# X Rays



## BabyMoo (Dec 19, 2012)

Hello everyone.

I have a question. What are your thoughts on x-rays for cockatiels? Has anyone's tiel have had to have one?

BabyMoo's vet wants to do one if she doesn't get well soon. She has a bacterial infection with bacteria in the nose, throat, and droppings. She is in the hospital and taking antibiotics. She doesn't want to eat so she is being hand fed. The vet said today that if she doesn't want to eat by tomorrow that she is going to recommend doing an x-ray. Tomorrow afternoo will be her 2nd day on antibiotics. She mentioned sedation and I didn't like the idea b/c my tiel is 20 years old. I need to ask her what the x-rays would be for. I talked briefly with her today over the phone. 

Any thoughts regarding the x-rays would be very welcome.

Thank you!!

Caro


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## enigma731 (Aug 12, 2011)

If BabyMoo isn't getting better by tomorrow then I would probably do it if she were my bird. I've never had to actually get one, but I've had to consider it twice. The general feeling is that sedation gets riskier the sicker the bird is. So if she's not getting better, then I think it's better to do it now than to wait and possibly have her get weaker, you know?

One thing you might want to ask the vet is this -- How would the results of the xray change the course of treatment? What are they looking for? Are they looking for something treatable?

If they are looking for something treatable, then I think it's worthwhile to do the procedure. If, on the other hand, they're looking for something untreatable like a tumor, then I don't think there's any real benefit to having it done. If all you'd stand to find out is that nothing can be done, then it's not worth the cost or the risk, you know? At least that was my reasoning when I had to decide.


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## bjknight93 (Nov 13, 2011)

Is it possible for them to xray without sedation? When we xrayed Krissi they just laid her on her back and held her wings. She had no sedation, she was 13 years old. 

I agree with Enigma. Better to do it when she's stable than to wait.


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## roxy culver (May 27, 2010)

I also agree, if they're looking for something they can fix, then I'd definitely do it. It would do more harm than good. The other vet told you that sedation could cause her to die because its something they have to tell everyone with birds. I really honestly don't think that her age is the biggest issue here (remember, this came from the vet who thought she was too old to treat!)



> Is it possible for them to xray without sedation? When we xrayed Krissi they just laid her on her back and held her wings.


It all depends on the equipement they have and the bird as well. If the bird wont hold still, even when someone else is holding them down, then they have to be sedated. Any movement whatsoever can cause disruption on the xray and make it useless. I would ask if sedation is necessary or not. Ask if they can try without the sedation first. It never hurts to ask.


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## BabyMoo (Dec 19, 2012)

Good morning.

*Enigma731*, *bjknight93*, *roxy* *culver*, thank you for the responses. Your advice was very helpful this AM when I called the vet. 

I also went on line and did some research on avian x-rays. Found a good page that talks about advances in surgery. It mentioned isoflurane and sevoflurane as the sedation being used recently. 

I talked to the vet. She will do an x-ray of the neck and body only and it doesn't require sedation. What a load off my shoulders. Someone will hold her. She is looking to see if she has a "mechanical blockage" b/c she is not eating again today. I don't know what an x-ray of the head would show if they ever had to do one. I'm thinking only skull related things, maybe superficial mass but definitely no brain tumors, for that they would have to do an MRI or CT scan like in humans. 

*Enigma731*, *roxy* *culver*, what you said about sedation and getting riskier the sicker she gets is a good point. If I recall, the vet in the ER (not the one that diagnosed her old) said that he was worried that she had a low weight as well. So there were too factors at that point, age and low weight. Now she is not eating but she got her weight back (and more according to the vet). She has been fed at the vets so that is good too. 

*bjknight93*, I don't know how still BabyMoo would be if they laid her on her back. I can imagine that she would scream and move her head all over the place. Thank you for the advice, they will not sedate thank God. I'm glad that they were able to help your baby without sedating.

I don't know how treatable a "mechanical blockage" will be if that is found but at least it might give us answers as to why she is not eating. I have to do some research on it. She is not eating but they are able to feed her fine and she has droppings so I'm hopeful that there is no blockage. I read that they can also see if she has metal accumulations so I thought it was a good idea. I read that for that they don't need perfectly still because the metal shows either way.

This is the page I mentioned above about the sedation in case anyone is interested:
http://www.exoticpetvet.net/avian/medtoday.html

Thank you again!!

Caro


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