Category: Vet

Trips - and an Appointment

4/3/2014

We get to go on vacation with mommy and daddy this year! They’re going to the beach, and we’re allowed to be at the grandparents place there. Hooray! Zack and I get a vacation!

It’s still a ways off, because they have to plan ahead and make reservations in advance, but everything is set and we’re so excited. It’ll be nice, just us and our bonded humans, with the sun and wind in our feathers, and all the “look at the pretty birds!” people passing by, and the seagulls and ducks looking on our golden feathers with envy. The humans said it’s not an extravagant vacation , but at least it’s a real, honest to goodness vacation. No work or conferences, like Arizona or San Francisco. No obligations. Just us and our humans. Hooray! Mommy says simple is good sometimes, and I believe her.

The only bad thing is that mommy didn’t just make reservations, she also made appointments – for me and Zack to have our annual physical, and a wing and toenail clip! The vet sent a checkup reminder last Friday, and she called to book the vet we like today. Boo! I don’t want to go! The last time Ollie went to the vet, he didn’t come back! Plus, he always tells her to not give me too many sunflower seeds. What? But I love them! It’s a conspiracy! I hope this is a mere formality to being a domesticated human companion, because I feel fine and Zack is never still, so obviously he’s ok. Mommy says it is and we’re keeping this formality up, especially after what happened to Ollie. I can’t believe it. He’s getting us in trouble from over the rainbow bridge? What the crap?

Well, I think I can suck it up if the reward is fun times ahead. And with spring here and a vacation coming up, let’s hope there’s plenty of that in our future!

That’s all today. Take care and have a great weekend!

Luv,

Chloe

Stupid Vet Tricks

12/5/2013

Ollie had to go back to the vet today. He was falling off his perch a lot, was breathing hard, and seemed lethargic. Mommy took him this morning and this time, she asked if he could see a different vet.

She’s glad she did. A nice lady saw Ollie (she thought he was quite handsome), and mommy said she was much more thorough than the other one. This vet suspects that all of the bacteria from Ollie’s kidney infection isn’t gone and it's "going crazy in there," so she gave him a steroid shot, an antibiotic shot, and put him back on the Baytril for 2 weeks.

This vet also said that Ollie probably “overextended” his hurt leg, and a recent crash landing he had didn’t help. The nerve inflammation is going to be extremely slow to heal – 6 months or more, so she urged mommy to be patient with this part of Ollie’s recovery. It turns out that nerves only heal at a rate of about a millimeter a month, which is why nerve damage/inflammation/problems take so darn long to heal. So Ollie’s supposed to stay in his smaller cage with low perches for a while. He’s going back for a follow up in a week.

Another thing this vet said is that Ollie’s too skinny. She said his weight has been steady since he got sick, but he’s at 27 grams, and she’d like to see him back up to 33 grams. Looks like there’s gonna be a lot of millet and honey stick treats coming (I know all of our parakeet friends are letting out a HUGE cheer for that!). Between Ollie needing to fatten up and being required to stay still on low perches, it seems he needs to be like this over the next few weeks:

So Ollie had a bit of a relapse (not a full one, thank goodness), but we’re hoping he’s back on track. Mommy’s just really frustrated because she called the other vet about 3 weeks ago and told him she didn’t think Ollie was completely on the road to recovery, and he completely blew her off. She said she’s not threatening to hurt anybody, but the thought of keeping some rope in her trunk to string up people that give her the run around like Shelob did Frodo Baggins is an amusing thought. Methinks her irritation level is climbing. And I can understand why. Not listening to her is one thing, but making Ollie pay for it because you "ain't got time for that" when she calls is ridiculous. It doesn’t help that daddy needs a root canal next week, and her work is at peak volume right now. Our poor parronts. Please pray for them, and Ollie too!

That’s an update on us. Zack and I are ok and trying to keep an eye on this crazy flock. It’s just one day at a time. That’s the best way to do it.

Take care. I hope you have a Happy Friday and a great weekend.

Luv,

Chloe

Ollie Update

10/22/2013

Hi all, it’s Sherri (mommy) here. I’m blogging for the birds to give you an update on Ollie. I was getting ready to leave for work this morning and noticed that he was dragging his left foot behind him, and seemed to be in pain. I called the vet, and they said to bring him in, as they’re booked all week but wanted to see him.

I’m glad I went. The vet weighed him, and he lost 5 grams since his check up. That alarmed the vet more than the leg. He checked Ollie out and said that there’s no leg or foot injury at all. It turns out that the kidney sits on the nerve to the left leg, and it’s infected.

Of course, I freaked out, but the vet assured me that I caught it early. There’s no tumor or physical damage, and he said this can be cleared up with antibiotics and an anti-inflammatory medication. He gave Ollie a shot and put him on 0.06 cc’s of Baytril for 10 days, starting tomorrow. He also recommended helping Ollie stay still as much as possible to avoid discomfort. We’ve reconfigured his perches so he won’t need to move around so much until he feels better.

I sure am glad I noticed Ollie limping this morning, because an infection never crossed my mind! So friends, please be sure to keep a close eye on your birds. If they seem to be sleeping more, injured, not as active, or just acting out of sorts, get it checked out ASAP. Don’t wait! Birds hide illness, and by the time you notice they’re sick, they could have been ill for days. They’re so small that illness can hit hard and fast. But being small means that the treatment works pretty quick, too.

We’ll certainly keep you posted on Ollie’s progress, here and through Twitter. He’s getting great treatment and right now, we just want him to get plenty of rest. I’ve had a kidney infection – those suckers hurt and wear you out!

Thanks for being such great friends, and for your care and concern.

Luv,

Sherri (mommy)

Follow Up Visit

10/7/2013

I had a follow up visit with the vet today to make sure my infection cleared up, and it has! He said I look good. I'm energetic, breathing well, and my eyes are bright. In fact, he said I'm one of the most energetic birds he's ever seen, and that I looked a lot better today than a few weeks ago!

Well, of course I look good, and I'm a ball of energy. Who wants to sit still when there's so much interesting stuff going on? Food to eat, toys to check out, things to pay attention to - there's no grass growing under my feet!

Mommy and daddy were glad to hear it. They wanted confirmation that all is well, so I submitted to the misery of the vet one more time to give them peace of mind. The only bad thing is that the McDonalds was still serving breakfast when we got out, so no French fries. Mommy said it didn't matter because I had one of their fries from Captain D's yesterday. Well, today is a different day. Yesterday's fry doesn't count. It's a new day and new day = new fry, right? Mommy might need to go back to college and retake her math again. Or maybe retake philosophy and get her logic straight.

That's all today. I hope you're all doing well. Take care, and have a great week!

Luv,

Zack

Clean Bill of Health

4/5/2013

Mommy and daddy took us to the vet for our annual "well check" today. They do that every year when daddy's off for spring break and today was our day of doom. Thankfully, they did it early in the day (9:30), so we got it over with early.

I didn't get my usual laps around the examination room today because the vet came ready with that dreaded towel, but I made sure that he had plenty of struggle getting out of the travel cage. He said I was a little pistol. Darn tootin! Chloe had a pretty good wiggle fit on him too, but in the end the exam was done, and our wings and nails were trimmed. The vet said we all looked good.

Unfortunately, McDonalds was still serving breakfast when we got out at 10:15. Mommy said we'd get fries later, as we didn't care for hash browns and the line at the drive-thru was rather long. She and daddy went out to lunch and for a walk so we could have some "time out" to rest around noon, and they came back with toys! Yay! I got a kabob, Chloe got a piñata, and Ollie got a magic hat toy with two levers. One pops out a bird and one pops out a rabbit. That looks like fun. I may have to sneak in his cage when he's out with daddy to give it a try :)

Anyway, we're all healthy, happy and groomed, and that's over with for a year. Thank goodness. Now we're all hanging out at home and happy.

I hope you had a less eventful day than we did. Happy Friday to you and I hope you have a great weekend.

Luv,

Zack

Well Check?

4/3/2013

We have to go to the vet Friday for our annual checkup. That stinks. There’s nothing wrong with any of us, except we’re molting and cranky. That’s completely normal. So why do we have to go to the vet when we’re fine?

I don’t know. Mommy and daddy get well checks too. Mommy has her physical next week, in fact. She’s fine, but she’s still going to the doctor. She says things can sneak up on you. Hmm. Maybe they can sneak up on humans, but birds can turn their heads 270 degrees. We’re super alert and aware. You aren’t sneaking up on us and if you happen to, you’ve got a brutal beak to deal with!

I guess she means germs and nasties can sneak up on you. Oh well. They are insidious. But if we got the germs or nasties, wouldn’t we feel bad? Zack, Ollie and I are fine, except for molting which nobody can help. There isn’t a cure for that. So why bother? We have 1 problem and nothing can be done for it, so what’s the point?

I don’t like it, but we have no choice but to go. They’re going to make us. And there won’t be McDonalds French fries if we don’t go. That’s one perk of the vet. He’s next to Micky-D’s.

We’ll be sure to let you know about our adventures at the Animal Clinic in our next blog. Stay tuned. This is sure to be interesting.

That’s all today. Take care.

Luv,

Chloe

I'm Alright!

12/6/2012

Hi everybody! Thanks so much for your well wishes and support this week as I dealt with my hurt foot. I went to the vet for a follow up visit today, and he said I'm healing well. In fact, he said the medication I was on was too strong and I don't have to take it any more. The foot is still bruised, but it's healing up well and overall I'm doing great.

What a wild few days it's been! I am feeling much better, though. I've been chattering with Chloe and Ollie, playing with my toys, making the rounds in my (now happy hut free) cage, and hanging out with mommy and daddy. Yes, I'm healing up nicely, and I'm so happy to be recovering!

Not only that, but mommy put presents under the Christmas tree for me, Chloe and Ollie and said we could listen to the radio station that plays all Christmas music all the time tomorrow while she and daddy are at work. Oh boy! I love this time of year. Christmas is so exciting, and my birthday is soon after. Lots of goodies are on the way.

So I'm fine, friends. I'm healing up well and I'm alright. Thanks again for your prayers, concern, and well wishes. You guys are the best! I hope you're sweetness is rewarded with a lot of great loot this holiday season!

That's all today. Take care and have a Happy Friday tomorrow.

Luv,

Zack

Clean Bill of Health

4/13/2012

Zack, Chloe and I had to go to the vet today for our annual check up. We got a clean bill of health! Not even a Vitamin D shot for Chloe, and we were all happy for that.

The only thing is that they scooped up some of our poo on a stick to look at. I thought that rather odd, disturbing and frankly sick. Especially when the vet said I had "textbook stools." What? You mean somebody out there is sick enough to write books on bird poo? What kind of people do things like that?

Anyway, he said we're all healthy and good looking birds. We all got checked out, our hearts listened to, and wing trims. Zack threw him for a bit of a loop because he didn't react the way the vet expected him to. When his checkup and wing clip were done, Zack just sat there and glared at the vet. The vet looked at Zack and said "I think he's pissed." Mommy found that amusing. She was like well, yea! We've been bringing him here for 12 years. I think he knows you. Zack probably passed frightened and scared into aggrivated and pissed off by these visits years ago. Zack is such a pro at handling humans. He should really teach a "understanding humans" psychology class for the rest of us birds! He's spent his entire life with humans and seems to "get them" so well. Maybe I'll be as wise as he is one day. He's a great mentor.

At least Chloe and I were respectable and didn't challenge the vet with a "drop dead" look. The vet even said budgies were his favorite. Well, he actually said budgies are every vet's favorite because our bites don't hurt. I'm not sure if that's good or bad. I'm glad to be a favorite, but now I wonder about my ability to defend myself if I'm threatened or challenged. He also thought my singing was neat.

So we survived the annual vet visit. God willing, we can stay healthy and happy and not have to do that again for another year.

Happy Friday to all of you. I hope you have a great weekend.

Luv,

Ollie

Trips - and an Appointment

Stupid Vet Tricks

Ollie Update

Follow Up Visit

Clean Bill of Health

Well Check?

I'm Alright!

Clean Bill of Health

Niblets

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