# My budgie was diagnosed with megabacteria or AGY



## Sabine.L (Jun 12, 2013)

My budgies seem to have been through a very stressful period as now my usually ****est budgie Emile has been diagnosed with megabacteria (AGY). His weight has gone down to 34 grams but he still has the energy to fly around like normal. The vet was surprised that he is still so enegetic since he is so severely emaciated and also his droppings looked normal. He is not vomiting. 

I got the medicine for all my birds added to their drinking water but I have yet to see Emile drink. The vet gave him easily digestible food into the crop, a vitamin injection and a antibiotic injection and told me to come back in 10 days. I'm worried he will have starved by then and I need advice on how to keep him alive if at all possible.

Should I ask for the vet to give him more food at some point? He is only going for seed right now but he can't digest them. What should I feed him? I soaked some millet in bio plus and guardian angel and have added those to everything and anything I can think of. I've tried to feed him with a syringe but he won't take anything!! Help!


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## FaeryBee (May 9, 2011)

*You need to contact your Avian Vet right away for assistance -- this is an emergency situation.

Emile probably will need to be hospitalized and fed by a professional until he stabilizes.

Best wishes and please let us know how things progress. :hug:

I will have you and Emile in my prayers.*


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## Sabine.L (Jun 12, 2013)

Thank you! That is the problem I have; I took him to the vet yesterday and the vet gave Emile the medicine and everything and then he told me to come back in 10 days. The vet clinic does not provide 24/7 care. The vet also told me that he will most likely not make it. This is the only avian vet that I know of, there's really no one else.


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## FaeryBee (May 9, 2011)

*
It sounds as though crop-feeding may be the only way to help your little Emile and you'll need someone who is experienced to show you the proper way to do it. 
The Avian Vet should be able to instruct you in the proper method.

*


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## Sabine.L (Jun 12, 2013)

I contacted my vet and they instructed me to just give him anything that he will eat. So I made some bird bread and now he is munching on peas and corn. They also told me to add guardian angel to the water with the medicine since it's most important to get nutrients in him. He seems to be doing ok. Eating other foods and not just seed. I'm worried he won't drink since he's had peas and corn but I did give him some medicated water with a syringe. I'm sure he swallowed some of it. If I don't see any improvent I will take him to the vet tonorrow so they can give him the medicine into his crop and some food.


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## BlueBirdNYC (Aug 26, 2016)

Great news to hear that he is eating something. Prayers for Emile.


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## StarlingWings (Mar 15, 2013)

Sabine, I'm so very sorry to hear that your little one has been diagnosed with AGY. 

I hope that he is able to feel better soon! It is good to hear that he's eating; that's a good sign, at least.


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## Sabine.L (Jun 12, 2013)

I will take Emile to the vet today so they can get proper food in him and medicine. It is very stressful for him so I really hope the benefits of this outweigh the risks and cost to his energy reserves. I'm guessing that is why the vet didn't suggest this from the beginning.


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## Niamhf (Dec 17, 2013)

Sending my best wishes to you and Emile.


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## Sabine.L (Jun 12, 2013)

Our prayers seem to have been answered, Emile has gained 2 grams in 2 days and is more energetic! He got food, megabac medicine and liquids straight into his crop and another shot of vitamins and antibiotics. They told me to come again if I feel the need to. The vet said that it looks good, not like the first time when he said that recovery is unlikely.


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## FaeryBee (May 9, 2011)

*Sabine,

That is excellent news and I'm keeping Emile in my prayers. :hug:*


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## Sabine.L (Jun 12, 2013)

Emile keeps looking at his stomach, he bends forwards and has a good look. What's up with that? Does he wonder what's going on in there if it feels strange?


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## FaeryBee (May 9, 2011)

*There is no way we can predict what Emile is thinking or feeling. :dunno:*


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## SouthernFried (Sep 24, 2011)

Oh such great news! So good to hear he is improving!! :whoo::whoo::whoo:


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## StarlingWings (Mar 15, 2013)

Sabine, I'm glad your darling boy is feeling a bit better. 

Sometimes budgies look down at their feet for no reason. My girl does it sometimes and she's perfectly fine health wise. From my observations, it's somewhat like humans getting lost in thought--you just stare randomly at a place. 

However, you can't ever be sure what or why he's doing it, especially if he hasn't done it before. 

I hope he continues to improve! :fingerx:


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## Sabine.L (Jun 12, 2013)

Emile has never done it before. I wish I was fast enough to get a picture of him doing it since it's super cute. I take it as a good sign that he is feeling well enough to be curious about things. He spends a lot of the rest of his time with his head inside a food bowl, stuffing his face. I hope he'll be back to his old self very soon.


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## StarlingWings (Mar 15, 2013)

What a precious boy! I'm glad he's feeling up to stuffing his beak full!  

I hope he continues to improve and will keep him in my prayers ray:


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## Sabine.L (Jun 12, 2013)

We went for a checkup today with Emile and he now weighs 38 grams. So he has gained 4 grams in a week. There was still megabacteria in his poo but significantly less than before. Emile is getting better, this is the best christmas present ever!









Emile will escape the cage to go find food any chance he gets. At least this way he has it all to himself.


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## Sabine.L (Jun 12, 2013)

Emile is loving his seeds right now


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## StarlingWings (Mar 15, 2013)

That's wonderful, Sabine! I'm so glad he's improved so much :2thumbs: I hope he continues to progress towards feeling 100% better! :fingerx:


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## Sabine.L (Jun 12, 2013)

Emile had another checkup today at the vet and his poo sample was clear from megabacteria. He is cured! He is still a bit tired and he needs to restore the good bacteria in his gut. That will get better with time I think. I was told to still add the medication to their water until it's all used up. The vet could hardly believe how much weight Emile has gained, he said it should not even be possible. Thank you so much for all of your prayers, I really do believe a miracle has taken place here! <3


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## StarlingWings (Mar 15, 2013)

Sabine, that's wonderful news. I'm so glad that Emile has pulled through and is so drastically better! :thumbsup: 

I hope he continues to improve!


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## Sabine.L (Jun 12, 2013)

Emile is still not 100% himself and he still eats and sleeps quite a lot more than he did before he got sick. I decided to weigh him to see if he has relapsed. He now weighs 40 grams so he has gained another 2 grams. The recovery from AGY is very slow but he is actually improving still. I continue to give all of my birds guardian angel supplement and the rest of the megabac medicine. They are molting right now so that is also very stressful for them. 

Jean is very low on energy even though his lovely wife Hilda is in nesting mode and full of energy, he's not really into it right now. I was worried that he was losing weight so I also weighed him, he is a 50 gram budgie, a big boy. I am hoping that his low energy is due to molting. When I felt him he had a massive amount of pin feathers, way more than is actually visible. I will keep a close eye on him


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## FaeryBee (May 9, 2011)

*I'm very happy to hear about Emilie's progress in his recovery! :hug:*


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## Sabine.L (Jun 12, 2013)

Bad news. Emile has had a relapse and is on medication again. He has lost 4 grams of weight and is down to 36 grams. My vet was trying to think of some other medication and was even thinking of giving Emile medication straight into his blood stream.
I was looking up some options online to give him at home and came across a product that I had not heard of before. I was wondering about the Birdcare company Megacare kit. Does anyone have any experience with that? Does it work or is it basically the same as giving him apple cider vinegar and then probiotics?


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## Cody (Sep 5, 2013)

Sorry to hear of his relapse. Has he been on a drug called Amphotericin B, that is the drug of choice to treat active infections of it here in the USA. I have a bird that has been in the hospital 4 times since July with this, the most recent time he was in for 2 weeks and was being given multiple meds including ones for liver support and immune system support.


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## Sabine.L (Jun 12, 2013)

Yes, that is the medicine he is on, and was on last time for around 5 weeks if not more, but he still relapsed. He also gets a shot of antibiotics and vitamins every week at the vet. Is there something else I can give him to help him recover better?


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## Cody (Sep 5, 2013)

My bird gets a milk thistle and dandelion supplement in the water and DMG for the immune system, ask your vet about these two things to see if they would benefit your bird.


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