Accepted Answer

Okay Jo, thanks for the extra information. I apologize for the delay but I wanted to do some more research on this. I will tell you right up front, the purple vomit has me totally stumped. I have never heard of this. My gut reaction however is, she is having some kind of reaction to the medications. Since you do seem to be working with an avian vet, about all I am going to be able to do is tell you what I would do if this were my Grey. Avian vet or not, I'm still not comfortable with jumping on this with antibiotics without a good firm diagnosis. That's just not the way it's normally done. I'm also very perplexed about going with an injectable medication rather than one of the more common ones used for birds that is administered by mouth. Something like Baytril, Cipro, Flagyl or Ronidizole. Before I go on about how I would handle this from today on, I did want to mention a couple diet issues. It sounds like you have her on a pretty good diet with just a couple things I want to make sure you are aware of. The apples really have no nutritional value to them but if she wants some from time to time, you must always make sure they are well cored. Apple seeds contain cyanide. Her over all health would be better served if you can convince her to eat the orange and yellow fruits. Mangoes, papayas, bananas, etc. Lettuce is okay if it's Romaine. The grapes you have to be very careful about and make sure they, and other fresh produce are always products o the U.S. Other countries are allowed to use treatments we cannot use in this country and it has killed birds, more than once. Someone had 7 of their Macaws suddenly drop dead and it was tracked back to some grapes they had just eaten that had come from Chili. So, just a heads up on that. As for taking her out for fresh air, you really have to be careful about that as well. So many airborne nasties out there carried by wild birds, not to mention the danger of a mosquito bite from one infected with West Nile. We humans can survive West Nile. Our parrots will not. Also, sitting her by a sunny window is good for her interest level but it doesn't help her health. She needs a full spectrum light fixture so that she can properly absorb her nutrients and especially that all important calcium. All modern windows filter out the exact portion of the spectrum that our parrots need because it's the same thing that fades our carpets, drapes and furniture. Okay, all that said, back to the problem. My antenna really went up when you mentioned the remodeling that was done. Under the best of circumstances and no matter how careful we think we are being, it can be so dangerous to have them in the house when anything is going on. She is very sensitive to even a small amount of dust in the air. In addition to the dust, they should not be in a home when there are any fresh fumes from paint, varnish, glues from new carpet or floor coverings and even new carpet itself. Many new carpets and a lot of new furniture has high concentrations of toxins in them. Only after many days of airing out, is it safe to return a bird to the home. Whether her problem has come from any one of those things or even a combination, of course I can't say. But if you vet did not know about all these possibilities, she/he should have thoroughly quizzed you on all of it and they most certainly should have done some tests before jumping to an injectable antibiotic. They also should have discussed with you, the use of a pro biotic at the same time so you can be sure she doesn't develop a yeast infection to add to her problems. Again, only being able to tell you what I would do, since it's not really my place to question your vet, I would not have accepted antibiotic treatment without a firm diagnosis. I would now, either insist on one or I would be seeking a second opinion. I would insist on a test of her stool sample, a swab from her mouth/throat and if possible, a test of the vomitus. I don't know how fast she dropped that much weight but that is a significant and very worrisome amount of loss. Rule of thumb is any weight loss of more than 10% is cause for alarm. A 10% loss for her would be around 47 grams. She has apparently, in whatever amount of time it is, lost almost 3 times that. I don't like to come off like a drama queen or to over react in any situation but if this were my bird, I'd be very concerned about her. I think you need to give your vet a call, if you haven't already, tell them about the vomit, quiz them about these other issues, ask why no testing was done prior to the medication decision, make sure they know of the possible exposure to toxic fumes from the remodeling and see what they have to say. If you are not comfortable with what you hear, or if they seem the least bit reluctant to take you seriously and fully answer all you questions, my best advice is find another vet. I wish there was more I could offer in this situation but I hope this will be at least a little bit helpful for you. If you have more questions or if something new has come up, let me know. I will do the best I possibly can for you from long distance, even if I have to dig into some more research. Having a Grey of my own makes me know just how very special they are and I am very worried about your girl. I'll be keeping her in my thoughts and I'll be here for you both if I can help. Patricia

Expert:	Patricia
Pos. Feedback:	99.9 %
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Answered:	4/8/2008

Parrot C&onsultant

Published author, free lance bird behaviorist, adviser to the parrots at Sarasota Jungle Gardens.