# Need help & tips with sick wild Galah



## kulaworld (Jan 21, 2011)

Hi folks,

a friend's young son found a Galah (Australian Native Parrot) and gave it to me just a 1/2 hour ago. 
All I know at the moment is that it's "wobbly" on it's feet, so he says.
It appears to be an older bird.
To keep it save he put it in a tall empty plastic bucket............now I have to take it out to examine it and put it in a carrier box. 
I have my hot water bottle handy to provide heat.

How do I minimise the risk of being bitten, it seems feisty enough......
I could try a pair of welding gloves, I suppose.....

Pigeons are so much easier to handle for they don't bite, lol.

I had a Galah living with me for over 10 years some time back, it was completely tame and I could do anything with it. Sadly it's no longer with us.

Some folks might know me from the "Sick or Injured Pigeon and Dove Discussions" where I currently have two threads.
I have heaps of meds at home now, which I can give any time, just how do I handle a wild parrot??

Thanks & Cheers


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## Charis (Feb 11, 2007)

Is there not a rehabber or vet you can turn the bird over to?


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## kulaworld (Jan 21, 2011)

If it would be so easy, believe me I would do just that.

Please note where I live!

No vet for many, many km's...........so it's me...or......me?

On second thought I should google to see if I can find a similar community more closer to home who's members care about parrots.


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## kulaworld (Jan 21, 2011)

I'm sure this bird has a respiratory infection, sneezing, wheezing, coughing, congested.
Dehydrated, skinny.
Luckily it would drink plenty water with added salt and sugar.
I gave it some rest from all the handling from the kids who found it.....

I sat it on the wrapped hot water bottle until I got home and then we took
it out and with my hubbie holding it I was able to give it Metronidazole, Nilstat and Sulfa 3 with the same dosages as I used for my recent rescued pigeon.

It did try to bite us of course, but the bite itself was not strong, rater a squeeze instead. 
I keep it in a quiet spot now and I can clearly hear it sneezing/coughing sometimes. 

That's all I really know at this stage of the day.

I'm out of Baytril.......
can I use other antibiotics and if in which dosage?
Got Amoxycillin and Clavulox Acid Tabs 875mg/125mg,
also Flucloxacillin (Staphylex) 500mg Caps,
also Cefaclor Monohydrate (Karlor) 375mg Tabs

And should I use any of the above now, for I started already with the Sulfa?

What's your opinion?
Thanks & Cheers


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## Charis (Feb 11, 2007)

kulaworld said:


> If it would be so easy, believe me I would do just that.
> 
> Please note where I live!
> 
> ...


*
*
It's not a matter of *caring about*, but rather having dealt with parrot illness/rescue/rehab of your native birds.


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## Bella_F (Nov 29, 2008)

Dear Rosie,

You are such a busy girl! I love Galah's, I'm really sorry to hear about this one. 

You may already know this, but the most common/rampant respiratory illness in native australian parrots is Psittacosis:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Psittacosis 

Its rampant in Australian cockatoos, lorikeets and birds like corellas and galahs. This could possibly be responsible for the symptoms you have seen.

The treatment for Psittacosis requires an antibiotic from the tetracycline family. Luckily these are easy antibiotics to get a hold of; most pets stores will sell `avicycline' at least. However Doxycycine is really what you want to use, but avicycline will do if you can't get Doxycycline.

PS. Because Galahs are Native, they are potentially entitled to free veterinary care & rehabbing. Good luck finding a close, decent bird rehabber in outback SA though! Its so hard.

How are you feeding it, and also what? We used to feed sick cockies soaked weetbix and honey when i was growing up. Its seemed to be ok..


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## kulaworld (Jan 21, 2011)

Charis said:


> [/B]
> It's not a matter of *caring about*, but rather having dealt with parrot illness/rescue/rehab of your native birds.


The Galah as a native bird of Oz, sadly is at the bottom of the "Importance List", for it's simply too common.
Farmers hate them, shoot them, poisen them, throw nets over flocks and trample them to death with their boots, as a good friend once witnessed in horror, still having nightmares about that day..........it's just a Galah in many people's eyes.

Secondly when I end up with any bird that is near death (as I seem to do lately), then I have to do something right now, here and then, and not put the sick bird on a trip in a hot car and drive virtually for hours to a vet or a rehabber.
Like I've said, there is two choices, me trying to help and care or having the bird dying without any attention somewhere in the bush.

So my effort is to try to stabalize *the very sick bird* and hopefully succeed in getting them through the first 48 hours to have some hope of recovery.

That's why I joined this community for I need experienced people like you to help me help the bird. I'm still learning after all.

I cannot stress enough that I live in a remote area.


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## horseart4u (Jun 16, 2011)

OMG i just google what they look because i was lost there for a minute they are BEAUTIFUL birds, how could people be so cruel to stomp on them. i guess they are like feral pigeons over there? over here you see in pet stores for big bucks....


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## kulaworld (Jan 21, 2011)

Bella_F said:


> Dear Rosie,
> 
> You are such a busy girl! I love Galah's, I'm really sorry to hear about this one.
> 
> ...


Dear Bella,

I haven't got a lot of good news lately......

Sadly the Galah did not make it. Hugs time again...
If I could just get the birds a little earlier before they're all dehydrated and skinny......and near death......

I've just read up on the Psittacosis and I'll see if I can get some meds for it send to me......better keep some handy for the next case. Pretty nasty disease isn't it?

We're going into summer now and I got the horrible feeling that the number of sick and injured birds will increase dramatically over the next 3 - 4 months when it gets really hot. More than ever before, we had such a good winter with lots of rain, lots of vegetation that is dying away now, creating a rapid shortage in food supply for all bird species and other native wildlife, after there was an explosion in their numbers. I know it's going to be cruel.

I remember about 18 years back and after a couple of "good years" and a huge increase in Emu numbers, many Emus traveling around for water and food got caught in their way by a fence, they just stood there, too weak to turn back...........locals went out and shot them dead for they could not watch them perish in the heat one by one.
That was mercy killing on a large scale.........but that is the outback in summer, merciless.

Well, I like to think positive, maybe summer will bring lots of rain too?
It's just such a weird weather pattern lately, never know what's going to happen.

I better update my other thread now.

Thanks again for the tips on sickness and meds Bella, I appreciate it.

Cheers


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## kulaworld (Jan 21, 2011)

horseart4u said:


> OMG i just google what they look because i was lost there for a minute they are BEAUTIFUL birds, how could people be so cruel to stomp on them. i guess they are like feral pigeons over there? over here you see in pet stores for big bucks....


Yep, on a level with mice, rats.....and whatever the farmers don't fancy.
Flying foxes are not a favorite either.........

Bit like in the USA with the situation on wolves and their numbers and farmers, where a dead wolf is a good wolf, I suppose.

At the moment they are culling thousands, and I mean thousands of camels, but they of course are ferals too.


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## Bella_F (Nov 29, 2008)

Dear Rosie,

Oh, I am so sorry to hear that! Here are some big hugs for you again (((Rosie)))


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