Adult Cockaiel with distended breast

Recently I've come in to contact with an adult cockatiel with a distended breast. Sweet as can be, still very active. I don't know her exact age-I'm sorry. I was told by coworkers (we work at a petstore where shes at) that they did some research and have concluded that an air sac burst in her breast, and that treatment was to remove all perches/ledges to force her to stay on the bottom of the cage.

She has been back here for as long as a month (or so I'm told. I'm new) and we have really taken to each other as I share my lunch break with her. It breaks my heart that she hasn't shown any improvement yet, and I have to wonder if maybe we came to the wrong conclusion.

I've done some on the fly research during break and have read about baby cockatiels who get air in their crops sometimes, but can't find much adout similar issues in adults. Could you help me? I have experience with birds, but not cockatiels and I've never seen this before.

Thanks in advance!

Bumping you back up!

I'm having a hard time comparing from your pictures, but we have a 27 year old tiel who has a large, benign tumor on his lower chest. It is a definite lump rather than the whole area being distended.

It's hard to tell from the picture but I'm also wondering if something is up with her crop...

One thing is for sure; she needs to see an avian vet


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Terry57 said:

I'm having a hard time comparing from your pictures, but we have a 27 year old tiel who has a large, benign tumor on his lower chest. It is a definite lump rather than the whole area being distended.

Click to expand...

SilverSage said:

It's hard to tell from the picture but I'm also wondering if something is up with her crop...

One thing is for sure; she needs to see an avian vet


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Click to expand...

First of all, thanks so much for such a fast response! I really, really appreciate it.

I am SO sorry about the picture quality. The back room isn't lit very well and my phone's camera is pretty poor quality. It also didn't help that she won't sit still long enough for anything. If I leave her in the cage, she crams herself in the corner or against the side thats closest to me. When I get her out, she races up my arm so I'm juggling her and the phone trying to get a clear picture.

But it looks like a very big bubble, like 'boobs' or a 'balloon' across her upper breast. I haven't tried touching it to see how tight or if its squishy because it looks so full and I'm afraid of making the issue worse.

My coworkers insist that its a ruptured air sac from what they've researched (I don't know, thats why I came here and still doing research), but from what I've read about ruptured air sacs is that it has to be punctured by a sterile needle and theres no way I trust myself with that.

Unfortunately, I can't get her in to a clinic or specialist unless/until I purchase her and bring her home. Which I probably would in a heart beat except, as I said, I'm new and haven't pulled in my first paycheck yet. I also have no idea how much treatment would cost.

Regardless, I've located an avian vet within driving distance and I'm going to contact her now to try to get an opinion or an rough estimate on the bill. I'll keep you updated. Thanks again!

When I say it's hard to tell from the picture I do t mean the picture is bad, I mean that I can't touch and feel the bird to feel whether the sack feels like it is full of air or something more solid. I would suggest driving from vets office to vets office with your pics and seeing if a vet can give you a better idea including of treatment. And if it is JUST an air sack, yes you treat those with a needle so it shouldn't be expensive. But please don't put too much stock in "research" done by people who leave a bird in this condition without taking her to a vet


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I feel so bad for this poor little bird. I wish I was local to the bird. Where is the bird located? I would be super upset with the owner of that store. It should be the store owners responsibility to ensure all the birds he/she is selling are not obviously ILL and it is rather very obvious there is something seriously wrong with that bird!! First thing I would be doing is get in touch with the store owner ASAP. This whole thing is simply not acceptable. I'm sorry but it's not. If store owner doesn't care I would call animal control and report possible abuse/neglect... they WILL make a trip out there I have done this before.

Welcome to how the world works... driven by PROFITS and the heck with everything else. The store owner has the $$$ to take that poor animal to the vet for at least a simple check up it's not that expensive! I would love to get in touch with that store owner myself.