Chocolate disaster

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MisterGribs
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Chocolate disaster

Post by MisterGribs » Sun Nov 26, 2017 9:47 am

My cot hen was running around the house, and found a dark chocolate truffle. She ate the entire thing, and started having seizures the next day.

She survive the initial theobromine poisoning, but now has extreme nausia (puking on me all day) horrible sour crop that might kill her.
I have her on lactose free active plain yogurt, and if she makes it past the initial infection, she'll be having spinach and boiled chicken for a week.

I'm upset that I was so careless, you would never expect a quail to gobble up chocolate, but they will, so please be careful with your holiday treats.
IMG_20171125_182538_849.jpg
2 black cheek zebras and 5 CFW zebras, one A&M pied coturnix hen, my darling cream/lavender coturnix roo, and his attitude.

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lovezebs
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Re: Chocolate disaster

Post by lovezebs » Sun Nov 26, 2017 10:52 am

MisterGribs

Oh nooo, poor litte piggy (eating a whole chocolate truffle). Did you catch her in the act?

I hope she'll pull through and stay away from chocolate from now on.

I had never thought birds would be attracted to chocolate, it's so different from what they would normally eat.

Good luck little girl [-o< .
~Elana~

Linnies~ Canaries ~ Zebras ~ Societies ~ Gouldians ~ Orange Cheeks ~ Shaft Tails ~ Strawberries ~ Red Cheek Cordon Bleu ~ Goldbreasts ~ Red Brows ~ Owls ~ Budgies ~ Diamond Firetails ~ Javas ~ Forbes Parrot Finches ~

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Re: Chocolate disaster

Post by MisterGribs » Sun Nov 26, 2017 7:19 pm

lovezebs Well no, I was oblivious to why she was cold, limp, and having seizures for a long time.

I warmed her up and gave her some guardian angel, annnnd then as soon as she stabilized she pooped dark, black chocolate. I was horrified.

She survived the chocolate, but then she got a horrible sour crop and started throwing up all over the place and getting worse. I would give her more yogurt and guardian angel, the infection cleared at once and she would perk back up for an hour or do and then act devastated again. I could not figure out what was wrong and why she still was acting sick after the yeast had gone, so I felt her crop to see if it still had some chocolate in there, and I did feel a soft obstruction. We gave her lots of oil and massage, but the object would not move up or down. She was continually vomiting this whole time, I got it in my eyes and all. And my mouth.

I tried to get the object out with a syringe, no good. I tried to get it out with a hemostat. Nope. Then I tried a small, fine crochet hook and grabbed onto what felt like a string or a loop of some kind. I could pull the object nearly to where it would be visible in her throat, but then encountered resistance and I would have to let it go. For 11 or 10 hours, me and Heta sat in front of the open oven, trying to keep her warm and hydrated while we tried to help her pass the obstruction. She was vomiting so frequently that she couldn't keep any food down and was essentially starving. I would feed her with a syringe straight into the crop every two hours like a baby, and she would throw at least half of it back up. She was straining her neck to try and empty her crop, and she was straining to poo and wasn't able because no food was going through her.

We kept at this ALL DAY until I noticed her abdomen started to swell and become more and more distended, and I felt her crop- BINGO the obstruction had moved to the other end! She got a hot bath followed by olive oil enema, followed by a saline rinse, and she finally passed the obstruction.

Apparently she had also eaten a hair band pony tail holder thing, and it was covered in chocolate. The entire room smelled like chocolate, and once the obstruction was out there was no more chocolate, or anything else, inside my hen. She didn't smell like chocolate for very long. :YMSICK:

She is incredibly exhausted, but can now walk, drink, eat, groom herself and poo, and is no longer actively dying. I am stressed and exhausted from this ordeal and keeping her in a box by the bed so I can check on her during the night. She still could very well die, there was a lot of straight cocoa in her guts for who knows how long, but she is comfortable and relieved and not in any pain or nausea, so I'm happy.
2 black cheek zebras and 5 CFW zebras, one A&M pied coturnix hen, my darling cream/lavender coturnix roo, and his attitude.

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Re: Chocolate disaster

Post by lovezebs » Sun Nov 26, 2017 8:01 pm

MisterGribs

Oh my lord, what a horrible thing to have to go through for all of you.

She's an amazing amazing little girl to have survived that ordeal, I'm not sure I would have. You and Heta are awesome parents, and went above and beyond what most people would have done.

I really hope she survives the night, and will stay away from chocolates and hair bands from here on.

You all deserve a big BIG hug after all that .

I don't know if this is helpful in this situation, but I know that bird charcoal will often settle very upset tummies in birds (in fact they seek it out in nature) and will absorb all sort of toxins and impurities out of the stomach and gut.

Good luck, and please let me know how she's doing.
~Elana~

Linnies~ Canaries ~ Zebras ~ Societies ~ Gouldians ~ Orange Cheeks ~ Shaft Tails ~ Strawberries ~ Red Cheek Cordon Bleu ~ Goldbreasts ~ Red Brows ~ Owls ~ Budgies ~ Diamond Firetails ~ Javas ~ Forbes Parrot Finches ~

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Re: Chocolate disaster

Post by MisterGribs » Sun Nov 26, 2017 8:27 pm

You are exactly right about the charcoal. I give it to them often in their seed, but I am thinking of buying some suspension to keep around the house, our cat likes to ingest foreign objects too.

Diglett is currently stuffing her face like a champ on corn/peas/chicken breast broth, making a huge, huge mess. She took the chicken breast and made confetti out of it, and decorated with the spinach rather than ate it. Her crop is emptying quite fast and she is eating well. Not out of the woods yet, though.
20171127_022136.jpg
2 black cheek zebras and 5 CFW zebras, one A&M pied coturnix hen, my darling cream/lavender coturnix roo, and his attitude.

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Re: Chocolate disaster

Post by Babs _Owner » Sun Nov 26, 2017 10:19 pm

Would you get your vet's license already!!!

That took nerves of steel!

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Re: Chocolate disaster

Post by lovezebs » Mon Nov 27, 2017 2:45 am

MisterGribs

I think she's looking rather more lively :-BD .

I really didn't know about these little guys enjoying chicken in their diet. Is that common with them?
~Elana~

Linnies~ Canaries ~ Zebras ~ Societies ~ Gouldians ~ Orange Cheeks ~ Shaft Tails ~ Strawberries ~ Red Cheek Cordon Bleu ~ Goldbreasts ~ Red Brows ~ Owls ~ Budgies ~ Diamond Firetails ~ Javas ~ Forbes Parrot Finches ~

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Re: Chocolate disaster

Post by MisterGribs » Mon Nov 27, 2017 3:55 am

Babs Actually, I have been interested in getting some official learning here once my anxiety and ptsd is under control. It would take me just 4 years to practice veterinary medicine if I take full time classes plus vocational practice.
And don't get me wrong, I cried like a little schoolgirl who didn't get no valentines. I can look scary, but I am a butterball when it comes to birds.

lovezebs She survived the night and is almost her usual self. Had a big cuddle with her, and changed her food. She's still a bit runny and smelly, but I am hoping it will clear up provided I don't feed her any grains for a while.
As for the chicken, it's certainly not a part of their natural diet. Lol. But, it's very mild and palatable animal protein that is readily digestible, and they will wolf if down at every opportunity. I normally only give it to them as a treat, or when they are sick as it's not part of their natural diet and it can make them fat. I currently don't have a food processor, but plain chicken breast puree has always been a go-to for rehabbing protein eaters when I can't get waxworms. Finches also enjoy ground and shredded chicken breast!
Soy meal can be given too, dry or prepared (it tastes like ground beef, lol) but not in this case due to the yeasty sour crop. I don't want it to recur, so she is on veg and chicken only for now until her poo looks normal.

My finches only get chicken breast when they have breeding strain or during a molt, and they go through it like it's oxygen.
2 black cheek zebras and 5 CFW zebras, one A&M pied coturnix hen, my darling cream/lavender coturnix roo, and his attitude.

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Re: Chocolate disaster

Post by MisterGribs » Mon Nov 27, 2017 8:21 am

https://www.dropbox.com/s/lrp0r5dmpl77i ... 9.mp4?dl=0

You can't tell she was on death's door yesterday. =D>
2 black cheek zebras and 5 CFW zebras, one A&M pied coturnix hen, my darling cream/lavender coturnix roo, and his attitude.

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Re: Chocolate disaster

Post by Icearstorm » Mon Nov 27, 2017 9:13 am

MisterGribs

That's adorable! You've done a great job caring for her during this whole ordeal.

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Re: Chocolate disaster

Post by Babs _Owner » Mon Nov 27, 2017 9:30 am

Yay!!! Great work Gribs!!! \M/

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Re: Chocolate disaster

Post by lovezebs » Mon Nov 27, 2017 10:05 am

MisterGribs

Wonderful news that your little girlie is doing better.

For whatever the reason, I can't get into the video, darn it.

As in regards to the chicken.... I find it amazing that they will eat it. I would have never thought to offer it to the finches.

You would make a wonderful Vet, Gribbie. Four years is do-able, and I know you can do it :-BD .
~Elana~

Linnies~ Canaries ~ Zebras ~ Societies ~ Gouldians ~ Orange Cheeks ~ Shaft Tails ~ Strawberries ~ Red Cheek Cordon Bleu ~ Goldbreasts ~ Red Brows ~ Owls ~ Budgies ~ Diamond Firetails ~ Javas ~ Forbes Parrot Finches ~

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