please help

[Tiana1686]

i have a Fischers lovebird that I got about a month ago. He is a young bird but prob not even a year old I believe maybe. I just recently took her to the vet because he didnt seem right. The vet said he may have upper resp. infection and gave him meds. because he's tail is bobbing and he has been really quiet. He doesnt chirp. He is starting to eat better (brocolli, carrots, pellets and seeds so far). but he still quiet. I let him out and he walks around my house and goes on my parakeets cages but he doesnt chirp. Only time he chirps (more like yells) is when we're trying to catch him and get him out of his cage. At night he fluffs up and just sits on his rope perch. ALso when I am around he never eats or moves around his cage but once i move and go to a different room he eats and moves around. Also he has been cleaning him self alot esp when he is on the top of my parakeets age. I watch him do it when he cant seem me. He is not tamed and Ive been trying to tame him but its hard. I hold him and pet him and talk to him constantly but he still doesnt trust me. Please help me any advice would be great.

[linda040899]

Hi and welcome to Lovebirds Plus Community!

Congratulations on your new Fischer's Lovie! Fischer's are a bit more shy than the Peachfaced species but, trust me, they can be very friendly once you've gained their trust and become part of their flock.

In order to gain his trust, it sounds like you're going to have to adopt a hands off approach. Sit by his cage, talk to him, let him come out of the cage but if you want to move him somewhere else, offer a perch or dowel for him to step up on. A lot of birds don't like human hands and it sounds like yours does not like to be grabbed or held just yet. That's not uncommon. He may not be well socialized by his breeder or he may even have been raised by his parents. Neither scenario will prevent him from trusting you and wanting to be with you. You just have to take it on his terms and go with the flow, so to speak.

Where do you have his cage located within the room that he's in? Depending on your answer, you may find he's not comfortable and moving his cage may be what's necessary. Got any photos of him yet?

[bird-brain]

Hi, I am very new to lovebirds but not to birds in general so I speak from limited and different experience. Please lovie vets chime in if I am off. First I would ask if your vet is an avian vet? It has been my experience that there are times when birds are ill that a general vet who also sees birds isn't always the best choice. I don't take my horses to the same vet who sees my dogs and cats for the very same reason.

If your lovie isn't well, he/she is going to act as if he/she doesn't feel well. you didn't mention if your bird is clipped? I wonder if free roam for a bird who is hand shy is a good thing. I have found that with hand shy birds a limited range is better because being caught is traumatic for them. A small room that is bird proofed and open access to return to the cage when frightened may be better?

Also, You said the vet gave medication. are you still giving medication to the bird? Do you have a follow up with the vet scheduled so that you know the infection has cleared? I have seen URI's turn into pneumonia very quickly in birds so a follow up with a vet would be prudent.

I would question an ill bird interacting with my keets also. Until the infection is cleared up I don't think I would expose your healthy birds to his infection.

Other than that, as Linda said, don't force contact. I know it works with most keets but as I have learned, don't treat the lovebird like a parakeet. They are worlds apart. Please read through the posts here. I learned tons just reading (will never use a convection microwave for example) and please update us on condition and progress. Good Luck!

[Birkah]

I only have the one lovie, but when introducing new fids, we're supposed to quarantine for thirty days, right?

[bird-brain]

I have always been told at least 30 days. Some say 60. But I can't think of any illness that has a 60 day incubation period. Anyone?

[dieflying]

i wish i had the room/money to even begin a bird room like the one pictured. it looks amazing. ropes, swings, boinngs, perches... awesome.

wrong thread... heh heh. how do you delete?

[michael]

i have a Fischers lovebird that I got about a month ago. He is a young bird but prob not even a year old I believe maybe. I just recently took her to the vet because he didnt seem right. The vet said he may have upper resp. infection and gave him meds. because he's tail is bobbing and he has been really quiet. He doesnt chirp.........

........ At night he fluffs up and just sits on his rope perch.........

Hi Tiana. ... I'm sorry to hear your lovie may be ill. .... Do keep an eye on your new lovebird. Make sure he's in a warm place (away from drafts, etc) ... Should he appear continually fluffed, gets weaker, or the tail bob persists, contact your vet as soon as possible. ..... Are the broccoli, carrots, pellets, and seeds his usual diet? ... Have you seen him drinking water? ... Can you could provide us a couple pics?

[Tiana1686]

Michael,

His regular diet was seeds. I know all seed diet is bad and it bad so I have been putting seeds, vegetables and pellet. also I got one of those red lights that are good for birds that keeps them wam. His tail is still bobbing. He is eating and drinking water and I am still feeding him his medicine 2 more days and It will be done. He is not tamed so its hard for me to even catch him. How do we upload pics I cant seem to figure it out on here.

[linda040899]

also I got one of those red lights that are good for birds that keeps them wam.
You are talking about an infrared light, correct? Is the one you are using made specifically for birds? If not, change it out for a regular light bulb! Some infrafed bulbs are coated with teflon to prevent them from shattering due to heat. The ones used in restaurants are teflon coated. If you are not sure, don't use it. Avitech (http://www.avitech.com) sells heat panels and ceramic heating elements that don't emit any light but the heat from them is good for birds and those are safe to use.

In order to post a photo here, you need to upload your picture to an online storage site and post the URL for the picture here. Photobucket is one option, as is Webshots, Shutterfly and Flckr.

[Tiana1686]

thanx linda i will try to do that.. I got a Zoo Med Nightlight Red Reptile Bulb from Pets Mart.. 100 Wats.... it said its for birds too
http://www.petsmart.com/product/index.jsp?productId=2752598

[Tiana1686]

here are some pics I hope I did this right...

http://i19.photobucket.com/albums/b153/tiana1686/IMG00230-20100118-2045.jpg

http://i19.photobucket.com/albums/b153/tiana1686/IMG00228-20100118-2044.jpg

http://i19.photobucket.com/albums/b153/tiana1686/IMG00227-20100118-2043.jpg

[linda040899]

Does the packaging say it's OK for birds? I read the details on the site and all I see is reptiles. Ptfes released by teflon coating will not harm reptiles but they are deadly to birds. If birds are not mentioned specifically on the packaging, replace the bulb with an incandescent bulb and cover the cage on 3 sides with a dark towel. That will minimize the amount of light that your bird will see and the dark fabric will absorb/hold the heat.

[Tiana1686]

The Nightlight bulb is an ideal 24-hour heat source for all types of reptiles. It allows you to view your reptile's nocturnal activity, without altering the day/night light cycles. It is crafted of true red glass, not painted clear glass, for optimal viewing and better heat transfer.

Also ideal as a 24 hour heat source for all types of reptiles, birds or small animals.

Made in China.

Available in 40, 60 or 100 watts bulbs. thats what it says on the website...

I tried to cover 3 sides of the cage but the bird got really scared and flew to the bottom of the cage... so my avian vet told me to just put the light on I dont leave it for a long time.. 15-20 minutes than i turn it off because Im afraid he wont be able to sleep or it could get really hot.

[linda040899]

Also ideal as a 24 hour heat source for all types of reptiles, birds or small animals.
This is what I didn't see on the site.

You definitely have a Fischer's Lovebird and a very pretty one at that!

[Tiana1686]

thank you!!! I dont even know whats wrong with him I just want ot make him happy. He bit me today as I was holding him and was breathing really fast.... I dont want him to die.. I already spend so much money at the vet just to take his blood out

[bookworm0550]

i hope he'll get better. what's his name? he sure is a cutie. i want a fischer but they are hard to come by here. i never see them anywhere. not even on craigslist. it takes time for them to come around so just be patient. they may still not let you pet them, but it's ok. i have a two birds that don't like to be petted, but they'll hang out on my head or shoulders. i think he might have been breathing fast because he was scared. my birds all did that when they first arrived here and i would handle them.

[HaleBoppPeachyluv]

My halebopp was a fischer, htough i think mine was more red on top... and he was definitely smaller than any of my peachfaces. I haven't seen any recently in my parts.

Have you gotten a heated perch maybe? My mom's hina loves hers, stands on it all the time.... my sunny doesn't like to stand on hers, but does like to lean on it--it's perpendicular to another perch--when it's cooler.

[Tiana1686]

His name is Sunny. I was thinking of getting a heated perch but I wasnt sure how safe they are esp since you have to plug it in. Im not sure if they can damage a bird or not. I just hope he gets better and trusts me. Hes so scared he wont let me get him he screams. Hes so quiet he doesnt even chirp during the day only when Im trying to get him. I always go by him and stand near his cage and talk to him but all he does is just look at me and sit on his perch,.

[bookworm0550]

have you played youtube videos of lovebirds for him? i did that w/ mine when joey was an only bird and i still do that for them.

[Pips mom]

I sure hope that you lovie gets better soon! Pip has had bacterial infections of upper respiratory, but I'm lucky....only signs he showed of this was on his feathers, wet nose/nares and then blackening of feathers over his ear, so I was able to notice the problem before he showed any signs of not feeling well....he was his normal, lil monster self the whole time! The meds always cleared up the infections fast and seemed to work well. The fact that you only have two days left of meds and he is still showing signs of not being well I don't think is a good sign. I think I'd bring him back in again.
As far as what someone else said about the avian vet thing.....I have two vets here and both treat birds and exotics,....neither are certified avian vets, but seem very experienced and I have known alot of others who have found vets that aren't avian certified that are just as good! For alot of people the choice really isn't one they can make anyway, as avian vets are sometimes hard to come by. In my area I'd have to travel about an hour to get to one. In an emergency, I'd prefer my vet be closer and plus I have one bird who gets car sick, so the vet being closer is what's best for her. I like and trust the vets that I have.....if something ever changed with that and I felt like my bird wasn't getting well or that they didn't knew what was wrong, I'd definitely look into other options at that point or maybe seek out an avian vet, but until then, I'm content with the ones I have.

[linda040899]

If you are thinking about getting a heated perch for Sunny, this one is made specifically for birds and it's safe. http://www.drsfostersmith.com/product/prod_display.cfm?pcatid=10899 One of our members, Chickobee, has them for all her birds and she tells us that her birds just absolutely adore them. Just make sure that the one you get is Thermo Perch. Birds have gotten badly burned feet from other brands.

[michael]

........ He bit me today as I was holding him and was breathing really fast.... I dont want him to die.. I already spend so much money at the vet just to take his blood out

Tiana. ... Sunny is very pretty!.....:blush:.....I'd say he/she was worth a couple bites every now and then! ... Never fear though, at one time or another almost all of us suffer a few pecks. Just have to learn how to avoid them. .... I would imagine if your vet performed bloodwork, then he's likely an avian vet. .. Hope so. ... Can you tell what kind of medicine was prescribed? .... Really, Sunny looks like he's in fairly good shape. The fact that he's a bit nippy can often mean he's not too worse for wear. Hopefully, once those pesky meds are finished, you can both afford a more congenial approach towards getting to know each other. .. And those vet bills will be finished too!

As far as his diet. ... Great to hear your already offering Sunny a variety of healthy foods! ... Along with a good seed mix, this will certainly make his life much more enjoyable. The only momentary concern here, was that he had access to foods he was familiar with as some birds can actually starve if only allowed foods they may not yet recognize. ... So how do you retrieve him from his cage?... By hand/dowel stick?..........:)

[HaleBoppPeachyluv]

The perch linda linked from dr. fosters is the same one I got for my Sunnybird and for my mom's hina. Here's a picture i just took of my mom's Hina (i'm fidsitting) like 5minutes ago with my cellphone. she stands right on hers. She's also eggnant, so it probably helps warm her little bum.

http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4048/4287309718_f9e5bf9f48_o.jpg

My sunnybird will stand on a lower perch & lean up against hers.

We've used them for over a year now & have never had problems with them. They stay a consistent warm tempurature & the birdies hop on or off at will. When the weather is too warm, like during summer days, we just unplug them.

Hina is very cage protective & a person CANNOT put their hands in her cage or she will bite to draw blood. We have to let her come out on her own. She'll step up, but does not like hands near her head & won't accept skritches. She lets my mom kiss her on the back, but that's it. Everybirdy has their own personality.... it just takes time to figure them out.

[FuzzyAga]

Your Fischer is very pretty. It's a shame that your lovie is sick so soon into your relationship, but the stress of going to a new home with you probably brought on this infection. It happened to Petey, my male peachfaced. There's no way to avoid this type of stress. The vet did a poop test and it came back with some sort of infection so right from the get-go I had to catch him and dose him for several days. I know this did not help foster trust in Petey, and I certainly didn't enjoy catching and dosing him as he was not tame. I tried to have everything set up so that I could do this whole process as fast as possible--catch him, dose him, release him. But we managed, as you are doing.

The one excellent thing about Petey is that he doesn't bite.

The fast breathing is also a sign of stress, so it's good to let him/her go immediately, if you can. If you can't, try to finish up as quickly as you can.

Be patient, and try to relax. You'll be fine. :)

[Tiana1686]

The antibiotic that he was given is Enrofloxacin 20 mg... The doc said to give it to him for 10 days... today willl be the 9th........ Im just said he is still quiet.. the Doc told me to call him this week to update so I deff will......Does anyone know how much other tests cost for birds?

[linda040899]

Enroflaxin is commonly known as Baytril, which is a broad spectrum antibiotic. It's usually one of the first choice meds, as it's effective against a wide range of bacteria. Keep in mind, however, it has no effect on fungus/yeast infections or viruses. My avian vet will normally prescribe it for 10 days if she does a Gram Stain and finds too many gram negative (bad) bacteria present in the sample that she looks at under the microscope. After the 10 days is up, she will do another Gram Stain to see if the gram negative bacterial population is less or under control. If the second test shows little or no improvement, next step is a Culture & Sensitivity.

C&S consists of samples taken from the mouth and cloaca of the bird and then sent out to a lab to see what grows. It will identify the problem organism, as long as it's bacterial, and will also match the proper medication needed to treat the problem. Do you have a follow up appointment?

Once you are done with the medication, ask your vet for a probiotic (usually lactobacillus) which is nothing more than good bacteria in powdered form and it will repopulate your lovie's digestive system with good bacteria since antibiotics kill all bacteria....good and bad. With all bacteria gone, there's a good chance that your bird could develop a fungal infection. You can also use plain yogurt to do the same thing but make sure you are using something like Dannon because you need live bacteria.

Costs of various testing will vary by area of the country you are in. Here in FL, a Culture & Sensitivity will run about $55.00.

Hope this is helpful.

[Tiana1686]

thank you so much linda. I just left my avian doc a message on asking him what to do next and about the probiotic medicine.... My bird is still quiet and just sits there... so idk whats wrong with it anymore. Hopefully by end of this week I will have a conclusion to all of this and the testing isisnt going to be extreme cost. He is still scared of me. I let him out by himself and when I give him his medicine i take him out and hes usually screaming but i have no other way. I feel so bad.

[Tiana1686]

hey linda
i just talked to my vet and he said he wanted to get exrays on sunny but htey are 180 dollars ahh! I dont have that kind of money right now bc im laid off... but he said he was going to give me liquid probiotics... what are the benefits of probiotics and can these harm the bird at all... im not sure what kind he is going to give me but what do probiotics do to birds

[CompassionAk]

Maybe he would let you make small payments instead of all at once or perhaps you could do some work for him in exchange?I hope you find out what's going on with your baby and that he gets better soon.

[michael]

hey linda
i just talked to my vet and he said he wanted to get exrays on sunny but htey are 180 dollars ahh! I dont have that kind of money right now bc im laid off... but he said he was going to give me liquid probiotics... what are the benefits of probiotics and can these harm the bird at all... im not sure what kind he is going to give me but what do probiotics do to birds

Tiana. ... Benefits to probiotics (which include lactobacillus/bifadophilus found in yogurt) is somewhat two-fold, in that they help replace the good bacteria killed off by the use of antibiotics, which in turn helps aid in digestion. ... As far as any associated risks, unless the product itself is somehow contaminated, there should be no harm. ... The only real downside is whether or not certain probiotics are actually effective. If probiotics are found to be near to expiration, or composed of the more common "mammilian" version, then they may prove relatively ineffective.

The best type of probiotics i've ever administered were of the (Ultra Flora) powdered variety. Simply put, they last longer than the liquid version, and are more likely to be better consumed along with food. .. While the liquid can be (and usually is) added to drinking water, I don't find this as consistent a method of administering probiotics as with the powdered form you'd sprinkle on food. ... I also don't like the possible growth of bacteria in water either, even if it is good. ... Just my :2cents: ... Please check with your vet on this.

Did your vet offer any specific reason for the (expensive) X-Rays? ... I find this a little odd so early in the plans, especially seeing how the initial diagnosis still appears inconclusive.

[linda040899]

Probiotics are nothing but good bacteria and they are not harmful. You can't even overdose when using them. I've seen lactobacillus as a white powder but my avian vet also gave me a different brand that was tan. If the color is white, it's considered spoiled if the coloring turns tannish. I usually keep mine in the frig to extend the life of it.

[Tiana1686]

Linda,

I just got a probiotic from my vet today. It is in liquid form. Do i give it to him every day? What does this do to my bird.. Will i start seeing changes or anything? please let me know thanx

[michael]

Linda,

I just got a probiotic from my vet today. It is in liquid form. Do i give it to him every day? What does this do to my bird.. Will i start seeing changes or anything? please let me know thanx

Tiana. .. Did your vet offer any directions? .. Is there, or can you provide a brand name or other information listed on the package? ... Probiotics, much like the natural flora found in the digestive tract, help break down food as its passed through the system. ... Whenever antibiotics are given, it destroys this natural flora often resulting in slower digestion (constipation) and/or certain changes in the size/appearance/consistency of fecal matter (poops). .. Because probiotics help replace this natural flora, often times we'll notice a return to whats considered normal droppings (poopies again!). ... Noticable changes may be; Larger more frequent droppings (sometimes a little wetter), a healthy increase in appetite, and a return to more normal appearance/colour. About the only other GOOD thing it may do to your bird, is make him a bit more active.

Most probiotics are administered on a daily basis. The amount will depend on the type or brand of probiotics your using, as well as the method you choose to offer them. .. Don't worry though, there's really nothing "specialized" about offering your bird probiotics. .... Again, see if you can give us some specifics on the brand your using. ... I would also give your vet a call just to see what he/she says. At least thats free!...........:)

[Enko_chan]

I have always been told at least 30 days. Some say 60. But I can't think of any illness that has a 60 day incubation period. Anyone?

PBFD can take 90 days or longer to incubate and present symptoms. Most QT for 30-60 days unless they suspect their new bird may have been exposed to PBFD. Its always a serious fear of mine, after getting two sick birds in a row last year- I get mine vet checked and tested for the basic ailments right off the bat. The thing is, PBFD can also be difficult to test for until symptoms are already obvious. Its a frightening illness.