Megabacteria aka Avian Gastric Yeast

[Tiki]

I just got back from the avian vet who did a check up on my two new Princess Parrots. Tjinimin has what he called "Megabacteria" and he said in the States it is sometimes called Avian Gastric Yeast. He gave me some anti-fungal medicine which I have to give to both Princesses and even poor Chaska because though she is housed separately, she is in the same airspace as the Princesses. Then I have to go back in a month and make sure all 3 of them are free from it. He also took a blood sample to test for Psittacosis and gave me a sample to mail off for the baby's DNA sexing.

Thanks to Joel, I know how to administer the meds by crop needle. The 2 Princesses are not much trouble as they are young, though Tjinimin puts up a struggle. Chaska is the difficult one. She is one year old and has a stronger beak than the Princesses. SHe bites the crop needle very hard, I finally managed to give her the med though. All 3 birds have to have it for 10 days morning and night. I feel so terrible that Chaska is getting dragged into this, I did try to keep her away from the others and she has had very little contact so it is just to be on the safe side.

Poor Tjinimin has to live in the small cage until he is cleared, he can't go in the Cockatiel room, and the Tiels can't visit me in my room (thank God I hadn't had them in here since getting Tjinimin)!

The baby tested free of everything, just waiting for psittacosis test. The vet also said Tjinimin has poor feather condition and stress bars and he is underweight, possibly not digesting his food well due to the Megabacteria.

if anyone has experience with this, please offer advice. Anyone know an easy way to get a disgruntled Quaker to accept a crop needle without stuggling? She is so strong and fights me.

If you don't have experience, please just pray that my babies get rid of the Megabactera and the Psittacisis tests come out negative!

[The Outlaw]

Megabacteria can be very bad. Make sure you keep on top of this. Its an opportunistic little pest that comes when birds are in less than good health. It is often noted in birds with very serious illnesses. However, don't jump to any conclusions. Follow your vet's advice and don't slack off. Finish the dosing exactly.

It can recur from time to time and usually can be noted by weight loss and bad droppings. I'd rather discuss this off the board.

[Tiki]

The medicine the AV gave me is called Fungilin, the active ingredient is Amphotericin BP. I am just praying that this gets rid of it and my little guy will be OK and the others don't catch it. After talking to Nancy and reading a couple websites, I am very worried. I will keep medicating as directed.

[Beaks]

here is a link that lists the drugs and their uses.
http://www.exoticpetvet.net/avian/avianmeds.html

[Tiki]

Thanks John. Here is what it says:

amphotericin B, a potent antifungal agent, used for treating aspergillosis, given by intravenous injection, nebulization, or directly into the trachea, is toxic to the kidneys, also available in topical cream.

Other articles I Googled mentioned this as the drug of choice to treat Megabacteria.

I noticed that Tjinimin is losing his appetite since I started the meds, I am really worried. I will handfeed him formula by crop needle just to make sure he gets some nutrition. He didn't eat his corn this evening. He did eat some millet, but usually he eats like a little pig. Does this drug have a side affect to cause loss of appetite?

Also, he fights the crop needle and he is big enough to make it difficult. He pushes it out with his tongue and lowers his head so I can't get it to slide down easily. How do I make him hold still? The baby is easy to feed or medicate, he doesn't like the needle but he doesn't put up much fight either. I give him some on a spoon too and lots of cuddling so he is very affectionate and bonded to me.

[Beaks]

Yes it causes loss of appetite and upset stomach that is why i try not to use it unless nothing else works.

I start out with fluconozole which has worked for me and is easier on the organs.

There is not much point in causing organ damage to cure your bird from the gastric yeast (it seems counter productive to me)

John

[Alika]

I don't know much about it except that Cami had it about a year and a half ago. She developed a bacterial infection which caused a slight yeast infection. I specifically remember giving her two medications along with apple cidar vinegar. I know that the antibiotic was Baytril, but I don't remember what the antifungal was.

Both of her medications were oral. I had to restrain her and squirt the medicine into her mouth. The vet showed me how to do this. She was pretty good about swallowing them, although there were a couple of times that she refused and the medicine dribbled out the side of her beak and I had to try again. Towards the end, she was used to the routine and knew that the faster she swallowed, the sooner it was over and she was sitting still and swallowing like a champ.

The good news is that she made a complete recovery.

I hope your birds get better soon!

[Tiki]

Alika, I am happy to here Cami was able to recover from it. A Princess is just a bit bigger than a tiel, if I had to try the meds with my tiels I know they would struggle too.

John, Tjinimin has lost his appetite and I will have to handfeed him for the duration. He won't eat the corn I gave him this morning. Chaska seems normal, I have been squirting the med into her mouth and she swallows it, I can't get the crop needle down her crop as she bites hard on it. I do make sure she doesn't spit it up-so far she hasn't. Chaska is still eating like a pig-thank God!

This morning, I weighed the 2 Princesses-Tjinimin weighed 110 grams, the 32 day old baby weighed 120 before feeding, he took 18ml formula. I'll have to try the syringe with Tjinimin, he won't take the needle all the way.

[Lori L]

Not sure what kind of crop needle you are using but when I gavage fed I used a syringe with a tubbing cut to size at the end of the syring. The tubing is called silicon tubing and it's used for fish tanks, it's flexible and can easily be inserted way into the crop, here's a picture:

[Vankarhi]

Tara when Skye had a bacterial infection back about mid year, she had to go on medication twice a day (I think it was baytril). she was good for the first 2 days with the syringe but in the end refused it, so I gave her meds in a little bit of cornflakes (she loves them because they are crunchy) and she polished them off. She had lost a lot of weight and her droppings were not normal either (not saying she had what your birds have got, but the vet was very concerned about her at the time). Just thought I would share that so maybe you have another idea of medicating, but if he is not eating then "the cornflakes idea won't work either". Hope your birds are ok.............and hope you are too (from the stress). I remember when Skye was sick I was so worried about her because she had gone off her food (before the meds) and lost so much weight.