Ask Lafeber

Painkillers or anti-inflammatories

My friend has a 7 year old male alexandrine who has been shredding his tail over the last 8 months. An x-ray showed a deformity at the base of his spine probably from birth and possibly exacerbated by escaping for 3 days. His wings are clipped. He was put on a dose of anti-inflammatories which was successful and he has stopped shredding. The vet is going to also try a course of painkillers and has said his liver and kidneys will have to be watched carefully as he has had liver issues and this is about quality of life. He has a perfect diet, environment, enrichment. Which will have the lesser impact on his liver and kidneys should they be required long term – painkillers or anti-inflammatories? Can they be adjusted to the mildest does possible to relieve his discomfort? Any other options? I am from Sydney, Australia and my friend from Brisbane. Thanks so much.

Hi,

I am sorry about the bird’s condition, but it is good that the Vet has found some relief for the bird. As for your questions, these are better to ask your Vet. Even if I knew which medications the Vet is using, I can’t respond as the questions are too broad. The Vet will be able to interpret the bloodwork and tell you which would be the best option, if it is even a case of one or the other. The Vet should have information from the drug maker as to the possible side effects and which are more common but as for applying it to a bird, the vet would consult with other exotics vets. And this may be an unknown because for the most part, all medicines given to birds are being administered off label – meaning it is a human drug or one made for cats or dogs. Drugmakers simply do not do research or develop medicine for birds because there isn’t enough money in it for them. What is used has been determined by trial and error which sounds scary, but it is the only way any medicine has come to be used for pet birds. I hope the Vet can offer more information to help you with your decision.

Take care,

Brenda