# Tiel with Psittacosis



## Ichigo (Sep 7, 2011)

Hello,

Currently my male tiel is on antibiotics because most likely he have Psittacosis.. I won't get a define answer even after having done X rays and Blood tests that almost costed me $300 yet they will try to push me into doing more tests because they are money hungry, playing stupid not knowing what he have while still they gave him antiobiotic and he does much better then previous days.

I don't have any more money to spent on a vet and those vets here are only looking for money, they don't really love animals, trying to rip me off here and there, using my emotions and hard language to make me feel I have no other choice but to do those tests that thats my only way to save my tiel.

I got 1 week of antibiotic to give my male tiel, the treatment is suppose to be 6 weeks.. but I won't ever return to those vets because I had a serious arugment with them and I don't have any more money to waste on other vets unless I only will pay for the antibiotic supplement without any TESTS or VISITING Payment.

I just want to know what kind of Antibiotic do vets usually give to tiels? is it a human antibiotic? do they work on a few tiel diseases? can I purchase it myself? any antibiotic product names out there that I can research? is there a special antibiotic name for Psittacosis giving to tiels?

I want to know this details first to know if I can purchase such supply for myself and second that if I go to another VET I will directly purchase whatever he is TAKING now because in 1 week I won't have any to give him.

Another question, vet said that if male tiel have Psittacosis then there is hard chance my female tiel will have it now too.. how and when can I know that she have it? does it take days/months/years before she will show symptoms and I will know how to address this problem?

Thanks..

EDIT: I forgot to mention that after the tests there still isn't an answer if he really got psittacosis or not.. however the antibiotic works in one way or another..


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## sunnysmom (Sep 23, 2011)

I'm sorry to hear your tiel is sick. I don't know much about psittacosis but here is a thread with info on it: http://talkcockatiels.com/showthread.php?t=7935


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## Renae (Feb 9, 2008)

I am sorry you are having problems with the vet you seen, I wouldn’t be going back there either.  I am guessing they are not an avian vet? Where abouts are you located? We can do a search for you and see if we can find an avian vet close-by that will be of more help. 

To sum this all up, you are treating your Cockatiel for Psittacosis, but you don’t know if he does have it or not? If the vet you seen done blood tests (blood profile with a white blood cell count), the results should have came back if the Cockatiel was positive or negative for the presence of Psittacosis. What did the x-rays show? If I were you, I would be requesting to see the results, because they are doing tests and x-rays, but they are not giving you any results on what the tests and x-rays show. :hmm: Also, how long ago were the tests done? I know here it takes about 1 week for the test results to come back. 

Antibiotics to treat Psittacosis is doxycyline, either orally, or by weekly injections, as far as I know, you can only get this from the vets, and not over the counter. 

Psittacosis can be passed on from bird to bird, I would find another vet/avian vet, have them run tests and x-rays if need be on BOTH of your Cockatiels, and wait for the results, if they come back positive you will need to treat them both.

ETA: I have to go out so had to make this post really quickly, sorry if it doesn’t make sense, but I will post more later.


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## farmbabe (Oct 27, 2012)

You can get doxycycline without a prescription, unless a new regulation went into effect with the new year. I've gotten it from Jeffers or Valley Vet, online. It's labeled Bird Biotic, and I'm pretty sure Thomas Labs is the manufacturer. You could google their website for info, too.


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## Renae (Feb 9, 2008)

Even if you can get it without a prescription, you shouldn’t treat him (or both) until you know for sure that they do have Pssitacosis, and you need to know the right dosage amount to give too. You will also want to get some probiotics (I see Bene-Bac recommended a lot: http://www.drsfostersmith.com/product/prod_display.cfm?pcatid=6015) for when the antibiotics are finished (antibiotics unbalance the good gut flora, and probiotics will re-establish the natural gut flora).

Here is some more information on Psittacosis from Avian Web:



> *Transmission*:
> 
> Chlamydophila psittaci is excreted in the feces and nasal discharges of infected birds. Infection usually occurs when a bird or a person inhales organisms that have been aerosolized from dried feces or respiratory tract secretions of infected birds. Other means of exposure include mouth-to-beak contact and handling infected birds' plumage and tissues. Even brief exposures can lead to symptomatic infection. Some infected birds can appear healthy and shed the organism intermittently. Shedding can be activated by stress factors, including relocation, shipping, crowding, chilling, and breeding. At high risk are birds that are kept in overcrowded conditions, including pet stores, breeding facilities and multi-bird households - especially if new birds are added without following proper quarantine procedures.
> 
> ...


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## Ichigo (Sep 7, 2011)

Renae said:


> I am sorry you are having problems with the vet you seen, I wouldn’t be going back there either.  I am guessing they are not an avian vet? Where abouts are you located? We can do a search for you and see if we can find an avian vet close-by that will be of more help.
> 
> To sum this all up, you are treating your Cockatiel for Psittacosis, but you don’t know if he does have it or not? If the vet you seen done blood tests (blood profile with a white blood cell count), the results should have came back if the Cockatiel was positive or negative for the presence of Psittacosis. What did the x-rays show? If I were you, I would be requesting to see the results, because they are doing tests and x-rays, but they are not giving you any results on what the tests and x-rays show. :hmm: Also, how long ago were the tests done? I know here it takes about 1 week for the test results to come back.
> 
> ...


At first they asked me to do a first shot Perspective of X Ray, she did it and then she came back to me and told me that she sees something with the guts wrong. then she convinced me she wants to do another X Ray from a different perspective, she did that returned me and told me that she isn't sure yet. then she asked me to do a blood test she did that however she promised me that she will return to me after some hours with results to tell me whatever his problem is and she even promised me that after the blood test I will know what she really will have. the same day she didn't return to me at all for the results! the next day they called me saying lines about the blood tests such as that it isn't Inconsistent, they didn't use any lines such as we don't know what he has, if he has it or does he not have it, what did they see? they always tried to get around my questions and changing subjects. it's all very suspicious. after that he recommended me to do another blood test and they will send it to an lab which I find funny because they are a lab them self.

There is not knowing even if they did the Xray and Blood tests, she started with the most expensive thing, the XRay, and later blood test which doesn't cost that much. and they know I am a soldier in service that I hardly earn $70 a month yet they sipped out of me every penny with no mercy, I can just see their money hunger in their eyes. it's only when I came home I started to suspicious in many things because its hard to be there with a sick tiel and thinking only about wanting to save him.

After that I had a long arugement with them over the phone questions which couldn't be answered and which were in a way promised, it all just doesn't seem right. they are real.

They are avian vets, at least that's what they said.

There is one more avian vet not to far from me.. but still I feel ripped off..

Anyway the information posted is very value to me! thanks a lot!

I will keep updating here!

EDIT: My male is on an antibiotic called baytril and he seems to feel better these past 2 days.


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## enigma731 (Aug 12, 2011)

I might be in the minority here, but as someone who's worked in labs quite a lot, their actions don't seem unreasonable to me. Avian medicine is not an exact science. Unfortunately, avian vets are often forced to do many different diagnostic tests to decide how to treat, and they often may be inconclusive. Birds hide illnesses very well and are extremely delicate, so it's tough to figure out the best way to treat them without causing undue stress and harm. 

Diagnosis and treatment of birds can be expensive; unfortunately, that is the cost of being a responsible pet owner and one which we all should prepare for. $300 for two xrays and two blood tests actually sounds extraordinarily low to me. I have no idea what these tests are typically priced at in your area, but in many areas of the US, they would be much more expensive.

I think your next course of action should be to ask for a complete copy of your bird's lab results so far. You have a right to see all of the specifics, including the xray film. Find out exactly what blood tests were done and what the results were, and post them here. Then we can give you better advice as to what you should ask your vet for next.

Because there is a question of psittacosis in your birds, you really CANNOT ignore this problem or try to treat it without veterinary guidance. Psittacosis is extremely contagious among birds and has caused serious (even fatal) illness in humans. You are endangering your own health if you do not pursue a definitive answer and proper treatment.

I am sorry to hear that you're going through this with your birds. Please keep us updated; I'll be sending good thoughts your way.


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## Ichigo (Sep 7, 2011)

Thanks a lot Enigma!

You are right about a copy of the tests that's what I was going for!

The good news is that after 3 days of treatment my tiel seems much better! more active, not so puffy anymore!

However since there is not knowing if my tiel really got that disease or something else I am unsure that after 1 week and he will seem most likely fine, if it's alright to stop or not.. because if it was just another bacteria illness then maybe a 1 week treatment would solve it.. but if it's Psittacosis then 6 weeks it have to be on the antibiotics..

So I have some questions in regard:

1. IF he really does have Psittacosis, and after one week he will seem fine and one stop giving him the medication.. will he get worse again?

2. IF he has Psittacosis, most likely it has already spread to my female tiel.. how will I know if it will hit her too? does it take a certain amount of time to see her falling sick too? god forbidden..

3. Is an unclean cage a trigger for Psittacosis?

4. IF my male tiel infected my female tiel with Psittacosis, but my male tiel heals from it, and then my female tiel shows Psittacosis symptoms.. will my male tiel fall ill again?

5. My female tiel is fine. but could it be she spread the disease to my male? I heard stress can trigger Psittacosis, and it might have been triggered when my female tiel had much stress when laying eggs due to calcium deffecient

Thanks!


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## enigma731 (Aug 12, 2011)

Ichigo said:


> So I have some questions in regard:
> 
> 1. IF he really does have Psittacosis, and after one week he will seem fine and one stop giving him the medication.. will he get worse again?
> 
> ...


See above responses in bold.


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## tielfan (Aug 31, 2008)

I don't have any advice to contribute, but I thought it might be helpful to remind enigma that the hen in this pair is a chronic egg layer who apparently has a calcium deficiency.


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## enigma731 (Aug 12, 2011)

Thanks, Carolyn, I did remember that. I think that makes it even more important to find out what's really going on here and whether there is a potentially contagious infection, since calcium deficiency and chronic laying would definitely decrease immunity and make the hen more susceptible to illness.


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