Mischief's been sick, but getting worse? Need help

**Maisie** · 04-08-2012, 01:34 PM

So my 9-ish year old cockatiel Mischief was diagnosed with Bornavirus and PDD last summer... the virus is sort of a wasting disease, sounds a little like hiv/aids when described. However, within the month or so after being diagnosed she gained weight which is unheard of so it is possible that it was a new strain that doesn't act the same way, or a false positive, or that she's only a carrier. After a while we decided she was going to be okay and be able to live out the rest of her life semi normally.

She suffers from a slow moving crop that will swell up with food every once in a while, her nares used to get blocked but have been a lot better in the past few months, and one side of her face around her nares and eye has been swollen for a few years (without me realizing...she had always looked that way) but it slowly got worse and now pulls the skin around her eye down and there is a little clear discharge from the eye that messes up her feathers which then stick to her eye. I had purchased another bird to keep her company while I was out of the country last summer (before the diagnoses) and with his introduction into the cage in the past few months she has been much happier. She has never in the last 9 years been as active or as vocal as she is now and I was thinking his presence was helping her health a lot. But two days ago I noticed that her other eyelid has started to pull away from her other eye.

I posted pictures (sorry they're so big) to see if anyone has any ideas as to what might be wrong with her... She's had many antibiotic? treatments and eye ointments but nothing has seemed to help and the swelling has never gone down. I will be taking both birds to the vet within the next couple weeks before I leave the country again for three months this time.

Hopefully someone has an idea of what might be wrong!

Thanks in advance,

Maisie, Mischief and Tom Foolery

**boomer girl** · 04-09-2012, 11:54 AM

I am sorry Mischief is so sick, it has to be gut wrenching for you to know she has such a awful disease. We had a girl (RandR) on here that had lovies with PBFD and her birds had strange feathers on there heads but this was diagnosed as that but I am sure the vet your taking her too would be able to diagnose Mischief with it if that was what it was. Hopefully your vet will be able to help her out before you leave the leave the country again.

My thoughts go out to you and hopefully Mischeif will get better for you. HUGS to you!

**Marrie** · 04-09-2012, 12:04 PM

I don't know what could be causing it, but I am sorry your baby is so sick. Hopefully the vet will have some idea.

**Maisie** · 04-10-2012, 11:23 AM

Thank you for your responses. I just looked up PBFD and that doesn't seem quite right. All of her feathers except those around her eyes are beautiful as always

. Are the pictures showing up? ...i think they help to clarify a lot. The pics are showing up on my computer only when I'm logged in to the site.

Anyway, she (and my other bird, Tom) have an appoinment on Tuesday next week. Maybe an antifungal could help her out? I can't remember right off what meds she has been on before. I'm also thinking she doesn't have bornavirus/pdd since she is gaining weight and still living... But maybe a fungal infection or something. I'll let you know what I found out.

Oh and if the pictures aren't showing up then you could find them on my profile or i could try again (i just really think they help clarify what's wrong)

Thanks again!

**boomer girl** · 04-10-2012, 11:58 AM

I can see the pictures of her and she is such a cute tiel except her eye and around it. I dont know about fungus, I have heard they cause a bird to be itchy but I would think she would be itchy all over and not just her eye. Fungus and yeast can cause there digestive system to change and I sure know it effected boomers crop enough to give him a big ulcer in it but his drained perfectly according to the vet. I dont know of anything that only effects her eyes area like that other then a eye infection. I also think like you if it was PDD she seems like she would be going down hill more and not gaining weight like you said. Her mate would also possibly be showing signs of it because it is highly contagious. I hope your vet will know what is up with her so you can get her all healed up.