Weird noise

[parapig23]

My budgie Dove is making a strange noise. Sometimes she will make a little clicking sound. It sounds like she's eating seeds or millet but she's not eating anything when she makes the sound! Also she is blinking a lot and has her eyes closed for a few seconds. Is this normal?

 

[parapig23]

Oh she just made another strange sound! I don't really know how to describe it. I'll try to get a video. It's sort of a buzzing sound.

 

[noodles123]

Is her tail bobbing when sitting still on a perch? Is she open-mouthed breathing? Where does the sound seem to be coming from? Has she recently bathed and is there any discharge or apparent blockage in her nares?

 

[parapig23]

She is bobbing her tail. She's also opening her beak occasionally. What does this mean? Should I do an emergency vet appointment for tomorrow? (the vet is closed on Sundays.)

 

[parapig23]

She hasn't bathed and no blockage that I can see.

 

[noodles123]

You need to get her to an avian vet ASAP- Yes, these are signs of extreme respiratory distress and birds hide illness, so by the time you are seeing it, you must act quickly.



Do you cook with non-stick (teflon/ptfe/pfoa/pfcs?-- these are often in things like space heaters, blow dryers, pots, pans, air fryers, griddles etc) Have you recently used scented chemicals or a self cleaning oven? Any aerosols etc?
If so quickly get her to fresh air--- avoiding drafts and cold air, obviously *but, IMO, cool air, while dangerous in terms of shock is better than nothing if your bird has been exposed to teflon/ptfe/pfoa/pfcs from heated metal non-stick products*

 

[Laurasea]

All of the above points to respiratory issue. Yiu will need to get her to tge avain veterinarian quickly, like tomorrow.

Good luck with her
https://www.littlecrittersvet.com/sick-birds.pml

https://vcahospitals.com/know-your-pet/common-conditions-of-birds

 

[parapig23]

No I keep her very far away from the kitchen. I will get her seen tomorrow.

 

[noodles123]

teflon/pfte/pfoa/pfcs (when heated) are not safe in the same house (period). They can damage their respiratory systems irreparably or kill them even on separate floors, and the idea that it has to be heated to a certain point about 500 is false, as numerous deaths have been documented by academic sources in the upper 300s (F).


I am glad you are getting her in-- again though, if someone was cooking recently, FRESH AIR
Even if this is unrelated, PLEASE throw out your non-stick stuff...it's heartbreaking and the leading killer of pet parrots according to my vet.




I hate to say this part because it feels mean, but it honestly is not-

In the event that things go very wrong *God willing, they will not* a necroscopy can be performed on a deceased parrot (which is invaluable in determining the cause of death).

 

[parapig23]

Oh my I never knew that. I knew it was dangerous but I didn’t know it couldn’t even be used in the same house. I have her in a room with fresh air. I will immediately throw out my non stick stuff. Thank you.

 

[noodles123]

In case she is sick though, just do your best to protect her from drafts and keep the room warmer if you can overnight (not with a space heater, unless you know it is free from ptfe/pfoa/pfcs/teflon). You can try turning up the heat in your home slightly. Still, get her in tomorrow or sooner if you can. Here is a good resource on Teflon *it's like the bane of my existence, but I didn't care about it at all until having parrots* https://www.ewg.org/research/canaries-kitchen


Your bird could have a respiratory infection, virus, blockage or anything, but it's just so important to be aware of how sensitive they are to fumes.

 

[parapig23]

Yes I will get her seen tomorrow. She seems alert and active though. I take that as a good sign?

 

[noodles123]

A very major red flag would be difficulty perching or hanging out on the cage floor without purpose. That having been said, those breathing signs are also red flags. I wish I could help more, but there are just so many unknowns at this point.


I know not everyone has access to CAV's, but what kind of a vet will you be visiting tomorrow?


Is she housed with other birds?


It is good that she is active and alert but very concerning that you are seeing breathing difficulties.

 

[parapig23]

I am taking her to this vet: https://www.unionstreetvet.com I used this vet for my last budgie and he was great with her. She isn't housed with any other birds at the moment. She only opens her beak once in awhile. She doesn't do it a lot. I will get her seen tomorrow. I appreciate your concern.

 

[noodles123]

If she is just opening it occasionally, that can be normal, but the tail bobbing and noise is not (given what you have described)

 

[parapig23]

She seems to be much better this morning. No more tail bobbing or opening her beak and the sound she made before sounds more like grinding now and she only made it once this entire morning. Should I still get her checked out?

 

[noodles123]

I would still get her checked, assuming you have an avian vet. It would be wise to at least do a gram-stain and have a check-up. I am glad the noise stopped but considering they hide illness,I'd want to take that extra precaution. Do you think it could have been due to a product or chemical? If it was that, there's not much that can be done. It definitely could have been that but my concern is that if she has a bacterial infection or something and you don't get it checked

 

[parapig23]

I don't think it could be a chemical because I avoid using things like that since I got her. Can I schedule a regular appointment or should I still do the emergency appointment?

 

[noodles123]

Did you cook anything? Aside from teflon, oil that is heated to high temperatures for long periods gets into the air and can be as damaging in some cases.

I can't tell you whether to take in regular vs emergency without knowing more. I would let them know what you observed and ask what they would suggest (assuming they specialize in parrots and won't downplay it as some general vets might). Emphasize the tail bobbing and sound when you do speak to them. How many days does it take to get in non-emergency?

 

[parapig23]

I'm not sure how many days it takes for non emergency. I will let you know when I call them later. I cooked something on the stove but I didn't use non stick and my budgie was in a different part of the house with several closed doors between her and the stove. She was very far away from the kitchen. I will call the vet when they open at 9:00