# Fatty liver disease



## Kujen (Jun 9, 2007)

Hi all,

So Buddy has fatty liver disease. You can see my previous thread here.

I took him to get his beak trimmed and another blood test a month ago. The beak has already grown long again, and his blood test showed high AST which the vet said was because of his liver. The liver enzymes weren't high in the first test, so I'm concerned his condition is not improving. His chest looks large too.

Do you think I should try the aloe detox I've read about? How much do I put in his water? I already give him 6 drops milk thistle in 100 mL of water. Along with an omega fatty acid prescribed supplement and milk thistle directly into his beak. Is there any thing else I should try? Vitamins? I'm going to try Harrisons Omega birdie bread, mostly hoping I can soak his medicine with it instead of grabbing him.

Which brings me to another problem. He's become so, so difficult to grab and restrain. I have to basically pry him off the cage bars. I have been doing it every day and I think he's learning how to avoid it. I grab him with a cloth, and he buries his head and squirms and rotates. It is difficult to keep his wings pinned down and I'm so worried that I'm going to accidentally injure him. I'm wondering if I should just stop because I don't know if is worth the stress for both of us. Unless anyone has some better tips on how I can restrain him?

Also I'm afraid I'm going to have to start trimming his beak myself because it grows so quickly, but I am worried because he moves around so much.


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## AwesomeOwl (Dec 27, 2020)

My budgie would squirm around in the cloth when I had to catch him too. Try gently pinching your fingers on either side of his head so you can give him the medication. You have to be very careful though not to squeeze, as budgies are very fragile! Also, don’t apply pressure to the chest because then your budgie won’t be able to breathe. If he’s really squirming and half out of your hand, just let him go, an escapee is better than an injured budgie.

If he’s clinging to the bars of his cage when you catch him, use one hand to gently pry off his toes. Also, maybe hold him for a few seconds after you give him the medicine to make sure it’s all been swallowed, because my budgie would always jump to the same perch and spit out whatever he had in his beak after we let him back into his cage.


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## FaeryBee (May 9, 2011)

*
First link gives information about the disease:

Hepatic Lipidosis - Fatty Liver Disease

Take a look at the link within the link below which gives information about how to administer medication:

Administering Medication

I would definitely consider using the Aloe Detox if it were my budgie.

In the link below, which gives an excerpt about Aloe Detox, the user indicated the following:

"I made her drinking water half Aloe Detox, soaked her bird bread in it, and put it on everything that she would eat. Being a non-toxic product, I felt that there was no danger of overdosing her. 
Due to the serious nature of her condition, there was nothing to lose."

Herbal Remedies - Aloe Detox*


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