Quote:
any pedialyte? Can it be flavored or just regular? How diluted, how much water to how pedialyte?
Pedialyte is an emergency substitute (many with children have it ) > preferably NONflavored however, if you are going to the store (you do not have in house) then look in the pet dept. for electrolyte solution (you must mix it with water) or you can make your own (be sure to get salt SUBSTITUTE in order to make the recipe below if you cannot find a commercial one > here below from a rehabber site>>> Please make the effort to get the salt substitute (potassium chloride) :
From "Practical Wildlife Care" by Les Stocker:
"It is possible to mix your own equivalent oral rehydrating salts by using the following ingredients:
7g sodium chloride (NaCl, common salt)
5g sodium bicarbonate (baking soda)
3g potassium chloride (commonly called "Muriate of Potash".
Salt substitutes contain mostly
potassium chloride)
40g glucose (a common source is corn syrup)
2 litres water
The solution must be mixed thoroughly and discarded after 24 hours."
Here is the USA conversion ((is not EXACT as a gram of peanut butter weighs in differently than a gram of sugar but it should be ok... just make sure when measuring that it is level and not rounded unless otherwise specified)
one and one/half teaspoon salt
one teasoon baking soda
one/half teaspoon (slightly ROUNDED>not level) salt substitue
3 tablespoons glucose (corn syrup)
two (FULL) quarts of water):
more (rehydration/electroytes)
http://www.cliniciansbrief.com/cms/port
_Cap15.pdf
Clincians Brief (excerpt)
"...a warmed, balanced electrolyte solution can be given via the oral, subcutaneous, intrvenous or intraosseous route. The estimated daily fluid requirement for most avian species patients is 40 to 60 ml/kg per day. In renal failure patients, 10% of the birds bodyweight should be given in fluids..."
http://www.anmldr.com/PalmVet/SA-18-7-8-9.htm#rehydration
(small excerpt):
"Cereal-based oral rehydration solution can be made by mixing 1/2 cup dry, precooked infant's rice cereal with 2 cups of water and 1/4 teaspoon of salt. This mixture is thick but drinkable. It is just as effective as glucose-based oral solutions in preventing and treating dehydration and has the added advantage of reducing the volume and duration of diarrhea. "
Note: Human formulation info regarding above:
http://www.medicinenet.com/diarrhea/page7.htm
"Infalyte is the only one that contains rice carbohydrate instead of glucose."
You need to make sure that the bird swallows itself... A bird has two "holes" and unlike mammals a bird cannot "automatically" close the hole leading to the airways (has no epiglottis) so when helping a bird to drink, NEVER squirt it in their beak (may go into the airways and cause aspiration pnuemonia)... dribble alongside the beak or dip the beak gently into the waterer to "remind" it to drink... birds with neurological symptoms are often unable to control their head and neck movements sufficiently ... it is imperative however they get sufficient hydration as dehydration will kill a bird quicker than what is originally ailing it.
