Help URGENTLY Required with sick B&G

[harrins]

I really hope that someone can help me with a problem I am having with my newest rescue a B&G macaw named Éalu.

When I got her last week I noticed she wasnt bearing weight on her left foot and it was very swollen. I brought her to a vet and she completed a course of antibiotics. On Saturday I brought her to an avian vet who drained her left foot of clear fluid and gave her a course of stronger antibiotics. This morning her foot had swollen larger than it had been and I brought her back to be drained again.

Does anybody have any idea what could be causing this? and why it isnt responding to these antibiotics? It is extremely painful and causing her major problems.

Her right foot has frost bite and she has chewed a large amount of skin off that foot. That does seem to be healing well. But with problems with both feet I really need help fast.

[Addicted to Tequila]

Sounds like an abscess. If there is a foreign body embedded that is not working itself out... it will not clear with antibiotics. You need to return to the vet and relay all this info you told us and ask them if it is possible to lance and examine, not just drain, the abscess.

[TikusMom]

It's odd that it's recurring and not responding to antibiotics.
If this were my bird, I would have a complete blood work up done and I would also have the vet do an aspiration of the swelling and an impression smear to stain an look at under the microscope. Did your veterinarian suggest sending a sample of the fluid and/or tissue off for a histopath? If not, this would definitely be another good thought for them to try if they can't figure out what's going on by doing the aspiration and smear. Radiographs of the foot should also be considered to check for foreign bodies, or other abnormalities that may be causing the issue.
Is she still eating and drinking normally?

[big blues]

Hi,

Hope your bird get better soon. What was the name of the antibiotics your vet used to treat the infection? Having not seen the bird or foot could there be a fungal infection that the antibiotics did not touch? What did the avian vet give the bird for pain and inflammation? A sample of the fluid under a microscope may provide better clues to what is going on.

gary

[guest1717171]

in the swollen foot - are there spots that look lighter than the rest of the foot?

[wildirish]

Have they x-rayed the foot to see if there is any thing in it or damage. If she had frostbite on one foot it could be a problem with her other foot as well.

[harrins]

Thank you so much for your replies!

I never thought to have a sample sent off for analysis and to be fair to the vets there are 2 of them working on her which does complicate things and causes problems in continuity. One is my local vet and one is an avian vet who is 2 hours from here. I brought her to the avian vet on Saturday only and her plan was to put her on the stronger antibiotics and then providing she had gained enough weight ( she was very underweight when I got her too) next week she is going to give her an anaesthetic and examine her foot properly including xray, remove her band, do bloodwork, chip and dna sex her.

She did drain the foot for her on Saturday but as this was the first time neither of us thought it would reoccur! But I will definitely be asking for it to be analysed next time. The fluid is clear, there is no pus in the foot. The foot is very hot and VERY painful. She is on metacam for pain relief and anti inflammatory. And no, there are no variations in colour on her foot.

She is eating and drinking very well. She was very underweight when I rescued her and has gained 90g so far! Her previous diet was a sunflower seed mix. She is now on mixed veg, fruit and grains, and a low sunflower seed mix. And she has baby food twice a day with her medicine in it which she takes from a spoon.

Thanks so much for your help folks, I am at my wits end here with her

Siobhan

[TikusMom]

Please keep us posted on how she's doing and what you find out!

[guest1717171]

Originally Posted by geekasaurus

in the swollen foot - are there spots that look lighter than the rest of the foot?

[TikusMom]

Originally Posted by harrins

And no, there are no variations in colour on her foot.

Siobhan

No spots on her feet, Geek. It's strange that the fluid is clear...makes me wonder if it isn't synovial fluid perhapse. What's the consistency of the fluid? Is there any odor or color (i.e. yellowish) to it?