# Syringe feeding



## sh.adz (Jul 7, 2012)

pretty sure this goes here, because I'm posting about a sick tiel, if not very sorry. No one i know owns tiels that i can get advise or support from. (my friends laughed at me for taking Paulie to the vet)

Paulie my older Tiel suddenly deteriorated Last night after being booked in to the vet to get his overgrown beak trimmed. He managed to hide how ill he was really well, in the mean time i patiently waited for my appointment, after he showed signs of really bad fatigue i called the animal hospital and they treated him today, well, now he's being syringe fed until he's back to health, 
He's not really taking well to it, and i can only hold him for a short period of time until he starts to get too stressed. They've told me to remove the seed from his cage, only offering regular syringe feeds. I've been told the next few days will tell if he's going to pull through.
I feel really guilty that he's in this situation, my housemate has been changing their seed and failed to tell me that he hasn't eaten, but i feel responsible for the condition he's now in.

My question is, if anyone has had any experience with it, does it take them long to get used to it? And does anyone know a way to hold them that makes it easier? 

This is my first time syringe feeding, I'm just really worried about him, and thought i'd post here. Plus the Vet said he could have liver problems? which may have caused the overgrown beak. I think i just needed to talk about it, get it off my chest, i feel like crying . But yea, sorry it's so long and kind of rambling.


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## roxy culver (May 27, 2010)

Do you think if you put it on a spoon and shoved it in his face that would work? It is really really hard to syringe feed an adult, especially one who has never been syringe fed before and some wont take to it. But if you could put the formula on a spoon and get him to eat it that way, it may just work.

Don't feel guilty, you can't notice everything all the time.


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## sh.adz (Jul 7, 2012)

Thankyou for your response
Yea, ive tried to spoon, all he did was try to step up lol. ive just given him another syringe feed and he took more than he did last time. the vet said his beak would be sore because they had to kind of cut it, and i've notice he will eat it, but he rejects it when the syringe touches his beak, so maybe its hurting him. Ill keep being persistent offering small amounts regularly. He seems to have picked up a small amount of energy from what he's had, hes walking around which is an improvement.
I'm giving him a Vetafarm mix for sick and injured birds.


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## vampiric_conure (Jul 8, 2012)

What Roxy_Culver said  

No worries about feeling guilty, hun! Things happen and we don't always catch them. It could have happened that you caught a sick bird and watched them suffer but you didn't. **Hugs** Kudos to you for caring!


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## sh.adz (Jul 7, 2012)

Thankyou, i'm going to watch him closely, and i'm about to get another syringe ready see how he goes 

EDIT- I took a video of hime tonight, and watched it straight after one i took last night, and there is an obvious improvement


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## sunnysmom (Sep 23, 2011)

I'm very sorry your tiel isn't feeling well. Did they diagnose what's wrong with him? Is he being given medication?


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## sh.adz (Jul 7, 2012)

They haven't diagnosed him with anything or given him medication, Paulie is my 'project' tiel, having been abused in the past he has a lot of trust issues, and barely steps up let alone be handled, and because he was so weak, the vet didn't want to stress him out too much. it was also his first vet visit.

But this morning when i brought him out to give him his breakfast, he had a lot more energy compared to yesterday, he had 3mls (i know it isnt that much) but it is much better than before, not as much ended up on me. i also tried the spoon again with no luck, but sometimes he'll eat a little off my finger. 

As far as surviving the next few days, I'm starting to think he will with the improvement, fingers crossed.


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## roxy culver (May 27, 2010)

Sounds like he's doing great! If he'll only take 3mls at a time that's better than nothing at all. And if he'll eat it off your finger you can mix the two (syringe some, finger feed some) and see how that goes.


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## sh.adz (Jul 7, 2012)

Yea, he seems to have improved, hes still sleeping a lot, but the more i syringe feed, it seems like hes getting more energy to fight me lol. i just hope that doing this doesn't break trust, i spent a lot of time getting him to the point he was at. but thanks, i have been combining the two, offering it on my finger, and he even took some willingly from the syringe earlier in the day, about to give him some dinner so, see how he goes


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## sh.adz (Jul 7, 2012)

When Paulie is better, I'm going to take him back to the animal hospital before i stop syringe feeding to get him weighed first and make sure its good to stop, one more question i have would be, because i've been told that an overgrown beak can be a sign of liver problems. Are there any specific tests i should ask to be done, i want to give him the best treatment i can, but i'm not 100% sure what i should ask for.


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## tielfan (Aug 31, 2008)

According to http://www.freewebs.com/crestedlove/liverdisease.htm :



> * Physical exam*
> Your veterinarian or vet tech will examine your bird, looking at the condition of the beak, feathers, and nails, looking at the droppings, looking inside the beak and at the eyes, weighing your bird, taking your bird's temperature, and feeling for bumps, bruises, or an enlarged liver.
> * History*
> Your veterinarian or vet tech will take a history of your bird, where you got him or her, what the cage is like, what the diet is like to look for possible causes or items that may put your bird at risk
> ...



There's more diagnosis-related info at http://www.holisticbirds.com/pages/fld0502.htm#diagnosis

These links have information on liver disease including dietary support:
http://www.avianweb.com/liverdisease.html
http://www.exoticpetvet.net/dvms/fattyliver.html
http://theexoticvet.com/care-sheets/avian-liver-disease/


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## sh.adz (Jul 7, 2012)

Thankyou so much for the links, I'll look through them tonight. Just fed the boy, he had 4-5mls don't know how much ended up on me lol. But i can see a difference in his weight, and energy levels, still sleeping a lot, but willing to fly when out of the cage. but he still can't crack open any seeds.


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