Poor Balance/Listing in Sick Hen

[MiaCarter]

Ginene -- Yeah, I was thinking about that too. Especially considering how difficult it's been for her to drink.

I usually do that when they're super sick and it's usually no trouble, as they become very pliable when seriously ill. But as I mentioned, she's mentally normal and will be more of a challenge. (She's semi tamed. She doesn't love being handled. She always tries to hop/fly away and only grudgingly jumps onto your finger.) So I hadn't tried it yet, as I know stress can be a big contributor for Twirlers/Stargazing.

The only thing is that it doesn't have crop dosing info on the package (for both, I think. At least for the trimethoprim sulfa; I don't recall specifically on the nystatin)

I'll need to find some mg/to weight dosages for those!

[Corkysgirl]

What if you call Laraine and ask her?
How has she been today?

[Corkysgirl]

MiaCarter I've been wondering how Priscilla is?

[MiaCarter]

Corkysgirl --- Looking better! To be honest, I'm shocked!
She was so unwell that part of me didn't expect to see any improvement, you know?

But she's looking good! Her balance is still shot, but she's spending more time sitting on the edge of her nest (rather than sitting inside, which has been the status quo for the better part of the last week.)

She's still doing her mumbling/chattering thing. It seems like a happy sound.
You know how they seem to chatter and vocalize in "waves", where they all get excited together, then it fades away for a bit. Then repeat. Well she's been vocalizing with the "waves" of bird chatter, which is good.

When she does sit in her nest, she peeks up over the edge more often too.

My only worry is that the skin around her vent looked a bit irritated. She had some seeds and hay bits stuck on there (from sitting in her nest).

But hopefully the antibiotics should take care of that. Her droppings are normal color and consistency and I'm giving her probiotics. So I think it's just because she's in a small nest and she bumped up against it while still wet. I'll be keeping an eye on that for sure! It's a bit hard to tell what's going on with seeds and hay bits stuck on there.
She's not a big bather, so if she's looking icky, then I may give her a dip in some warm water to clean her up. I've been keeping her nest pretty clean by pulling out the soiled bedding and putting in fresh hay every couple days.

[Corkysgirl]

That's great that she's feeling better! I thought the little chattering meant she was feeling better. Did you/can you change the paper under her in the nest...assuming she has shredded paper towel under her. I can't remember what her nesting material is. I am thinking if there is any older poop under her, the bacteria in that is older and it would be beneficial if she was sitting on clean paper. I do that with my bird with the eye infection. Besides bleaching her perch...constantly, I keep changing her paper under her so there's no bacteria. It just may help with her little fanny issue. I've been praying she gets better.

[MiaCarter]

Corkysgirl -- Yeah, I've been changing out the hay in her nest regularly.
I've also been stocking the nest with food drizzled with probiotics and vitamins, as I know she'll eat whatever I put in there. Also to make it easier for her, as I can see how difficult it is for her to get around.

I usually use paper towel bits for bedding/nesting, but Molly Sue has been a huge twerp, stealing things from their nest. (He's already stolen most of their millet sprays).
He would steal the paper towel bits if I used those, and then, he'd bury his eggs.

So I used hay instead. They don't really use hay for nesting, so it's the only thing that stays put! LOL

The problem is that it's a prime pooping spot lately! Elvis sits on the edge of the nest all day. And when Ivy isn't sitting on her eggs, she joins him. Invariably, pooping happens.
Together, they fuss over Priscilla, sometimes sitting with her and other times preening her. It's so sweet. I've seen mates do that, but I've never seen a female do that to another female who's not her mate. Usually, they ignore and even alienate the sick bird. So I'll take it!

[Corkysgirl]

You're doing everything perfect...and yes poop happens. I just didn't know if she's been in there a long time...and it was paper towels for nesting material and you could take the top layer off, just to make sure she wasn't sitting in old poop. Just trying to think of everything possible to help. I should know you really do think of everything! That's so cute that she's taken care of by the other birds. I know it's not normal...and usually the contrary is true...they are picked on.

[MiaCarter]

Monday Morning Update:

For the first time, I'm really believing that Priscilla might just pull through!

She really does seem to be getting better with this new medicine! (vs coincidence, seeing what I want to see and wishful thinking).

She was eating on the cage floor and she was actually standing for the first time in close to 2 weeks! She has been sitting/crouching due to her total lack of balance, so you couldn't see her legs. But today I saw legs and air under her body!

Fingers crossed!!

[Corkysgirl]

That's so great to hear! I'm so happy for you Mia!!!

[MiaCarter]

I'm happy to report that Priscilla is doing really well!

It seems the Trimethoprim Sulfate and Nystatin combo did the trick!

She's not 100% yet, but she's *much* better and no longer spending all day in the nest!
Her balance seems to have returned to normal. The only abnormality remaining is that she's sitting low on the perch, very slightly fluffed. But sometimes, she does perch normally. No more listing to her left at all.
But otherwise, she's spending time perched instead of in the nest, which was impossible just a few days ago!

I took a few photos this morning for my "meet the birds" page on my new site and I got the most precious photo of Priscilla that I wanted to share.
You can see the sitting low on the perch and slightly fluffed bit.



I'm just amazed that she came back to me! She was just so sick; the only thing that gave me hope was the fact that she was still eating, drinking and alert.
It's rare when they're that sick; they usually pass away. Birds seem to be especially predisposed to these crazy recoveries. Cats and dogs almost always die when they get that sick.

She's been on the meds for about a week or so now. I'm thinking we'll do a 2-week course, depending on how she progresses. I prefer to medicate for a couple days after they return to normal to ensure the bacteria is all killed off, as I've had instances of recurrence when I stopped antibiotics too soon. I don't want her to go through this again!!

[Corkysgirl]

GREAT news Mia! I'm so happy for you and Priscilla! She looks great! I think it's wise to continue the meds. I made the mistake of stopping the antibiotics too soon with my old lady bird, Little Fawn. Not according to the directions, too soon, just too soon for her because of her immune system and her age. I just know how bad it can be. Now she is on a continual prophylactic antibiotic regiment. I would never do it with any other bird but given her age and ability to fight it any more. She's just too old and weak so if I even cut it back she's remits back to where she was, or worse. Laraine and I discussed it and better she lives as long as she can without being miserable by staying on them.
Anyway...soon will be the day when Priscilla is flying about and perching high!

[MiaCarter]

Corkysgirl - It's really incredible how well she is, considering where she was just a few days ago!
I'm just amazed and delighted!

Is Little Fawn the one with the bad eye?
How do you do the meds? Is she caged alone and the meds given in the water or do you crop tube her?
I'd do the same thing, giving her medications if it helps improve her life. I've done it many times before and I'd do it again!

We've had many animals that others would have euthanized, but if we can achieve a good quality of life through medications and special adaptations, then that's what we do!
I had a little dog who had the dog-version of multiple sclerosis. It was an autoimmune disease that attacked nerves. First it got the trigeminal nerve on her face, so she couldn't blink or eat, so we did fluid injections and hand-fed (oddly, she never needed eye drops. Her eyes always watered and stayed moist, though she slept with her eyes open.)
Then it got her esophagus, causing a condition called megaesophagus, so we had to keep her upright for an hour after eating.
Then her legs went. We got her a quad wheelchair, but it was her front and rear legs affected, so she didn't have enough strength. So we started using a stroller for walks and during the day, I'd wear her in a sling and she LOVED it! I work at home so I was literally with her 24/7.
She needed lots of adaptation and medications, but she was such a happy, spunky kid right up until the end!
I see it like this: they only have one life. Once it's over, it's done. So if we can achieve a good quality of life - a life worth living - then we do whatever is necessary to achieve that.
As I see it, it's not my life to end. I'm just a caretaker. I don't make those decisions; I don't feel as though I have that right. I let the animal make the decision. I wait for them to tell me when they're ready to leave. They always tell you; you just need to listen.

[Corkysgirl]

That's really a sweet story about your little dog. I have a friend who has her dog in the quad wheelchair. Sad story, fell down the stairs the day her house burned down from a candle tip over by her cat. Yes, we are the caretakers. It's so hard when the day comes to say goodbye.
Little fawn has had this chronic eye infection over three years...on and off. I finally realized it would come back each time I fed her greens from the garden...not from the store. We use organic chicken manure but I think there is something she gets passed onto her from it because it would clear up and then come back immediately after I'd feed her the greens. The third year she got it, she just couldn't fight it any more. I treated her with colloidal silver drops in her eye. She HATES being caught multiple times per day. It just traumatizes her! I treated her with Gentamycin Opthalmic drops from the Avian vet. It never cleared up entirely. Amoxitex and CS drops didn't clear it up. Doxycycline/Megamix didn't clear it up entirely. I tried the Colloidal silver again because if I stopped the antibiotics one day, her eye infection came back with a vengeance. I contacted Laraine each time. Finally she said I should put a band aid over her eye as she rubbed it open each time. I did that for weeks until it healed enough, wasn't raw at least. I finished the Gentamycin drops when I took the band aid off. She is also on Doxycycline/Megamix/Tylosin and Really Raw honey or she wouldn't drink it as it's nasty but also because it has antibiotic properties. I put "it" on the gaping wound she rubbed and it healed it. (I had no antibiotic cream) I also put Bach Rescue Remedy in her water/meds every day. She wasn't leaving the nest at all. Now she is very active! I can see her eye glistening...and it would come back if I stop...I know. She has no perches, just her nest (It sits on the floor) which rests on the floor with a soft cloth on top so she can't rub her eye. She has a paper towel cushioning the opening of her nest, so she can't rub it. Now that she feels better she hops up and down from the floor to the top of her nest and worries about everyone! She is alone in her nest. She had her fostered female with her for years and she never caught the infection. I finally decided to put her with a male and they had chicks. She's the one that drowned. She's happy and can see everyone all around her. Mamma...the matriarch!