My budgies look very skinny and eat a lot

[KiwiAndBubblesBudgies1]

So my two budgies, Kiwi and Bubbles, oh my gosh it’s been a month and this keeps happening. They look skinny all the time. Their wings flop down and tremble sometimes. This started… when I started leaving to school, I leave them with the amount of food they usually ate in one day before, but now if I give them food, like a bit of millet, they eat it desperately and hungrily and they just seem hungry and skinny, my mom didn’t notice any behavior changes, this just randomly happened… I put in some pictures…

 

[Kitekeeper]

Hi,

Thanks for the pictures, they always help!

Judging from the pictures, they don´t look skinny, although this is really hard to say in birds. The best way to be sure of that is to scale their weight every week. Can you have access of scaling for 100 grams? You would be surprised how easy it is to scale their weight, just wrap tightly the bird in a piece of soft paper or a tissue and lay it down on the scale.

Something like this:

Of course you have to weight the tissue first to subtract from the total weight.

Now, back to the skinny looks. Can you tell if the day you took that picture as a hot day? The general aspect of wings slightly apart from the body as showed by Kiwi (the green one) is characteristic of a hot budgie or a scared budgie.

If you are able to observe their weight is decreasing you must go to a veterinarian as quick as possible for further investigation.

 

[KiwiAndBubblesBudgies1]

Hi,

Thanks for the pictures, they always help!

Judging from the pictures, they don´t look skinny, although this is really hard to say in birds. The best way to be sure of that is to scale their weight every week. Can you have access of scaling for 100 grams? You would be surprised how easy it is to scale their weight, just wrap tightly the bird in a piece of soft paper or a tissue and lay it down on the scale.

Something like this:

Of course you have to weight the tissue first to subtract from the total weight.

Now, back to the skinny looks. Can you tell if the day you took that picture as a hot day? The general aspect of wings slightly apart from the body as showed by Kiwi (the green one) is characteristic of a hot budgie or a scared budgie.

If you are able to observe their weight is decreasing you must go to a veterinarian as quick as possible for further investigation.

I’m a bit more worried about the way Kiwi’s wings are flopping out. He also pants a lot and opens and closes his beak. My budgies aren’t very comfortable with me touching or holding them, they only let me feed them and they sit on my fingers or head sometimes.

 

[Kitekeeper]

He also pants a lot and opens and closes his beak.

That´s either a bird feeling too hot or too scared.

My budgies aren’t very comfortable with me touching or holding them

Maybe that´s the reason they are behaving as you described.

 

[Skarila]

The budgies should certainly be weighted, if possible. The very best an avian vet could be able to tell if they are possibly underweight by feeling their keel bone - if it is very protruding, they can be considered underweight.
I am worried about the drooped wings you mention. This kind of stance, with slightly opened wings and panting could be overheated, I've seen this happen in our budgie(s) after a lot of flight or freshly when we had to catch and hold for a while to cut the nails. If there was no physical activity, the room temp is in optimum, I really suggest a visit to the vet.
Another thing to check is their droppings, if they changed in colour, shape or consistency.

Budgies will have this extreme slim appearance when in fear, but when perching and very relaxed they appear normal. Or at least should.

Extreme hunger despite getting the usual amounts of food, and no change in activity is a valid reason to be worried. Bird loosing weight despite eating so much? Very possible, I had experience in such a case first hand.

One of our rescue budgies had this nasty bacteria called Macrorhabdus ornithogaster. Basically what it did is that it blocked the nutrients from being taken, so it was almost as if the bird didn't eat anything. Poor thing was eating all the time, and he was quite underweight. We were given a special medicine that I had to give daily, for 4 weeks. Tests from the drooping samples shown that he was cured.

I don't mean to scare, but surely if anyhow possible take their droppings to an avian vet for testing for any bacteria - or lack of good bacteria. Nevertheless they should go to an avian vet for a check up if they are panting even while resting. I hope they get well soon!!

 

[GaleriaGila]

Would you like some veterinary references?
Most of us swear by our avian vets in the event of health concerns.
Certified Avian Vets

Find an ABVP Specialist - American Board of Veterinary Practitioners

Find a Specialist ABVP Diplomates have proven knowledge and expertise above and beyond what is required to practice veterinary medicine. Beyond that, they have earned the privilege to specialize in the treatment of one or more categories of animals. Diplomates are in 49 of the 50 continental...

abvp.com

If none are near you...
Avian Veterinarians

http://www.aav.org/search/custom.asp?id=1803

In my opinion, any of the vets listed here should be better than a regular vet.
International contacts, too.

I'm glad you're here.

 

[KiwiAndBubblesBudgies1]

The budgies should certainly be weighted, if possible. The very best an avian vet could be able to tell if they are possibly underweight by feeling their keel bone - if it is very protruding, they can be considered underweight.
I am worried about the drooped wings you mention. This kind of stance, with slightly opened wings and panting could be overheated, I've seen this happen in our budgie(s) after a lot of flight or freshly when we had to catch and hold for a while to cut the nails. If there was no physical activity, the room temp is in optimum, I really suggest a visit to the vet.
Another thing to check is their droppings, if they changed in colour, shape or consistency.

Budgies will have this extreme slim appearance when in fear, but when perching and very relaxed they appear normal. Or at least should.

Extreme hunger despite getting the usual amounts of food, and no change in activity is a valid reason to be worried. Bird loosing weight despite eating so much? Very possible, I had experience in such a case first hand.

One of our rescue budgies had this nasty bacteria called Macrorhabdus ornithogaster. Basically what it did is that it blocked the nutrients from being taken, so it was almost as if the bird didn't eat anything. Poor thing was eating all the time, and he was quite underweight. We were given a special medicine that I had to give daily, for 4 weeks. Tests from the drooping samples shown that he was cured.

I don't mean to scare, but surely if anyhow possible take their droppings to an avian vet for testing for any bacteria - or lack of good bacteria. Nevertheless they should go to an avian vet for a check up if they are panting even while resting. I hope they get well soon!!

Aaa oh shoot my parents refuse to let me bring them to the vet T-T they stopped doing it for a bit, and now only Kiwi is doing it