What symptoms is he exhibiting linked to vision loss? Have either of the vets that have seen him been veterinary ophthalmologists?
Concerns About My Male Budgie's Vision Problems
I am writing to you concerning my 3-year-old male budgie who has been experiencing vision problems lately. I am hoping you can offer some insight into what might be causing this issue.
Currently, my budgie is under meloxicam treatment, which he has been taking for ten days. I also want to inform you that last year around September, he gained weight on a pellet diet, his weight was reaching up to 50 grams. He had fats under his belly and his cloaca was darker possibly indicating intestins being crushed. However, we managed to help him lose weight with daily exercises, and he has been stabilized around 40 grams since January this year, with a small dip to 37 grams last month.
I, myself, had a fungal infection around December 2022, which was treated with ketoconazole. Although I took utmost care to wash my hands before touching my birds, I may have forgotten once or twice.
My budgie had a sort of conjunctivitis around his right eye two month ago in January, which went away under three days with a single rinse of pure saline water, and there was a very small scratch on the top part of his eyelid. Recently, he has developed a gradual loss of vision, which is concerning to me.
I have already seen two specialized veterinarians, who have both checked him and do not know the cause of his vision loss, because there are no visible damage in they eye membranes. They think it might be neurological and do not believe that he has or has had any bacterial or fungal infection, as he has no other symptoms except for the vision problem. Because i feel like i am never doing enough and kept worrying so I kept insisting and asking whether it might be a bacterial or a fungal infection. The vet wrote a prescription with baytril and voriconazole, stating "Here is the prescription that can reassure you. I unfortunately do not think he has any infection"
So, my question is, is there any case of a budgie developing vision problems due to a fungal infection without showing any respiratory or any other symptoms or distress?
I would be grateful if you could provide me with your opinion and advice on what I should do next to help my budgie. I look forward to hearing back from you soon.
Thank you for your time and attention.
Best regards,
Currently, my budgie is under meloxicam treatment, which he has been taking for ten days. I also want to inform you that last year around September, he gained weight on a pellet diet, his weight was reaching up to 50 grams. He had fats under his belly and his cloaca was darker possibly indicating intestins being crushed. However, we managed to help him lose weight with daily exercises, and he has been stabilized around 40 grams since January this year, with a small dip to 37 grams last month.
I, myself, had a fungal infection around December 2022, which was treated with ketoconazole. Although I took utmost care to wash my hands before touching my birds, I may have forgotten once or twice.
My budgie had a sort of conjunctivitis around his right eye two month ago in January, which went away under three days with a single rinse of pure saline water, and there was a very small scratch on the top part of his eyelid. Recently, he has developed a gradual loss of vision, which is concerning to me.
I have already seen two specialized veterinarians, who have both checked him and do not know the cause of his vision loss, because there are no visible damage in they eye membranes. They think it might be neurological and do not believe that he has or has had any bacterial or fungal infection, as he has no other symptoms except for the vision problem. Because i feel like i am never doing enough and kept worrying so I kept insisting and asking whether it might be a bacterial or a fungal infection. The vet wrote a prescription with baytril and voriconazole, stating "Here is the prescription that can reassure you. I unfortunately do not think he has any infection"
So, my question is, is there any case of a budgie developing vision problems due to a fungal infection without showing any respiratory or any other symptoms or distress?
I would be grateful if you could provide me with your opinion and advice on what I should do next to help my budgie. I look forward to hearing back from you soon.
Thank you for your time and attention.
Best regards,
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We used to have flight exercises with my budgies every morning. The male was gradually becoming less agile and much more worrisome about flying, he also couldn’t land exactly where he should. 3 week ago he hit walls. We stopped exercising thinking he would get better. But he wasn’t really getting better. He could only “see or detect movement from far away but upclose not so much, especially with his right eye. His left eye vision seems to be much better.What symptoms is he exhibiting linked to vision loss? Have either of the vets that have seen him been veterinary ophthalmologists?
Those veterinarians are “specialized” ones and only one of them is an avian veterinarian. The only one in the entire region of Brittany..
I do not think they are avian ophthalmologists, that would be too much to ask for France. They make me feel so uneasy when I talk with them IRL, they are trying to keep the consultation as short as possible and do not answer mails for days.
I had a bird years ago that all of a sudden started flying into walls and even the ceiling, I took him immediately to the vet and he suspected a pituitary tumor, he also was unsteady on his feet when this occurred.
Thanks for sharing your experience.I had a bird years ago that all of a sudden started flying into walls and even the ceiling, I took him immediately to the vet and he suspected a pituitary tumor, he also was unsteady on his feet when this occurred.
But my budgie has no symptoms except the vision issue. He eats very well (too well), can stand on one leg and sleep with his head tucked on his back without the slightest movement or struggle.. no tail bobbing..
He sings and screams very well, he can clean and preen his entire body and feathers.
So I don’t know what should I do..
How dangerous can baytril and voriconazole be if it is not even needed in the first place? I’m really hesitant to give him baytril and voriconazole. After hearing what the vet told me I feel like I am the only forcing him meds he doesn’t need?
More than 2 week passed, he should have gotten much worse if he had any bacterial or fungal infection, no?
I would expect that if he had any infection that was not being treated that it would have gotten worse. I have had birds with eye infections only a couple of times and in both cases it was treated with medicated eye drops not with anything through the GI tract. Is there any cloudiness or anything odd looking when you look at his eyes? I don't know if this can help but I found this site
European College of Veterinary Ophthalmologists
Finding a Certified Examiner/Panellist - ECVO and there is a list for France, take a look.
European College of Veterinary Ophthalmologists
Finding a Certified Examiner/Panellist - ECVO and there is a list for France, take a look.
Please let us know how your little fellow is doing. Sending love and best wishes.
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