Is my parakeet dying?

[Birdock]

I recently got two parakeets. I noticed today that one of them is hunched over compared to the other. I got this one at a different petstore than the other one. I adopted it because its toe had been apputated and they had seperated it from the others. Theres nothing im doing wrong and the only thing i can think of that could be wrong is that maybe it doesnt know where the water is? For some reason the only place i havent seen them at is the water bowl. I could just be missing it but ive only seen them eat from the food bowl so far. I change the water and dumped the water in the bowl and even splashed some right in front of them a few times so im hoping they take notice. I got this bird from petsmart so im not sure if the poor guys health was good to begin with. Is there anything you guys suggests?

 

[Laurasea]

Hi,
Sorry to hear about your birdie.
Parajeets, get stressed with new home, take a couple if days to start moving around. How fresh is the toe thing?

 

[Birdock]

Im not quite sure how long ago it was. They made it sound like the bird had been seperated from the other birds for atleast a few weeks.

 

[lollipoppy]

Just to be sure I’m understanding correctly, was it the one with the amputation that is hunched over?

 

[MyCockatoo1]

Always quarantine in a different area any new bird coming to house. Any bird that shows any symptom such as puffy feathers or lack of energy is usually within hours of death. In the wild any bird showing a weakness in the wild is killed so birds mask symptoms until they are too week and sick to hide them. Even minor symptoms are usually emergencies. Separate other bird immediately. Disinfect everything with pure unvented aloe Vera gel. It kills germs and bacteria. Scents, even natural ones are dangerous to birds as are most cleaners and disinfectants. The only thing that is safe steam, sunlight, ultra violate light or sunlight Ally Vera gel, Aloe Vera Gel dries in a matter of minutes and disinfects with no toxicity. It isn’t sticky so can be left on surface and is non toxic. Do not feed but surfaces will be safe if the bird chews on them as all birds do. Do not add to food. Freeze all new food for 24 hours before using when possible. Lactated ringers given Under the skin can save a birds life but will need a vet to get or administer it or teach you how. Fluids and electro lights are crucial. Give hand feed formula to birds of any age. Some birds small birds will eat spray millet. Threat of dehydration and starvation happens quickly if a bird starts to feel poorly so immediate action is essential. Also isolate and disinfect anything you handle if you work with a sick and a well bird as well as during quarantine when you buy a new bird. Costco usually will provide one vet free checkup within short period of purchase. Check with store and have them notify breeder that provided the bird. If they provided the info you should call them. Impossible to know if illness came from breeder or in store but they need to know so other birds can be isolated and protected. I have over fifty years experience in working with birds and have owned and bred most species. Have also attended Avian medical training seminars intended for breeders and veterinarian. I’ve work closely with my avian vet. My brother was also in charge of breeding program in one of the large commercial zoos. I also knew many of the top breeders in the country. Few vets are trained in birds. Dr. Susan Club from Florida is the most experienced avian vet in the country. My vet has also become an expert in avian medicine and is a paid consultant to some zoos. She has dome amazing work and saved lives of many birds with innovative techniques.

 

[Birdock]

Yes, it is the bird with an amputated toe that is acting this way
The bird seems to still be moving around a bit and the birds have been hanging around eachother but one thing i think i forgot to mention is the color of his beak seems to be an almost pale yellowish green with some purple/blue on it. They both seem to be eating which is good.

 

[lollipoppy]

If I can recall, you’ve only had these guys for maybe a week, right?

It would really be best to let them relax and settle in. Then, if you think there’s weird behaviour, film it and send the film along to your avian vet (or the vet you will be using after the virus subsides if yours, like ours, is not fully open.)

The forums here are amazing for getting guidance from but really, unless someone can see what your birds are doing, it’s hard to know for sure what is going on. Birds have so many different subtleties in the way they express themselves and communicate.

In general, a bird hanging out on the bottom of the cage is usually not a great sign. But! If he has recently experienced an amputation, this could be indicative of the fact that he has not yet learned how to navigate the cage with it. You might consider platform perches as a way to get him up off the bottom more and wandering around. I would put one near the food and water too, to ensure that he can comfortably get at both dishes. Chances are, with an amputee, sitting near the dishes would be fairly challenging.

I would also refrain from using smooth perches which will make getting a good grip more challenging. Use a few rope perches & wood perches that are not perfectly smooth (“raw” style, as opposed to dowels.) this may help him get some traction and hold on better.

Hopefully, between sharing a video with an expert & between making these changes you can help him have a better quality of life by ensuring that there’s nothing else going on & that there’s plenty of special-needs pieces in there to accommodate for him.

(Note, your vet won’t be able to know for sure what is going on through videos of the behaviours in question, but it will help them assess the level of urgency of the situation. Make sure you include detailed information in the email such as when you got the bird, what the pet store told you, which foot the amputation is on, etc, so they have a better idea of what is going on.)


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[noodles123]

Always quarantine in a different area any new bird coming to house. Any bird that shows any symptom such as puffy feathers or lack of energy is usually within hours of death. In the wild any bird showing a weakness in the wild is killed so birds mask symptoms until they are too week and sick to hide them. Even minor symptoms are usually emergencies. Separate other bird immediately. Disinfect everything with pure unvented aloe Vera gel. It kills germs and bacteria. Scents, even natural ones are dangerous to birds as are most cleaners and disinfectants. The only thing that is safe steam, sunlight, ultra violate light or sunlight Ally Vera gel, Aloe Vera Gel dries in a matter of minutes and disinfects with no toxicity. It isn’t sticky so can be left on surface and is non toxic. Do not feed but surfaces will be safe if the bird chews on them as all birds do. Do not add to food. Freeze all new food for 24 hours before using when possible. Lactated ringers given Under the skin can save a birds life but will need a vet to get or administer it or teach you how. Fluids and electro lights are crucial. Give hand feed formula to birds of any age. Some birds small birds will eat spray millet. Threat of dehydration and starvation happens quickly if a bird starts to feel poorly so immediate action is essential. Also isolate and disinfect anything you handle if you work with a sick and a well bird as well as during quarantine when you buy a new bird. Costco usually will provide one vet free checkup within short period of purchase. Check with store and have them notify breeder that provided the bird. If they provided the info you should call them. Impossible to know if illness came from breeder or in store but they need to know so other birds can be isolated and protected. I have over fifty years experience in working with birds and have owned and bred most species. Have also attended Avian medical training seminars intended for breeders and veterinarian. I’ve work closely with my avian vet. My brother was also in charge of breeding program in one of the large commercial zoos. I also knew many of the top breeders in the country. Few vets are trained in birds. Dr. Susan Club from Florida is the most experienced avian vet in the country. My vet has also become an expert in avian medicine and is a paid consultant to some zoos. She has dome amazing work and saved lives of many birds with innovative techniques.

I haven't read this whole reply yet but wanted to add that UV sterilizers are not safe around birds (as they produce ozone)---SO, yes, the sun itself can sterilize, but something like a Germ Guardian air purifier with the UV setting turned on is NOT safe because of the ozone production. Just wanted to clarify that in case there was confusion.