I did a REAL stupid thing! Zebra left from 11a-9p w/o water

[amber_d]

I have some sort of virus or respiratory issue in some of my birds. My hospital cage has the pair with the affected female I've been treating. I have been treating them both so get doesn't get sick as well... However, I did something VERY stupid today. Normally, I catch one and medicate, then place in a small carrier while I do the next one (so I don't freak him out while catching the other one and end up grabbing the wrong bird). Well, I did him first at around 11am, put him in the small carrier which I then covered in a jersey sac from a sheet set.
I medicated her and put her back in the cage. He was in there until 9pm when I got back from dealing with a disaster from my college messing up my timetable and clinical placement, which my mind was on while I was treating them.
I was obviously distracted and neglectful. Luckily-there was some pellets in the bottom and millet, so he had food, but NO WATER for 10 HOURS! I'm terrified his organs are going to shut down from shock, as a result of not having water for 10 hours. I debated force feeding him formula to help re-hydrate, but again was scared of putting him into shock and him dying.
I feel like such a total failure-these birds deserve better than that.
Is there anything I can do? or should I let him do his own thing?
Do you think he'll be ok?

[lovezebs]

amber_d

Well, if he's survived this long, then I think he should be ok.
I hope you have offered him some water now.

I imagine that at times in the wilds of Australia, these birdlings must survive without water for some hours.

Good luck

[amber_d]

amber_d

Well, if he's survived this long, then I think he should be ok.
I hope you have offered him some water now.

I imagine that at times in the wilds of Australia, these birdlings must survive without water for some hours.

Good luck

Thanks

[lovezebs]

amber_d

Keep us updated, as to how your birdlings are doing .

[tt101]

Its not a big deal at all. Animals can handle no food and water for a few days even, sometimes when we get new shy birds, they don't eat or drink for days. These birds come from australia which goes through a very very dry season so they must have adaptations to deal with it.

[Sally]

amber_d

Don't beat yourself up too much, most of us have made a similar mistake. I have lost birds because I forgot to put a waterer back on a cage. Birds can go longer without food than without water, they normally cannot go more than a day without water. Your little guy is probably OK, I'm assuming he drank right away when you did put him back in the cage.

[amber_d]

He guzzeled up a bunch of water as soon as I put him back in-he seems fine today thank God!!!!

[amber_d]

He is doing well. However, as mentioned before he is in a hospital cage with his mate because she as sick before. She seemed to have a possible bacterial respiratory, which we treated with antibiotics and a mite treatment just in case (both of which the vet prescribed), and she got better. Over the 14 days we accidentally missed a couple antibiotic treatments, but stopped after the 14 days. she was fine for about a week, but she started thrashing with her head trying to get something up almost a sneeze like sound, and raspy/almost squeaky sounds when breathing open-beaked. So, we started treating her again (on the advice of the vet because she got better last time) with antibiotics but this time she's up and down, not actually seeming to get better. The vet had said maybe she had an allergic reaction to the glycol compound or something in the mite treatment... however she didn't have this reaction last time from our knowledge (she had these symptoms the first time PRIOR to treatment). I'm hoping its not a toxicity thing (she told us to treat with 0.01 on neck once a week for 3 weeks) She is eating and drinking, though i'm sure less than she should.... she feels underweight. This is day 4 of treatment, usually we see improvement with antibiotics next day so I'm not sure where to go from here or what could be her issue.

[lovezebs]

amber_d

I would be concerned, that due to the missed doses of antibiotics, whatever she has might have built up resistance to this antibiotic.

If there is no improvement, I would ask the Vet, if there is a different antibiotic you could use (just in case) and make sure that she gets the meds every day without fail.

Also after giving antibiotics, I have heared, that it's always a good idea to follow up with some probiotics, to get her intestines back to functioning normally.

Glad to hear your boy survived his ordeal.

Good luck .

[amber_d]

We continued with the regime of antibiotics.... even did an extra day and did not miss any doses. She did improve, but a day and 1/2 after we stopped she started up with the same symptoms- so we started with a different antibiotic that we put in her water. Vet originally thought because she wasnt getting better after the first day that it was a fungal issue-but since she DID get better finally after the 5th day and was fine until a day and a half after treatment stopped-I'm not sure what to think. I'm hoping the different antibiotics work. Lovezebs you're right-maybe it is a resistance issue. I'm hoping this kind of antibiotic works...

She's a sweet girl that somehow survived her parents abandoning her (and even attacking her) after she came out of the nest, so we have a special attachment to her. She used to be so hungry for cuddles with the other birds she would almost knock them off the perch she would butt up beside them so hard. Needless to say those parents are not allowed to have anymore babies-they are terrible parents-so we switch their eggs with fake ones.