blanket. Being the blood is taken by cutting a foot nail close enough to bleed, his foot is sore.

I Pray that the test results come back normal and that he will be his old self in no time.
He was such a good patient today & Im very proud of him. When I keep saying "Gonzo was a good boy today"...he repeats in a soft voice "Gonzo good boy".
I'll let you all know the results when I find out.

Thank you all so much for all your support!!!

Tell Gonzo we know he is a good boy. Prayers continue that he will be OK

Hi Lindak,

I am sooo happy to hear that you took Gonzo to the vet for a thorough screening! I am anxious to hear how the gram stain and the blood work comes back, but simply recognizing the weight issue is HUGE.

We have a Blue Fronted Amazon who came to us extremely overweight, and has successfully lost 121 grams since January. The diet change was nothing nice for him (or us LOL), but it has made such a huge impact on his abilities, energy level, and attitude that it is amazing. I am happy to share some hints that worked with you if you like, just PM me!

Sounds like Gonzo had a big day, and took it like a trooper! Give him lots of snuggles and loves, and tell him his extended family is very proud he was such a good boy!

Hugs,
Joni

Hi Everyone,
The doctor called me last night with Gonzos blood work results. He passed every test with flying colors. All his levels were normal and no sign of infections. We still need to wait 7-10 days for the culture results.
He is favoring his foot where they took the blood from and hes still very tired today. With all the blood they took out of his small body, I completely understand.
He is resting comfortably mostly on my lap in a blanket, but still taking the time to eat healthy foods and drinking water.

I cant tell you all how relieved I was to her that good news from the doctor. I couldnt eat for 2 days worrying about him. After the call came from the doctor, my stomach started rumbling and I got my appetite back.

I would definately like to here anyones advice on what foods Gonzo might like that are healthy for him.

Thank you all again for being there for us through this difficult time.

i don't know what your feeding him now, but we have ross on Zupreem Fruit blend. my vet recommended b/c the different pellets offer a wide variety of calcium as well as nutrients that are great for birds. ross took to it very well, but there are other brands that are good. im sure someone will come along w/more experience. best of luck to you!

Thanks for your suggestion. He doesnt care for pellets but I was thinking of crushing them up and maybe sprinkling them on other fools to see if he will eat them that way. I also bought some fresh fruits and vegetables for him to try.
He is doing so much better now...almost back to normal, except that he is still favoring his foot a little.
His voice is coming back to normal and his activity is picking up more each day.

awww so glad to hear Gonzo is starting to feel better....

you could try sprinkling the crushed pellets on his food now to let him get a taste for them and once he is feeling better I would highly recomend the conversion method on this site located here:

http://www.quakerparrots.com/forum/index.php?showtopic=1366

it really works and the pellet diet is the best diet we can offer our fids right now.. somewhere around 50-70% pellets (go by what your vet advises)and the rest fresh foods with finally some seed thrown into his diet a couple of times a week should give Gonzo the best well rounded diet he needs and will prevent him from gaining much more weight then he needs...

Sending healing vibes Gonzo's way

The vet called today with Gonzos culture test results. He has a slight bacteria in his crop. We'll be going to the vet tomorrow for some medication.
Has anyone ever given their bird oral medication? I was just wondering how hard it is to administer.
I know he will fight me foot & beak when its medicine time.
He is back to noraml 110%. His voice is back full strength, hes eating like theres no tomorrow and his activity level is on HIGH.

awww what a good lil trooper! im glad to know its something treatable!! and its good to hear he's coming back around! i don't have exp. in the medicine, but im bumping it up for someone that does! good luck!!!!

Oral medication isn't that hard to give, hopefully the stuff they give you will taste good so after the first or second dose he'll readily take it. But the easiest way for me, and I'm a right hander is to hold the bird on the counter with my left hand and have his head pointing to the right.

With my left index finger and thumb I grasp gently but firmly behind his head and lower mandible so he can't squirm and with the dropper or syringe tip I place it in the corner of his beak where the little gap is and gently open his mouth with the tip of the dropper or syringe, then I keep the tip as close to the left side of his tongue as I can tip his head back slightly and squirt the medicine in. IF its good flavored he'll get to the point where he'll just take it off the end of the dropper onto his tongue and swallow it, but if its nasty tasting you'll probably have to use the method I just described and keep it to the back of his throat so he can't shake his head and spit it out. Good Luck.

Connie gave real good advice, as usual. There was an article about administering oral meds in the latest bird talk mag. or bird USA mag. can't remember which.
But ask the vet to give you a demonstration. I'm a visual person.

And I'm so glad to hear he's doing well! Cheers to you, Mom!