Treatments

Treatments of very ill confiscated birds needs to be based on laboratory analysis. Samples should be taken prior to treatment, except in critical life-threatening cases. As soon as the samples are collected, interim treatment needs to be started; with the caveat that the plan may be changed as results are collected from the lab work.  Confiscated parrots are often infected with multiple pathogens and treatment needs to be rapid, aggressive, and powerful. The route should be SC or IM, accompanied by parenteral fluids and appropriate nutritional support. The birds will be dehydrated, debilitated, thin, stressed and possibly in shock. Supportive care is essential.

Antibiotics (IM or SC) until lab results come in

• Amikacin

• Ampicillin/sulbactam

• Cefotaxime

• Ceftazidime

• Piperacillin 

• Piperacillin/Tazobactam

Diagnostics Supplies

• microscope (can find refurbished ones ~$200) and smart-phone adaptor mount for photos

• slides and coverslips

• slide holders/shipping

• red-top large hematocrit tubes

• hematocrit centrifuge (can find refurbished)

• hematocrit clay

• fecal float (fecalizers, fecasol or similar fecal flotation kit)

• fecal trichrome tubes

• 70% ethanol for parasite collection

• urine sediment stain

• India ink

• Gram's stain quick kit

• quick-stain blood kit

• quick-stain Acid-fast kit

• assorted squirt bottles, yorkers, formalin jars

• DTM tubes for fungal and yeast culture

• microtip and regular non-gel bacterial culture swabs aerobic and anaerobic

• sterile swabs for viral transport

• red top and green top 1-2cc blood tubes

• centrifuges: for hematocrit and vacutainer sizes

• inexpensive (reptile-egg) incubator ~$100

• Uri-cult or similar urine culture kits