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Post by nikib5 on Aug 28, 2018 12:52:28 GMT -5
Hello, I looked around on the forum but couldn't find anything about heart disease in our quakers. My quaker, Niki was diagnosed with it and is on 4 cardiac medications (hypertension med, lasix, celebrex and Sildenafil (Viagra)). He is 23 years old and within the past year, he has slowed down quite a lot. Starting in June, he started getting weak and I noticed him sitting like he couldn't support himself on his legs. He also had some difficulty climbing or just no desire to. I took him to the vet and she thought it might be his kidneys and she put him on some herbal medications. He was misdiagnosed. I made the mistake of not going to his regular vet that day. She was out of the office and I thought her partner in the office could handle it. Well, he didn't get better. He got worse. When I gave him his herbal meds a week or so later, I noticed his legs were very swollen, especially the right one. Back to the vet, his vet, we went.
Niki was breathing very hard and he had some crackling in his lungs. So he is on new cardiac meds. He had an ultrasound of his heart a year or so ago and he was showing what they thought was typical in an aging parrot's heart.
His vet said she has had some success with heart disease in parrots. He seemed better after a couple of days, but his energy still isn't very good. I was just wondering if anyone here has any experience with their quaker having heart issues.
I'm thinking this might be the beginning of the end for Niki. The vet wants to see him in a couple of weeks and take an x-ray. She may be looking for heart enlargement or any other abnormalities. I asked her what his outlook is and she said he will either get better or he won't and she can perhaps get another couple of years for him. I just wonder what the quality of his life will be.
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Post by cnyguy on Aug 28, 2018 20:23:26 GMT -5
Sorry to hear about Niki's diagnosis. I don't recall anyone else posting about their QP having heart problems; it may not be a common problem. I would recommend discussing quality of life issues with Niki's vet; she will likely have some good recommendations to help you give him the best possible life for as long as he may live. Hope he'll have a good long time ahead with you.
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Post by nikib5 on Aug 28, 2018 21:00:19 GMT -5
Thank you for the support and wise advice. Niki’s vet has been really great and has rescued him from the brink several times. One time she told me that if she thought he wouldn’t live a good life she would tell me because no bird should suffer. I appreciated her telling me that. He is going for a follow up next week. She said she would know more by x-ray. He had a good evening. It’s really one day at a time.
I also want to add that his heart disease is probably due to lack of exercise and his age. His vet recommends all birds either fly or be able to flap their wings while holding them. He has bone loss in his wings.
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Post by biteybird on Aug 28, 2018 23:24:20 GMT -5
Poor little Niki - sorry to hear about his heart. Does he seem happy enough, though? He obviously is being well looked after by you and your regular vet and it's good to know that she will be honest with you about his quality of life. Good luck for the follow up appointment next week...we'll all be thinking of you.  |
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Post by dinucci on Aug 29, 2018 1:38:22 GMT -5
Awe poor lil guy...sounds like you have a good vet now in his corner. I took care of my girlfriends cockatiel for 6 months before he eventually passed,but he was 22,which is old for them. He had many of the same symptoms,and had good days and bad. One thing we did for him was to get a arthritis stand for his cage that he readily used. We were thinking of getting one for buddy,even tho he's only 17 months and has a wide variety of perches. Something as simple as a 3x3 square piece of wood,covered in fleece or soft material,held in the corner of his cage with wingbolts may help him with relief from perching. Hope this helps..best wishes to the both of you !
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Post by nikib5 on Oct 17, 2018 11:29:08 GMT -5
Just an update on Niki. He is still with us. He is on heart meds. He hates them and gets very stressed out when it comes time to get them. He seems to sense when it is time because he avoids me. He is no stranger to meds and he knows the drill, but he still stresses. I wish he would take them with food, but he won't.
I'm spending time reflecting on his life and how he used to be and also watching some videos of him and his antics. He has changed so much in the past year. He was an avid builder his whole life and stopped that about 2 years ago. He used to bathe every other day and now it's only about twice a month. He can barely climb to the top of his cage. I have to be careful since he is weak and touching him can make him lose his balance and teeter. He is much more fearful of things because he knows he isn't steady and is afraid of falling.
The other day, he had an episode where he couldn't sit on his cage. He started falling off and couldn't hold on. He had a blank look to his eyes and was breathing heavily. I took him off of the cage and held him in my lap and scratched his head for about 20 minutes, which he loves. I thought he was going to die right there in my lap, but he snapped out of it.
If only I knew he would get better. But he will not. I am considering euthanizing him. He will not get better and I can't give him the care he needs. I certainly can't leave him overnight which is very difficult because I have an aging mother who also needs my care. He is too weak to board and it would be too stressful for him.
I don't want to make this decision, but I want to do what's best for him. His life is basically eating and sleeping. How does one get through this? In addition to his heart, I am noticing signs of another yeast or bacterial infection. That means 2 or 3 more meds. This is very hard.
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Post by cnyguy on Oct 17, 2018 20:16:13 GMT -5
Sorry that Niki isn't doing well. You are faced with a very hard decision and will ultimately choose what you think is best for Niki.
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Post by biteybird on Oct 18, 2018 3:43:12 GMT -5
Hi again, to you and Niki. You have done all you can and you've provided Niki with a loving home for many years. If you think his quality of life is not sufficient you can make the right choice for him. It's very sad, but he knows he is loved and you have tried everything within your power to help him. I don't know what to say to you to help you get through it. Every time we lose pets/companions it breaks our hearts... All the best. XX |
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Post by graciesmom on Oct 18, 2018 19:31:24 GMT -5
I am new to Quakers, but I've had pets that I have loved and lost. The heartbreak during a time such as this is very real. Sometimes we have to love them enough to let them go. I'm so sorry for the anguish you feel. Much hugs for you and Nikki.
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Post by jujuboy on Oct 29, 2018 12:22:14 GMT -5
I lost my 30 year old Caique not long ago to heart and kidney disease and though it was hard, I now have a baby Quaker whom is the most endearing and helps soften the pain and loss of my Caique. I’m glad I did because it was really heart breaking.
Good luck to you, I’m sure it’ll be of for the both of you.
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Post by nikib5 on Feb 3, 2021 21:22:58 GMT -5
I never gave an update on this and apologize, Niki did improve and had some ups and downs but he lived 2 years more. Unfortunately he passed away yesterday due to a fall. He had been having some issues. He fell back in August and broke his leg and that healed. Then in November, his heart gave him problems again and he developed fluid on his lungs. He recovered from that too. Niki was strong and surprised me with his resilience. I’m glad he died not from a long illness at least. I miss him terribly and am trying to cherish the long time we had together.
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