Hi Everyone

 

I won't go over old ground but a lot of you know about my darling boy Percy and all the problems he's had and is still having (liver, fatty lipoma, gut probs et al). The last infection he had diagnosed by faecal test was Strep and Staph. His gut has never been right in all the 6 years I've had him and various avian vets have never really come up with the answer. Anyway, just recently the gut problem got worse with poo stuck to him so a trip to the vets again. She was a little "off" because he looked and usually is very chirpy and his feathers were good, so I felt she thought I was being a little paranoid about him. I took a faecal sample to her and she sent it away and the results have come back that he has another infection, this time e-coli.

 

She said he seems as though he has a weak immune system because of all the problems he gets with his gut. Asked what she would do for the immune system she said nothing! I now have to give him a course of Baytril for the e-coli infection. I thought something could be done now that we know what is ailing him, but it looks like he will keep on having gut problems/infections because of the immune system.

 

Percy is eating pellets at times and for the last couple of weeks, I notice he is shedding a lot of water around his poo's... really wetting the paper, just as though I've spilt water on it! Mentioned this to the vet yesterday when she rang with the results and she said if that doesn't clear up after the antibiotics, then we should test for diabetes....aaarrrgh.... what else is this poor little lad going to suffer!!!

 

Does anyone else have a bird with weakened immune system and if so what do you do for it? As I say, Percy is chirpy most of the time, the only way you'd know he wasn't well is the poo's aren't normal and towards the end of the day he sits fluffed up over his back above the vent... just as though it's sore and making him uncomfortable. He flies round the room when he wants (is always out when we are home) and he is cheeky as ever, but with the continual gut problems/infections... I just wonder what the poor little devil is suffering.

 

Thanks for "listening"... I just get so downhearted about all my little boy has gone through in his short 6 years.... can't bear to see him suffer or know he is ill.... but am so pleased I can come here and talk about it and know you all understand.

 

Oh yes... can humans get the e-coli infection from budgies do you know.... just thought I'd ask as I know then to be careful with him around us?

 

Take care, hope you all have a good day/evening.

 

Chrissie x

I am sorry Percy is sick again :hap:

e-coli is not a nice bacteria and it is transmitted to humans - it's common in our gut. Be careful not to ingest any droppings by washing hands, not letting him walk on your tables etc.

 

here is a link on e-coli ---> here

Not necessarily birds but I personally have an immune condition that has resulted in me having a weak immune function. I am very prone to colds and flus. The best thing I have found for me is to eat well and I also take a number of vitamin and mineral supplements. Since starting this 'health regime' I have had fewer illnesses. I guess my best advice would be to make sure he is eating well and give him a good multivitamin supplement. By doing this you reduce stress to the body in other areas and this gives your immune system a fighting chance.

I have a friend who has a child who would catch EVERYTHING!!! after being to many doctors and giving the child endless antibiotics etc, she took matters into her own hands and drastically changed his diet to only contain natural healthy organic ingredients - He is now a happy HEALTHY boy

 

You are what you eat is a very true saying :hap:

You say he is out all the time. Is there something that he may have access to, that he shouldn't? Like a plant or something?

 

E.coli lives in our gut and normally it doesn't affect us, but when an animal is sick or has a low immunity, it takes advantage of this and colonises the gut. It is an opportunistic bacteria. You should be okay as long as you wash your hands after handling him. Infection can occur if the host is immunocompromised or there is a large pathogen load. So just keep it clean to keep the load down. A healthy adult should be okay.

Edited April 24, 200817 yr by Sailorwolf

You say he is out all the time. Is there something that he may have access to, that he shouldn't? Like a plant or something?

 

E.coli lives in our gut and normally it doesn't affect us, but when an animal is sick or has a low immunity, it takes advantage of this and colonises the gut. It is an opportunistic bacteria. You should be okay as long as you wash your hands after handling him. Infection can occur if the host is immunocompromised or there is a large pathogen load. So just keep it clean to keep the load down. A healthy adult should be okay.

 

Thanks for all your comments. No Percy doesn't touch anything whilst out of his cage (there's no plants or anything like that in the room), in fact he either sits on the branch on top of it or is inside when we aren't in the room. It's just that the doors of the cage are left open for him to come out if he wants but we find he rarely does until we come down to sit there.

 

I just wish there was something one could do for the weakened immune system though I have an autoimmune problem myself so I know what it can be like. He is having probiotics (Avi-pro) which contains a lot of vitamins too and of course when he eats the pellets there's vitamins in those. I'm not sure I should add anymore to his feeds etc.... he has fresh food and cooked carrots and brocolli... also hard boiled egg whites once a week, other than that I don't know what to do. With his liver being compromised the vet said to get him onto pellets solely as seed is fatty and doesn't help his liver, but Percy won't accept pellets full time, he eats them as well as seed which I feel is good. At the moment I've withdrawn the pellets to see if they are causing kidney problems with the wet droppings he's having. After a week I will see how it goes, if it's not those I wonder if it's the probiotics causing the water to come away from him..... talk about stress lol...... it's me who's suffering with it as I feel I am going round in circles to try and help my boy.

 

Chrissie x

Sorry to hear about Percy again. Poor little man. He doesn't have much luck does he. I can't really give you any advice cos I don't know much but I hope he improves.

when you are building up an immune system it is very hard to use the convential ways...do a google search with key words and you will find a lot of information to read.

 

Here is a website that I found and then you can google the different products on more information http://www.birdalog.com/index.cfm/S/46/Pet...Supplements.htm

 

Whatever you do if it helps or not Percy is in such loving hands.

I'm sorry Percy is having new problems now. I've got budgies with liver issues too, and right now they are getting milk thistle in the water, and I've been told to add fresh dandelion greens to their diet as they are a powerful liver tonic. They are being treated more holistically now than with conventional medicines. I have also given for the past few years to all of my birds an avian pro-biotic on their fresh food and sprouts - I get it here. I don't know if you give probiotics already, but it could help Percy with some of his gut issues. Please keep us posted, Percy is a sweetheart.

I'm sorry Percy is having new problems now. :budgiedance: I've got budgies with liver issues too, and right now they are getting milk thistle in the water, and I've been told to add fresh dandelion greens to their diet as they are a powerful liver tonic. They are being treated more holistically now than with conventional medicines. I have also given for the past few years to all of my birds an avian pro-biotic on their fresh food and sprouts - I get it here. I don't know if you give probiotics already, but it could help Percy with some of his gut issues. Please keep us posted, Percy is a sweetheart.

 

Thanks Rainbow. I have got the milk thistle for him and gave him a couple of drops in his water but then the gut problem worsened so he is only have the Baytril in his water now... that's gonna be for 10 days. I have been giving him probiotics too, so when the antibiotics have finished he will start back on the probiotics and the milk thistle. It's just that the weakened immune system is going to be a problem from what I can see.... just hope he picks up with that in a couple of weeks... apart from all this he is chirpy and lively which is wonderful to see... hope the a/biotics are helping him.

 

Thanks for your support and caring xxxx

Chrissie