9 weeks of daily vomiting
How we got here:
Late June, first vet, not a bird specialist. Prescribed meloxicam and Medistatin. Turns out the meloxicam was written at 10 times the correct dose and she’d been getting it for about 10 days before anyone caught it.
July 10, second opinion. That exam noted blunted choanal papillae — the vitamin A deficiency marker. Fecal direct negative, x-rays normal. Started Baytril, stopped the meloxicam.
July 15, first board-certified avian vet. Ten days of azithromycin. Cultures grew gram-negatives in her crop and cloaca. Those cleared, she had three good days, then it all came back.
August 5, second board-certified avian vet. Maropitant twice daily, apple cider vinegar in her water, minimum handling. We tried azithromycin again last week and stopped after two days because she vomited within hours of each dose.
Everything that’s negative: bornavirus, avian gastric yeast, fungal, no pathogen on culture, no inflammatory cells, kidney values, liver enzymes, blood sugar, proteins, white count. X-rays read as normal by both specialists.
What the cytology actually showed: heavy epithelial cell shedding with gram-positive overgrowth stuck to the shed cells, and no inflammation. The current theory is that whatever started this damaged her crop lining and now the vomiting and the damage keep feeding each other.
What it looks like: usually clear fluid with white milky bits. Sometimes whole seeds. Sometimes it smells like sour yogurt, sometimes nothing. Worst between 4 and 6am on an empty crop, and again late afternoon — both right when her medication is wearing off. Almost nothing during the day when she’s eating.
Stuff nobody has explained: she scratches at her face constantly, yawns a lot, and stretches her right wing over and over. In the last few days she won’t let me touch her belly, which she’s always been fine with, and she’s stopped wanting to use her poop stand. Droppings look completely normal though, every 20-30 minutes.
What I’ve changed: switched her to Higgins InTune about 8 weeks ago, fresh veg every day, seed down to a teaspoon. Cage cleaned daily, filtered water, nothing toxic in the house. Took away her PVC sleeping tube in case any of this is hormonal.
Still on the table: crop wash with culture and sensitivity is scheduled. Barium study was declined since her weight is stable. Heavy metals never tested. No prokinetic tried yet.
Has anyone been through this — daily vomiting, clean workup, normal weight — and eventually gotten an answer? What was it? Any help is appreciated.
