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Posted by Angela on Thu, 10/14/2004 - 11:33 :: Others
I have a Blue Crown Conure his name is Cookie Monster. I have had him for 5 years about two and a half years ago his dropping began smelling very fowl and I thought it was the cage, and ask the lady I bought him from about this problem
but she did'nt know anything. So I took his droppings for a culture and they said he had a bacterial infection. So we did antibiotics in his water for seven days. It went away for about two weeks and was right back. So over the years it's been really offensive the odor I mean espacially now that I live in an appartment that is pretty small and he is in the living room, It has gotten to where you don't even want to sit on that side of the couch that he is on, I keep the cage clean but you know how much birds poop, so anyway I took him to the vets again and this time he got blood work done and a culture this was pretty recent like six months ago we got more antibiotics and they work great while im giving them but as soon as there done it's back. I love my bird with all my heart and just hate this. He does'nt act sick look sick is a healthy weight ect. And I have spent alot of money when I had it that is on vet bills. And now I don't have the funds to take him in. So there for I am writing for any advice I can get. I called this guy we just bought a Cockatiel from and ask him and he said he had never heard of such a thing. I currantly feed him pretty bird pelleted food it is shaped like little fruits bananas ect. Also he get yogurt wich seems to tame the smell down a little, but he does'nt always like to eat enough of it. Also some seed,fruits,veg.
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Posted by karen on Thu, 10/14/2004 - 14:52.
Did you change his diet at all? I've heard of several cases where bird had smelly droppings when they were fed a particular brand of pellets. I don't mean that a specific brand of pellets is a problem, just that some birds seem to have a bad reaction to some kinds of pellets.
You might want to try switching the brand of pellets. Switch gradually if he doesn't take to the new ones.
Really they do better when fed lots of fresh food, veggies, ect. in addition to pellets.


Karen and Chico (greencheek conure) and Pippin (budgie)
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Posted by NateW on Thu, 10/14/2004 - 19:38.
The fact that antibiotics made the smell go away indicates that the "bacterial infection" diagnosis was correct. The fact that the smell came back suggests that either the infection was not cured (just reduced for a while) or that he is getting re-infected somehow.

I'd ask a vet if it would be safe to put him on antibiotics for a longer period to ensure that the infection is completely stamped out before the antibiotics run out. I'm not sure if it would be safe, but it might be, and if so, it seems to me like a good idea. It's fairly common for antibiotics to only kill off enough of an infection to make the symptoms go away - then after treatment the symptoms come right back because the bugs are still there.

During the time he's on antibiotics (the whole time - not just after the smell fades away), clean his cage thoroughly every single day, and clean everything he comes in contact with (again, every single day), to make sure there's no way the infection can get back into him.

Karen's suggestion - completely changing his diet - sounds like a great idea as well. I'd go a step further though: consider everything you're currently feeding him suspect, and don't feed it to him anymore. Switch to a new brand of pellets, and only feed different seeds, fruits, veggies from what you're feeding him now. Not permanently, but at least for a couple months, or until his next round of antibiotics is finished with, whichever takes longer.

Nate Waddoups
Redmond WA USA
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Posted by JMK-Yoda on Thu, 10/14/2004 - 23:03.
I'm no expert, but I'm not to sure about yogurt for birds.

Murray NZ
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Posted by MikeB on Thu, 10/14/2004 - 23:27.
Hi Angela,
So let me understand this. You took the birds droppings, (not the bird) to a vet for a culture and he "cultured the droppings"(didn’t look at them under a microscope) and said your bird had a bacterial infection and "prescribed" antibiotics in his water for seven days?
What was the name of the antibiotics, and dose?
Did you go to the same vet the second time?
Mike Bross
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Posted by kbart47 on Fri, 10/15/2004 - 02:43.
The advice you've been given is excellent. Instead of the yogurt, I will suggest you asked your vet if you should give your FID a probiotic. Birds lack the emzyme necessary to digest dairy products. A probiotic would be very advisable, especially if you do decide to give the antibiotics long term, as antibiotics kill off the good bacteria in your birds intestines. The probiotic will replace the good bacteria that the antibiotic has killed. Also, ask your vet about giving your FID organic apple cider vinegar in his water for a few weeks. Not a lot, because you don't want the water to taste so vinegary that your bird will not drink. A tsp. per quart is usually adequate. The vinegar makes the birds digestive tract more acidic.

The pellets I believe you are talking about (colored and fruity shaped?) have a pretty distinct odor themselves. Others have suggested a diet change and that's a good idea. I feed Harrison's to all my birds with good results. It is more expensive, but you actually might have to feed less in the long run.

I am certainly no expert, but I worked as a vet tech. for 8 years and I am just suggesting some things to try that the doctor I worked for would suggest. Always check with your own vet to make sure he or she would okay. And good luck with your FID.
~Kathy~
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Posted by Angela on Fri, 10/15/2004 - 08:41.
Hi, yes to the first Question. And the antibiotic was doxycycline in capsule form and the dose was one cap per 8 liters of water. The other antibiotic is bactrim liquid 0.10ml 2 times a day that I am giving him now. Oh and the vets were not the same. The most frequent vist to the vets I did take my bird and he checked him out real good he was a holistic DR. blood work was done and fecal tests.
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Posted by Angela on Fri, 10/15/2004 - 08:47.
Thank everyone for the advice. I will use it.

Thanks again
Angela
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Posted by NateW on Mon, 10/18/2004 - 21:06.
Keep us posted, I'm really curious how things turn out.

Nate Waddoups
Redmond WA USA
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Posted by Mona on Thu, 10/21/2004 - 06:33.
Okay....

I am having the same problem with my cockatiel. She has had smelly droppings on and off over the years. A few days ago, I came home and the house just reaked. I could see that she had diarhea so I took her to the vet. The vet and I talked for quite a while. Since this has been an ongoing problem, the vet thinks it is due to hormones. My cockatiel is very, very amorous although she has never laid an egg. After a lot of protesting (on my part) I finally decided to go with the vet's recommendation and we are giving Rita Lupron to control her hormone cycle. I am to watch her droppings for a few days and if this doesn't clear it up, I will go back for antibiotics. Rita has had a lot of antibiotics over the years and I also hate giving these to her. Rita is almost 14 years old and she should be about middle aged for a cockatiel. Last time I took her to the vet we did blood tests and Rita's cholesterol was incredibly high.....and the vet feels this could be due to hormones. If she is going through the egg laying cycle but absorbing the yokes (she hasn't laid an egg) this could account for the high cholesterol.

So, just a thought. Smelly droppings are indicative of a bacterial infection but hormones can also be a big contributor to the problem if you can't get the bacterial infection cleared up. I'll keep you posted on whether or not the lupron shot helps my hen.

Thanks.
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Posted by Angela on Thu, 11/18/2004 - 12:45.
Hi sorry It has taken me so long to get back but anyway. I have talked to a lady from Feathered Puppies she has a website called Featheraid.com . She said it was the food I bought my bird from her 5 years ago, I should have called her alot sooner but thats the way things go sometimes. Anyway she said it was the food, I had been getting pellet food from her for along time then moved and bought food at the pet stores pellets so since this long time ago she has not been doing her pellets she has found out that there not so good especially some brands she did'nt mention names. So I have orded some food from her she said give it six weeks and he should be better. So I will keep you posted. oh and to not give carbs or sweets, Just protiens and veggies.
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Posted by Mona on Fri, 11/19/2004 - 10:57.
Update on Rita:

She has a bacterial infection. White blood cell tests indicate that it is not viral. The vet believes that it is hormonal. Rita is 13 years old and never laid an egg, so the vet believes she reabsorbed the yolk and this caused an infection. Cholesterol tests seem to confirm. We checked her cholesterol in June and it was over 700. We gave her Luprin a month ago and last week her cholesterol was normal (nearer 125). At this point, she is early stages of liver disease and kidney disease.

I am giving her antibiotics, lactulose and something for the kidneys. It's a lot of work and a lot of money.

Since she is a hen cockatiel and you have a conure, I don't know if we are talking apples/oranges or not...Hen cockatiels often have problems related to reproduction because they have been bred to breed (create mutations). Rita is a mutation.

Anyway, if this is a bacterial infection you really want to treat it because otherwise you will run into liver problems and your bird will not live out the full potential life span.....but your problems are so similar to what I'm experiencing...I wanted to let you know.

Thanks.

Mona
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Posted by Penny on Tue, 11/23/2004 - 12:42.
Smelly Poops usually means the onset of "fatty liver disease". I have a 20 year old Amazon, and when I adopted him I could not believe the smell. There is hope though, and it works, go to avian medicine chest.com You will be happy you did.
Penny
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