8 Year Old Male Lovebird Having Seizures and Underweight

[LovebirdGrandma]

We have been dealing with this for four weeks now. Seth, my son's beautiful little 8-year-old male lovebird started to have very low-grade seizures. It took two weeks to get him into the vet, covid-19 is making everything difficult, and initially, his symptoms were considered non-emergency, and they were pretty mild. Until they weren't...
He is very underweight, his keel bone is very pronounced and he has picked a lot of feathers. The vet said he is 40 to 42 grams. He is unstable, wobbly when he moves around and if he gets too excited or tries to fly or jump even a short distance he has a seizure. Sometimes mild, sometimes pretty rough. We have had him to the vet. So he is getting medical help. But they said they couldn't run blood tests because he is too small and too underweight and they said there wasn't much else they could do than that. They put him on an antibiotic (Baytril @ .05ml 2x per day) And he was also given an anti-inflammatory for 4 days which is done.

Seth eats a combined diet of seeds and pellets (He eats both). He has a mineral block available and a cuttlebone, but he rarely picks at them. We give him some mixed organic greens every other day and offer him some fresh veg and fruits (He is super picky and doesn't indulge much in fresh stuff, but we do offer it.)

At this point, I am looking for any insights, experience, and suggestions to try to help him. This is the worst way to join a community, but I am pretty desperate for any help at all to help me help him. We got the vet to order in an electrolyte/vitamin/energy formula for the bird but it will not be here until Monday (3 days).

Some people have suggested I make a warm mash from his pellets and give it to him. He won't eat it on his own. I am afraid to force-feed him or force the issue via syringe by mouth because I honestly don't know how much stress that would cause or if it would hurt him. I mean he's just a little guy. He is eating, but not much. very sparingly. And he is not drinking much.

If anyone has any suggestions I am open to them.

Thank you

[maxollie]

Hi, and welcome. I am so sorry to read about Seth. He has lived a long life for being 8 years old. How long has he been eating pellets and what brand do you feed? And what seed mix does he eat? Did the vet suggest any other diet? I would be unsure of feeding just the mashed pellets. I wonder if you could feed him some baby food dry rice cereal, mixed with some warm water. Would he be able to eat off a baby spoon? Perhaps you could use baby food jars of sweet potatoes, and some other veggies, and some baby food apple sauce, and other fruits all in jars. And you could feed small amounts.

Please keep us up to date. I hope he will get better. I will be praying for his healing. I hope this info will be of some help to you.

[LovebirdGrandma]

He eats pellets from Hagen Tropican, although honestly we only just tried to introduce them after the seizures by the advice of somebody. His staple is Sensible Seed by Zupreem, which also has pellets that he eats along with the seeds. He gets millet for treats normally, but right now we are free-feeding anything he will munch down because he is so unwell and his weight has suffered. He gets access to fresh foods, but usually just takes a few bites and then throws it around his cage. We have very limited food options where I live honestly. And very few avian specialist vets.

The vet didn't make any dietary suggestions and he has zero interest in the mashed pellets lol. He has picked up on his eating the past two days, and I bought him some Evian water, as opposed to the generic filtered water we all normally have. That's seemed to help a bit but it could also be a coincidence. Maybe the minerals and natural electrolytes? Another lady I know suggested giving him hulled hemp seeds, so I bought some and he does eat them. I hadn't thought of baby food. I could try. But he's pretty skeptical of soft foods so far. Turns his beak at them. The brat.

[maxollie]

Pellets are man made and personally, I think a good quality seed mix is better for smaller parrot species, because pellets are very dry foods and require lots of water. And most smaller parrots like lovebirds do not drink alot of water. So right now, I agree to not feed him pellets. The Evian water is a good idea. I only give my birds pure bottled water, because my City water is full of chemicals.

All birds that have to take meds have a few difficult days before the meds begin to heal them.

You could try getting some dehydrated veggies. They would be crunchie. Also get some fruits. You can break them in tiny pieces.
Hopefully he will begin feeling better in a few days. Each day he survives is a real plus because then the meds can work. Having a lovebird 8 years old is really amazing. So we know he was well cared for and loves you all. You know, I have always felt that birds who feel our love and know we love them live a long happy life.

We will watch for updates.

[LovebirdGrandma]

Seth passed away this morning. It was devastating to me and my son. He passed away in my son's care, not on the bottom of the cage, which is a small blessing. Dying warm and safe in the arms of someone who loves you is all anyone could ever ask for. Sadly, because of a lack of vets who specialize in avian care we were never able to actually get any answers for what eventually took his life. Thank you Maxollie for your kind responses. We took your advice but he just didn't have the time. The medication did not work. After almost two weeks, the seizures just got worse and more frequent at the end. I highly recommend that anyone who gets an exotic bird makes sure there is a vet within reach who can care properly for them. This was crushing. At least he isn't suffering anymore. In all my life I have never seen such a tiny little being fight so hard to live and I already miss our beloved little friend.

[boomer girl]

My heart hurts for you and your son. The love we have for our little birds just gets so much stronger when we see them struggling like your sweet Seth was in his last days. You did everything you could to help him and sometimes it just wont help them because God made other plans for them. I feel your pain and know exactly how it feels to watch them have troubles and slowly just lose the spark that keeps them alive. Words do comfort but nothing will ever take away the pain of a loved birds life fading away from you. I still miss my Boomer and he died years ago. The ones who struggle forever stay in your heart more because the emotions that go through you watching them struggle to live really plays with your heart. I will be sending lots of loving hugs.

This poem on this site helped me feel comforted when I lost my Boomer, I hope it helps you as well.

http://www.tailfeathersnetwork.com/c...Lend-Me-a-Bird

[maxollie]

Awww!! I am soooo sorry Seth has passed away. I am sending hugs to your grandson, and you, and the whole family. I am so glad he could pass in Seth's hands and that you did not have to find him in his cage or a morning.

I admire every one of you for his hard you all tried to save him. We are here for you to support you as you mourn his passing!

Love and many hugs! Fly high and free precious Seth. Over the rainbow bridge!

[LovebirdGrandma]

Thank you both so much. The poem is lovely. Yes, my son and I are both pretty devastated. My son more so. He really loved Seth. I asked him why he would name a bird Seth once. The boy just shrugged and said it was what he wanted to call him. My son had Seth from 12 years old to 20 years old. Which is a large chunk of life spent in the company of his little companion. He lost his best friend yesterday. I never thought much of birds before we owned one. They are underrated by many people is what I have come to discover. Amazing, beautiful creatures with just as deep and complex an inner world as any other being. Each one unique and precious. But you are right to say the love we have for them gets stronger when we see them struggling. Thank you for all the support. It really means something. For anyone who has come to this discussion because they are facing similar issues, I, unfortunately, will never be able to say what went wrong with Seth. There is no avian specialist in the areas I have access to during this pandemic. It could have been one of many things.

[maxollie]

I can testify to that love of my budgie! I got my Mickey when I was 11 years old. He lived 9 years! And yes...he too was my best friend! Your grandson will never forget the love they had for each other. My Mickey and I truly loved each other and we were best friends.

I hope that one day, your grandson can have another lovebird! Birds are very special! They are a wonderful pet! Age is no barrier to birds! 7 or 77!!! We love them just the same!