New and I need help please

[barbara]

Hi, Sammy is my male 12yr old Cockatiel. He was very healthy and vet checked yearly. Yesterday he stopped eating - suddenly. I was able to hand feed him millet as an enticement. He's on a pelleted diet with veggies and an occasional piece of banana. He took the millet gingerly. I brought him to my vet. He said it looked like he had a tiny infection possibly affecting his liver. He gave him a shot. On the way home, he threw up what little he ate. Two hours later he was screaming and thrashing in his cage. I didn't help matters as I was crying and trying to get a hold of a vet to find out what to do. My panic made it worse.

Finally, I went upstairs, changed my clothes, stopped crying, and went back downstairs with a cheery voice. He calmed down but still had trouble walking and still shook his head and wouldn't eat.

I have covered him for the night. There were NO vets available tonight or I would have taken him into an emergency clinic. Believe me, I called 5 of them!

Can you guys tell me anything that I can do to keep him alive overnight?

[Talk About Tiels Admin]

I understand, there are times that vets are not readily available. The best thing you can do while waiting for care is to make sure your bird is comfortable and not stressed. I put mine in an aquarium set up with shavings on the floor and millet all around (I have a wire mesh cover). I cover it up and with a towel (leaving room for some air circulation and let them rest. Any way you can get them alone, in a quiet room and away from the hussle and bussle is better for him.

Good luck, keep us up to date. We are on Facebook also.

[barbara]

Thanks. Sammy made it through the night. I brought him in first thing this morning and left him with my vet. He gave him anti-throw up meds and then tube feeded him 3 times. They almost lost him and had to put him in an incubator. He responded well after that. By the afternoon the vet tech had him eating a small amount of Saltines. When I went to pick him up, he saw me in the waiting room and chirped loudly. That was a good sign. At home, he became very clingy to me and screamed when I left the room. It was hard to ignore. However, I let him stay with me until 9 when I put him to bed. He ate one pellet from my hand and 1/4 of a Ritz cracker, and a nice piece of steamed broc. (one of his favs)

Vet wants me to bring him back in the morning for another day of tube feeding and overall care.

I'm hopeful, but I'm not sure we know what he has yet - or how to get rid of it.

You're on facebook? I will look you up! Thanks.