This is the case of a male Love Bird called Mitthu. His age was about 5-6 months. He was suffering from Avian pox, which is one of the dangerous diseases in birds.
It is quite difficult to diagnose disease conditions in birds and animals as they cannot narrate their symptoms. The prescription is totally based on our observations and interpretations. So here we need to observe the symptoms accurately.
Regarding the Case, how we started the study.
Avian Pox – Foremost we studied about Avian Pox pathology. It is a highly contagious disease and is one of the most common diseases seen in birds. Avian Pox is a slow developing viral infection caused by avipoxvirus. The disease is most common in the temperate (warm and humid), summer climates.
There are two forms-
1) Dry (cutaneous)
2) Wet (diphtheritic)
Dry Pox
It is the most commonly seen form. It is a self-limiting infection with the lesions regressing and forming scars. It affects birds at the cutaneous level.
Wet Pox
It represents a Ddphtheria like condition and has the highest mortality rate. It involves the throat, trachea, mouth and lungs. A diphtheritic membrane forms and may restrict air intake resulting in labored breathing and suffocation.
Sometimes we see both the types together in a bird.
Mode of Spread
a) By direct contact
b) By indirect contact
-Contaminated food & water
-Physical contact with diseased birds
– By mosquito – Mosquitos are carriers of this disease.
- How it affects the bird’s body.
It mainly affects mucous membranes and causes inflammation and ulceration. It represents-
– Inflammatory changes & fibrotic changes in lungs and liver.
– Death occurs due to derangement of lung function and liver function and sometimes kidney failure may also occur.Homoeopathic Case taking of Love bird
Present C/O based on our observation
1) Severe itching
2) loss of feathers around anal region
3) Swelling of body
4) Excess hunger
5) Thirst reduced
6) Stool-dark, black, hard with undigested food particles. Straining while passing stool. (Normally – Stools are whitish, greenish, yellowish & semisolid form.)
7) Anuria
8) Restlessness
9) All his symptoms are aggravated at evening & night.
Past History
His female partner died 1 week ago due to this same infection and after 10 days, he (Mittu) started showing the symptoms.
Mind
– Tough, angry look
– Very active even in disease condition
– Active during daytime.
– Biting, desire
Most threatening part in this case:
*Day by day his condition was deteriorating.
*Urine was totally absent.
* Abnormal colored stool.
* Intense and severe itching.
* It was looking as if he will not survive anymore.
How we reached the remedy
Already 2 birds died because of this disease (one was his partner) and now he also developed symptoms. From day one this thought was in my mind that already 2 birds have died, now I can’t let this one also to die. It took me six days to decide the prescription but I was confident that he would survive.
His increased appetite was reflecting his desire to live and this feeling or intuition was because of him only. On looking at him I never felt that I can’t save him. I was wondering how, despite suffering from such a high level of pathology and destruction, how can a patient (either animal or bird) be so positive? Our love bird (Mittu) was looking optimistic.
Seeing the disease and its highly progressive pathology, we needed a remedy which would match the severity of disease and can cover high level of destruction in short span of time.
Kalium sulphuricum was one of the choicees as it covers the destructive pathology but Kali sulph doesn’t have that angry and tough look which was seen in this case.
These birds are sensitive to both heat and cold. So, we have to choose a remedy which can cover both, i.e., ambi thermal.
The only remedy I could think of was Mercurius sulphuricus.
This was my first time prescribing this remedy. I have never prescribed this remedy to anyone and giving it first time to a bird was a stressful decision for me because there was not much literature available on this remedy.
I then read the book of Dr. Jan Scholtan where he has given a very good explanation on many minerals and metals and what you can see when different elements combine together.
Mercurius sulphuricus
- Highly syphilitic remedy
- It is capable of producing severe pathology with progressive destruction.
- Symptoms of internal inflammation.
- Angry and tough look.
- Evening and night aggravation.
- Active in disease conditions also.
Regarding thermal except Merc Iodatus f., and Mercurius dulcis, all the Merc group remedies are ambi thermal in nature.
Rx: We gave Mercurius sulphuricus 30 in food and water, morning and evening and followed these precautions: –
*Precautions and preventions which we have taken*
1) Isolation of bird.
2) Continue monitoring of food intake and stool.
3) Regular observation and monitoring of behavior and general condition.
4) Maintain cleanliness.
FOLLOW-UP [on basis of our observation]
1st day after medicine
- He passed urine.
- Intensity of anger and tough look reduced.
- Itching was present.
In 2-3 days
- Stool color became normal and texture soft.
- Swelling was reduced
- Feather falling was reduced
- Intensity of itching was reduced.
In span of 1 week
- His expression becomes normal
- His excess appetite came back to normal.
- Itching and swelling were markedly reduced.
- He was able to pass normal urine and stool.
- Feather condition was improved.
After treatment
On seeing continued improvement ,we felt as if we had achieved a great success. But now is the time to test our decision.
MITTU was in isolation for about 20 days in a separate cage due to Avian pox. It was necessary to bring a partner for him because a love bird cannot survive for long without a partner.
We decided to bring a partner for our Mittu and we brought another love bird and named her “Mitthi”. Now the problem was whether to keep them together or not because Mittu was just recovered from avian pox and there was still possibility of spread of infection.
We decided to keep them in separate cages under observation. We observed them for 2 days. They were not able to stay alone. They were trying every possible way to come out of the cage by biting and opening the cage door. The scene was very heart-breaking but keeping them separate was also necessary to avoid infection. Avian Pox infection can spread by mosquito bite, skin to skin contact and infected stool.
It is not good to keep the love birds separate for too long. Finally, we decided to bring them together but before that it was necessary to give preventive medicine to Mitti (Mittu’s Partner).
Now the challenge was to select a remedy which i can prescribe as preventive medicine.
I decided to give “Constitutional medicine” as prophylaxis.
For next 4-5 days I observed “Mitti”. I compared both the bird’s nature and personality and found her different from Mittu.
- She was playful, keeps herself in happy mood.
- Always active
- It feels very happy on seeing her
- She was not aggressive compared to Mittu.
- She was able to tolerate fanning compared to “Mittu”.
Symptoms were very few for prescription but we selected a medicine considering the totality as well as miasmatic background of Avian Pox.
Merc. Iod. Rub and Merc. Iod. Flav, both these medicines were in my mind.
We always try to get the exact thermal of patient whether animal, bird or a man in different geographical conditions.
On comparing both the medicine thermals we found Merc. Iod. Flav, mif is towards hot & Merc. Iod. Rub is ambithermal (ratio of 3:2)
[REF: research in thermal Materia medica by Dr. Amarsinh Nikam]
Rx Merc. Iod. Rub is selected as the most similar remedy as it was covering
the most parts –
- Extremely happy
- Restlessness
- Cheerful
- Syphilitic pathology
- Less aggressive
- Thermally ambi thermal
Rx: Merc Iod. Rub 30 in food and water, morning and evening.
After giving the preventive medicine we kept both the birds in the same cage and observed them for next 24 hours. There were no symptoms in the female love bird.
v 
….AND THEY BOTH LIVED HAPPILY EVER AFTER.
