Budgie mumbling sound - went to vet and was prescribed medicine. Hoping for insights

[mintchips]

Hi there. My little birb started making mumbling sounds randomly - not often, around once every 2 weeks (see vid: September 2, 2025). Noticed he was also resting a bit more, and was less chatty, so we took him to our vet who prescribed him with enroflaxacin. He's been taking it since last Wednesday (10 day course, so a few more days to go).

We've noticed that his poop isn't super watery anymore which is good, and he seems to be in good spirits: chatty, active, & romancing his partner. I did notice him make the sound twice since starting antibiotics.

Wondering if anyone’s budgie hqs made this sound before and any idea what it was/how to treat it? Was Enroflaxacin the medicine to take?

Please know that we will be going back to our vet if the sounds / fatigue continues after he completes this course of medication. Hoping to learn from you guys & also ask the right questions when we go back to the vet.

Thank you so much.

 

[Lady Jane]

What is the vets diagnosis?

 

[mintchips]

What is the vets diagnosis?

she wasn’t sure but thinks it may be a respiratory infection. she said to take the meds for 10 days and if he keeps making this sound, then to do an x-ray (i saw a video of this and i really don’t want to do this )

 

[Cariloo]

I feel the same as you about not wanting to allow an x-ray. Years ago, with a previous budgie who was sick, the vet wanted to anesthetic him for an x-ray. He was 9 years old. I said no, and took him home and gave "comfort measures": an easier to digest diet and wrapped the cage (except the front) with a blanket, plus a small portable heater nearby. But kept him in the livingroom as part of the family. With the antibiotic, and the comfort measures, he got better and lived to 18. Of course, there could have been a tumor, or something else that an antibiotic couldn't resolve. But I worked in a Palliative Care hospital, and the best you can do, is comfort measures.

she wasn’t sure but thinks it may be a respiratory infection. she said to take the meds for 10 days and if he keeps making this sound, then to do an x-ray (i saw a video of this and i really don’t want to do this )

 

[mintchips]

Thank you so much for sharing your story - makes me so happy to hear your little birb lived a long and happy life . Did you work with your vet for the antibiotics? My little guy was given enroflaxacin for 10 days. I feel like he’s making the sound more often now. He’ll usually make it after drinking water or if he’s stressed / doing something he’s not happy about. We continue to monitor him and looking at him, he seems fine but I know budgies hide any signs of sickness.

I feel the same as you about not wanting to allow an x-ray. Years ago, with a previous budgie who was sick, the vet wanted to anesthetic him for an x-ray. He was 9 years old. I said no, and took him home and gave "comfort measures": an easier to digest diet and wrapped the cage (except the front) with a blanket, plus a small portable heater nearby. But kept him in the livingroom as part of the family. With the antibiotic, and the comfort measures, he got better and lived to 18. Of course, there could have been a tumor, or something else that an antibiotic couldn't resolve. But I worked in a Palliative Care hospital, and the best you can do, is comfort measures.

 

[Cariloo]

Thank you so much for sharing your story - makes me so happy to hear your little birb lived a long and happy life . Did you work with your vet for the antibiotics? My little guy was given enroflaxacin for 10 days. I feel like he’s making the sound more often now. He’ll usually make it after drinking water or if he’s stressed / doing something he’s not happy about. We continue to monitor him and looking at him, he seems fine but I know budgies hide any signs of sickness.

Dear mintchips, How is your budgie. I haven't been on Budgie Boulevard for awhile, as very busy with a midmonth event and then Halloween. You did ask me if I had worked with my vet re: the course of treatment for the antibiotics. No. He didn't even suggest another course of treatment. This was about 40 years ago, and no computers yet. So, I went tobthe library and got a book about caring for budgies. The tip I got from that book was to remove the cuttle bone while giving antibiotics. Now, I'm not advising anyone to do this.....I had a few broad-range antibiotic capsules left from a recent prescription. I emptied the content of one capsule onto a small square of paper. Then, I figured out how much the bird's weight would be compared to a human and divided up the grains of the antibiotic accordingly. I think I figured 5 daily does from one capsule, allowing for the fact that I was putting it in his water. So 2 capsules gave 10 daily doses which was the prescribed number of days for human in those days. The current protocol for humans has changed to 7 days. I would think the same would apply to all animals. But I'm not a doctor nor a vet. I'll never know whether it was the antibiotics or the comfort measures. But, at that point, I had nothing to lose. Unfortunately, budgies weren't considered much of anything and there were no vets near me that would even look at a bird. Now budgies are listed as exotics, along with lizards .

Just one more thing that I want to add. There are no vets anywhere near where I live that treat birds. When one of my budgies got sick a year ago, I found a vet who did home visits and came to my house to examine the bird. Two weeks later, I called him again. I knew something was wrong with that bird. I asked the vet for a prescription for antibiotics, but he refused saying he would need to do a blood test first. I said no to anything more that would distress the bird. I asked everyone I knew if they had any antibiotics at home. No one had any. I didn't have any. Two days later my bird died. That experience taught me a lesson.....when you own a budgie, vets don't care about your bird or you unless they are getting paid for tests, visits, treatments, medicine, etc. To many practicing vets, it's just a business. There are some good documentaries on YouTube about the veterinarian business.

Now, I'm prepared. And have a few basic things on hand in case one of my birds gets sick.

 

[Finchbreed]

Sadly vets are more inclined to be small animal vets than bird vets - due to volume of customers
But good bird vets do exist - so persist in asking.