# Help- Tiel panting?!?



## sunnysmom (Sep 23, 2011)

My fiance just called and said he heard a noise and found Sunny on the bottom of the cage. He was sitting there not moving. He took Sunny out of the cage and he flew and hit the drapes but he doesn't think he hurt himself. Now, he's sitting still but making a puffing noise (like pfew sounding?). I'm really not even sure what to write. I wasn't there. He just asked me to quickly post to see if anyone had any idea what the noise was. I could hear him making it on the phone. He's never done it before.


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## sunnysmom (Sep 23, 2011)

I guess I should add Sunny was fine when I left for work this morning. Eating, etc. His droppings did look a little thick but they were normal the night before so I wasn't that worried about it........


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## sunnysmom (Sep 23, 2011)

Okay. Fiance just called and said he's not making the noise anymore. Was he just scared over something? Fiance says he just wants cuddled right now.


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## xoxsarahxox (Dec 13, 2010)

I know when mine get scared and take off around the room once they finally stop they are panting, or if they do too many laps around my room they get tired I guess and pant, they eventually stop panting. Just keep an eye on Sunny and hopefully there is nothing wrong


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## sunnysmom (Sep 23, 2011)

Thanks. Sorry for the kind of panicked post. It's just my fiance never panics over Sunny; it's always me. And when he calls in a panic then I really worry. He said Sunny was actually makin the "pfewing" noise before he took him out of his cage and then continued making it. I'm wondering if he slipped off of his perch and scared himself?


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## enigma731 (Aug 12, 2011)

My Sunny also pants after he's flown around and gotten freaked out. Was he on the bottom of the cage before or after he flew around? It's good that he's stopped making the sound now, but I would watch him very carefully since you don't know what triggered it in the first place.


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## sunnysmom (Sep 23, 2011)

He was on the bottom of the cage before he flew around. Fiance heard a noise and went and checked on him and found him on the bottom of the cage making the noise. When he took him out he flew around and when my fiance got him he was still making the noise. He called me and I could hear him making the noise over the phone. Fiance sat with him the rest of the afternoon and just put him back in his cage. He said Sunny was closing his eyes. I'm hoping it's just the stress of the day wore him out and he missed his nap by the fiance keeping him out. I guess what I am worried about is what caused it to begin with. I'm still thinking he might have slipped and scared himself. I 'll be home shortly to check on him.


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## enigma731 (Aug 12, 2011)

It sort of sounds like a seizure. While it's not impossible for him to have gotten spooked or fallen and scared himself, having it be this severe is kind of unusual. Usually unless it's a night fright, they're pretty good at landing on their feet or getting right back up, especially if they are flighted. Honestly if he doesn't seem perfectly normal when you get home, I might be looking for an emergency vet to check him out. It's just hard to know with symptoms like this.  Keep us updated. I'm thinking good thoughts.


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## sunnysmom (Sep 23, 2011)

I'm pretty worried. I hated being at work but the fiance said he settled down and didn't think I needed to rush home. I hope he was right. Thanks for your good thoughts. I'm hoping he's okay.


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## enigma731 (Aug 12, 2011)

How is he now?


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## sunnysmom (Sep 23, 2011)

He seems ok. Definitely seemed played out. He normally goes crazy when I walk in the door. I think he might have been napping as he was quiet when I walked in. He sat with me all evening. Wanted cuddles and not wanting to play. He looked fine. He ate really well. And I gave him an extra piece of millet when I put him back in his cage to go to bed and he devoured it. So I'm not sure what is up. Is there any way to tell if it was a seizure?


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## enigma731 (Aug 12, 2011)

Unfortunately no, there isn't any way to tell if you didn't see it happen. It's good that he's acting okay now. Definitely keep a close eye on him. Panting loud enough that you could hear it on the phone is pretty unusual.


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## sunnysmom (Sep 23, 2011)

I will keep a close eye on him. I think one of us is going to sleep downstairs tonight to make sure nothing happens through the night with him. What are the causes of seizures if that was it?


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## tielfan (Aug 31, 2008)

There are a lot of possible causes for seizures:
http://www.avianweb.com/seizures.html
http://www.birdsnways.com/wisdom/ww56eiv.htm

Is it possible that he saw something really scary, for example a hawk outside the window? That could be a reason for his behavior.


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## sunnysmom (Sep 23, 2011)

Thanks I will read the article. Actually there has been a hawk in our neighborhood.


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## enigma731 (Aug 12, 2011)

It's definitely a possibility that he just got spooked.


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## tielfan (Aug 31, 2008)

I hope it was just a panic attack caused by the hawk! That's an easy thing to fix, you just close the curtains until the hawk goes away.


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## srtiels (May 1, 2009)

Sometimes seizures can be diet related or a defeciency...
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*Hypocalcemia, and Seizures* 

When keeping and breeding we focus on supplying proper lighting and calcium sources to the hen. The above is just as important to a male. If lacking, the bird would have problems assimilating calcium and a lack of compensatory mechanisms to maintain serum calcium levels, and an inability to mobilize skeletal calcium. Sometimes this can also appear as a vitamin D3 deficiency. When this happens the bird is very prone to having seizures.

Hypocalcemia and seizure activity tends to be a problem only with male cockatiels.

Treatment for hypocalcemia consists of calcium (injectable calcium with phosphorus at time of seizure), D3 (preferably exposure to sunlight or full spectrum lighting) and supportive care such as Sub-Q fluids, which will get the blood levels up, and multivitamin injections (must contain Vitamin A and E)

Another thought at the time for seizures was a malabsorption problem. I found this is partially true. Most greens contain oxalic acid. I didn't know this at the time except for spinach which with the calcium and reactions to oxalic acids form calcium oxalates. Stress causes a sudden increased acidity in the GI tract and also upsets the metabolic balance of fluids in the body. Everything is a chain reaction.

I had some birds that had to have a health inspection. One had a seizure in the vets office. He drew blood to have sent out to a lab. I told him to give a Calphosan shot (calcium and phosphorus) because it had worked in the past for me to bring a bird out of it. At the time I had only thought it to be a malabsorption problem. Blood calcium and phosphorus levels were real low. Similar to what is seen with African Greys which are also prone to hypocalcemia.

At the time I did not know what exactly was the cause. In reality simple capture increases the heart rate that can trigger a hypocalcemic bird into a seizure because there is not enough calcium in the bloodstream. Some mutations such a cinnamon, fallow and lutino, or splits to these mutations tend to have this problem. Heart rate is increased when trying to get a bird out of the cage, or chasing and netting. But if blood was drawn while the bird has a seizure it would show very low blood calcium levels. The quickest way to bring it out of seizure is injectable Calphosan. or orally with a drop of liquid calcium under the tongue. The injectable calcium rapidly gets the blood calcium levels up. 

In regards to your birds many greens are rich in calcium and phosphorus. Researching the nutrient content of foods is just important to the male.


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## sunnysmom (Sep 23, 2011)

Thanks everyone. I will keep an eye one him- and for the hawk. He was quiet this morning but it's a dreary rainy day here. So he tends to be a little ho hum on days like this. He put himself back in his cage before I left for work to eat his millet. I had been wondering if he was getting enough calcium prior to this happening. All the recent posts on lighting had me wondering. I'm fairly positive that he never had full spectrum lighting or spent time outside previously, although going outside is something we've talked about doing with him when the weather warms up. I will read more about the full spectrum lighting. I really think he would hate something right above his cage but I think I remember you can buy lightbulbs for your regular lights? I'll check. I'll also look into feeding him more foods with calcium. Any recommendations on things your tiel likes to eat with calcium I would appreciate. I'm really hoping he was scared by the hawk and that it wasn't a seizure, but either way, I guess I should be increasing his calcium anyway.


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