izzybpb
Sitting on the front steps
Hi everyone. I am concerned about my 8 year old male budgie. Since this morning, he has been fluffed up and sleeping excessively (or at least trying to). He has also been quiet and strangely docile. I was able to pick him up without any resistance (usually he bites the hell out of my hand or runs away if I try to hold him instead of just offering my finger to step onto). He also seems to have had abnormal poop for the past couple days, but I just noticed it today. Pictures will be attached. He has been hiding behind his favorite bell for the entire day and tucking his head under his wing.
Around dinnertime I took him to the vet. In short she confirmed that he was indeed sick and offered to do x-rays and/or blood tests, which would require him to be put under. Due to the fragility of parakeets, the way my first parakeet died, and Skylar's history of a possible stroke, I declined. I was too afraid that I would be sending him to his death. Unfortunately without diagnostics, there wasn't much they could do other than put him on an antibiotic and anti-inflammatory.
Since coming home, we have given him his first dose of both medications. He seems to have perked up a little - clicking his beak, occasionally preening or giving a half-hearted spin of his toy. However, I'm bothered by how much he seems to be eating. For the past couple hours, it seems that he went down to his seed bowl every five-ten minutes, ate some, then returned to his spot next to the bell toy. Sometimes he'd go down to the floor of the cage and scratch around and pick at empty seed hulls. I haven't seen him drink anything yet. Unfortunately, the breeder I got him from raised him on a seed diet, and for the past 8 years it has been virtually impossible to get him to eat anything other than a few nibbles of a leafy green. I'm worried he might be having a serious vitamin deficiency issue since he's eating so much and seems to be desperately picking around at the floor of the cage. For the past three years or so, he's been getting vitamin drops in his water dish.
As for other physical illness symptoms, his cere isn't crusty or runny and nothing is bloody. The vet said he seemed to be breathing a bit heavy but honestly I haven't noticed a change in his breathing. He also has a history of a respiratory infection in 2016. I believe they put him on the same medications that they did then.
Any advice or opinions are very much appreciated. Thank you!!!
This is how he holds his feathers normally.
This was this morning before I realized that something was wrong.
This is his normal poop.
These are all the abnormal droppings.
These are two pictures of him that I took five mins ago.
Around dinnertime I took him to the vet. In short she confirmed that he was indeed sick and offered to do x-rays and/or blood tests, which would require him to be put under. Due to the fragility of parakeets, the way my first parakeet died, and Skylar's history of a possible stroke, I declined. I was too afraid that I would be sending him to his death. Unfortunately without diagnostics, there wasn't much they could do other than put him on an antibiotic and anti-inflammatory.
Since coming home, we have given him his first dose of both medications. He seems to have perked up a little - clicking his beak, occasionally preening or giving a half-hearted spin of his toy. However, I'm bothered by how much he seems to be eating. For the past couple hours, it seems that he went down to his seed bowl every five-ten minutes, ate some, then returned to his spot next to the bell toy. Sometimes he'd go down to the floor of the cage and scratch around and pick at empty seed hulls. I haven't seen him drink anything yet. Unfortunately, the breeder I got him from raised him on a seed diet, and for the past 8 years it has been virtually impossible to get him to eat anything other than a few nibbles of a leafy green. I'm worried he might be having a serious vitamin deficiency issue since he's eating so much and seems to be desperately picking around at the floor of the cage. For the past three years or so, he's been getting vitamin drops in his water dish.
As for other physical illness symptoms, his cere isn't crusty or runny and nothing is bloody. The vet said he seemed to be breathing a bit heavy but honestly I haven't noticed a change in his breathing. He also has a history of a respiratory infection in 2016. I believe they put him on the same medications that they did then.
Any advice or opinions are very much appreciated. Thank you!!!
This is how he holds his feathers normally.
This was this morning before I realized that something was wrong.
This is his normal poop.
These are all the abnormal droppings.
These are two pictures of him that I took five mins ago.
He gets so excited when I put it back in the cage. But he'll have to deal with it because I'm sure it's covered with colonies on colonies of bacteria. Thank you!
I wish so badly that he would stop eating the seed. He eats his own poop before he tries any fruit. Definitely will look into the milk thistle. I read about the potential of liver issues with a seed diet, and some of the apparently liver issue 'indicative' droppings are those that just have urates, like in the few pictures I originally posted. His poops last night were better, with both the urates and feces. Still more liquidy than usual though. Today, it seems that he's been having a mix of the urates-only poops and the semi-normal ones. It doesn't make sense because he's still eating excessively
I know the mom guilt is rough but you made the right decision 