Worried for my budgies health!

[Budgiediana]

Hi,

My budgie Gooses (previously named Turkey) health is concerning me, especially because birds hide their sicknesses so well.

I've found her a few times at the bottom of her cage, lying down when I got back from work. She shot right up and got on her perch when I turned on my music though! Also, a few weeks ago, I heard her fall from her perch at night.

Should I be as worried as I am? Was she maybe just sleeping the few times I've walked in? I thought budgies slept on their perch

Thank you so much for you help and knowledge!


Diana and Goose


(Bonus questions)

1. I'm thinking about letting Goose out of her cage for the first time in the 1 month I've had her (mostly to give the cage a deep clean, but I want her to spread her wings a bit)
How do I go about this? She still doesnt trust me enough to pet her and I dont want to scare her.

2. Goose doesnt play with any of her toys and is sticking to the bottom levels on her big cage and it's making me sad thinking she isnt happy.
How can I get her to interact with the toys more?

Again, thank you for all/any help you can give me!

 

[noodles123]

Glad you are here--- yes, you are smart to be worried (sadly). This is a sign of illness.
If you have access to a CAV (Certified Avian Vet) I would get him/her in as soon as possible.

Birds hide illness like no other. When was the last time he/she had blood tests and general wellness exams?

Good luck!!!! Please keep up posted.

 

[Laurasea]

This is a sick bird. So sorry! Yes avain vet soon as can! He droppingook like she isn't eating enough..put seed and water on bottom of cage. Increase heat in the house.
Keep us posted.

 

[Scott]

It is possible some of this behavior is nesting, but lean more towards health issues.

 

[Noahs_Birds]

The poo looks fine is this picture on the newspaper from what I can see, take her to the vet ASAP anyway to conclude any ailments
Thanks
Noah Till

 

[Budgiediana]

Hi everyone - here's an update on Goose

First of all, thank you for everyone who replied. It only made me more keen to visit the vets, thankfully.

Luckily, Goose is not sick. But she is underweight.

For the first week I had her, she would only eat millet. I starter placing her seeds in random places around her cage and changed her plastic food dispender into a stainless steel dish and she started eating the budgie mix!

I don't think she has tried any of the fresh food that I've left out for her or the treats.

I've just tried giving her this powder that the vet gave me to mix with water and she isn't eating that. I even gently tapped the liquid near her beak and poured the tiniest bit on it, but she just shook it off.

I don't know what to do with my picky budgie I hope she comes around and starts trying new foods. She is around 7 months old and I've only had her for 1 month. But I'm scared she wont live long or be happy on just millet and budgie mix (and barely any of it apparently)

Has anyone experienced what I am? Would you guys suggest force feeding her? I really didn't want it to come down to this but I am beyond worried for her health and happieness. She just seems sad and isnt playing with any of her toys or being lively how I though a young budgie would be.

Any help is welcome/appreciated

Thank you,
Diana and Goose

 

[Laurasea]

This is a good article on stress in the parrot. I enjoyed it, and found some new ideas and thoughts.
https://lafeber.com/pet-birds/stress-reduction-for-parrot-companions/

Was this an avain vet specialist? Did they do a fecal gram stain, culture, and float? Did they swab the mouth? I don't think many do blood work on our tiny budgies, but I guess I'll ask did they? Can you get a kitchen digital gram scale and track weights? You can zero out a plastic container with a lid, then put your budgie in the container and weigh.

Budgies are one of the birds I think strongly, and many experts agree, should be kept at least two of, can be same sex. But I really worry about yours being sick......but I'm not a vet, and you took to a vet....
An article on sick birds
https://www.littlecrittersvet.com/sick-birds.pml

My budgies were on a seed only mix before I got them and still is their main diet. Though they eat veggies everyday and love them and they do nibble pellets. But anyway what I'm saying is that shouldn't be a cause of low body weight. Parakeets can have issues I'm going to go find a link

 

[Inger]

Some things you might try with her fresh foods:
Cook it
Serve it raw
Cook it for more or less time.
Give her big chunks
Medium chunks
Tiny chunks
Purée
Sprinkle seeds on it (or even kind of press them in) so she winds up getting the taste
Offer her food at the same time you’re eating-birds eat as a flock
Eat (or pretend to eat) whatever you want her to eat and make a big deal about how delicious it is then offer her a bite l
Take the budgie mix away except for short periods a few times a day. If she gets a little hungry she’ll be more likely to eat other stuff (do NOT take it away altogether).
Try all of these things over and over again.
Never give up.

As for playing-she might need you to teach her that too. You play with them. I literally pretend to attack/bite/growl at Bumble’s toys and every time I do, she will follow my attack “bite” with her own. Pretty cute.

Try some target training too. That might get her moving and interacting with you and help to build up some trust.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[Laurasea]

"Going light" in budgies is often linked to this megabscteria /yeast
https://www.birdclinic.net/avian4.htm

Talks about several budgie diseases article
https://www.omlet.co.uk/guide/budgie_guide/health_problems/diseases

 

[Budgiediana]

Hi!

Thank you for the very helpful article on stress Laurasea. I knew when going into owning a budgie, it was already a little selfish of me to own a bird in the first place as I only really just want 1 and they need substantial attention when I can only give mine about 5-6 hours of that. But I'm trying my best! I think I'll start eating breakfast with her too to mimic group feeding.

Inger thank you for the advice! I'm very familiar when it comes to playing with dogs and cats, but I have no experience when it comes to birds. Hopefully when shes more settled in and has my trust, she'll start letting me pick up a toy and play around with her.

I'm pretty certain the vet didnt take a blood test, I don't think they done any of the things you listed. She was with goose for about 5-7 minutes and came back to me saying her coat was clean but that there was something on her beak that meant she was underweight, though I dont know what that meant or was.

Unfortunately I live in a small island with no aviary vet. I'm worried that the exam on Goose wasnt in depth enough, but I'd rather just trust that she's just underweight. The vet knows better than me I guess.

I've got a tone of food bowls in her cage and am giving her fruit and veg daily (which shes ate almost none of) and have her cuttle bone and grinding stone (which she has never touched) and hope she takes the bait!

I need a rest too. My head hurts from stress

Thanks again,

Diana and Goose

 

[Budgiediana]

Hi!

Thank you for the very helpful article on stress Laurasea. I knew when going into owning a budgie, it was already a little selfish of me to own a bird in the first place as I only really just want 1 and they need substantial attention when I can only give mine about 5-6 hours of that. But I'm trying my best! I think I'll start eating breakfast with her too to mimic group feeding.

Inger thank you for the advice! I'm very familiar when it comes to playing with dogs and cats, but I have no experience when it comes to birds. Hopefully when shes more settled in and has my trust, she'll start letting me pick up a toy and play around with her.

I'm pretty certain the vet didnt take a blood test, I don't think they done any of the things you listed. She was with goose for about 5-7 minutes and came back to me saying her coat was clean but that there was something on her beak that meant she was underweight, though I dont know what that meant or was.

Unfortunately I live in a small island with no aviary vet. I'm worried that the exam on Goose wasnt in depth enough, but I'd rather just trust that she's just underweight. The vet knows better than me I guess.

I've got a tone of food bowls in her cage and am giving her fruit and veg daily (which shes ate almost none of) and have her cuttle bone and grinding stone (which she has never touched) and hope she takes the bait!

I need a rest too. My head hurts from stress

Thanks again,

Diana and Goose

 

[bigfellasdad]

If she is not eating enough, try eating with her. Eat the veg you give her in view, she may eat with her flock then. My african grey always wants to eat when I eat and especially wants to eat what I am eating. HTH
My sons budgie LOVES cucumber and apple, try that maybe (no apple pips!)