Prayers For Sarah Please?

[elenamarie]

...it was both, she got very red skin and some vomiting and runny poop. 

 

Having said that, this is only a guess based on what happened to my Tessi, it may not be the issue at all. Interestingly our vet was not 100% certain that bird seed could cause the problems, but he did say it was possible. Tessi was not allergic to any other foods from our experience.

 

The good news is  that it will clear up really quickly once the bird seed is eliminated from Sarah's diet. Cockies are very common in Australia obviously and I am sure that in 99% of situations there is no issue. They are a great bird, full of personality but can be messy with throwing stuff around 

 

Did Tessi start showing symptoms immediately after you got the parrot? I ask because Casper has been here three months and Sarah has been playing bird food vacuum for about that long. If she were sensitive to it, shouldn't she show symptoms rather quickly? Was that your experience with Tessi?

 

I am worried about Sarah having swallowed one of Casper's toy pieces. Casper loves to destroy toys and throw the pieces everywhere (he's quite good at it too.) I pick it up as soon as I see it but. . ..

 

I do love the Umbrella 'toos! They're such characters, much like Siberians. I'd love to have a Goffin but at this point I'm afraid my husband would hire a lawyer if I bring another large bird into the house.

 

Casper has many, many endearing traits but the one that surprised me the most is his very strict idea of bed time. Between 7:45 and 8pm every night he says, "Casper go nite nite." I have ten minutes to get him out of his day cage or ring and into his sleeping cage. If I don't get him there in his idea of fast enough he starts screaming--and I'm sure you know how loud they are. But as long as I put him to bed he's as good as gold. I never thought my evening schedule would be dictated by a parrot wanting to hit the sack. (ETA: He's 21 years old so I guess he's developed a firm opinion on his schedule in those years.)

 

Thanks again for the information on the parrot food!

 

Hope she gets well soon

 

Thanks, Dunc! I've been up all night watching her, the meds to stop the vomiting have worked so that's good. Going to try her on some chicken and rice in a little while. I swear I've done this routine before with my human kids.

Edited July 27, 2013 by elenamarie

[Jase]

I would say that Tessi became ill around 3 weeks after getting the parrot. The store accepted the parrots return at around 5 weeks, I believe he found an excellent home with a nice couple.

 

I really hope Sarah gets better soon and this is nothing to do with bird seed. The seed thing is a long shot and I only raised it as I was very surprised when this happened to us. I am pretty sure our issue was not life threatening but it was stressful to see Tessi unwell. 

 

In your circumstances, I would be doing the same as you, keeping an eye out for dropped seeds and monitoring Sarah's health before considering any more serious courses of action regarding Casper.

 

Has Sarah had an X-ray to check for an obstruction or at least rule this out?

[elenamarie]

I would say that Tessi became ill around 3 weeks after getting the parrot. The store accepted the parrots return at around 5 weeks, I believe he found an excellent home with a nice couple.

 

I really hope Sarah gets better soon and this is nothing to do with bird seed. The seed thing is a long shot and I only raised it as I was very surprised when this happened to us. I am pretty sure our issue was not life threatening but it was stressful to see Tessi unwell.

 

In your circumstances, I would be doing the same as you, keeping an eye out for dropped seeds and monitoring Sarah's health before considering any more serious courses of action regarding Casper.

 

Has Sarah had an X-ray to check for an obstruction or at least rule this out?

 

It doesn't seem illogical to me, it was something I thought of at the vet's office. On the other hand, it's been 3 months that she's been sneaking bird food and I would imagine she'd have shown symptoms before now if that's what's causing the problem.

 

It is so hard when she's ill, exactly like when my kids were babies and sick and couldn't tell me what was wrong.

 

They did full x-rays last night and found no obstructions at all. Two sections of her intestines are a little dilated, which they tell me could be her body passing a small foreign object, but it could also be nothing at all. I was fairly certain she didn't have a full obstruction, she's moving her bowels and  her stools are firm and normal. It's just strange. The lack of bowel issues is what makes the vet think she has pancreatitis.

 

She doesn't want to eat her chicken and rice yet.

 

Thanks again, I really appreciate your help!

[elenamarie]

Yay! She ate her chicken and rice this evening and she hasn't thrown up all day. She's been fairly lethargic but her other symptoms are better today.

 

The vet said he'd call me after 6pm tonight and I'm hovering over the phone. I hate waiting for an important call!

[Jase]

That is great news! I am sure that the lethargy will go quickly now that she is eating. 

[Storm Angel n Auroras Mum]

I hope all is okay soon. I remember years ago my dog got quite sick and after all the tests etc, it turned out that she was eating bird seed that our new parrot was throwing out of the cage. Parrot went back to the store and the discomfort, redness and illness went away.

I dunno if your situation has anything to do with the the Cockatoo or seeds but it might be worth considering if other avenues don't reveal the source of the problem.

are seeds not ok?

mine eat parrot seeds the parrot throws out a lot

[Val (Zebedee)]

that is really sounding positive, a move in the right direction. Let's hope it continues & Sarah is back to full strength soon.

[Jase]

are seeds not ok?

mine eat parrot seeds the parrot throws out a lot

 

I will not categorically say seeds are bad for dogs. They were for my dog, but I don't think it is a dangerous foodstuff that must be avoided in all dogs.

[Storm Angel n Auroras Mum]

I will not categorically say seeds are bad for dogs. They were for my dog, but I don't think it is a dangerous foodstuff that must be avoided in all dogs.

phew you scared me for a minute

[Removed #5]

Finally went looking for my own interest and found this on more than one web site:

Whole seeds cannot be digested. If enough is consumed, it can ferment and cause gastric bloat.

Fallen bird seed may be contaminated with bird feces, which shed salmonella bacteria. Salmonella poisoning is especially dangerous in young, sick, and elderly animals.

Bird seed has also been indicated as a possible cause, or trigger for seizures.

Most bird seed is coated, or is mixed with powdered vitamins - this is a concern. Vitamin coated seeds are basically a waste for the birds, as the coating is on the seed husk, which is discarded by the birds. Dogs, or other animals who eat the seeds whole, would be absorbing more of these vitamins.

 

Another item to add to the "probably not good for dogs" list??

[Sarah]

I'm glad she is picking up hun and hope she continues to get better x

Sent from my GT-I9300 using Tapatalk 2

[Storm Angel n Auroras Mum]

Finally went looking for my own interest and found this on more than one web site:

Another item to add to the "probably not good for dogs" list??

possibly but the two choices are:-

get rid of my bird

or not feed him :/

neither really favourable.

[elenamarie]

Hi Everyone--

 

The vet called this afternoon. The bloodwork came back late. From the results he concludes that Sarah had a mild case of pancreatitis. He said she may continue to be lethargic for a couple of weeks but unless she starts vomiting again or has new symptoms arise all we can do is watch her and provide supportive therapy.

 

For the next several weeks Sarah cannot have any meats at all (human food, that is) and she'll be getting three small meals a day rather than her one dinner meal. Of course we have to make sure she isn't eating anything other than her kibble so I have to figure out how to keep her from accessing Casper's discarded pellets.

 

The vet said that she could live her entire life and never have another attack of pancreatitis, or she could have another attack next week. There's really no way to know. Other than the amylase and lipid profile, the rest of the blood work came back perfect so she's otherwise healthy (kidney, liver, etc. look great.) The best we can do to prevent another attack is limit her fat intake but that isn't guaranteed to ensure it never happens again.

 

She ate her meal tonight with no problem and other than being lethargic she seems okay. My uncle came for dinner and he asked me what is wrong with Sarah before he heard the first thing about our scare, so she definitely isn't acting herself.

 

Continued prayers are appreciated.

 

Thanks again to all who offered prayers and support. You'll never know how much it means.

 

ETA: For anyone interested, here's an article on canine pancreatitis. http://pets.webmd.com/dogs/dog-pancreatitis-symptoms-and-treatment

Edited July 29, 2013 by elenamarie

[elenamarie]

possibly but the two choices are:-

get rid of my bird

or not feed him :/

neither really favourable.

 

I'm with ya. I"m thinking about trying one of those net seed guards that wrap around the cage. If Casper doesn't destroy it--and that's a definite possibility--it might help contain the pellet/seed mess.

 

Or I can block Sarah's access to that part of the house while Casper has his food but I'll have to figure out how to let her outside since the door to the yard is just beyond Casper's day cage.

 

<sigh> I'll figure it out.

[elenamarie]

Finally went looking for my own interest and found this on more than one web site:

 

 

 

Another item to add to the "probably not good for dogs" list??

 

I wonder more about the pellets than the seed. Casper throws far more pellets around than seed. At any rate this is great information, thank you!

 

Sarah has lost her all-time favorite treat: pig ears. She'll carry a pig ear around for as long as a week and nibble on it every day. I hate to forbid them but the fat content in those things is very high and given the past six days she definitely doesn't need pig ears in her diet.

[Jase]

Finally went looking for my own interest and found this on more than one web site:

 

 

 

Another item to add to the "probably not good for dogs" list??

 

In my case that is reassuring to know, at least I wasn't crazy in my dogs situation.

 

Hi Everyone--

 

The vet called this afternoon. The bloodwork came back late. From the results he concludes that Sarah had a mild case of pancreatitis. He said she may continue to be lethargic for a couple of weeks but unless she starts vomiting again or has new symptoms arise all we can do is watch her and provide supportive therapy.

 

For the next several weeks Sarah cannot have any meats at all (human food, that is) and she'll be getting three small meals a day rather than her one dinner meal. Of course we have to make sure she isn't eating anything other than her kibble so I have to figure out how to keep her from accessing Casper's discarded pellets.

 

The vet said that she could live her entire life and never have another attack of pancreatitis, or she could have another attack next week. There's really no way to know. Other than the amylase and lipid profile, the rest of the blood work came back perfect so she's otherwise healthy (kidney, liver, etc. look great.) The best we can do to prevent another attack is limit her fat intake but that isn't guaranteed to ensure it never happens again.

 

She ate her meal tonight with no problem and other than being lethargic she seems okay. My uncle came for dinner and he asked me what is wrong with Sarah before he heard the first thing about our scare, so she definitely isn't acting herself.

 

Continued prayers are appreciated.

 

Thanks again to all who offered prayers and support. You'll never know how much it means.

 

ETA: For anyone interested, here's an article on canine pancreatitis. http://pets.webmd.com/dogs/dog-pancreatitis-symptoms-and-treatment

 

This is good news I think, it is entirely possible that Sarah will not have another bout of pancreatitis. Thinking back to my situation, I think Tessi might have also been diagnosed with a mild case of pancreatitis.  Regarding the pigs ears, I am sure that in time you will be able to find a low or no fat treat that she will equally enjoy, possibly kangaroo jerky or something similar. Dogs can have remarkable self healing of some illnesses in my experience with Tessi, she recovered from some serious conditions even late in life that continued to amaze my vet.

 

Sadly I had to put her to sleep in March this year at just over 14 years of age, primarily due to her inability to stand up on her own and other old age symptoms towards the end of her pretty long life. I miss her dearly.

 

Moving the feed bowls down low on Casper's cage and adding the seed shield will probably remove most if not all of the problem with discarded seed/pellets?? My Tessi was a real 'hoover' when it came to any dropped food no matter what it was it was gone almost before it hit the ground

 

Wishing the best for Sarah's speedy recovery, for what its worth; I am confident she will be back to her old self in a few days.

[elenamarie]

This is good news I think, it is entirely possible that Sarah will not have another bout of pancreatitis. Thinking back to my situation, I think Tessi might have also been diagnosed with a mild case of pancreatitis.  Regarding the pigs ears, I am sure that in time you will be able to find a low or no fat treat that she will equally enjoy, possibly kangaroo jerky or something similar. Dogs can have remarkable self healing of some illnesses in my experience with Tessi, she recovered from some serious conditions even late in life that continued to amaze my vet.

 

Sadly I had to put her to sleep in March this year at just over 14 years of age, primarily due to her inability to stand up on her own and other old age symptoms towards the end of her pretty long life. I miss her dearly.

 

Moving the feed bowls down low on Casper's cage and adding the seed shield will probably remove most if not all of the problem with discarded seed/pellets?? My Tessi was a real 'hoover' when it came to any dropped food no matter what it was it was gone almost before it hit the ground

 

Wishing the best for Sarah's speedy recovery, for what its worth; I am confident she will be back to her old self in a few days.

 

Oh no, I'm sorry about Tessi.    It's so hard to have to do that. RIP Tessi.

 

I'm going to have to be very careful with the treats for a while, if not for the rest of her life. She won't understand but there's no getting around it. Sarah definitely fits the Hoover description!

 

Unfortunately I can't move the feeders, they're built in to the cage in such a way that they can't be moved. But I'll find a workaround. I have to.

 

Thanks for sticking with me through this Jase. It's very appreciated!

[Jase]

Thanks Elanamarie, I still come home sometimes expecting to be greeted at the door by Tess, but it really was her time to go to the rainbow bridge.

 

I think that now that you have the knowledge of what can trigger an 'episode' with Sarah, you are better armed to avoid repeated problems. 

 

Regarding the cage, you can probably just use the top feeders for water and fruit and put a seed/pellet bowl on the floor of the cage, away from areas that Casper poops LOL.

 

I should add that my Parrot was very naughty in that he would shovel most of seeds out to get at the best bits - sunflower seeds that is. So our volume of mess ( Tessi's snacks) may have been way above average, despite our attention to cleaning up.

[Storm Angel n Auroras Mum]

mine chucks seeds out of the cage. im gonna try and put the bowl on the floor of the cage to limit the food comig out.

[elenamarie]

Woohoo! I was outside with Sarah a few minutes ago typing up the post in the Training section, and Sarah dropped her Wubba in my lap asking me to throw it, all with that gleam in her eye. We played Siberian Fetch for about ten minutes, and then she was hot and wanted to come inside. That's the Sarah I know and love!

 

What a relief.

[Jase]

That's the best news I've heard all day! Wonderful

[elenamarie]

That's the best news I've heard all day! Wonderful

 

I can't tell you how relieved I am. Thanks!

[dogsruleok]

so glad sarah's on the mend xx