# Red gunky eyes



## awman86 (Jan 27, 2012)

I bought this cockatiel from the petshop but it wasn't until I got her home I noticed the red gunky eyes. What is it?


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## enigma731 (Aug 12, 2011)

That's an infection of some kind. Please see a vet tomorrow, it is very urgent.


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## ~SarahJayne~ (Oct 14, 2012)

Poor little thing. Please do get her to a vet. 

Our local pet shop specialising in birds recently had a cockatiel being cared for at the front counter suffering from an eye infection. It didn't look as bad as this, but he was being treated with a special type of eye drops prescribed by the vet, and recovered quite quickly due to the prompt care he received.

Keep us updated, hope she gets better soon 

She is absolutely gorgeous by the way


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## enigma731 (Aug 12, 2011)

Because the ears also look infected (note the thinned, gunky feathers), this is most likely a systemic respiratory issue. Unfortunately it could even be symptomatic of psittacosis, so it really is important for the bird's health as well as yours to get this identified and treated ASAP. I hope you are keeping her in quarantine from your other birds?


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## awman86 (Jan 27, 2012)

Definetly keeping it quarantined. The vet told me what it was but because of the hard pronouncing words I can't remember but think it started with a c. He gave me antibiotics for it and if it doesn't help he's going to try a cream.


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## awman86 (Jan 27, 2012)

Chlamidya for birds


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## Renae (Feb 9, 2008)

Chlamydia is also known as Psittacosis, how sad, poor baby.







I hope she makes a quick, and full recovery with the antibiotics! Please keep us updated on her.


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## sunnysmom (Sep 23, 2011)

Yes, please keep us updated. I hope she is better soon.


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## bjknight93 (Nov 13, 2011)

I lost my second cockatiel to chlamydiosis. Did he give you doxycycline?

Best of luck to your bird's healing.


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## cknauf (Aug 27, 2012)

If she does have psittacosis/chlamydiosis, I'd contact the pet store. Psittacosis is highly contagious among birds and can be asymptomatic, so they may not know their flock has it. Your bird may not have shown symptoms until the stress of a new home caused a flare-up.


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## awman86 (Jan 27, 2012)

Yeah I contacted the pet store, this is the reply I got.


> We do treat and spray our birds as soon as they come in but it might of went unnoticed. You can bring her back in and we will change her for another one. We got another 10 males and females today


I think I'll pass on that offer. The vet gave me doxyvet.

Also I'm pretty sure they got the sex wrong and it's a he. I'll post some more pictures soon, it's already starting to heal.


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## enigma731 (Aug 12, 2011)

Wow, that's ridiculous. Has your bird actually tested positive for chlamydiosis, or did the vet diagnose it based on symptoms? If you have a positive test, you can and should report the pet store to the health department. It's a big deal if their flock has it.


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## Simbah (Feb 9, 2012)

enigma731 said:


> Wow, that's ridiculous. Has your bird actually tested positive for chlamydiosis, or did the vet diagnose it based on symptoms? If you have a positive test, you can and should report the pet store to the health department. It's a big deal if their flock has it.


I agree, this is unacceptable. The people running/working for this petshop cant simply wave off something as serious as this. Especially since a bird was purchased from their store WITH the the deasise. Not even a mild case, a very severe case at that. Im sure much of the flock has chlamydiosis, perhaps hidden symptons they havent noticed so far. But im guessing if this poor thing is this far gone, many others may be suffering the same now, if not in a few days or weeks. Ide contact the health department, since 20 new tiels are vunerable to chlamydiosis now.


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## srtiels (May 1, 2009)

Hi, where are you located? How old is the bird? What is the background of the bird, and the diet?

In looking at the bird it is a a cinnamon Pied. With the random light/dark feathering to the back it was housed outside or in an area where there was strong sunlight. The cinnamon mutations tend to be photo sensitive and will get the pattern on their back similar to your bird.

OK...there are several causes for the problem seen with the eyes:

Conjunctivitis is a Symptom, meaning a visual sign that there is a problem that needs to be addressed. The following are some possible causes. 
1...Psittacosis 
2...Nutritional/vitamin deficiencies (hypovitaminosis)
3...Hypervitaminosis A (excessive use of vitamin A)
4...Dust and irritants in the environment 
5...Giardia 
6...Ectoparasites 
7...Mycoplasmosis 
8...Trauma 
9...Foreign objects in the eye 
10...Fungal infection 
11...Sinus infection 
12...Secondary to upper/lower respiratory disease 

In the interim try to keep the feathers surrounding the eye and where the bird rubs the eye, such as the shoulder, clean. This can be done by gently swabbing with a cotton ball moistened with saline (contact eye solution) If you have a teabag, make a cup of tea, save the teabag and use it to hold against the eye for a minute or less several times a day. this is soothing to the imflamed tissue and it will help bring down some of the swelling.


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## enigma731 (Aug 12, 2011)

Simbah said:


> I agree, this is unacceptable. The people running/working for this petshop cant simply wave off something as serious as this. Especially since a bird was purchased from their store WITH the the deasise. Not even a mild case, a very severe case at that. Im sure much of the flock has chlamydiosis, perhaps hidden symptons they havent noticed so far. But im guessing if this poor thing is this far gone, many others may be suffering the same now, if not in a few days or weeks. Ide contact the health department, since 20 new tiels are vunerable to chlamydiosis now.


Not to mention unsuspecting customers who could catch it.


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## Renae (Feb 9, 2008)

Susanne suggested the tea bag idea to me for one of my Cockatiel’s who gets a droopy eye, works really well!


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## cknauf (Aug 27, 2012)

awman86 said:


> Yeah I contacted the pet store, this is the reply I got.
> 
> I think I'll pass on that offer. The vet gave me doxyvet.
> 
> Also I'm pretty sure they got the sex wrong and it's a he. I'll post some more pictures soon, it's already starting to heal.


The government keeps tabs on psittacosis outbreaks, since it's contagious to humans and several other animals. My dad works for a pet shop, and I'm not sure if it's their store policy, law, or just general best practice, but if they have a psittacosis case they have to pull all birds from the floor and have them tested and treated. I'd be wary of a shop that shrugs it off--they could very easily lose every bird in their store if they don't act.


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## tielfan (Aug 31, 2008)

State law controls the reporting of psittacosis cases. Most states require doctors to report cases of psittacosis in humans to a state health agency, but there might not be a requirement to report an infected bird. You'd need to know which state is involved and then search for their rules.


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## awman86 (Jan 27, 2012)

The bird wasn't tested as far as I know just diagnosed based on the symptoms. I live in Sydney Australia and the pet shop couldn't tell me anything about the bird. The aviary was full of cinnamon Pieds and I just asked for a female one. They were just so pretty and cheap.


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## Renae (Feb 9, 2008)

Can you say what pet shop it was?! (you can PM me if you don’t want to) I am near Sydney and might know it/of it.


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## awman86 (Jan 27, 2012)

I've PM'd Renae the name of the petshop
Getting better:








Young Male? Or Adult Female?


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## Renae (Feb 9, 2008)

Wow!! Look how much better it has gotten already! :thumbu: Shame on that pet store though, I know exactly which one it is.

ETA: I am not sure about the sex, sorry. Does s/he whistle at all? Or, bang their beak on things? Does heart wings? These are a few typical male behaviors.


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## bjknight93 (Nov 13, 2011)

It looks much better! And you can't tell the sex of pieds just by looking at them...so you can either dna test or judge by behaviors.


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## bjknight93 (Nov 13, 2011)

And now that we see the ears up close, it appears that maybe they were plucked by another birds and are regrowing...rather than it being an ear infection.


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