A Week Later

We've been giving Odin his Nystatin for about a week now. We've pretty much got the routine down and can get the medicine in him fairly quickly. I still hate doing it, so Anthony has been the one giving it to him. All of the feathers around his beak are caked with the medicine and of course he won't let us try to wipe it down at all.

I've noticed a few changes in his behavior, although it's probably because he's sick and doesn't feel 100%. His voice seems a little bit more hoarse than it was before, although from what I read that is probably just a symptom of the yeast. I also watched him yawn about ten times in a row today so I'm keeping an eye on that as well. He's still eating a lot and his weight has been in the normal range every time I check so at least that's one thing I don't have to worry about.

Second Vet Visit

His sneezing never stopped and there was another millet-choking incident, so I brought him in today. As it turns out, he has some yeast in his mouth/throat which is making his throat swell. Not good.

She gave me some antibiotics, organic apple cider vinegar for his water, and directed me to pick up some Lactobacillus stuff as well.

I went to the Crystal Parrot in Easthampton, MA to pick up the Lactobacillus. It’s the second time I’ve been there, and it really is a great little shop for all things parrot. Everyone there is extremely knowledgeable and it’s obvious that they don’t sell birds to any random person off the street. They really do care about their birds and where they wind up. The owner showed me how to properly restrain a cockatiel and also how to use the syringe for the medicine. I thought it’d go smoothly once I got home… heh.

Trying to give him the medicine was extremely scary! The syringe seemed to move very jerky-like, so it squirted out way too fast. I was worried he was going to choke on it, and he was acting strange for about 10 minutes after we gave it to him. I think I’ll go find an eyedropper tomorrow instead.

Tonight I noticed his droppings seem darker than normal – they were fine earlier. They’re a really dark green color. I’m going to have to keep an eye on that, although he did have a pretty stressful day so hopefully he’ll be fine tomorrow.

Quick Update

Not much going on today. We brought him to my parents’ house to meet everybody – he was a little nervous in the car at first but he calmed down and seemed interested in everything that was going on outside the windows. Better update tomorrow!

Jabberjaw

Right now he’s the quietest he’s been all day – probably because he’s asleep on my chest while I’m writing this!

Let Me Google That For You

The poor little guy has been freaking me out and making me look stuff up all day.

Wet Bird

Poor guy. We gave him a bath and he looked so pathetic after!

He was helping me prepare.

Unfortunately I don't have much of an update today - I need to get ready for a job interview tomorrow afternoon. Odin had a bath and a little bit of quality time with the hair dryer (on low heat and a good distance away, of course).

Eat Your Pellets!

Today was a bit on the uneventful side, so I only have a few quick updates on training and diet.

Flock of One… For Now

We may have found a potential playmate!

The Happy Sound

The breeder said that when he gets older, his baby sound might go away. I hope not – it’s too cute!

Biting Bad

He’s starting to test his beak more, and sometimes it hurts! We’re going to have to deal with it quickly so it doesn’t become an issue.

Big Boy Cage

Not much went on today. He wasn’t very vocal but was definitely trying to get into everything he possibly could, and climbing all over. He’s learning how to move around more effectively which is really exciting.

Liftoff

Odin was a little chatterbox today! He's trying to wolf whistle, but hasn't quite gotten it right. I'm really impressed - he's only been with us for five days and is already learning how to mimic!

He has also achieved the miracle of flight.

Back to Normal

Thankfully, after the vet visit today has been uneventful. Let's hope it stays that way. He's still moving his wing a little strangely, but I think he's just a little sore from having the feather removed.

Broken Blood Feather

We had our first real scare yesterday. Odin broke a blood feather on his wing and was making pain sounds (something between a chirp and a hiss). He was bleeding a little bit. After doing some Google searches we were practically convinced he was going to drop dead.

Day Two

I put Odin to bed a bit late today - hopefully he'll sleep the whole night. I heard him poking around at about 5 this morning. He resisted being put back in the little cage, although I can't say I really blame him.

To Asgard!

I had many birds growing up, and my parents still have our approximately 30-year-old Timneh African Grey. I recently moved across the state and realized how much I missed having a bird around. That's where Odin comes in.