Diabetes
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Holistic Treatments Options - Applicable to HUMAN Diabetes - some are and others may be applicable to birds (discuss with vet)
Pet Cockatiel with Diabetes (AvianHealth mailinglist member shares with us her experience with Diabetes)
Treating Diabetes In Birds
http://www.diabeteshealth.com
Dogs and cats aren't the only pets that can develop diabetes. Birds are also prone to developing the disease, and for many bird lovers, controlling their pet's diabetes has become a part of their life.
To find out more about diabetes in birds, we consulted Lynn Dustin V.M.D. at the Bay Area Bird Hospital in San Francisco.
DI: What causes diabetes in birds?
Dr. Dustin: In birds with diabetes, it's frequently the result of the pancreas being damaged by infection or other secondary problems, rather than the primary type of diabetes that dogs and people get.
DI: Do birds get two types of diabetes?
Dr. Dustin: To the best of my knowledge, all of the birds that have the diabetes require insulin treatment since it's not a dietary problem.
DI: What is the standard treatment for birds with diabetes?
Dr. Dustin: They would need to have the bird taken to a veterinarian, have a blood glucose test taken and have the bird started on insulin injections.
DI: Can people treat their bird themselves?
Dr. Dustin: Usually the best course of action is for the bird to stay in the hospital and have its blood sugar monitored during the stabilization period. That's the fastest way to get the diabetes under control. It is possible during the initial stabilization that the blood sugar might get too low and the bird might need veterinary care. Birds have quite a variation in the amount of insulin they need, and we usually start off low and move it upward if they seem to need more.
DI: How can people tell if their bird potentially has diabetes?
Dr. Dustin: The best way to tell is an increase in thirst and urination.
DI: What if I had a diabetic bird. What are its chances of leading a normal life?
Dr. Dustin: The chances would be very good. In fact, most cases of diabetes that I have treated eventually recover from the diabetes and eventually outgrow their need for insulin, although not all cases do. And that is partly because many of the diabetes cases are secondary to infection, and once the infection is resolved, the pancreas will recover. It will take time, but very often it will recover.
DI: So the diabetes is curable?
Dr. Dustin: I wouldn't say curable, I would say it's transient. It's not unusual to see transient diabetes in cats and also in small exotic mammals.
DI: Since certain species of birds can live for long periods of time, do they develop the long term complications from their diabetes that people do?
Dr. Dustin: Birds definitely can experience slow wound healing, and they can experience abnormal fat metabolism which leads to fatty liver and coronary artery disease and things like that.
DI: Are there cases of diabetes-related blindness in birds?
Dr. Dustin: I haven't had any and I haven't read of any.
Pet Cockatiel with Diabetes (from the experience of an AvianHealth mailinglist member):
" The vet prescribed Glyburide 1/4 tab in 1/2 cup of water a day. I do think he is peeing less and I almost think he is more active.
The thing is when you live with a bird companion , changes can happen so slowly that you don't realize there have been changes....the only reason I became alarmed was when I switched from bedding to newspaper and saw the difference between how much pee was on his paper as opposed to how much pee was on the paper of two tiels I am boarding for a friend.
The day after his first dose, I came home and immediately upon hearing the front door open Birdie say " Hi Birdie" in a really chipper voice. He just seems more active and brighter although he seemed fine to me before. He is drinking his water so I guress he doesn't taste the meds. His appetite was good before and is good now. He is a really sweet tiel , he is a shoulder bird and he puts his head down for me to scratch his neck and head and he talks a little." Brenda, Birdie and Jacob
14 Days after Treatment Began:
As told by owner:
"Birdie has gained 8 grams since diagnosed a couple of weeks ago! Dr. Bill tested his urine again and one test from early morning pee showed 1+ and the other test from the urine in her carry cage was "normal"! A couple of weeks ago her urine tested off the charts and that was three separate tests all were off the chart..
I shared with him the diet changes I have made: .Porridge, Oh Boy Parrot Food , Fresh Chopped Greens, Puree Veggies......he made notes of all that and was most interested in Birdie's diet....in addition he is going to contact a big Avian Vet in either Florida or California! He didn't charge for this re check either, he is delighted !! and hopes that he will learn much from Birdie and me and be able to encourage other Birdie owners not to give up when presented with a diagnosis of diabetes.
I had forgot to tell you all that for birdie's like Tiels and other smaller birds, generally the only thing you will see is a collapse if the blood sugar dips too low and to put some maple syrup on Birdie's tongue, but he said its rare even in really sick birds whose blood sugar has dipped to collapse or have seizures.
I use urine test strips morning and bedtime with Birdie and keep a daily record and in a month do a re- check! " Brenda, Birdie and Jacob
Natural Antibiotics / Herbal Anti-inflammatories - Strengthening Your Immunesystem Naturally ... General Avian Health References
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