Avian Aid #1 - Project Louie

Louie the Yellow Crowned Amazon...

Louie on his way home with me.

8/21/10

He's not a full rescue, the parront had trouble medicating him without getting bit, I suspect he has Avian Conjunctivitis Link as does Nathan's vet, Dr. Newman, whom Nathan provided in order for him to get re-checked at no charge to the parront. He also provided the eye drops I now give to him 3-4 times a day.

His left eye is puffy and the extra eye-lid is red. Right eye isn't as bad, but shows irritation and puffiness.

The left eye is worse off than the right.

He looks happy in the pic, I want him to feel happy too.

I felt bad for the sweet guy, so I took him to my place. I put him in quarantine in my parent's bathroom. It's a nice big bathroom, half-carpeted, outside the door is the bed where my mom usually hangs out, so he's not alone. The big window is in there too. Need to get a better radio for him. The volume on it doesn't work well, but mom's TV is on.

There's A LOT of showering, changing clothes, and hand washing going on to prevent any potential infection. He has to be last on the list for food and cuddles in the morning, but he gets them..! 

Louie's first bowl of organic yummies..!

He's got fresh organic fruit & veggies, Harrison's, a few pieces of Zupreem just in case he wants a different option. I put a lamb plushie in there too just to keep him company because he isn't one for toys it seems, but maybe cuddle-buddies. I also have a humidifier near his cage. Maybe the moisture will loosen up the ick, same for when someone takes a shower in there.
(I'm using the same humidifier Mom's had since I was a little kid. That and the vacuum from back in the day lasted forever..! Today's stuff is crap..!)

Georgie felt like helping that morning with making yummies!

He wandered and climbed all along the inside of the new cage when I put him in there. Maybe to get a feel for it because his eye sight is impaired.

I notice if you tap his foot, that's a sign for him to step up. So I tap his foot and say, "Step up!" to try to get him to learn.

Gave him some of the Tobramycin Ophthalmic Solution Link provided by Dr. Newman.
Did not get bitten, it's just a matter of patience.

I think talking to a bird as you're doing the meds is important. =/
I always talk to my guys. They always act like they're listening. =D

I may use some Aloe from my plants outside to help also, after I research how to best apply it.

To introduce him to my dad:
At 10:00pm he came home from work. Went to have dinner.
I showed him funny amazon videos while he was eating to butter him up to Louie.
Here's a few of them:





I also put a note on the bathroom door saying "DO NOT FREAK OUT - I'm NOT keeping him, just medicating him. Look how sad he looks."
I hid in my room when he went to investigate
Came out after about 10 minutes.
He asked, "What's that in my bathroom?" Not too pissed really, more "Wha? Why?".
I told him the situation. He says, "How long?" I say, "Till he's better, maybe 2 weeks?".
I'm not really sure >_>
He says, "You can't save the world, you know?"
I say, "I can save what I can, and 1 bird helped is the world to that 1 bird."
He shakes his head and knows there's no arguing with me.
I think he understands, he's also a closet bird-lover. He had tiels and finches growing up. That and all the birds smother him with love.
Especially Elly and Pako.
When he laughs, Elly laughs, then there's a loop of that for a few minutes.

8/22/10

He had lots of eye-gookies. Tried to use a warm damp cloth to get it off of him.
Took too long and he didn't much like it. I don't blame him.
So I went hardcore. I put a towel over my shoulders, turned on the shower to warm, and hopped in with him on my shoulder. I would go "Ok! Here we gooo..!" and lean back to get his head wet. Hopefully he felt a little better because he wasn't the only one getting soaked. The gook was gone with little effort just like I hoped. The water was probably good for his eyes too..! Took him outside afterward because he was all shivery.
I put my arm on the banister and he sat there, and I pet his back with no problem.
The whole time he was rather quiet. I think he's quiet because of the sickness. I hope he gets a little more happy-vocal as time goes on.

Look! No more eye-gookies..!

But his eyes are still icky. He's a sweetheart though.

Mom wants to keep him, but he's someone elses' baby. Also, if I keep him, I won't be able to help any more buddies in need. Also, my 4 fabies are jealous enough. I don't want to have to give them less attention.

Before bed, sat with Louie, Mom, Dandy-cat, and I watching hurricane stories on the Weather Channel.
I put a towel under Louie, on a pillow. He sat on it and watched TV as I pet his back and scritched his neck.
Doesn't freak out as much when you put your hand near his head.

8/23/10

Morning, before heading to work:
Tended to everyone. Scritches with no problem, but Had trouble getting him off my shoulder to give meds. 5 minutes late, but worth it.

Did another shower-eye-wash when I got home after work. He didn't put up much of a fight again. We watched the news and Dandy tried to cuddle him. He climbed on my towel turban, and we were good for awhile. 

When putting him back in the cage, he wants to feel secure because of the eye-sight problem. So when he feels something there with his beak, he feels secure and will move forward.

Cuddled with him lots before going to bed.  He restes his head on my chest and I pet and talk to him.

8/24/10
He's being a sweet guy still. I can't make out if the eye is getting better or worse. =/
Taking him to my vet today. I have experience with them, they work with me, and maybe we can be more thorough.

________


Went to the vet and spent around 4 hours there.
I didn't mind one bit because they were doing me a favor and I was able to have some social time with Louie.  Broward Avian & Exotic's Link vets were very thorough.

Louie at the Vet. He's such a cuddle buddy and

 I've only known him for a short time.

Alot of the time was doing in-house tests, drawing blood. They knocked him out to clean out his nasal cavities.
She suspects is a sinus problem and the eye problem is the consequence.
She checked his chest, he's an old man, but he has a strong heart.
Cataracts in one eye, partially in the other.
Wounds healed in one eye, still present in the other.

Here's some of what came out of his nose.

The medicine I showed them at first was something they didn't stock.
Instead, they sent me home with this:

One is to sooth the eye, ones to fix the infection,
and Baytril to kill the sickness.

Batril: Link

This is his favorite. He sat like this for the majority of the time.

Side note. I'm not use to giant amazon poops... Lordy...! I really needed my poopy-shawl.

He did make some friends while we sat in the room.
A bunny patient's family stopped by and peeped in out of curiosity. Told him the guys story and they were all loving on him too. You can't help but love Louie.

Louie at Starbucks. He's upper class like that.

After the vet, we went to Starbucks to wait for a new friend. I was able to share the word of the new rescue (No Feather Left Behind) and lots more nice people were interested.

I need business cards. =P

Some people take their doggies out. I just so happen to have a parrot.
They're are both amazing companions..!

I used my own money to fund this venture. Since he's part of the rescue, the bill was discounted.
Since his former mama ok'd his surrender to see that he got some good care, I'll thankfully be reimbursed at some point although
I don't want to be a burden to the original rescue so I need to work on getting up things to sell i.e. shirts and the like.
I could not let this guy go without a thorough exam. I need to see things for myself. There's more to it than previously thought.

I'll call up for the test results tomorrow. I hope he doesn't have anything serious.

Either way. Like what Clifford taught me, there's no promise of a tomorrow, so treat your companions the best you can, because in the end, that's all you can do.


8/26/10
Had a fluffy feather stuck in his eyelid. Had to wrap him up, moisten the eye, and get it out. He didn't like it, but I moved slowly and he eventually got use to it. I think he knows I don't want to hurt him.

Medicating him hasn't been too big of a problem.

Dad likes him because he's pretty quiet. Mom said he's been talking to him all day. =P


8/28/10


Late Post!
Tests came back pretty normal. Waiting on the last test to go over on Tuesday. Dr. was kind enough to call even after hours to let me know. I know it's hectic over there. If it's dire, she would've called me asap. I'll talk to her soon about the best course of action to get this guy a nice home. I'd love to be able to make visits.

Messy fruity beak!

Had to post this picture of him. He really had fun with his yummies today. See the bad eye isn't so bad looking today..!

9/2/10

Been a little quiet on Louie's updates because I've been so busy at work (omgz) and getting NFLB on the right track. There's a lot of planning between a lot of traveling and figuring out fosters and the like.
Took my 4 buddies for a their yearly wellness exam on Tuesday night. 

Almost done with the NFLB business cards. Louie was helping me finish them up last night.
Here he is with the glow of the computer and I. 

LOUIE IS RELATIVELY HEALTHY!!!! With a side of Sinusitus.. o_o But it's curable!!!
No Asper, no conjuctivitis based off the samples from his nose. 
He's already being treated properly for it. Today he's going to get a re-check and to take the blood boogies out.

He's also going to be heading over with a new rescue buddy donated by Bill's Birds.
The IRN named *drum roll* Yoshi..!
I'll start Avian Aid #2 Project Yoshi soon.  He's going to be socialized and destressed, hopefully to prevent any further plucking.