Hello everyone,
First time posting a thread, long time fan and visitor. Over the years I have come here looking for advice and info about raising and caring for parakeets and am very thankful and grateful for everyone who contributes. I have a special needs family member and the parakeets bring great joy. I've had 6 total parakeets over the years, 2 currently, and have never seen anything like this, nor have I been able to find anything about it online. I live about 100 miles from the closest avian veterinarian and the budget is quite very restrictive and delicate due to health reasons and COVID's affect on job market. I could use all the help I can get.
I noticed late night that one of the parakeets, Bulbul, had developed an incredibly large cyst, unknown to me when, towards the very bottom of belly affecting movement inside the cage, and while it was on the perch, the front facing part of the perch was hiding the growth every time I looked or when was sideways elsewhere or bottom of cage behind toys! I was deeply worried and confused and couldn't get any sleep that night and felt really bad and guilty and down and helpless.
Next day I ended up calling what seemed every veterinarian within 50 miles. A majority said they only cats and dogs because birds are considered exotic, and of the handful that do see exotic, don't see birds or that parakeets are too delicate given my description of the situation, and will only do examination with x-ray, $200-$250 which I can later show the specialist. A couple of techs said they have larger sized birds as pets and recommended a bird specialist 90 miles away, which was by appointment only unless I went through the emergency, $500 deposit.
A local doctor I had left message for called me back and was a true humanitarian and truly wanted to help but was only there 3 days a week. I explained the situation and sent him photos as he wanted. He told me it is more than likely a cyst, but not a feather cyst, and not a lipoma as lipomas are hard and more than likely not egg-binding, however I'd need to come in for him to be sure. Sure enough I went there during walkin hours on his next day there. They do curbside because of COVID, took BulBul in and after 45 minutes the doctor came out. He told me the x-rays show it is not egg-binding nor a lipoma. He would do a fine needle aspiration to take whatever he can out but there are risks that BulBul might not survive during or after because parakeets are delicate and given the size of the cyst and the fall in pressure or shock, and, I would still need to see a specialist especially if it comes back. I agreed and signed.
Another 45 minutes later they brought Bulbul out with 90+% of the cyst removed, BulBul was groggy, several hours later was moving all over the cage and singing and pooping all over. The doctor sent me an e-mail next day to followup. And all this for $75!!! A $25 discount than my budget allowed for. Another specialist located 95 miles away in the opposite direction I had called earlier on and left a message for with tech explaining the situation and requesting an estimate told me something like that would be between $450-$650 at his practice plus labs.
Several months later, the cyst grew again to almost where it was before and I went in again. The doctor only charged me $45 this time around and told me it could be cancer or maybe be something else and would need to see a specialist, and also to be realistic. And now I'm back to where I was months ago. BulBul's cyst has grown again almost to where it was at first and I really can't afford a specialist.
Has any budgie owner encountered anything like this or an ideas what it could be? I'm hoping and wishfully thinking that it might be something simple like a gut parasite or bacterial infection and the remedy would be something I can afford and BulBul will be back to normal again. I do notice that sometimes eats a lot and is pushing hard to poop, and sometimes spends much time at the bottom of the cage as if trying to lay an egg. And the pop is lighter in color with the other bird's poop being dark black and white.
Thank you for your time. Could truly use any input or insights.
First time posting a thread, long time fan and visitor. Over the years I have come here looking for advice and info about raising and caring for parakeets and am very thankful and grateful for everyone who contributes. I have a special needs family member and the parakeets bring great joy. I've had 6 total parakeets over the years, 2 currently, and have never seen anything like this, nor have I been able to find anything about it online. I live about 100 miles from the closest avian veterinarian and the budget is quite very restrictive and delicate due to health reasons and COVID's affect on job market. I could use all the help I can get.
I noticed late night that one of the parakeets, Bulbul, had developed an incredibly large cyst, unknown to me when, towards the very bottom of belly affecting movement inside the cage, and while it was on the perch, the front facing part of the perch was hiding the growth every time I looked or when was sideways elsewhere or bottom of cage behind toys! I was deeply worried and confused and couldn't get any sleep that night and felt really bad and guilty and down and helpless.
Next day I ended up calling what seemed every veterinarian within 50 miles. A majority said they only cats and dogs because birds are considered exotic, and of the handful that do see exotic, don't see birds or that parakeets are too delicate given my description of the situation, and will only do examination with x-ray, $200-$250 which I can later show the specialist. A couple of techs said they have larger sized birds as pets and recommended a bird specialist 90 miles away, which was by appointment only unless I went through the emergency, $500 deposit.
A local doctor I had left message for called me back and was a true humanitarian and truly wanted to help but was only there 3 days a week. I explained the situation and sent him photos as he wanted. He told me it is more than likely a cyst, but not a feather cyst, and not a lipoma as lipomas are hard and more than likely not egg-binding, however I'd need to come in for him to be sure. Sure enough I went there during walkin hours on his next day there. They do curbside because of COVID, took BulBul in and after 45 minutes the doctor came out. He told me the x-rays show it is not egg-binding nor a lipoma. He would do a fine needle aspiration to take whatever he can out but there are risks that BulBul might not survive during or after because parakeets are delicate and given the size of the cyst and the fall in pressure or shock, and, I would still need to see a specialist especially if it comes back. I agreed and signed.
Another 45 minutes later they brought Bulbul out with 90+% of the cyst removed, BulBul was groggy, several hours later was moving all over the cage and singing and pooping all over. The doctor sent me an e-mail next day to followup. And all this for $75!!! A $25 discount than my budget allowed for. Another specialist located 95 miles away in the opposite direction I had called earlier on and left a message for with tech explaining the situation and requesting an estimate told me something like that would be between $450-$650 at his practice plus labs.
Several months later, the cyst grew again to almost where it was before and I went in again. The doctor only charged me $45 this time around and told me it could be cancer or maybe be something else and would need to see a specialist, and also to be realistic. And now I'm back to where I was months ago. BulBul's cyst has grown again almost to where it was at first and I really can't afford a specialist.
Has any budgie owner encountered anything like this or an ideas what it could be? I'm hoping and wishfully thinking that it might be something simple like a gut parasite or bacterial infection and the remedy would be something I can afford and BulBul will be back to normal again. I do notice that sometimes eats a lot and is pushing hard to poop, and sometimes spends much time at the bottom of the cage as if trying to lay an egg. And the pop is lighter in color with the other bird's poop being dark black and white.
Thank you for your time. Could truly use any input or insights.
