Help! My budgie is fat!

[lyrl]

One of our budgies was found at a friend's wild bird feeder. When we took him in for a checkup, he weighed 34 grams. This may have been a little underweight for him, considering his circumstances.

Now it is eight months later. I took him for another checkup on Thursday, and he weighs 42 grams! The vet felt the budgie's breast and said he definitely has fat infiltration there. He would like to see his weight come down to 38 grams.

Has anyone had success in putting a budgie on a diet? What routines did/do you use?

 

[stephend]

Is he clipped? If not I would encourage him to fly around.

 

[Steph]

What do you normally feed him? Millet is very fattening. If he's on a seed diet, try converting him to pellets and fruits/veggies. I also agree with Stephend, exercise will help too. Good luck!

 

[kitt]

Awww, the poor baby isn't fat, he is extra fluffy. LOL
I'd cut back on seed if he is getting it. Does he eat any fruits and veggies.
Good luck with your fluffy baby.

 

[Weeegiewarbler]

More exercise like flying or foraging for food would help.
Instead of putting all his food into a bowl, put some of it into toys that make him work for it. I do this with my unflighted BFA (who was accused of being "obese" at 507g by an avian vet). I cut back on fatty treats too. He now only gets sunflowers at very specific times (clicker training). He's also on a Mazuri Maintenance diet supplemented with freshand cooked fruits & veggies, pasta & pulses.
And as he's unflighted, he does a lot of climbing and walking around to find me for my company.

 

[lyrl]

He eats both seeds and pellets (we have in separate feeders, and I see him eat both). He was flighted before the vet trip (vet is very big on clipping) and flew around every day harassing our cockatiels. (Now that he can't get away as easily he isn't so aggressive toward the tiels, but he still wants to go after them - his indecision is very cute to watch.)

I think what I'll do is keep him very lightly clipped (2 feathers each wing?), so he *can* fly, but make him work harder to do it.

The suggestion of giving more variety in diet is also helpful. Unfortunately with my work schedule I don't have the time available to prepare fresh foods and train him that they are OK to eat One thing I used to do was give my birds parsley or cilantro or some other green - they seem to get over fear of leafy stuff very easily and that doesn't require any prep other than taking the grocery store's rubber band off it. I will start doing this again.

The making him work for food is interesting. Any links to pictures of what this would look like? I haven't seen anything sized for budgies at our pet store.

Thank you to everyone who commented!

 

[lyrl]

Well, I think it's a good idea to do these things just in general, and this has been good to motivate me to spend more time on our birds.

But I just blew all the dust off my scale and weighed all my birds, and the "pudgy budgie" is 36.5 grams Much less than the 42 grams the vet's scale gave.

I'll be having a talk with our vet the next time we go back.

 

[kitt]

the "pudgy budgie"....I like that one...LOL