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Random panic attack

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Random panic attack

Postby Akame Fox » Sun Aug 28, 2022 11:00 am

Okay so my cockatiel had a random panic attack (we think) the other night and he almost died if he didn’t go to the vet and get put on calming medications. He kept tapping his feet like it was out of his control and his beak was agape. He’s fine now except he’s still doing the tapping feet, his wings are droopy, he can’t stay still, his cere is a bit inflamed, and he’s doing abnormal crunching noises with his beak. The vet is stumped and can’t get to him till Wednesday. He’s eating and drinking fine, but can’t seem to stop moving his feet every 5-7 seconds. The vet said he was having trouble breathing, but he has no idea why. Also he was put on fluids just in case it was chemicals or anything environmental or ingested, but I have another cockatiel who is having no issues whatsoever. He was completely fine then night before, but started this behavior the next day. The vet recommended this product called Rescue Remedy (pet version) to calm his anxiety down.
Akame Fox
Parakeet
 
Gender: This parrot forum member is female
Posts: 3
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Re: Random panic attack

Postby Pajarita » Sun Aug 28, 2022 11:37 am

Hi, Akame and tiels, welcome to the forum. I don''t use the Rescue Medicine... I don't believe in it.
Now, in my personal experience, when tiels tap their feet is usually because they are very low in calcium. Calcium does not only 'make' bones, it has a number of other functions in the body and one of them is to regulate muscle elasticity. No calcium = muscles that have involuntary spams (the bird looks as if it's tapping its feet but, in reality, it's lifting them because the toes clench and lowers them when they unclench and because this spasm is like a 'tik', the whole thing happens quite fast, hence the 'tapping'). Another thing they get with very low calcium are seizures which, sometimes, people mistake for 'night frights' because the bird flaps its wings and acts as if it was disoriented... sometimes even falling off its perch).

Now, I don't know what kind of tests your vet did but unless he did an ionized calcium one, you will not find out for sure if it's low or not on calcium so go to its diet for answers: is the bird getting a D3 supplement regularly? or is it being exposed directly (meaning no glass window) to sunshine? (it needs 20 minutes a day of direct exposure, something not practical here in USA) or is it being fed pellets (not good for tiels, mind you). If you feed seeds and no supplements, this might very well be the reason for its abnormal behavior and the solution is easy: buy Calciboost or Calcivet and give it 5 dosages in 5 days and then go down to twice a week for 3 weeks when you should switch it to a good multivitamin/mineral supplement for the rest of its life.
Pajarita
Norwegian Blue
 
Gender: This parrot forum member is female
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