Jan 6, 2021 15:34:39 GMT
jamesodono
Brand New Budgie
Posts: 4
|
Post by jamesodono on Jan 6, 2021 15:44:43 GMT
Hi All,
I’m new to this forum and just wanted to share my issue with you as I am quite concerned. I had a 2 budgies which we bought in April this year & the male one is unfortunately very ill at the moment. The vet has suggested it is liver disease due to his symptoms. Before the vets he regurgitated/vomited a lot was listless and started sleeping an awful lot. Today the vet decided to give him a anabolic steroid injection called Laurabolin. This had a terrible effect on my budgie and as soon as we got him in the car outside the clinic he suddenly couldnt walk and reacted so badly. I rushed back in for the vet to look at him again as I honestly thought he was dying. The vet said he thinks it is just a stress reaction to the injection and handling he experienced and to wait 10 minutes to see if he got better. I waited in the surgery reception for 30 minutes to see if he improved and he did slightly after some very unbalanced climbing and walking. He also pooped pure clear liquid but I was unable to tell the vet a out this as he went into surgery with another patient of his. He is currently very sleepy & listless in his cage and hasn’t eaten yet but has been drinking excessively. After extensive research on this drug I can only find that it has been used in cats & dogs and never in birds so I am extremely worried about him and what has been adminstered. (My vet is an avian specIalist mentioned on many avian vet lists online) His breathing is also quite laboured. If anyone can help or offer advice it would be greatly appreciated.
|
|
|
Post by ffiscool on Jan 6, 2021 19:12:39 GMT
hi, so sorry you are going through this. Hard to know but I am sure an Avian vet would know what he is doing.. it could well be that it is just a bad reaction and fingers crossed your bud will sleep it off. Not sure where you are in the world, but if in the UK, or a time zone ahead of us, perhaps keep an eye on him during the night, have the covers round the cage and keep him warm, see how he is in the morning. if you are elsewhere and a time zone behind the UK, could you phone the surgery again and just get a message to the vet?
I hope it is just a reaction, we humans also have them.. for example I cannot take penicillin - others have no issue
please update us and I hope you either see a big improvement and/or get a response from the vet
|
|
|
Post by blue48 on Jan 6, 2021 19:28:24 GMT
If your vet is an avian specialist I'm sure he knows what he's doing. Could it just be shock from being in a stressful situation? ffiscool's advice is good. I hope your bud is recovered by the morning.
|
|
|
Post by Hezz on Jan 7, 2021 1:11:30 GMT
I would like to share others’ trust in the vet you saw but for a professional to fob you off in that manner is not ethical, or professional, in my opinion. Even if this person was not available, other staff members should have monitored your budgie until he recovered. I wouldn’t be seeing that vet again if this was my bird and in fact would be looking for a second opinion and check on your budgie immediately. The drug isn’t something I’m familiar with but a quick google doesn’t mention anything about birds or liver issues - chronic renal failure, yes, but not liver. I’m sorry to be of no help. Keep budgie warm and calm, give fluids even if he won’t eat. Rather than water, this is a better solution to give a sick or injured bird: Home-made Lactated Ringers electrolyte solution for sick birds (rehydration) • 8oz warm water • ½ tablespoon sugar • 1/8 teaspoon salt • 1/8 teaspoon baking soda Mix all together in a jar, stir well and refrigerate. Will keep for 2-3 days in fridge.
|
|
Jan 6, 2021 15:34:39 GMT
jamesodono
Brand New Budgie
Posts: 4
|
Post by jamesodono on Jan 9, 2021 22:11:34 GMT
Hi all,
Thank you for getting back to me much appreciated. He is now eating (mainly millet only) Still very sleepy and sleeping most of the day though. I honestly believe this injection has affected him so badly. I had full faith in the vet but for me to now find that he has been injected with a steroid that I can find no evidence of being given to birds, has made me feel so guilty. I have searched endlessly online to see if anyone elses bird has been given this but to no avail. Im just praying he gets better but deep down I don’t think he will. I was also convinced that he is suffering from AGY (avian gastric yeast) and not a liver issue. But obviously the vet knows more than me. Im currently looking for other vets but taking him any further than we currently go worries me in his condition. He also said if he does not improve in 3-5 days bring him back in and blood test may have to be done. This clinic has always refused to do blood tests due to the effect it has on the bird. I really don’t want him to suffer either. He is generally a very chilled quiet bird.
|
|
|
Post by ffiscool on Jan 9, 2021 22:26:45 GMT
It does sound concerning. Have you been back in touch with that vet and/or the practice
I’m wondering, hopefully the steroid will wear off. It’s hard to know
|
|
|
Post by Hezz on Jan 10, 2021 1:43:28 GMT
I would definitely be looking for another vet. I would not be returning to that practice. Perhaps one of our members can recommend someone to you, if we know where you live. You are UK-based, I think, as are many of our members. Hopefully we can help find someone reliable. I’m sorry that your little bird hasn’t recovered completely.
|
|
Jan 6, 2021 15:34:39 GMT
jamesodono
Brand New Budgie
Posts: 4
|
Post by jamesodono on Jan 10, 2021 12:52:02 GMT
Unfortunately my budgie has now passed away. My girlfriend is devastated. So much has happened so soon. Our female budgie I didn’t mention passed away on christmas day of all days after ongoing neurological problems. My girlfriend is broken by their deaths. We must sound like terrible owners but I can assure you we both especially my girlfriend did everything we could and treated them as well as we could. She was at home with them 7 days a week. I weighed him this morning and he was a horrifying 23 grams. I now feel so guilty as I believed he died a very slow & painful death. My girlfriend is convinced that the injection has killed him and all of this is making coping with the death so much worse. She keeps blaming herself thinking we are disgraceful owners. Ive obviously told her this is not the case. We will be talking with the vet in regards to this. I envy some of the vet experiences others have had as they seemed like heroes and done so much. I feel very let down especially by a so called avian vet by that is listed on the parrot society. He was 31g when he was weighed on wednesday, how he has lost 8 grams in a matter of days is scary his keel bone was so prominent when analysing him. It just seems he was eating but his body was not consuming the food properly. Late last night he was frantically eating his millet as if he was starving. I could never tell how skinny he looked as he was so fluffed up the last couple of days. he is also not a bird that liked to be handled as it would really stress him, iI’m devastated and I believe the shop we got them from uses a terrible breeder, even more so when the next time I visited they was not for sale anymore. Im not sure how old they both were when we got them but im just praying they was alot older than we think. I know for certain they was over a year. Thanks everyone for your replies it’s appreciated a lot. Sorry to go on but at this time I dont know where else to turn to
|
|
|
Post by bud9 on Jan 10, 2021 16:22:46 GMT
So sorry to hear about your bud, fly high little guy.
|
|
|
Post by ffiscool on Jan 10, 2021 16:45:23 GMT
I’m so sorry to read this. You cannot blame yourselves as you went to someone that was supposed to be able to help. You had no way of knowing. It does sound though that possibly there was more going on, ill health wise with both of the budgies.
I know it cannot bring either back, especially the one who was given the injection, but see what that vet says. I can only speak for myself, but I’d be inclined to speak/write to the budgerigar society, regarding what was injected too. If it was something that should not have been, then the vet who administered it, should not be allowed to treat birds, maybe even other animals.
It could have been that the injection just exacerbated what was there, sadly your bud may have been already too unwell, but you deserve answers.
Even if the injection had not been given, it’s always as an owner, going to be what if I did or didn’t do something, I must have missed something etc.
|
|
|
Post by blueelephant on Jan 10, 2021 18:23:55 GMT
I am so sorry for your loss. It's awful losing a bird and many people here will fully understand feeling absolutely devastated by it.
You are not bad owners. You tried what you could to help. Putting your faith in a professional is all you can do when a bird is sick. They are tiny creatures at the end of the day and there is a limit to what medicine can do to help in some circumstances. It sounds like you have been very unlucky.
X
|
|
|
Post by blue48 on Jan 10, 2021 18:50:01 GMT
I'm so sorry to hear that you have lost your budgie, and in such difficult circumstances. You sound like very caring owners who did everything they could and you should not blame yourselves. Easy to say I know.
I'm glad you will be contacting the vet that gave the injection. Maybe another avian vet can give an opinion on whether it was the correct procedure, although professionals rarely criticise another's work.
I had a look online and although I could not find anything about administering Laurabolin to a budgie, I did find a page that listed the dosage for different species, which included birds. Perhaps your bud was just too sick.
RIP little one.
|
|
|
Post by sweetpea on Jan 10, 2021 19:45:03 GMT
I am so sorry you lost your two birds. Any death is heart-breaking but when there are questions & some confusion it makes it much harder to bear. I feel for you. Fly high little ones - you were loved.
|
|
|
Post by Marianne Marlow on Jan 10, 2021 21:13:23 GMT
I'm so sorry for your loss. You and your girlfriend got your budgie to a vet that you trusted, so do not blame yourself for his death.
You say that you suspect that the budgie had AGY, you also say that he ate frantically and lost a lot of weight, that does mean that it COULD have been AGY as eating a lot or at least appearing to and then losing weight are symptoms.
I have had a budgie be injected with steroids before, but I don't remember which steroid, it was meant to make him stronger and stimulate his appetite, but he was already very unwell at this time and he passed away two days later.
Be kind to yourselves, you did all you could.
|
|
|
Post by Hezz on Jan 10, 2021 22:07:19 GMT
I am so sorry that you and your partner have lost both birds so close together. One loss is hard enough to bear, two must be devastating. Please do not blame yourself. I agree with Marianne Marlow regarding AGY and weight loss while seemingly eating well. While way too soon now to be thinking of getting any more, I hope you both can find room in your hearts and lives to give another budgie or two the opportunity to share some of that love. Perhaps look for a breeder close by rather than going through a pet store.
|
|