What’s wrong with my budgie

Yasmine

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Hi everyone. I’m pretty much a new budgie owner and I can say I’m learning new things about them on the daily. Today, I noticed one of my budgies was just not his usual self. He ate and drank fine, but he doesn’t really like to fly anymore and play anymore when’s it’s time to take him out of the cage. I also noticed the feathers on the top of his head looked a bit messy. I will try to attach a pic. He also does look a bit fluffed up. I will take him to the vet tmrw but I’m really worried for him. Is there’s things I can do until I get him to the vet tmrw?
 

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AmyMyBlueFront

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Amy a Blue Front 'Zon
Jonesy a Goffins 'Too who had to be rehomed :-(

And a Normal Grey Cockatiel named BB who came home with me on 5/20/2016.
How old is he? It could be his first molt starting,they kinda get scraggly looking at that time and sap a lot of energy out of them. Is he eating and drinking?
Glad to know your taking him to the doctor tomorrow. I hope its with a Certified Avian Vet (CAV) and not just a "regular" vet who see's exotic critters. CAV's know much more about birdies than other vets.
Your little boy is handsome..I adore blue budgies ;)


Jim
 
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Yasmine

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I think he’s around 4 years old. And yes, this is an avian certified vet. Thankfully he’s eating and drinking normally. I just worry a lot
 

noodles123

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Umbrella Cockatoo- 15? years old..I think?
Have you run blood work (CBC) or a PBFD test? Just to be on the safe-side? Any time there are any changes in behavior I feel like a CBC is something to consider if it has been a while.
 
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bigfellasdad

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I think hes just starting a moult, birds are always miserable at that time, esp when a lot of head feathers are coming through.... head scratches if he lets you, will help him.
 

Sunnyclover

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Black Capped Conure -North- Hatched 10/10/18
He looks normal to me.
 
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Yasmine

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Thanks for the replies! The vet checked him and said he is just going through a molt. I was very relieved to know he is ok :)
 

HannahandSunny

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Brilliant! Glad he’s okay, so fantastic you to took him to the vet to be on the safe side. The perfect caring owner :)
 

EllenD

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I'm glad that you have a CAV, and that he said he's just molting...However, Budgies are probably the toughest of all species of parrots, and rarely do they allow themselves to act or look "sick" or like something is wrong with them unless there is REALLY something wrong with them...I'm not trying to be a downer here, if he has pin-feathers coming in on his head then he's obviously in-molt...All I'm advising that you do is watch him very, very carefully, and if he remains "fluffed-up" or still doesn't want to come out of his cage, doesn't start playing again, stays inactive and just isn't acting "normally" for him in about a week or so, then you need to get him back to your CAV immediately and have some tests run, including a full Fecal Culture that they send-out to a lab and will take a few days to get back, along with a Fecal Gram-Stain/Microscopy that they will do right then and there in the office (they can diagnose a GI Tract Bacteria or Fungal Infection right away by doing this, they just can't tell what bacteria is causing it until the lab culture comes back)...This will require you to collect a fresh Fecal-sample from him the morning of the appointment and put it in the fridge until you leave...Also, they should run normal, routine Blood-Work on him as well, which is not a big deal at all for any Vet who is a CAV, they just do a simple, routine blood-draw from his neck and it doesn't require any sedation or anesthesia at all...This is very important because it will tell you if he has an infection, is at all Anemic, has any nutritional-deficiencies, and most-important of all it will show you how his liver and his kidneys are functioning, and whether or not they are suffering from an infection, disease, are in-failure, etc....So just keep a VERY close eye on him and make sure he's acting completely normally within another week, an if not then back to the CAV for testing (which should be done at least once every year anyway during your bird's annual/yearly Wellness-Exams, which should include the same tests every single year, a complete Fecal Testing an full routine Blood-Work).

***Also, if he develops/displays any additional signs/symptoms of illness or that something is physically wrong with him that he wasn't displaying before and that the CAV wouldn't have seen/noticed when you took him, then you need to take him back immediately, because that most-likely means that he is sick and needs to have the Fecal and Blood-Work immediately...The best CAV in the world cannot properly diagnose a bird with anything without doing any diagnostic testing...And if the CAV does a full visual and physical exam on a bird who is obviously molting and showing no other clear signs or symptoms of illness, they typically won't run any testing at all, they simply look at them and diagnose it as the bird being itchy/uncomfortable and expending a lot of their energy due to them being in-molt...So if you notice him OR ANY OF YOUR OTHER BUDGIES/BIRDS ACTING ABNORMALLY AS WELL (I don't know how many birds you have) starting to spend time on the bottom of his cage (Budgies are one of the species of parrots who do this regularly when they are sick), he stays "fluffed-up" all the time, he starts acting extremely lethargic and starts just sitting in one spot all day long without moving much at all, he starts actually sleeping a lot during the day, HE STOPS EATING/DRINKING NORMALLY OR HIS EATING SLOWS OR STOPS COMPLETELY (big one), his droppings become loose/runny/watery, appear to be at all red or black, you see any bubbles in them, or you start seeing totally undigested food in his droppings such as seeds, he vomits, etc., then you need to get him back to the CAV with a fecal-sample immediately...And this goes for any other birds you have...And not just now, but these are the most common signs/symptoms that birds display when they are sick or in-pain, but again they hide them for as long as they can, sometimes for months, so that's why it's so important that when you FIRST-NOTICE any of these in your bird you take them to the CAV, because they probably have been sick for quite some time...

***And if you think you see anything that isn't quite right or abnormal with him or any other of your birds, please do not ever hesitate to make a post here in the forum, and always try to also take a new photo of your bird that has something wrong and post it in your new thread, because that helps quite a bit...There is no such thing as a stupid-question when it comes to birds, so always remember When In-Doubt About ANYTHING Related To Your Birds, ASK!!!

(I have owned and bred/hand-raised both American and English Budgies since I was 6 years-old, started breeding and hand-raising them when I was 16; my mom and my grandmother were both life-long parrot breeders/owners, so we always had lots of Budgies in the house, breeders, babies, and our own pets...They are very intelligent, fun, loving little parrots, who are also extremely hardy and tough, and should have a lifespan in-captivity around 14-15 years if their diet is low in fat to prevent liver disease; my first Budgie lived to be 18 years and 9 months old, and the world-record I believe is still 29 years old, though it may have been beaten by now, I haven't checked it in a while..The problem is that a lot of Budgie owners think that their average lifespan as pets is 5-8 years old, so they buy them for their kids as "begginer birds", like a throw-away "starter' parrot...And they are usually fed a very fatty, junky seed-mix as their staple diet every day with no fresh veggies or greens, and they aren't often let out of their cages at all for years by a lot of owners because they buy them non-tame and don't want to bother taming them, so they become a piece of furniture, so they get no exercise at all, they eat a fatty seed-mix every day, and they die very young...Your Budgie is still a juvenile at only 4 years-old, he should have a lot of years left, just remember that they are very, very tough little birds who are masters at hiding signs/symptoms of illness, so you have to watch them carfully and closely, and make sure that you are taking each one to your CAV for a Wellness-Exam at least once a year that includes full Fecal Testing and full, routine Blood-Work...That's the best way to ensure you have them for a long, long time...
 
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Yasmine

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I need your help. Idk what to do. Today I was getting ready to put the birds to sleep and I noticed something red on his head. I don’t even know what it is. I have attached a picture. I will take him to the vet first thing tmrw but I’m worrying so much. Please someone..does anyone know what this is??
 

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HannahandSunny

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I need your help. Idk what to do. Today I was getting ready to put the birds to sleep and I noticed something red on his head. I don’t even know what it is. I have attached a picture. I will take him to the vet first thing tmrw but I’m worrying so much. Please someone..does anyone know what this is??

It looks like he’s possibly injured himself on something pointy, does he live with another budgie? Have you noticed any fighting?
I’m sure he’ll be okay until the morning vet appointment. Good luck

Or actually if he’s been molting and has new pin feathers. He may just have pulled a fresh feather out by accident, which is very likely by the look of the blood spot! Don’t panic
 

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