Our Winged Friends

Bird Keeping Journal Page 5:

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8-24-05 This morning I noticed BeBe slightly straining to breathe. Yesterday I called the vet because her voice was lower pitched than normal they said to watch her. Well, today with the breathing and an odd wheezing sound when she flies today and I rushed her to vet. No other symptoms eating normally, drinking water, playful, not lethargic, and grooming me and her.

They're keeping her overnight. I'm just heartbroken not that they've said anything bad just that I know how serious things can be for this little guys. She's too weak apparently for them to draw blood without worry of stressing her further. They're hydrating her and doing some tests tomorrow and watching her. How could she not be hydrated? I keep trying to tell myself I'm not a bad bird mommie that it wasn't something I did that I'm doing my best having her at her avian vet. But I feel so sick and heartbroken not having her here with me - I work from home and then seeing her empty cage all day. And there she is at vet sleeping away from me. We haven't been apart since I got her at 8 weeks old my little hand raised feathered baby. sigh. They have no idea what it is respiratory, fungal, eggbound, etc...

We discussed habits, food, and such. The vet seemed as her visit a year or so ago to think she's got it pretty great with us and her organic produce, organic sprouted seeds, and all.

I cried all the way home it was terrible leaving her. She didn't want me to go; I didn't want to go... I muddled through the day feeling mildly panicky much like I do now; I don't think even I knew how much I love my little bird. *sniffle*

I went to my altar and petted a couple little feathers I've saved from her moltings and put them on the altar, said a few prayers and drew some cards: I drew patience and healing. How appropriate...

I'm still such a terribly worried budgie mom. Thanks for listening.

8-25-05 I don't know anything except she's well enough to release. I'll know more when I talk to the vet and get to pick her up later today. They did do blood work and have received the results.

8-26-05 Thanks everyone!

I have her home now picked her up late afternoon 8-25-05 and she's still making a little noise but the vet is attacking her potential bug from all angles even though he doesn't know what it is... two different anti-fungals to be administered orally once a day each and gave her a slow acting antibiotic shot and we got next week for another shot. And she's being supplemented iodine apparently because she won't eat her pellets she could be missing a few things. I left her food there with him for study and for her to eat as changing food would likely stress her more the night she spent at the vet. And the next day we discussed diet he didn't feel an all pellet diet would be any healthier than the 33 mix lil bird sprouted seed I feed her from http://www.sproutpeople.com and that the seeds once sprouted are great for birds.

But I'm also looking at adding to her diet two things. From http://budgieworld.net/ My plan is to bring her diet more into what the vet and I discussed as a natural budgie diet. Apparently Eucalyptus is a natural germicide and is completely missing from her natural Australia native diet. So, I ordered Sheree's multipak and some budgie butter.

I'm also inquiring into Bags O Bugs for trace vitamins and minerals she might be missing. http://www.wholesalebird.com/gwform2.htm

So, her diet will be sprouted seeds, fruits, veggies, eucalyptus leaves, she'll have gum nut and eucalyptus toys/perches, eucalyptus butter, and sprinkled in some bag o bugs. yum yum

laughs, L

11-18-05 She seems to have completely recovered and be enjoying her new eucalyptus delights!

12-13-05 Just an update. BeBe seems to have completely recovered. It took her many many days to warm up to the eucalyptus leaves from http://budgieworld.net/ but she loves 'em now! She also plays with her gum nut tree toy and perches on her euc. branch - all from her native land. heh I'm still not sure about the budgie butter from the same place too - either she scrapes it off her cuttlebone or enjoys it - I'm not sure which... She seems to have warmed somewhat to the bugs from http://www.wholesalebird.com/gwform2.htm but I can't say that I have. Still loves and gets her lil' bird mix from http://www.sproutpeople.com. She also gets a tiniest bit of iodine [supplemented into her water from the avian vet.] Hopefully, all this brings her into a natural healthy diet that keeps her free of whatever fungal or viral thing she had before. The euc. leaves smell great by the way not at all like the flower arranging kind. More sweet and fresh.

She appears well, sings, still bathes, grooms and eats with us. For the holidays since the pets get gifts too, I'm gonna make her some new toys out of pieces of fun stuff from the parrot store [they have a make your own toy section.]

Just wanted to update ya'all.

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