Vet Check Up Worries

[rosebunting]

Hello,

Arthur is doing well since his last vet visit with high AST values. The vet didn't say definitively that he had fatty liver disease, but that is the big concern. He hasn't been having any episodes of vomiting, and we got a milk thistle solution for him to (try to) take daily, although he does not like the taste very much. But he will take a little on some millet.

However, our vet wanted us to come in for a follow up 2 months after our last visit. We stretched it out to 3 months, and our appointment is on Monday.

Last time we were at the vet, however, they had to put him under in order to take his blood for the blood test. I'm very worried about the effects and risks of the anesthesia including those on his heart and his liver, and I'm not quite sure what the results would really tell us. We know he needs to transition to pellets (which we are working on with bird bread, but not quite there). He needs to go off of the calorad and it won't hurt to keep trying to give him the milk thistle, but I'm not sure what else the vet would tell us to do except to continue what we're doing.

But I'm worried that the vet visit will just stress him out and that the anesthesia is more risk than what it's worth. He's had the anesthesia before, but I know it's risky, and with the vet being an hour away, I'm worried that he will have a heart attack (since I've heard similar stories).

I'm thinking about calling the vet tomorrow and trying to the benefits versus risks of him going in, but I just wanted to hear everyone's thoughts because I'm really at a loss and I'm worried I will make the wrong choice

[Loz]

Whilst it is best to defer to a trained vet on most issues, my own personal opinion is it is rarely worth risking anaesthesia for a budgie. The risk vs reward ratio isn't worth it.
The number of times a condition will be revealed through a blood test, which can be treated but not already guessed at through
careful, non-invasive observation is statistically small.
This is how it's been explained to me by an exotic vet, in so many words.
Just an opinion though, you need to decide for yourself, with advice from the avian vet.

[Marianne Marlow]

I agree, I wouldn't risk the anesthetic for mine.

Most of us when using milk thistle, give it in the budgies water.

[rosebunting]

Oct 19, 2022 3:07:22 GMT @loz said:

Whilst it is best to defer to a trained vet on most issues, my own personal opinion is it is rarely worth risking anaesthesia for a budgie.

Thank you. I think loz summarized my feelings and worries better than I did, haha. I have felt so conflicted for not wanting to oblige with the vet's guidelines because I do know that the vet is more knowledgeable than I will ever be, but there's also the fact putting him under is just a big risk.

I think I'm going to call the vet and be honest, telling him I don't want the risk of anesthesia, and I'd rather weigh him at home and continue working on the pellet conversion. And I'll see what he says

The worst part of this all is yesterday I convinced my dad that Arthur really does need to go, and now I'll have to convince him the opposite

[Hezz]

I don’t agree that an anaesthetic is not worth risking. I wouldn’t do it for a blood test as they aren’t accurate enough for my mind, but there are times when the only way to treat a budgie is for the bird to be anaesthetised. A practice that deals with birds every day will know how to prep a bird, even one as small as a budgie, properly so that the risks are minimal.

I wouldn’t even try giving milk thistle straight into the beak but add a few drops to the drinking water. I don’t recall ever hearing of a budgie not drinking their milk-thistles water.

[Marianne Marlow]

Let me clarify what I meant by I wouldn't risk anaestetic for my budgies.

I wouldn't risk it for something that was not life saving.

The vet had twice discussed operations for past birds to remove growths, but as the growths were mostly just unsightly (and one improved on it's own anyway) I didn't deem the risk worth it.

I would also not have it for a blood test.

[Marianne Marlow]

Hezz I also feel that your vet is better than any I have ever encountered and therefore you have more faith in them. I have seen some really awful vets that clearly did not know what they were doing.

[Hezz]

Oct 20, 2022 7:00:57 GMT Marianne Marlow said:

Hezz I also feel that your vet is better than any I have ever encountered and therefore you have more faith in them. I have seen some really awful vets that clearly did not know what they were doing.

Aw, I’m not sure about that, Marianne, but maybe I either have blind faith, or go in asking the pertinent questions so they get a feeling not to try to talk over me, lol.
I have also seen a couple of vets - not avian as they are a very rare commodity here - who I wouldn’t allow near my birds again.

[Marianne Marlow]

Hezz Your vet mended a broken leg. I am pretty sure ones I have seen would advise the bird be pts.

[Hezz]

She has mended several, that I know of, Marianne, and yes a shame that more don’t want to try. Spyro was a young bird at the time which probably helped a lot.

We now have a vet who has done all the course work for avian vet studies. She is as dry as an old stick but knows her stuff. She can’t call herself an avian vet as that requires some time spent with an accredited specialist of which there are very few in Australia. This is what she told me when I asked, and she clarified her position by adding that “as the sole provider of a large extended family, I can’t afford the expense to take up such a position overseas.”

[Marianne Marlow]

Sounds like a lot of work is involved in being an avian vet, no wonder there are so few of them.

[Ira]

My vet's been really good at taking bloods from my birds without anaesthesia. I wish I'd been able to talk to him back when I might have needed scans and such doing.

[Loz]

An emergency vet gave Mr Hibs injections of AB and anti-inflammatories when he was really, really unwell. He did this under the guidance of an avian vet over the phone.
At the time it was unclear whether Hibsy was going to survive so desperate measures were taken. The e-vet wanted to PTS.
We were lucky. Mr Hibs recovered but I never want my birbs or I to go through that again.