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Post by sweetpea on Sept 7, 2022 13:45:22 GMT
Hello all. Does anyone have experience of giving their bird anti-seizure medication on a daily basis??
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Post by ladybird on Sept 7, 2022 17:59:20 GMT
Do you mean how to catch them and administer the meds?
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Post by sweetpea on Sept 7, 2022 19:53:22 GMT
Do you mean how to catch them and administer the meds? Oh, I can see why you ask that! No, I mean the medication itself.
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Post by Hezz on Sept 8, 2022 1:02:16 GMT
I’ll show my ignorance to say that I didn’t know there was such a thing for birds. I’d be interested to learn more, sweetpea.
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Post by sweetpea on Sept 8, 2022 11:54:30 GMT
I’ll show my ignorance to say that I didn’t know there was such a thing for birds. I’d be interested to learn more, sweetpea. As usual, it's for dogs & cats (Epiphen) but also used for birds. My search found people online saying they used it for their large parrots (african greys etc.) but I can't find anyone saying they used it for budgies or small birds, which is partly why I am hesitant.
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Post by ladybird on Sept 8, 2022 14:42:53 GMT
I can fully understand you being hesitant. It will be a very tiny amount that’s prescribed in accordance to weight? My Charlie is perscribed 0.003 of Metacam , it’s really one tiny drop, but I still don’t like giving it to him. Sorry I am probably missing something but…..did an avain vet perscribe it? I have had a good look also on the internet to find some information but found nothing for budgies………How often is your bud having seizures?
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Post by sweetpea on Sept 8, 2022 19:14:31 GMT
I can fully understand you being hesitant. It will be a very tiny amount that’s prescribed in accordance to weight? My Charlie is perscribed 0.003 of Metacam , it’s really one tiny drop, but I still don’t like giving it to him. Sorry I am probably missing something but…..did an avain vet perscribe it? I have had a good look also on the internet to find some information but found nothing for budgies………How often is your bud having seizures? Yes, my vet has prescribed it. I have since sent her a list of questions that hopefully she'll be able to answer. Perry has been having seizures off & on for some time now, but they have increased in the last month. It's really difficult giving such small doses!!
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Post by ladybird on Sept 8, 2022 19:27:49 GMT
I agree it’s difficult but I have got used to it. Charlie had to have a full month of antibiotics and Metacam every day. I found trying to measure such a small amount tricky. What amount should you give?
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Post by sweetpea on Sept 8, 2022 20:05:53 GMT
I agree it’s difficult but I have got used to it. Charlie had to have a full month of antibiotics and Metacam every day. I found trying to measure such a small amount tricky. What amount should you give? Epiphen 4% solution. Give 0.01ml every 24 hours. I don't actually have it yet, just the prescription. 0.01 is easier to manage than 0.003!
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Post by ladybird on Sept 8, 2022 20:30:29 GMT
Sorry my mistake….Charlie has 0.03………so your dose is less. It will hardly register on your syringe…… It might be better to mix with a tiny amount of water. I suggest you ask your vet about this as it’s so important as you know to get the correct dose. Also have you got the correct syringe because the syringe that I got with the Metacam was to big ( it was for cats). His antibiotic dose was 0.02 . You will get used to it ….just need good eyesight or glasses!
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Post by sweetpea on Sept 9, 2022 19:25:36 GMT
Sorry my mistake….Charlie has 0.03………so your dose is less. It will hardly register on your syringe…… It might be better to mix with a tiny amount of water. I suggest you ask your vet about this as it’s so important as you know to get the correct dose. Also have you got the correct syringe because the syringe that I got with the Metacam was to big ( it was for cats). His antibiotic dose was 0.02 . You will get used to it ….just need good eyesight or glasses! Agree that you need good eyesight! I used to give my Bezukhov lots of medication & you do get into a routine. I used to prepare two syringes in case I squirted the first one into the air!
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Post by sweetpea on Sept 9, 2022 19:51:23 GMT
I got a response from the vet & now I am more confused. I thought she said it was like a sedative that would reduce the impact of any external stimulus triggering a seizure.
She said: "The medication is not a sedative. It is designed to impair excessive nerve function (i.e. prevent seizure) at the level of the brain, so there is no benefit in using sedatives at all - they will not prevent seizures! We need to use an anti-seizure medication to stop seizures."
She also said the following about potential liver damage: "You are correct in thinking that the Epiphen could indeed make liver damage worse, as we discussed a few weeks ago. This is a difficult conundrum, because the suspected liver problem is likely to be causing seizures, so we need to stop them, but we could also potentially increase the damage to the liver. This may or may not cause more seizures. Seizure activity primes the body for more seizure activity, so we are attempting to prevent further wind-up by using an anti-seizure medication."
I don't really feel entirely happy giving it to Perry at this time. I'm sure it's a good medication & has benefits but I can't help wondering if a natural remedy may provide *some* help without any side effects.
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Post by ffiscool on Sept 9, 2022 22:41:43 GMT
gosh that is a conundrum.. I totally get your hesitation.. hard one. are you giving him other liver things like milk thistle - sorry if this is in another thread. Bailey had liver issues and flare ups and I think skysmum mainly kept an eye and gave milk thistle, not sure if he had other dietary things..
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Post by sweetpea on Sept 9, 2022 23:25:12 GMT
gosh that is a conundrum.. I totally get your hesitation.. hard one. are you giving him other liver things like milk thistle - sorry if this is in another thread. Bailey had liver issues and flare ups and I think skysmum mainly kept an eye and gave milk thistle, not sure if he had other dietary things.. Yes, he's been on milk thistle since before he arrived! Well I mean, I started on the milk thistle in 2014 because of Bezukhov (& his seizures! ) so it was already an established routine when Perry & Lennie arrived.
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Post by Hezz on Sept 10, 2022 0:56:57 GMT
How much milk thistle are you giving, sweetpea? Have you tried increasing the dose, and has that made any difference? It seems to me, from what you have written - the explanation from the vet - that the seizure med is treating the symptom rather than the cause, the cause being most likely, the liver damage. I’d be reluctant as well … what happens if you give this med to help with the seizures, only for it to damage his liver even more and thus possibly promote more seizures?? Sounds very “Catch 22” to me. I’m sorry, I don’t have anything of help to offer.
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