Please Help!! Extremely Sick Bird No Time!!

[mrogan]

I got a baby BG macaw last friday on March 23 2007. The bird is very very sick and I am committed to getting him/her healthy. PLEASE HELP!!!!!!!!!!!!
I have owned 15 to 20 birds throughout my life, but only as pets and i had only hand fed one of them my african grey, and that was at the breeders home, I would goo there at least one feeding a day sometimes more, but in doing that, by far does that experience make me experienced so I need all of the help I can get.
Since I had only fed one baby before I didn't have much of a reference point so I have been tryiong to read online and have bought books, to see what my bird should look like at what age and make sure that he/she is progressing the way that he/she should. BUT I got the bird home on Friday evening, and by saturday morning I knew that something wasn't right. I spoke to the breeder various times throught the whole weekend, yet I still had an unsettling feeling the baby's crop was very slow to empty.
I took the bird to an only avian vet on Monday morning and she was horrified!!!!! my bird looked like a 6 six day old bird ( she showed me in a text book) yet he was 5 1/2 weeks old. I will give the list of things the vet noticed immediately.

The bird was missing MANY parts of his/her toes.
the beak was growing incorrectly
the scabs (the eyes were not open yet, and still aren't) were up too high
severely under weight. supposed to weigh 686 grams, weighed 83 grams. Yes i did type 83 grams. she did a culture and gave me three meds.
Reglan to start his digestive system and help with crop emptying, Diflucan an antifungal, and Baytril an antibiotic. Let me say she hesitantly treated this bird, after condsideration and much discussion she agreed. She thought I should bring him back immediately, however I thought that if this bird was neglected bringing him back would be a death sentence. So I decided to commit to getting this bird healthy.
The Reglan for crop emptying helped almost immediatly. I was able to feed the bird the proper amount every three hours, and I did so for four days, and then we went back today for our checkup. to my and the vets dismay my baby LOST weight, I felt like I eas punched in the stomache, I did not see this coming at all. I mean the bird was eating tremendouslyhow can this be???????

the vet now thinks it MAY be cryptosporidium and she gave me three additional injectables and the bird is now on all six meds. SHe explained that there is a test for this but we haven't got the time to wait for results we would see difference in one day on the meds for crypto if it was that anyway. so that is where we are currently. I just gave her, her night meds and injectables, and I am now praying that I can help pull this baby out of it. Is there anything that anyone can think of that the vet has maybe overlooked, I have really bonded with this baby and I love it immensly and i have fully commited to getting her healthy. I forgot to mention above that the results of the culture were heavy Eccoli growth.
Thank you for anyone who takes the time to read this ridiculously long post. I just wanted to give all of the info that I could to see if anyone can help.
thanks
mrogan

[MaryG1959]

Your vet may have been referring to the fact that the breeder is the most qualified to hand feed your baby.

It sounds like the bird needs 24 hr care---

I'm so sorry, it must be heart wrenching.

If the bird doesn't seem to be doing well, I'd take it back to the vets office.

[kensbuns]

Find a professional to wean out your baby bird. If you are commited you may be able to find a good breeder to finish weaning out the bird. For a cost of course. OMG!!!!!!!! This makes me sick!!!!!

[2horse]

I am thinking that is was a very irresponsible breeder to have sold you such a young bird and one in such a poor state. Was this baby handfed by the breeder? The baby would need feeding at least every 2 hours. I can understand a mall nourished baby if he had come from parents straight to you, but a difference in physical growth pattern of 5 weeks is very alarming. I removed a baby sun from the parents almost 2 weeks ago, he has still not caught up to normal growth patterns and the eyes did open a few day late. I would think the best chance for the baby is to find a handfeeder experienced in macaws.

[Sashagirl]

This is oh so sad.I agree with the other posts find a qualified hand feeder.It sounds like you don't need to deal with that breeder again.I know you fell in love with the baby but you need to be prepared for anything.I had a situation with a bad breeder and both birds died.Just keep your eyes on this baby and keep in touch with your avian vet.

[Cindy215]

Are you giving the Reglan 30 minutes before the meal ? And how are the stools? You may see neurological side effects with the Reglan so don't freak out if you do, although neurological side effects can be other things, too.

How about ICU can you afford it? And do they have an isolation unit?

And report that "breeder" to everyone you can think of include the humane association.

[Winged_Victory]

Please post a picture of your bird!

From what you have told us the bird needs to be in an avian AICU! The bird will have to be gavage fed until it gains weight and can eat on it's own, something an inexperienced person without the proper equipment will not be able to do. The bird needs to go to a person experienced in gavage feeding, vet or breeder.

If you insist on keeping the bird at your home you are going to need to make an incubator out of a fish tank or small cage, an aquarium would be better. Go to and exotic pet store and buy yourself a ceramic heat lamp for reptiles, it does not put out light but puts out heat. Keep the bird at 85-87 degrees and kept it hydrated. The vet showed you how to give shots and now need to show you how to give Sub-Q injections for fluids. The bird has to eat, please solve that hurdle!!

[mrogan]

I asked the vet about neurological side effects of Reglan before the first dose was ever administered because I knew that it crosses the Blood brain barrier that babies don't have and can be very detrimental to their brains, she assured me we had no choice. I was administering it 20 minutes befiore each feeding which is every three hours, but now I am injecting it twice a day and it is working much better by injecting it. His stools seem to be olive green and white. I already have the bird in an incubator I got one the first day I went to the vet and found out how sick this bird was. SO he was only in a tank with heating pads for two days before I got the incubator. Thanks everyone for all this help, any info is greatly appreciated. My vet is wonderful she is not only an avian vet but a large breeder in the area and she is complimenting my dedication, however she doens't know if enough damage was done already by the inital breeder who was handfeeding this baby. He pulls all of his eggs and puts them in an incubator and then a brooder.

[mrogan]

I am not so insistent on keeping him at my home, however I am insistent on not giving him back to the man who did this. If the vet thought he should stay with her I definetly would. But that has never been brought up. she said she thought I was doing great with him because I asked, it there was anything more I could be doing? and that was her reply.

Where and how do I post a pic because I have pics on my computer I can post. It will probably upset many of you though because It upsets me and I look at him all day long.

[mrogan]

I am already giving him sub Q injections of fluids twice a day for the last two nd a half days. and as long as he is on the Reglan him crop empties fine and I am feeding him plenty. that is why I am here and asking for advice, the vet now thinks he has cryptosporidium possibly because of the amount of food I am getting into him he should be gaining weight. I am getting 8cc's every three hours 6-8 times a day and he weighs 83g. So there is not way by that matht that he should be losing weight . that is the confusing part