Budgie not eating- Sad Update Post #19

[LexxJetts]

My budgie Doug is about 1 year old. He has scissor beak but it has never hindered his eating, he's always been a pretty healthy weight, and active. He is on a seed diet, I know it isn't ideal but I got him from a pet shop where that's all they fed him and he absolutely refuses to change to pellets, however, I give him vitamins in his seed and water.

Yesterday I noticed he was not hulling the seeds, they were just falling out his mouth. I looked closer and his bottom beak is now fractured. I took him to the vet last night, the vet said it was an old fracture and shouldn't cause a problem eating, trimmed his top beak and sent him home. I'm pretty sure the fracture is recent, about 2 weeks ago I went away on holiday and Dougie stayed with a friend. While there he got his beak stuck in a toy and when my friend tried getting it off part of his bottom beak snapped off. There is still some hulled seeds from a couple of days ago, but not many. It's really yesterday when he completely stopped eating.

I have pellets for him from when I was trying to transition him to them, so I have been grinding them up into a powder, adding some water and putting it in a syringe, then putting that in the side of his beak and slowly feeding him. Most of it he is spitting out. I've tried soaking seeds to make them soft, grinding them down, rice, fruit and baby food but all he is interested in is seeds and they just come right out again.

I think he is getting weaker. Since I have been feeding him with a syringe he has started pooping again, but it isn't as frequent as usual and it's pretty runny.

Any advice would be really appreciated. I have been searching online for any advice all night, I'm really tired and worried about my Doug, and I don't have any money to take him to the vet again.

 

[LexxJetts]

Update- his feathers are fluffed up and his breathing looks laboured

 

[sunnysmom]

If his breathing is labored, I would get him to a vet right away. Have you looked into Credit Care- it can cover vet expenses or just see if the vet will take payments. I hope he's okay.

@Birdbabe ? @Hankmacaw ? @Clueless ?

 

[LexxJetts]

His breathing and feathers are back to normal. He's back at his food dish trying to eat seeds.

Thanks, I will look into that. I live in Toronto, Canada if anyone knows if a good vet that would be much appreciated. The vet I took him to yesterday was awful, he keeps insisting Doug is fine and I just don't know what I'm talking about even though he is clearly not eating and underweight.

 

[Hankmacaw]

Here is the Care Credit for Canada. Please look into it and get your baby to a better vet. Petcard :: Canada's Veterinary Financing Company

If you bird has labored breathing he is very ill. Most likely a lung infection, but it could possibly be many things. Keep feeding him and make sure you give him water. Keep him very quiet and very warm 85+ degrees. A lamp aimed at a cover on his cage (make a hospital cage) will make the cage warm, or you can put a heating pad under his cage with a towel in between it and the cage.

Even if he seems better, continue the supportive care.

 

[Hankmacaw]

Here is a link to avian vets in Toronto - I live in AZ, so know nothing about them. There are reviews of the vets on the site.

avian veterinarians in toronto, canada - Google Search

 

[JosienBB]

Which vet did you go to? I see Dr. Axelson from Links Road Animal and Bird Clinic.

 

[cosmolove]

I agree that I'd look for another vet. Now I'm not saying you know more than a vet by any means but you know your bird better than anyone. If your bird is acting off, often there can be a major reason behind it. I would research another vet and apply for Canada's care credit. I'd keep trying to syringe feed him until you notice he's gotten better for a long period of time.

 

[iamwhoiam]

I hope your budgie will be OK. You should probably get a second opinion from another vet. Continue handfeeding and also provide him with soft foods that he can eat on his own: softened pellets or a mash.

 

[Birdbabe]

Try what iamwhoiam said, get anything you can into his belly, cooked oatmeal, brown rice, scrambled eggs. ..anything he wants. Hope he's gonna be ok.

 

[gonenow]

I don't know if you would find this in Canada but when my cockatiel didn't eat for a good 3/4 days after a blood test (She found it very traumatic) my avian vet suggested giving her something called Vetark Professional Critical Care Formula. I was skeptical to be honest but within a few hours of having a little periodically she perked right up and was eating normally that night. Read a lot of positive reviews on it with similar results too.

 

[Lady Jane]

How is your budgie doing now?

 

[LexxJetts]

Thanks everyone!!!

Yesterday I picked him up a heater and Kaytee baby bird formula which he is kind of eating with a syringe.
He's been pooping, not as much as usual but still a decent amount. He is napping more than usual, but starting to look more lively, following me around the house and this morning he took a bath.

I'm taking him into another vet today, the one JosienBB mentioned, they have pretty good reviews. Hopefully this vet will be better. If he needs his beak operated on I will apply for the credit to get it done. I just want my little guy to be okay.

The vet I took him to was King west vets, dr. Kent Ackerman. Warning to anyone in the area, do not take your bird here!!! He is arrogant and does not know/care about birds, reading reviews I saw other people have had similarly awful experiences here.

 

[LexxJetts]

Vet went pretty well today considering. He said Doug won't be able to eat seed again because his lower beak is full fractured, but he will be fine as long as he transitions to eat super fine pellets.
He's showing interest and the transition is going well so far. Basically, Doug's gonna be okay Thanks for the support!

 

[Mizzely]

What kind of toy did he get stuck in so we know to avoid it? Poor baby, but glad you got a second opinion!

 

[LexxJetts]

He got his beak stuck in a bell that was attached to his swing

 

[sunnysmom]

I'm glad Doug is going to be okay! Will he eat soft foods too? My tiel loved to eat rice, cooked sweet potato, etc.

 

[cosmolove]

Poor baby! I'm glad you found out what's wrong tho! Did they say over time it would heal and he'd be able to have seed again?

 

[LexxJetts]

So Dougie died this morning. I called the second vet because I was worried he didn't appear to be able to eat the pellets either. He insisted Doug would be fine I just needed to give him time. Well he is dead.

I feel awful, he starved to death. My poor baby. I tried my best but it wasn't enough, he suffered a long, slow death. Never trust vets. Honestly heartbroken right now

 

[Motherof'tiels]

Im so sorry for your loss,
It sounds like you really loved Dougie. I think you can file a complaint to the vet office. If not, just remember it wasnt your fault, you did your best and thats enough.