HELPPP!

[cikajova]

Hello guys, i found this little guy and decided to keep him because he was out in the wild whole winter. I dont know anything about parrots so please help me. I caught him yesterday and today i bought him this cage and some food. He doesnt seem to be doing too well. He just stays in one place, doesnt make any noise. Should i keep him in a room where its not noisy?

 

[saxguy64]

Poor little guy! He does look to be in tough shape. Aside from that, he's likely terrified, which is expected, given his situation. I'd recommend a trip to an avian vet if that's possible, and definitely making sure he's kept warm. Maintaining body temperature takes a tremendous amount of energy that he may not have right now if he's not well. I might also put some of his food and some water in shallow dishes on the floor of the cage as well, so he has easy access with minimal effort. Thank you for trying to help him!

 

[hiriki]

If you're able to take a video, without stressing or upsetting him, can you share that with us? I second that a trip to the avian vet is a good idea, but if we can see his posture as he breathes we might be able to tip you off to something more serious that might warrant an ASAP rush to the vet scenario. Either way he should see a vet but just from the pics, I'm a bit concerned that this might be on the emergent side.

For the immediate needs, a space heater to keep him warm as mentioned (radiator style rather than the type that blows hot air is preferred, to avoid toxic nonstick coating fumes), a nice quiet room, some water (no mineral drops or additives), and some food. When my birds are recovering from sickness or injury I tend to give them calcium and protein rich foods, particularly eggs, so you can scramble up an egg... something like that might encourage him to eat if he's not feeling well, because it's such a treat. Veggies rich in moisture like cucumber and lettuce are also good to get him hydrated.

 

[cikajova]

If you're able to take a video, without stressing or upsetting him, can you share that with us? I second that a trip to the avian vet is a good idea, but if we can see his posture as he breathes we might be able to tip you off to something more serious that might warrant an ASAP rush to the vet scenario. Either way he should see a vet but just from the pics, I'm a bit concerned that this might be on the emergent side.

For the immediate needs, a space heater to keep him warm as mentioned (radiator style rather than the type that blows hot air is preferred, to avoid toxic nonstick coating fumes), a nice quiet room, some water (no mineral drops or additives), and some food. When my birds are recovering from sickness or injury I tend to give them calcium and protein rich foods, particularly eggs, so you can scramble up an egg... something like that might encourage him to eat if he's not feeling well, because it's such a treat. Veggies rich in moisture like cucumber and lettuce are also good to get him hydrated.

trip to the vet is not possible because there is not one near me at all. yesterday i gave him an egg but he was not particularly impressed. i have now turned off the lights so that i can give him some rest. i would like to have him alive, but at least i can give him some peacefull moments before his end. sorry for the bad video quality i had to compress the video.

 

[cikajova]

Poor little guy! He does look to be in tough shape. Aside from that, he's likely terrified, which is expected, given his situation. I'd recommend a trip to an avian vet if that's possible, and definitely making sure he's kept warm. Maintaining body temperature takes a tremendous amount of energy that he may not have right now if he's not well. I might also put some of his food and some water in shallow dishes on the floor of the cage as well, so he has easy access with minimal effort. Thank you for trying to help him!

i put him in my bedroom so that he can have some peace. trip to vet is not possible at all unfortunately. i dont know how to keep him warm more than i already did. some tips?

 

[hiriki]

His eye is crusty, right? From the video, it seems that he's breathing heavily, but it doesn't seem that he's struggling to breathe which is good. However, if his eye is crusty then he almost definitely has an upper respiratory infection or an eye infection, which will not go away without antibiotics. If you're able to give me the nearest city to your home I would be happy to try to help you locate a vet--in the absence of an avian vet, even a cat/dog vet can at least prescribe antibiotics in a pinch, but I really would encourage you to do a bit more digging to find an avian vet, the quality of care from someone who knows birds is much much higher

 

[hiriki]

Oh-- and regarding food like the egg, how did you try to feed it? If you put it in the plastic bowl that latches to the feed door, he may just be struggling to reach it. A shallow bowl of water on the floor of the cage and food on a plate rather than in a bowl might be more appealing to him. Also, a hot water bottle near the cage is a good way to warm him up.

 

[cikajova]

Oh-- and regarding food like the egg, how did you try to feed it? If you put it in the plastic bowl that latches to the feed door, he may just be struggling to reach it. A shallow bowl of water on the floor of the cage and food on a plate rather than in a bowl might be more appealing to him. Also, a hot water bottle near the cage is a good way to warm him up.

i put it on the floor for him. there is no avian vet in my city but i will go to the dog vet and look for the antibiotics. he now seems to be sleeping still. i can be with him a little bit more but then i have to go to school.

 

[hiriki]

Good luck!! I do hope that antibiotics are the thing he needs to turn this around. Getting him to eat or at least drink is really big though. I assume you've been offering seeds as well? If he's never eaten anything but one single diet at his previous home, he might not recognize the egg as food. Most people who feed birds limited diets feed them seeds only, so he'd probably see seeds as food... he might have been on a pellet diet though.

Either way, he's in a nice warm home, so whatever the outcome you've done a lot to make him comfortable. I'm sure he appreciates that ❤️. If you can, play some sweet parakeet aviary videos for him on a laptop or tv while you're at school.

 

[cikajova]

Good luck!! I do hope that antibiotics are the thing he needs to turn this around. Getting him to eat or at least drink is really big though. I assume you've been offering seeds as well? If he's never eaten anything but one single diet at his previous home, he might not recognize the egg as food. Most people who feed birds limited diets feed them seeds only, so he'd probably see seeds as food... he might have been on a pellet diet though.

Either way, he's in a nice warm home, so whatever the outcome you've done a lot to make him comfortable. I'm sure he appreciates that ❤️. If you can, play some sweet parakeet aviary videos for him on a laptop or tv while you're at school.

thanks a lot. i hope that he will survive. i have put the food and water on the floor for him. he got scared when i tried to enter the cage and started jumping around. i hope that is the sign of some life inside him. my parents told me that he was eating yesterday from the cage food bowl so i dont know that to think. Either way thanks for the help and i started to really like this forum and its people. If this one in the end passes away i will surely get another one.

 

[hiriki]

If he's eating then I have high hopes!! Please keep us updated! And don't get complacent--like I mentioned, a crusty eye is probably a sign of infection, so even if he perks up and starts eating/drinking he likely will still need antibiotics to clear up his eye and possibly his airways. When you are ready to bring him to a vet, I would call first to just confirm that they're willing to see a bird, I know you've said you have no avian vets in your area and for antibiotics you should be able to get away with a regular vet but some cat/dog vets won't even look at birds. Just describe the eye and behavior to the person at the desk and confirm that they can do treatment for you.

Also, I already offered this and I'm totally understanding if you're uncomfortable, but I have been able to help others online before to find the nearest avian vet when they thought there were none nearby, so if you tell me your country & town I can see what I can find, you might have more in your area than you realize. For a bird who's been outside, an avian vet would likely want to do bloodwork & some other swabs that a cat/dog vet likely won't do.

 

[cikajova]

If he's eating then I have high hopes!! Please keep us updated! And don't get complacent--like I mentioned, a crusty eye is probably a sign of infection, so even if he perks up and starts eating/drinking he likely will still need antibiotics to clear up his eye and possibly his airways. When you are ready to bring him to a vet, I would call first to just confirm that they're willing to see a bird, I know you've said you have no avian vets in your area and for antibiotics you should be able to get away with a regular vet but some cat/dog vets won't even look at birds. Just describe the eye and behavior to the person at the desk and confirm that they can do treatment for you.

Also, I already offered this and I'm totally understanding if you're uncomfortable, but I have been able to help others online before to find the nearest avian vet when they thought there were none nearby, so if you tell me your country & town I can see what I can find, you might have more in your area than you realize. For a bird who's been outside, an avian vet would likely want to do bloodwork & some other swabs that a cat/dog vet likely won't do.

I understand. I hope that he will get better. And for the vet, the problem is my parents are not really willing to go to a vet because they think he is just scared. Avian vet is atleast 2 cities away so a trip to him is not possible at all. I dont know if im gonna make them go to the near one let alone the avian vet. I will update you once i get home.

 

[hiriki]

I completely understand. I know how frustrating it can be to try to reason with parents--I might be 30 but I was a teenager once 😂

If your parents are receptive to conversation about it, please feel free to show them this thread! The fact is that birds, like many prey species, are NOT like cats and dogs. By the time you can see that a bird seems sick they are usually VERY sick. They hide symptoms so as not to attract the attention of predator animals, and they are very good at it.

Some examples of signs that I see in this bird include the crusty eye, which is honestly alarming to me, as well as the fact that he is hunkered down. Granted, the temporary cage you have him in doesn't have many perching options, but a bird that is sitting on the floor of the cage and kind of slouched over (like this bird is) is unusual and concerning. It's the hunched over carriage that is the real concern, as I recognize that his only perching option is the floor. Additionally, the breathing in the video you posted COULD be sleepy breathing, but if you can always clearly see him breathe like that or if he always appears to be sleepy, then you've got clear signs of lethargy.

I can't stress this enough: if he has, for instance, an upper respiratory infection, it's easy as humans to compare it to a common cold and think it'll pass with rest and food and water, but it likely won't. On the flip side, with some baytril it could clear up in a matter of days.

 

[cikajova]

Thanks a lot for your concern. I will update you as soon as i get home from school. I cant wait to see him. Also one question about those antibiotics, can i buy them from the vet and give them myself to him? That would make a world of difference.

 

[hiriki]

Yes! Generally, for small animals antibiotics will be oral, not injected, so they'll sell you a little bottle of baytril, which you'll measure out in a syringe (without a needle) and feed by beak. Most vets won't sell you the antibiotics without an exam, though, so you'll probably still need to make an appointment.

And I really really really discourage you from attempting to locate and purchase baytril online by the way, I'm saying this because I'm concerned your parents might suggest it. You should never try to make your own medication suspensions. It can't be given to the bird straight, it needs to be mixed with something else, and could be dangerous if you mix the wrong amounts.

 

[cikajova]

Yes! Generally, for small animals antibiotics will be oral, not injected, so they'll sell you a little bottle of baytril, which you'll measure out in a syringe (without a needle) and feed by beak. Most vets won't sell you the antibiotics without an exam, though, so you'll probably still need to make an appointment.

And I really really really discourage you from attempting to locate and purchase baytril online by the way, I'm saying this because I'm concerned your parents might suggest it. You should never try to make your own medication suspensions. It can't be given to the bird straight, it needs to be mixed with something else, and could be dangerous if you mix the wrong amounts.

Update. He is doing okay, still on the floor tho. I can see he ate a bit and my mom told me he climbed up to the cage food bowl today. I spoke to my parents and tomorrow im going to the vet to ask him what to do and if he can give me some antibiotics. I gave him some apple today but he doesnt seem to really like it although i think he tried it. Still not making any noise and i can see that he is kinda "shaking". He cant stand still, so he is kinda moving his upper body left and right. I will now give him some fresh food and water and see how he reacts.


One more update. I gave him fresh food and he got straight to business. I also boiled one egg so im gonna try and feed it to him. Wish me luck.


Not interested in the egg. Stopped eating once i gave it to him. Also i dont know if it is possible with parrots but i think i saw him sneeze. He got his wings up and made a sound that sounded like a sneeze. Poor budgie.

 

[goalerjones]

You can also use a livestock vet in a pinch. They deal with chickens and other birds, and they can do a basic exam for broken bones and injuries. Hydration, food, and a non stressful environment is needed.

 

[cikajova]

Yes! Generally, for small animals antibiotics will be oral, not injected, so they'll sell you a little bottle of baytril, which you'll measure out in a syringe (without a needle) and feed by beak. Most vets won't sell you the antibiotics without an exam, though, so you'll probably still need to make an appointment.

And I really really really discourage you from attempting to locate and purchase baytril online by the way, I'm saying this because I'm concerned your parents might suggest it. You should never try to make your own medication suspensions. It can't be given to the bird straight, it needs to be mixed with something else, and could be dangerous if you mix the wrong amounts.

One more update, this morning he looks like he has more strenght. Always running from me when i try tho enter the cage and he is now climbing up on the cage. I went to the vet and they said he is sick because he was out in the cold and now he is inside. They gave me 2 things to put in his water. I also played some budgie sounds for him and he started chirping a bit so i hope he is going to be okay.

They gave me antibiotic called evroflox and some vitamin i assume called promotor l.

 

[goalerjones]

the fact that he is still alive is a good thing. Running from you is probably from fear, so do your best to make him feel safe, and I would keep from handling him yet until he shows improvement from the antibiotics. The extra stress can do him harm.

 

[cikajova]

the fact that he is still alive is a good thing. Running from you is probably from fear, so do your best to make him feel safe, and I would keep from handling him yet until he shows improvement from the antibiotics. The extra stress can do him harm.

Okay, thanks for all the help. I will update you on his condition in case you are interested and it may be helpful one day to someone.