How to Treat Cockatiels With High White Blood Cells

A high white blood cell count in cockatiels is indicative of an increase in disease fighting cells within the bird' s blood. Such an elevated white blood count means that the bird is fighting an infection. The most common infection in cockatiels is psittacosis, which can be a life threatening disease in parrots. Cockatiel keepers will notice various symptoms of this disease in their birds, which include eye and nostril discharge, green diarrhea and labored breathing. Psittacosis can be transmitted to humans, according to Dr. Rob Marshall of AvianWeb.com, and can cause kidney failure and sever liver disease in humans if not treated.

Things You'll Need

  • Warm room which can lock
  • Access to a veterinarian
  • Antibiotic medication
  • Medicated food (optional)
  • Water bowel
  • 50 disposable plastic teaspoons
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Instructions

    • 1

      Take action immediately and be prepared to treat the cockatiel for up to 45 days.

    • 2

      Isolate the cockatiel from other birds in the house. Place the bird in a warm room that can lock and keep both people and other companion pets, such as dogs and cats, away from the room.

    • 3

      Consult with your veterinarian, who will prescribe an antibiotic treatment, such as Tetracyline or Doxycycline.

    • 4

      Obtain Chlortetracyline medicated food to treat any other birds that may have been exposed to the ill cockatiel. As these birds are still healthy and presumably feeding well, the medicated food can be substituted for their normal diet for 45 days. This is done as a precaution and in the event that these birds already have contracted the infection, but are not yet showing symptoms. It is important that the medicated diet be the only source of food for the entire 45 day period. Remove any calcium blocks from the cages.

    • 5

      Remove all sources of calcium, such as calcium chewing blocks, from the cage in which the ill cockatiel is being housed, as calcium negatively affects the uptake of the medication.

    • 6

      Commence treatment of the sick cockatiel, by medicating the bird orally with the liquid antibiotics. The cockatiel requires medication twice daily. Discuss with a veterinarian the option to have your cockatiel injected every 10 days, should it be too weak to accept oral medication or should it refuse all attempts to medicate it orally.

    • 7

      Offer the medication on a spoon if the cockatiel is tame enough to approach you and accept the liquid. Praise the bird should it accept and immediately offer a food or toy reward, as you want to condition the cockatiel to accept its medication in this manner and to have the bird associate being medicated as a pleasant experience.

    • 8

      Add the medication to the cockatiel's drinking water, if the bird refuses to accept from the spoon, but drinks readily. If you have opted for this method of medicating, remove the water bowel and offer small amounts of medicated water, twice daily. The cockatiel must drink the water at both sessions for this method to be successful.

    • 9

      Do not transfer bowls, toys or any other items from the sick cockatiel' s room, to any

      other birds in the house. Always wash your hands with an antibacterial soap after

      working with the ill bird. Wear a face mask as a precaution.