PetLife budgie help?- Sad Update Post #35

[karen256]

Scaly mites can be fatal but only if really neglected and not treated for a very long time. She doesn't look that bad in the photo, really (considering that even healthy female budgies have pretty crusty looking ceres).
I would NOT go ahead and add a dog/cat medication. The medication used for mites in birds is the same as what's used for fleas/ticks in dogs (usually ivermectin), but you could risk seriously overdosing her if you just put a drop on her skin. After all shes around 1/500 the weight of an average dog.
You'll have to take her to a vet and the vet will probably give her an injection so she can be sure to get the right dose.

 

[Featheredfuffs]

Scaly mites can be fatal but only if really neglected and not treated for a very long time. She doesn't look that bad in the photo, really (considering that even healthy female budgies have pretty crusty looking ceres).
I would NOT go ahead and add a dog/cat medication. The medication used for mites in birds is the same as what's used for fleas/ticks in dogs (usually ivermectin), but you could risk seriously overdosing her if you just put a drop on her skin. After all shes around 1/500 the weight of an average dog.
You'll have to take her to a vet and the vet will probably give her an injection so she can be sure to get the right dose.

I just realized I never gave an update!


It's a good thing I called ahead and talked to the avian vet before starting the mite treatment, as he then said to just wait until I brought her in for the exact reason Karen said above. When Starbust went in to the vets, it turns out that the "scaly face mites" was a scab for a HUGE bite from another budgie that has permanently disfigured her cere, and "she" was actually a he! (When the scab came off, it revealed blue underneath and he's older than a year)


He also found out the lethargy and the reason he was finding it hard to balance on her perch was because he has some sort of infection in her air sac, and he was stuggling to breathe. We're giving him a treatment for it, and it's pretty much gone now


The absolute worst thing in all of this is that the vet said it's contagious and that all the budgies at the store probably have it as well, except they aren't getting help

 

[Milestone]

Good news about starburst. But even female budgies can have a light blue cere. So it may still be a she. How about an update pic?

 

[Featheredfuffs]

Heres she/he today:

 

[Milestone]

Looks like a she to me.

 

[taxidermynerd]

Well, she looks better, that's for sure! I'm really glad you were able to get her the care she needs, and hopefully, she continues to do well!

 

[Birdbabe]

Glad she's better, don't go to that place anymore,,it sounds heartbreaking,,you can report them, but alot of times , food and water is all that's required..

 

[Featheredfuffs]

Glad she's better, don't go to that place anymore,,it sounds heartbreaking,,you can report them, but alot of times , food and water is all that's required..

Yeah, I told the vet about what happened, and he said he had problems with them in the past and would talk to them (he had told them about a transmittable disease between bunnies and guinea pigs that would cause the piggies to drop dead, and he asked them to keep them in separate areas. Guess what...they didn't, and in fact when I last went to get Starburst, the piggies were still with the bunnies).

 

[finchly]

the piggies were still with the bunnies)
That makes me so mad!

 

[StarrySkies]

I just realized I never gave an update!


It's a good thing I called ahead and talked to the avian vet before starting the mite treatment, as he then said to just wait until I brought her in for the exact reason Karen said above. When Starbust went in to the vets, it turns out that the "scaly face mites" was a scab for a HUGE bite from another budgie that has permanently disfigured her cere, and "she" was actually a he! (When the scab came off, it revealed blue underneath and he's older than a year)


He also found out the lethargy and the reason he was finding it hard to balance on her perch was because he has some sort of infection in her air sac, and he was stuggling to breathe. We're giving him a treatment for it, and it's pretty much gone now


The absolute worst thing in all of this is that the vet said it's contagious and that all the budgies at the store probably have it as well, except they aren't getting help

Gyah! Geez... Get the vet to tell them about it...

 

[Featheredfuffs]

Bad news... the little budgie had a very bad night. She's sleeping all fluffed up on the bottom of the cage and breathing very heavily. I've called the vet and am going later today

 

[finchly]

Aww!

 

[StarrySkies]

!!

 

[taxidermynerd]

Yikes! Please let us know what the vet says. I hope she'll be okay!

 

[Featheredfuffs]

Little starburst just passed away... soon after I came back from the vet, she started having what looked like a seizure (upside down, wings splayed out, breathing heavily, and head flipping around). She died in my arms as we were rushing back to the vet


The vet now thinks it was a fungal problem, and the handling at the first appointment today combined with her sickness was just too much for her tiny body. We're doing a necropsy to see exactly what happened, and if it's transmissible to my other birds.


I'm just so shocked as she seemed to be getting better until last night...at least she died being comforted and loved instead of being scared at the pet store

 

[taxidermynerd]

I'm so sorry for your loss.

 

[TWR]

I'm so sorry for your loss

 

[TikiMyn]

That is so horrible to hear, I am so sorry that you lost your little Budgie baby you did Anthing you could to help her and made her life so much better then it was at the per store!

 

[finchly]

Oh no! I am so sorry.

 

[CeciliaZ]

I am so sorry