# Izzie Falling



## abaldwin40 (Aug 25, 2013)

hey guys! just an update on izzie. shes been eating alot more since i got the new cage. shes moving around alot. but her urates are still yellow and her feces are still a very dark green. she fell off of her perch last night and this morning. so needless to say im still concerned for her health. is falling and loss of balance a typical symptom for a young bird? or is that a side effect of being sick? ive tried several vet offices and to no avail. my vet has been closed due to whether. and i cant find anyone else to help me out here. i know i sound like a broken record. im just a very concerned bird owner :/

Edit: her feathers near her vent are also stained yellow. and she JUST went in front of me and flipped it around with a targeting stick and the urates have gone to an eggshell while (kinda white but still kinda yellow)..... although there is still yellow in the bottom of the cage.


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## CaliTiels (Oct 18, 2012)

I don't know. Something sounds off. How old is she? Most young birds grow out of their clumsiness at about 4-6 months


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## abaldwin40 (Aug 25, 2013)

well shes right in that age range. shes 26 weeks old. so i dont know. it has be baffled. when my wife told me today at work that she had fallen i immediately started making phone calls trying to find the answer as to why it could be happening. ive been all over this forum and others trying to find the answers. because the vet told me shes okay as long as she ACTS okay. shes been normal up till now. ive called pet stores and emergency vet services. (that arent in my state) and they dont have any answers.... but they all say theres something wrong....


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## Amz (Apr 10, 2013)

abaldwin40 said:


> because the vet told me shes okay as long as she ACTS okay.


Lol what stupid advice. Cockatiels intentionally try to hide their symptoms, because in the wild, they would easily be singled out and eaten if they showed signs of being sick.

I agree with Stephanie. Something just doesn't seem right.


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## abaldwin40 (Aug 25, 2013)

well i also know after watching the lil guys that tommy and gabi will PUSH her off a perch to move her out of their way. maybe that could be what happened? ive only seen it done a couple of times though.....


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## abaldwin40 (Aug 25, 2013)

My gut just tells me if she starts acting sick like the vet said it'll be too late to treat anything...


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## abaldwin40 (Aug 25, 2013)

well i called the vet office and spoke to my avian vet. she said she may be getting bullies by gabi and tomy since they are a bonded pair and are wanting to mate and set up their nest and such. (my wife caught them mating last week once) i've NEVER seen then harm izzie or even act agressive in any way towards her that they haven't done to each other. just squawking a little when one is in the others way. she suggests that they be separated permanently. as for her fecal issue they are going to call me back. they said that a change like that is normal for most birds. so idk.


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## CaliTiels (Oct 18, 2012)

She could be stressed, but she still doesn't sound right to me...


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## abaldwin40 (Aug 25, 2013)

Steph what would you suggest in this situation? Have you encountered anything like this before? From all the pictures I've seen, bonded pairs are always with single unbounded tiels and are fine. I'll be taking her to the vet office for an exam of they suggest that. Although from what I've been told by other vets and tiel owners it may just Confuse me more :/


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## CaliTiels (Oct 18, 2012)

Hmm... I'm going to go out on a limb here, but I would try getting her checked for some sort of poisoning or liver disease. I have no idea if that's right, but something in my gut tells me it's something the vet's not checking


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## CaliTiels (Oct 18, 2012)

Actually, can I see Issie's feathers and vent? I want to check something


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## abaldwin40 (Aug 25, 2013)

Sure. I'll take a picture when I get home from work. I'll be setting up another vet visit as well. They want to actually see her one on one. Without the other two. So I'm betting they will want to do a fecal graph


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## abaldwin40 (Aug 25, 2013)

here's the picture. the yellow has gone away mostly. but there is still a hint of it


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## CaliTiels (Oct 18, 2012)

She may, and I stress, _may_ have a light sort of metal toxicity. If she's falling over, having yellow urates and I do remember that you mentioned she was fluffed a few threads ago. I would consider asking the vet to check her out for that


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## abaldwin40 (Aug 25, 2013)

Roxy told me before to stop giving my tiels a vita drop for their food and water. She said she could be over dosing in iron...... Is that correct? Now that I think of it they ALL have been more lively since it stopped giving them that. But Izzie's urates haven't gone back to normal. I got the drops to help their vitamin intake since I couldn't get zupreem at the moment.


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## CaliTiels (Oct 18, 2012)

When did you stop it?


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## abaldwin40 (Aug 25, 2013)

a few weeks ago when roxy told me to stop immediately.


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## abaldwin40 (Aug 25, 2013)

the bottle doesnt say anything about iron.... it has vitamin A, B6, D3, Naicin Thiamine, d-Pantothenic acid, Riboflavin, and Chloine in it.


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## CaliTiels (Oct 18, 2012)

You know what, let me ask a friend of mine. She's really smart on the matter, if it's alright with you


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## abaldwin40 (Aug 25, 2013)

Just fine. Anything helps! I'm more concerned on the cause than the fix cuz I know the fix is a vet visit and some medicine. Or..... Just wait for it to pass if it isn't a big concern


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## CaliTiels (Oct 18, 2012)

_'Discolored urates can be a sign of liver disease, but they can also be a symptom of bacterial infection and other problems. It's possible that she's falling off the perch due to weakness.'_

I thought it may be something around that field. Is there someone you can take her to? She may need some medicine to help her


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## abaldwin40 (Aug 25, 2013)

Yea I read that in a couple of threads on here. Thank you for following up on it though. I'll be taking her into the vet this week and get her looked at. How curable is liver disease or a bacterial infection? 

Also would a small cat carrier be sufficient for a hospital cage? To keep her from falling more? I have the two small actual cages they used to stay in but they are pretty small. 


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## CaliTiels (Oct 18, 2012)

It's curable. The sooner the better. 

I would say move her to one of the small cages to monitor her. Make sure you put some low, soft perches near to the floor and put a fleece blanket on the cage floor so if she falls, it's a smaller distance to fall and she'll land on something cushy. Keep her food and water dishes low down too, just in case


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## abaldwin40 (Aug 25, 2013)

Okay. Thank you Stephanie. You've been a big help 


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## karendh (Mar 25, 2013)

A few weeks ago Birdie was very unsteady and her droppings were bright emerald green. She had a gut infection and after six days on antibiotics she was fine again. I kept her on probotics for a further week.


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## abaldwin40 (Aug 25, 2013)

Hmmm okay! I hope it's that easy with my izzie. 


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## abaldwin40 (Aug 25, 2013)

poor thing all alone in her little hospital cage


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## abaldwin40 (Aug 25, 2013)

so i was sitting on the couch with izzie just a second ago and she went on the couch. well i didnt think much of it and i looked and it was the same as it has been for awhile now. but then she hopped down off of me and attempted to eat it..... i immediately stopped her. so then i did some quick research and found this:

http://www.justcockatiels.net/eating-droppings.html

stating that she may be lacking nutrients.

now shes in her cage beak grinding..... this little crazy fluff ball is gonna kill me of confusion before its over with Xp


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## CaliTiels (Oct 18, 2012)

She could be. But there are other reasons to why they can do that as well, but it is something to consider


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## abaldwin40 (Aug 25, 2013)

hmm okay! ill be making her a vet appointment for either tomorrow or friday to get her looked at. she seems okay though. just doesnt feel 100% i guess.


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## Amz (Apr 10, 2013)

CaliTiels said:


> She could be. But there are other reasons to why they can do that as well, but it is something to consider


What are the other reasons? Rocko does it sometimes - not as often as he used to though - and it'd be good to know what I need to change.


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## CaliTiels (Oct 18, 2012)

Most of it is related to nutritional deficiencies, but I've had my lovebird do it strictly from boredom when I'm not home (I set a secret camera to check; I was right). My budgie was best buddies with him and he started copying him out of habit, just because Teak was doing it.

However, I have been researching the subject and I found this in an article on why cockatiels would eat their poop from Bird Channel:

'_Internal parasites, such as the one-celled protozoa Giardia, or Hexamita, can cause a cockatiel to lose micronutrients, and worms, including ascarids (roundworms) and capillaria may also steal nutrients from the gastrointestinal tract of cockatiels. These organisms can be more difficult to diagnose in cockatiels due to the speed in which ingesta passes through the tract, so it might take more testing to determine if these organisms are causing a cockatiel to develop nutritional deficiencies._'

Furthermore, I found a fantastic website that may give you your answer for Izzie, I recommend you read this. I found it very similar to your predictament

http://www.petmd.com/bird/conditions/digestive/c_bd_gastrointestinal_parasites-giardiasis


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## abaldwin40 (Aug 25, 2013)

That is very helpful! The vet is calling me back in a little bit to schedule an appointment so I'll let her know about this to see what the next step may be


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## abaldwin40 (Aug 25, 2013)

If read correctly and she has a parasite..... My other two tiels can have it....... And they probably won't survive it...?


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## CaliTiels (Oct 18, 2012)

I didn't see that. But it may not be that at all. Even if it is a intestinal problem, it may not be that one. Don't take my word for it. I'm just trying to connect the dots with some of the symptoms you gave me. Tell the vet about things happening to Izzie, like things you noticed about her and they'll be able to tell you for sure. I'm not trying to stress you out with things that may not even be true, so I'm sorry if I led you down that way


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## abaldwin40 (Aug 25, 2013)

The vet is doing a parasitic fecal exam. I should have the results tomorrow.  and she should be okay according to the vet.


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## CaliTiels (Oct 18, 2012)

Ok that's good


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## abaldwin40 (Aug 25, 2013)

If it is a parasite she's gonna go ahead and give some medicine to gabi and tommy too.


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## CaliTiels (Oct 18, 2012)

That would be best. Just to double check


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## abaldwin40 (Aug 25, 2013)

Although she is very smart, and I respect her intelligence, she seems irritated that I research this stuff. She doesn't like "comparing notes". It kinda bothers me. Of course she is the vet and is certified to tell me what to do so I guess I'll get over it lol


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## abaldwin40 (Aug 25, 2013)

my poor girl shes wobbling so much on her perch. i have it low in her cage tho. so she wont tumble but a few inches if she looses her balance.  poor lil girl


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## CaliTiels (Oct 18, 2012)

That's why it's safest to have her down low. Do you have any rope perches? I find that birds have a easier time gripping those


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## abaldwin40 (Aug 25, 2013)

i have one in the large cage  but its too big for the one i have her in. she actually just fell. jumped up and started gnawing at her doppings again. now shes eating..... i really hope that the test comes back tomorrow so we can get her medicine....shes getting worse.


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## abaldwin40 (Aug 25, 2013)

i might actually go ahead and TRY to get the rope perch in the cage somehow.

EDIT: Got it.


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## CaliTiels (Oct 18, 2012)

If you can't, did you put the blanket at the bottom? If the rope perch won't fit, she can have something soft to land on


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## CaliTiels (Oct 18, 2012)

Nevermind. But still, it's a good idea to have a fleece blanket on the bottom since she's still falling


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## abaldwin40 (Aug 25, 2013)

the perch fit. and ill get a small blanket too. this it really pitiful to watch


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## CaliTiels (Oct 18, 2012)

I can imagine. It's hard to see. When Jaid has his night frights, he does the same thing


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## abaldwin40 (Aug 25, 2013)

aww poor guy  how often does he have them?


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## CaliTiels (Oct 18, 2012)

About once a month. He always knocks a blood feather but I have yet had to pull one


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## abaldwin40 (Aug 25, 2013)

well thats good at least. i hope he gets better!


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## abaldwin40 (Aug 25, 2013)

so i got a fecal test done on izzie. the results havent come back yet. shes still a little off. so i called another vet in GA. she said was VERY straight forward..... she said since izzie is showing signs of being sick, she could be too far gone.  which worries me greatly. i really hope nothing happens to my little one. i dont think i could handle it. what is the survival rate of sickness in birds once they start showing they are sick? 

EDIT: also...... would it be considered kinda bad if my avian vet's receptionist says "oh ive never seen this kind of test before so i dont know how long it may take for the results to come back"? it kinda seems like they dont deal with birds on a regular basis...


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## CaliTiels (Oct 18, 2012)

If you want it straight it's 50/50. I hope she goes the positive way. Give her a snuggle for me


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## abaldwin40 (Aug 25, 2013)

I hope she does too. And I will. I'm sure she'll be okay. Cuz she's fine if I have her out of the cage. Like now she are dinner with us and is normal. Very normal. Tweeting and strutting around. Is that considered a good thing? If she were too far gone would she even be able to move much?


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## CaliTiels (Oct 18, 2012)

I would say so


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## abaldwin40 (Aug 25, 2013)

I'm really sorry if this situation is stressful on anyone. I'm just very grateful I have the support that I do, here. Just thought I'd throw that out there....


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## abaldwin40 (Aug 25, 2013)

so i put wax paper down in izzie's cage. i watched her next droppings after that and i found that they go from yellow to porcelain white within 4 droppings..... im still making her another vet appointment in the morning for the other vet. but her hanging her head and wobbling so till concerns me.


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## abaldwin40 (Aug 25, 2013)

So izzie went to the new vet today. He says her droppings are normal. Her wobbling is t bad enough here he is going to express ALOT of concern but I should keep an eye on it. He was very helpful and he also said I should try getting her onto a primarily pelleted diet. So I'll look into that. But otherwise he says she's fine. She weighs 89grams and looks perfect. So I'm glad to hear that. 


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## CaliTiels (Oct 18, 2012)

Then that's good news


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## abaldwin40 (Aug 25, 2013)

yep.  and i just gave her the pelleted food and she actually seems to like it lol shes just munching away at it XD


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## abaldwin40 (Aug 25, 2013)

so ive been away from the computer for a few days. cuz i woke up one morning and izzie was laying on her tummy (sleeping) in the bottom of her cage with her head on the floor of her cage. i immediately called the new vet, set them a picture of what she was doing.they took her in for some lab work. i havent got the results back and probably wont untill tomorrow. I have been monitoring her since then. shes not pooping regularly (only when i take her out to stretch and so i can spend some time with her). but when she does they are HUGE! like 5 times the size of normal droppings. the vet is concerned for her liver. so now im playing the waiting game

one thing ive noticed though, sometimes when i approach her cage she'll back into a corner, hold her wings slightly out, hiss a little and sway from side to side. i found that odd. shes never done it before. perhaps i startled her?

anyways. shes gotten to where she wont poop in her cage. only when i take her out. im very worried for her now. i hope the tests come back tomorrow and we can get her on some medicine quick.


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## CaliTiels (Oct 18, 2012)

Aww, I'm sorry she's going the wrong way. She is protecting herself since she is feeling vulnerable. Try to give her some millet to get her to eat some more and comfort her. Just move slow, like you're training a new bird


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## abaldwin40 (Aug 25, 2013)

I will. She seems stable right now. Hopefully I can get her on medicine soon.


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## abaldwin40 (Aug 25, 2013)

The results came back. The dr said her liver and kidneys are spectacular. He's going to look further into some other things by talking to some specialists. But he said there is a good chnce whatever was wrong was fixed by adjusting her diet the way I did. Cuz today I put her in the big cage with tommy and gabi and she stayed on her perches all day with no problems. So I'm very happy. I'm also very happy with the new vet. They are very informative and very professional. I'm glad I switched for Izzie's sake. 


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## Peaches&Me (Oct 30, 2013)

Phew that's a relief  I hope she continues to improve


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## stevechurch2222 (Sep 25, 2011)

Glad to hear Izzie is improving hope she continues to improve.


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## abaldwin40 (Aug 25, 2013)

Thank you guys 


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## SoCalTiels (Oct 8, 2013)

I hope things continue to improve for you and Izzie! I'm glad she seems to be doing better.


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## abaldwin40 (Aug 25, 2013)

Me too I'm eager to see what the vet finds out


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