# Possible sight problems in right eye?



## blueybluesky (Jul 9, 2013)

Some of you may know that Car Alarm (untame) is being treated for Psittacosis as the vet is pretty sure he has it, his eyes are both swollen, red and watery but before all this happened I took him to the normal vet (13 August) and the nurse got out what looked like a seed husk from his right eye, before that his eye it's self looked normal but he was favoring it, being the reason she checked it out. Since then I noticed that his right eye doesn't look right not like his left one, it's hard to discribe but the actual eye looked like it had a clear circle in it that was more noticeable in light and I've recently noticed it seems to have gotten bigger.
When doing his medication in his bowl today he didn't hiss at me and I was on his right side, so I decided to do a test and waved my hand at his good side and he hissed then put my other hand at bad side and took the other away, he didn't hiss at the other hand until he turned his head more.
Is it possible that he could be losing his sight in that eye and if so any idea why? The other one is fine.

I was meaning to ask the Avian vet which he has seen for his last three visits about it but it skipped my mind because I was concentrating on his main problem, he's on day 19 of his 45 days of treatment and I will be taking him for a check up when he's done and mention it then. I just don't want to stress him out on yet another 3 hour round trip earlier.

Thanks in advance


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## Kiwi (May 12, 2013)

You could try checking the bad eye with a small flashlight to see if the pupil dilates. Then shine a light in the good eye and compare the dilation to the other. 

You don't actually shine it directly on the pupil, you come at the eye with the light from the side. Then you move the flashlight on the pupil and off the pupil to check dilation.


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## blueybluesky (Jul 9, 2013)

Thank you Kiwi, I will do that when I can


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## Kiwi (May 12, 2013)

No problem, keep us updated on the eye!


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## blueybluesky (Jul 9, 2013)

I tried it and I got my mum to have a look to, we can't see his pupil at all it's like where his pupil is meant to be is just a clear yellow circle that's gotten bigger and looks like it nearly takes up the whole eye, I don't think it had any reaction to the light either.
I'm hoping that maybe it's something that will clear up in a few months but it's looking unlikely since it's bigger than it first started, I'm also wondering if maybe the nurse had something on her hands that she didn't clean off properly when she was touching his eye, since he only got it after she got the seed husk out?
He still climbs around the bars good but sometimes when he gets on a perch from his bad eye side he feels around a bit as if he may be trying to find the perch.


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## Siaarn (Feb 24, 2011)

I'm no expert but could it be a bit of an infection? Saying that it's yellow makes me think pus, I don't really know though, I think you should take him back to the vet just in case.


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## Kiwi (May 12, 2013)

I agree, it could be infected then. Can you post a picture of it? My cockatiel Kiwi just got a seed husk stuck in her eye the other day. But it came out on its own in a few seconds, soo scary though! I washed Kiwi's eye out a little during a bath after. I would take Car Alarm to the vet again and ask about eyedrops and meds if he has an infection from any scratches on the eye.

You can compare your cockatiel's eye to Kiwi's to see. Here is her eye with the black pupil in the center, the center should dilate smaller at least a little when light is placed on it... Taken by a window that gave me great lighting.


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## blueybluesky (Jul 9, 2013)

Kiwi is so cute 

I'm not sure if it would be an infection because it seems to be the actual eyeball, but I'll definately try to get a photo, I'm going to be picking up some more medication for him on Saturday so will ask the vet then.
Thanks guys


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## Kiwi (May 12, 2013)

Oh it may be cataracts then? Cataracts can be caused from infections. There are some medications that can be taken to stop the eye from worsening and going blind. I would check in with your vet asap! :S

Here's something on one of the more detailed forum threads on this.

http://talkcockatiels.com/showthread.php?p=382002

And thank you! I love my little fid!

Car Alarm looks adorable in your siggy!


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## Kiwi (May 12, 2013)

How is his eye? Did the vet look at it? :S


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## srtiels (May 1, 2009)

Here is a link to read, that has some info:http://talkcockatiels.com/showthread.php?t=12455

Does the eye look like this: http://talkcockatiels.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=4222&d=1262238903


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## blueybluesky (Jul 9, 2013)

Kiwi his eye is still the same, I wasn't able to take him to the vet yet, money has been a bit tight lately but I'm hoping that I can maybe next week, thanks for asking 

Srtiels my mum thinks it looks a bit like it, but I'm not sure, it started a couple of months ago and has gotten bigger since then, if it was an injury would it go bigger before it gets better? He does close it a lot more than his good eye though

I was able to get a photo though, it's easier to see it in light so I took it with the flash on, the other eye doesn't look like that in the light.


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## Kiwi (May 12, 2013)

It looks a little swollen or inflamed to me. Maybe srtiels can further identify it for you. 

I know.. the vet is so expensive. I hope you can take him in soon.


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## blueybluesky (Jul 9, 2013)

Do you mean around his eye is swollen? I know the vet thinks he has psittacosis because of his eyes being swollen, watery and red but he's been on his medication for 29 days now out of 45 and doesn't seem to be showing a huge amount of improvement. I'm wondering if it could be something else and if that spot on the eye could be related?


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## blueybluesky (Jul 9, 2013)

Oh and I just remembered something that happened with his eyes earlier this year that I'll include to just in case it could be related, this was a fair few months before this latest stuff. I woke up that morning to find him bleeding around his eyes, let me say it scared the crap out of me so I took him straight into the normal vet but they just said it was because of his scaly leg mites and put him on antibiotics. His eyes haven't done that since then. 

Luckily my mum still has the photos on her phone


















So that was early in the year, months later he had another antibiotic for the seed husk that was in his eye which they overdosed him on so he was vomiting, then I took him to an avian vet when he had the swollen, watery, red eyes and a slightly red nose which led to the treatment he's on now, they thought that may have been the stress that made the psittacosis come out, also they think he may have liver problems because of the way his poop looked at the time and that it didn't look like he had scaly leg mites, but his bad eye went like that after the husk came out.

Sorry if I'm confusing  just thought I would get all of it in order in case it's all related, the vet already knows all this except for his eye spot but still thinks psittacosis, I'm not sure if they may have overlooked something.
The poor boy seems to have had a rough year so far but he still sings, perches, preens, eats, all his normal things


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## srtiels (May 1, 2009)

This could be from either an injury to the eye OR I have had this happen from antibiotic treatments. 

If an injury to the eye over time it will heal. If from antibiotics te damage would be permanent.


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## Kiwi (May 12, 2013)

Poor Car Alarm! That would scare me too. 

I've read that some antibiotics can cause blindness like srtiels said.. I think Baytril is one.

I hope it's just an eye injury and not permanent damage. :S


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## blueybluesky (Jul 9, 2013)

I hope it's just an injury to, it makes me feel so guilty that I took him to the normal vet because that trip has just caused so much trouble for him, but atleast now I take him to the avian vet. Hopefully things will improve so he can be back in the aviary with his buddies.

Also Thank you Kiwi for always checking in  I'll definately post what the vet says when I do get to take him


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## Kiwi (May 12, 2013)

I hope that he improves too!

Aw! Thank you. Sorry I haven't been on too much lately because of work and college, but I did manage to check in the last few days! I hope that the vet fixes him up. Can't wait to hear about the vet trip!


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## blueybluesky (Jul 9, 2013)

Just letting you know that I have Car Alarm booked in at the vets for Tuesday at 3pm, I'm going to try and get of work a couple hours early to take him. I would have liked to get him in earlier but that's the soonest I can afford any tests he may need. 
It will be his fourth visit. His psittacosis medication didn't do anything so I doubt he even had it, poor boy hopefully they can figure out whats wrong with him this time and find out whats wrong with his eye 

Wish him luck


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## ollieandme (Mar 25, 2013)

poor birdie  thinking of him!


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## scootergirl762 (Aug 27, 2013)

Best of luck!


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## blueybluesky (Jul 9, 2013)

Thanks guys, he's such a brave boy when he goes to the vets except he doesn't like tests to much, I remember when he had the swab test done on his eyes mouth and up the bum, when I put him back in the carrier my mum started laughing because he was walking a little funny lol


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## Kiwi (May 12, 2013)

Thinking of you and Car Alarm! Tests at the vet are no fun, but they do help! 
I hope they can figure out what's wrong this time.


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## blueybluesky (Jul 9, 2013)

Well he went to the vet today, they weighed him which makes me feel better because I thought he might have been underweight but he's a nice 92 grams and has a good appetite. But since the Psittacosis medication didn't work we are back at square one that's when I told them that his eye looked a bit weird so he had two vets shine the light in his eyes and check them out. So now they are treating that as though it's linked to the whole thing.
He has lost his sight in that eye and is showing no reaction to hands in his face on that side, also that it looks like it might be starting to go the same in the other eye. They said it looks like a prolapsed lens or something like that can't remember exactly and that basically there is pressure building up sort of pushing his eyes, also that the seed husk in that eye could have been the trauma that caused it and that it can't be reversed.

Because they don't know if it's a bacterial or fungal infection they don't know what treatment is going to work on it so the best option would be to get it tested which would involve having him put under while they take a slice of the puss stuff at his eye. When I asked them if putting him under was risky they said it does come with risks as it does with anyone and she said around 89%, maybe I'm stupid but with my luck I think that 11% chance of him not making it is sounding to big for me so I have a cream to put on his eyes twice a day for 7 days and 7 days of pain killers if that doesn't make it better I'm going to have to think about getting the test done


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## Kiwi (May 12, 2013)

On no poor Car Alarm!! 

Has he shown any improvement from the meds?... How are his eyes?

If I had to I would put them under anesthesia, but only if it is absolutely necessary. That is because I have heard how risky it is for birds and small mammals.

Ask them what kind of anesthetic they are going to use. The type used may give them a better chance, isoflurane or sevoflurane are the best types but there may be better ones now.

The risk is when they have the bird go deeper under anesthesia. You want to keep them at the "lightest plane" possible. "With all anesthetic agents, there is a range of depth, and if a bird is anesthetized too deeply, it may develop cardiac problems, and the centers in the brain for breathing may become depressed, resulting in cessation of breathing. This is why a bird must be closely monitored during anesthesia and surgery."

http://www.exoticpetvet.net/avian/surgery.html


Edit: I was looking around the internet today and I found this link.
http://www.neitokakadut.com/index.php?page=cockatiel-illnesses

Do you think Car Alarm has glaucoma?


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## blueybluesky (Jul 9, 2013)

Thanks so much for the links Kiwi 
I didn't even think of the different sorts of agents they use. Today is the last day for using the eye cream/ointment and his eyes don't look like they have improved so I think I might keep using it for a little longer and take him back the the vets next week. I'm going to ask them to do a fecal and bloods just to see if anything comes up.
Looking at that I'm thinking glaucoma could be a possibility especially since the vet said that his other eye looks like it may be starting to go the same. I hope not though, I'm scared he's going to go blind in both eyes and if that happens I don't know if birds can adjust to that? I'll talk to the vet about it on his next appointment, if it comes to it I'll get him put under for the test but right now I want to try the other options.
But for now he's doing ok other than the eyes, he's still singing, eating, drinking and biting lol. Amazingly the last couple of days he let me stroke his back after treating him which he's never done because he's an aviary bird.


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## ParrotletsRock (Oct 8, 2013)

Just want to wish you both good luck!


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## blueybluesky (Jul 9, 2013)

Thank you


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## sunnysmom (Sep 23, 2011)

Sending good thoughts your way.


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## Kiwi (May 12, 2013)

I hope it's not glaucoma... 

Ask them to check and make sure infection is completely gone in the eyes.

Birds adjust very well to being blind. You mostly just leave everything in the same place in their cage so it's easy to remember where things are. They may have trouble getting around at first and I wouldn't take them out of the cage to fly around without a flight harness on so they don't crash into walls, windows, and objects. Padding the bottom of the cage will help prevent injury if they fall off their perches or have night frights. I would get a flat perch for him to sleep on at night.

There's also a community on Facebook with some good ideas and articles on how to take care of blind birds.
https://www.facebook.com/Care4BlindBirds

http://talkcockatiels.com/showthread.php?p=382002

http://www.parrotforums.com/budgies-parakeets-cockatiels/18154-blind-cockatiel.html

Perches:

http://www.perchfactory.com/bird_cage_perches/platform_shelf_corner_perches.htm

http://www.naturalbirdco.co.uk/ourshop/cat_587764-Special-Needs.html


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## blueybluesky (Jul 9, 2013)

Thanks Kiwi, it's good knowing now that they can adjust to being blind. He was supposed to be going in an aviary with the others when he's better but if he goes completely blind I think a cage would be better. I think I'll buy a new wider one for him so he can get used to it (just incase) because I don't think the one he's in now is a very good long term one for a tiel that's used to an aviary.


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## Kiwi (May 12, 2013)

Yay he gets a big new cage! If he only loses sight in one eye he may still do well in the aviary, but I would start preparing for the loss of both eyes just in case... 

And for the bottom of the cage a towel with no loose strings would be ok for padding. If there are any loose strings you have to snip them off so that he can't get tangled up in them and lose circulation. I've read about 'tiels losing limbs from loose strings before. :S


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## blueybluesky (Jul 9, 2013)

Yeh I agree with the preparing just in case, if it's only the one eye I'll put him in the aviary he's probably missing his friends, he calls to them everytime I take him outside but I always keep Newbie close by since they are bonded. I figured even if I got a new cage for him and he doesn't go completely blind then I'll just have it as a spare, you can never have to many good cages 
My sister's lorikeet lost a couple of toes from loose strings so I'll definately remember that one.


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## bobobubu (Dec 12, 2011)

Poor Car Alarm :-( 
I hope he will be able to keep his good eye. 

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## blueybluesky (Jul 9, 2013)

I really hope so to.

I have him booked in for the 3rd of december at 4:30. I tried getting him in for tomorrow except the avian vet is only on in the mornings this week and I work in the mornings and can't really afford to take a day off especially since I finished early for his last appointment. So that was the earliest I could get him in unless he see's the normal vet and I'm not to keen on that idea.

I was hoping for him to be better before christmas comes and everything closes but now I'm starting to worry that he won't be.


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## Kiwi (May 12, 2013)

How are his eyes doing today?

I know the feeling. Unless Kiwi is really sick, I usually have to go into the vets on the weekend because work is so busy. It's so hard to have to wait. 

I bet he will be all better soon. What Christmas presents are you getting them this year? 

And if he does have to stay inside, do you think Newbie will come in with him?


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## blueybluesky (Jul 9, 2013)

His eye's still aren't looking any better but they could be a lot worse I guess so atleast that's one good thing and he can still see out of his good eye, here's a couple of pictures I took this weekend, you can see they are still swollen in them.


















I just got the first bit of their chrissy present in the mail today which is some toy making parts, but I'm going to get them all some more toys, perches and treats. I also got a nice bird bath since it's getting warmer for when the aviary is ready which wont be for a while so I think they may be getting a tiny bit spoilt  plus I'm hoping to get Car Alarm a new cage by then.
I'm going for a cage that will be big enough for Newbie to be with him, I think he gets a little depressed when he can't see her.

Is Kiwi going to be a spoilt little girl this year, I'd love to know what shes getting  and I hope she's doing well


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## Kiwi (May 12, 2013)

Oh no poor baby! Has the medicine helped his vision yet? It looks like he may have lost some feathers around his eyes, has he been scratching or is it the meds? 

They're going to be so excited with all their new perches, treats, and toys! I think we all love spoiling our fids!! :lol:

I'm glad that he's going to be with Newbie, that should help him out a lot. Have they determined if it is Psittacosis though? Don't want Newbie to get it. 

Kiwi is doing good. I hope that Car Alarm is doing well too! 

Kiwi is getting a Christmas stocking with her name on it. It's going to be hung from a carabiner in her cage. It was very nice of the Iggy bird store to make it for us. She is also getting some of their bird jar Christmas toys! I thought that she would be set for toys after that. Right now I got her a wicker bird toy Christmas tree for her cage and a wood candy cane. She is set for the holidays.


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## blueybluesky (Jul 9, 2013)

It hasn't helped the vision in his right eye and the vet seems to think he wont get it back, I think the feather loss might be from the cream/ointment that gets put on. Psittacosis has been ruled out but they have both been on the treatment for it for 45 days just in case so she should be good to go in with him 

awww kiwi's so Lucky and her her cage is going to look very festive, I bet she's going to love it all 

Just wondering if I could get your opinion on this cage, I was thinking of getting one like this for Car Alarm and Newbie. It's the sort with the divider in the middle http://www.gumtree.com.au/s-ad/secret-harbour/birds/double-bird-cage-like-new/1032534229
I've also found a pet store that can order that sort in but it's a bit pricey at over $460


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## Kiwi (May 12, 2013)

That's great that Newbie can move right in with him! I think the double cage is wonderful idea! Lots of room for them and toys! I especially like the divider when they want to hang out or if they need some space. It does seem like a pricey cage at the pet store. If you get the one in the link I would ask them to take some close-ups of the sides to make sure no bars are bent and there is no rust! 

Lulu-Tiel said that Lucas lost the feathers around her eye from the medication too. But in her recent post the feathers around the eye are growing back, I'm sure Car Alarm will get his feather's back too! 

I hope she does! We're so excited for her stocking to get here.

I bet your fids can't wait to have their cage decorated with your toys!


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## bobobubu (Dec 12, 2011)

How is Car Alarm doing? 

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