Sick Pacific Parrotlet-HELP!

[sugar]

Hi All:

I am a fairly new Pacific Parrotlet owner. Her name is "Sugar." I bought Sugar at a local pet store after falling in love with her. When I got her home, she would not eat. After the third day, she was noticeably lethargic. Another local pet store opened up for me and helped to feed my very young Sugar formula with a syringe. That was Thanksgiving night 2007. Sugar has not weaned yet. After consulting several exotic bird specialists about her not weaning, the most suggested was to water down her formula and feed her less often. Trying this has created HORRIFYING results. SUGAR WILL NOT HOLD HER HEAD UP. She seems to have energy enough to flap her wings a little. Something she normally doesn't do. Her breathing seems pretty labored and she is slightly fluffed even though I think she may be overheated because she has her wings away from her body. HELP ME! I really don't know what to do? Sugar has shown signs of trouble holding her head up before. Usually close to her feeding times...

[Sivin]

You have a very sick bird and she must be seen by an avian vet asap...like now. No one online can help you with this. You can try to set her up in a hospital cage and keep her warm (there are sites online explaining what to do) but she has to be seen by a vet. Though I know what this bird is, I have never had one, but it seems to me that in the United States an unweaned bird cannot legally be sold, or at least not to someone unfamiliar with the treatment of such a youngster. You have got to get her to a vet specializing in birds, not a dog and cat person. Good luck and let us know what happens.

[Sheila]

Good luck!!! You definitely have a sick bird, and needs immediate attention...

NOW! That petstore you bought it from SHOULD BE reported!!! They have no business being in business selling pets!!!

How many other innocent birds and customers have had to deal with this?!?!? It's a shame.

AGAIN, good luck to you and your parrolet.

[sugar]

Thank you both very much. Sugar made it through the night and was actually quite spunky and back to her normal self this morning. I was able to speak with an Avian Vet early this morning and Sugar has an appt Monday morning. I'm hoping that she will be able to offer me some good advice on weaning my little girl. I personally think the prolonged formula feeding is stunting her development and most likely causing crop problems. I know now that was what was wrong last night. Thank you BOTH for your advise and concern. I will post more info as I get it.

Thank you again,

Sugar's mama

[Sivin]

Thanks for getting back to us. What troubles us (the other forum member and me) along with Sugar being ill is whether she should have been sold to you at such a young age in the first place. I know that some states have laws concerning this. You might run this by your vet. And please, let us know how she is and what the vet says.

[henryswife]

Sugar's Mom,
Sorry I haven't been here for a while and just reading your post.
I agree with Sivin & Shiela that a chick should not have been sold to you before it was weaned! Does she have a leg band saying her birth date?
Keep us posted with how she's doing. Alice