Well, we have an update on Louie the Eclectus Parrot’s Battle with Liver Disease. We’re in a holding pattern.

The Good:

Louie is doing better. He’s had fewer episodes of heavy/labored breathing, is more alert and energetic, and has even wooed our feet a time or two. This is good news because it means that the atherosclerosis medications are alleviating his symptoms. Louie’s avian vet also chose to do an x-ray rather than more detailed imaging (their choice, not ours). This isn’t as effective in telling us what he might actually have diagnostically, but it did tell us that his atherosclerosis isn’t so far advanced that we can see it on an x-ray.

The Bad:

The fact that his medications are working almost certainly means he has atherosclerosis, unfortunately. However, these medications are only helping him feel better. They are not and cannot reverse his existing atherosclerosis, which may or may not be causing the harsh sounds he sometimes emits from his air sacs.

His liver continues to secrete an extremely high level of cholesterol for unexplained reasons. As UT’s Avian Vet told me today, “This is fairly uncommon in Eclectus Parrots.”

Treating Extremely High Cholesterol in Eclectus Parrots Unrelated to Diet

Medications for Atherosclerosis and Liver Function

1. Drugs to improve atherosclerosis symptoms: Continue Isoxuprine and Pentoxyfilline, the vasodilator and circulation-improving drugs. Requires a prescription.
2. Liver Support: We discontinued Denamarin, his liver protection, due to the difficulty we had in giving him his pills consistently and have replaced it with Milk Thistle at the vet’s discretion. This does not require a prescription–the vet had us purchase it from NVH Natural Pet Products – Milk Thistle. Louie weighs approximately 375 grams and receives .15 ml by mouth morning and night.
3. Statins are next. These are the same drugs that humans take to lower their cholesterol. I am hesitant but willing to give it a try.

As a reminder, using statin drugs is not our first choice. Five years ago, we lowered both our Eclectus and Amazon parrots’ liver values through dietary changes. Vi the Amazon parrot and the rest of the flock continue to flourish. I have attempted to further refine Louie’s diet between when he was first diagnosed a month and change ago and now, but he continues to have ragingly high cholesterol. This is our last chance to slow (but not entirely stop or reverse) atherosclerosis.

Using Statins to Treat High Cholesterol in Eclectus Parrots

The risks, according to our avian vet at UT.

1. No studies have been done using statins and eclectus parrots. The closest relative he has that has been studied is a cockatiel, who lives in the same general part of the globe in the wild. Because of this, the avian vet is guessing at his dose and hoping that it will help lower his cholesterol.
2. No studies have been done on birds who are actually sick. Apparently, the studies she is citing take healthy birds and give them these drugs to see if they are safe–probably a standard thing, but also deeply disappointing.

The potential benefits, according to our avian vet at UT.

1. Recent studies have shown that the cholesterol-lowering statins can help lower birds’ cholesterol. Apparently older studies in the past said the opposite–that they simply didn’t help–but she claimed that they were not run well and are no longer trusted by the greater Veterinary Community.
2. The statins might help Louie the eclectus to lower his cholesterol, but no studies have shown them to have detrimental side-effects. He’s very likely going to be fine. I hesitate because he is an eclectus parrot, and they are… weird… to say the least… but the alternative is a rapidlly approaching death.
3. If we lower Louie’s cholesterol, this should significantly slow down the progression of atherosclerosis. It can’t reverse the damage that has already been done, but it can prevent additional calcification and keep him feeling his best for as long as possible.

Louie’s Prognosis Has Changed Slightly

At Louie’s checkup earlier this year, he was doing just fine. It’s possible we caught this early, and we will have many happy years together. The second avian vet I spoke to had a more cheerful prognosis for him; while the first vet said “most birds have weeks to months once this is discovered”, the second one (also an avian vet) told us that since we caught it early, he may have more time than that.

What was his first sympton?

His beak was suddenly overgrowing, and a little flaky. See the image below:

Anecdotally, some electus parrots may just have overgrowing beaks that need the occasional trim. Some may have significant liver problems. The only way to know the difference is to go to the vet.

We have no idea for how long we get to love him, but we’re going to do our best for our little buddy.

I’ll have an update once we start him on statins. Hopefully they will lower his total cholesterol.