[Pode]

My budgie hasn't been right since Saturday. On Friday, he was flying about like normal and had normal poo. Since Saturday he has been very quiet and fluffed.

I noticed last night that he has a bit of diarrhea. It made a noise when he went which is unusual. The poo itself is a sort of dark green mixed with white. He is drinking fine and (as far as I can tell) is eating okay too. But he has been spending the last couple of days staring out of the window and going to sleep. The feathers on his head seem quite waxy too.

We have made no changes to his diet, only using some different grit which he never seems to touch anyway.

He is in a smoke free and pet free (apart from him) home and lives with no other budgies.

Do you have any idea what is wrong with him?

Should I take him to see a vet?

 

[FaeryBee]

Yes Mike, you do need to take your budgie in to see an Avian Vet for a proper diagnosis.

I hope your little fellow will be OK. Please let us know how he's doing.

 

[Teddscau]

Yep, if you don't take him to an avian vet his life is very much at risk. Diarrhea is a VERY serious thing.

 

[AudreyMcDonough]

Also talk to your vet about the grit. It is my understanding that parrots do not need and should not be given grit. I am not saying that it is related but since you will be there…

Also, make sure he is staying hydrated until you get to the vet. I use coconut water with my family, recommend it to my clients and all my pets (dogs & birds). I also use pumpkin with my dogs (also know it works with cats) for both diarrhea and constipation. You may want to ask your vet if it works for birds.

Hope he is doing well soon...

 

[PrincipePio]

He might not be eating and drinking enough, which can cause dark green tones in the droppings. Your avian vet will be able to tell you.

Until you can get him to the vet, put a heating pad on half of his cage so that he can access the heat if he needs it, soak some millet in Pedialyte or probiotics to try to get him to eat some more, keep him warm and hydrated.

I would ask your vet to do an x-ray to see if the grit is blocking his intestine. Parakeets don't need grit and they don't digest it, and it can possibly cause an obstruction if they eat a lot of it and don't pass it. If he had a partial block, ask your vet about administering watered down fiber solution to help pass some of it (my vet and I did this with Sammy when he had some heavy metal shavings in his intestine from playing with his "parakeet-safe" toy bells).

Best of luck and let us know how you get on!

 

[Pode]

Just thought I'd update...

He's still not right. I haven't been able to take him to see a vet (parents won't let me take him). I will get on their case about it though and hopefully persuade them to take him in the morning.

His diarrhea seems to come on randomly. Sometimes his poo is normal but other times it seems wetter.

He has been cleaning himself more and the waxiness on his head has gone. He still spends most of his time asleep or dozing.

I noticed today that he was actually regurgitating his food shortly after eating. I'm not sure if this happens everytime he eats or whether it was just a one off but I would presume it has something to do with it.

Also, the other week my family and I had some sort of bug that gave us diarrhea (no vomiting though). Could my budgie have caught it off us?

I'm not going to let this slide, though. My parents WILL take him to the vets if it's the last thing I do.

 

[FaeryBee]

Give him millet spray soaked in sugar-free electrolyte or, if you don't have that, you can use Pedialyte.
The electrolytes will help him keep up his strength.
Be sure he's staying warm enough and doesn't get chilled by any drafts.
Budgie should not be given "grit". Make sure he has a cuttlebone and mineral block.
http://talkbudgies.com/diet-nutrition/86185-grit-should-you-offer-your-budgie.html

Do you have an "emergency vet fund" set up?
If not, I suggest you start one so when vet care is needed you can pay for it yourself.
http://talkbudgies.com/general-budgie-talk/55420-prepared-veterinary-care-expense.html

Offer to do additional chores for your parents to help offset the cost of taking your budgie to the vet.

http://talkbudgies.com/general-budgie-info-[articles]/227841-50-common-budgie-dangers-watch-out.html

 

[FlightFox]

Although there are some respiratory illnesses that can jump from bird to human to bird there are (thankfully) no gastrointestinal illnesses that can spread to birds through humans I believe.

In the meantime have you tried some apple cider vinegar in the water that can help settle a upset tummy a little.

An argument for your parents to take you and your friend to the vet might be that they are reinforcing irresponsible actions by not allowing you to do the responsible thing regardless of personal cost. Such reinforcements could have negative repercussions for them if they expect you to care for them in their old age. Just a thought.

 

[Jo Ann]

Diarrhea

This has become an ASAP emergency visit to the Vet. Above guidance Is excellent. The vomiting makes this a more life threatening situation. If you do not get the bird to the vet in time, not only is it suffering but you cant blame the vet if it is too late and it dies, as this problem has been known for quite a while. I hope your parents take better care of you.

If you do not have a savings for vet bills start one and also start a first aid kit
for budgie. start with vet contact info and add an electrolyte and probiotic to the kit ASAP Also Apple cyder vinegar usually Braggs with mother usually at health food store. Continue as above and get the bird to the vet, hold any grit and give mineral blocks or powder clay containing minerals sprinkled on soft food or in a separate cup. Our birds love manu roses, brown iodine salt wheels and cuttlebone. You may wish to microwave cuttlebone for a few seconds to eliminate any microorganisms still left from the live cuttlefish . Some antibiotic require you to stop calcium/mineral supplement during treatment. Best wishes for your budgies recovery and feel free to share the comments here on your TB post. Jo Ann:budge::budge:

 

[despoinaki]

The members above have given you excellent advice. I am glad you decided to take your budgie to a doctor, but you have to do it ASAP. Please update us on his condition, ok? I hope he gets well soon!

 

[AudreyMcDonough]

Hey Mike, how's the little one doing today? Any updates?

 

[sunnydyazz]

All the members have provided excellent viewpoints and suggestions. What's the development of your bird? Is your bird's poop exhibiting a bad odor? Is he lethargic and feeling itchy? I guess he may have giardia/trichomoniasis which can greatly affect your bird if not treated in time. It can happen due to contaminated water and the treatment is by ronidazole, metronidazole or flagyl. This is my assumption...of course the vet will be able to rectify the problem accurately by conducting different tests.
Good luck for your bird and keep us posted.

 

[Pode]

Hi all,

Thanks for the advice. We took him to the vet today. She didn't seem to think it was a blockage so it probably wasn't the grit. I still removed the grit pot just in case.

She said that since he was actually pooing, there wasn't any sort of blockage. She seems to think that it is a crop infection. Speaking of which, it was only the other day that I started a new box of seed.

She gave him two injections (he thanked her by giving her a few nasty pecks) and said that he should be better within 5 days. If not, then he may have to be put to sleep.

I'll let you know how he's got on.

Here he is in happier times...

 

[jellyblue]

Poor little guy. All my very best thoughts and prayers. Hope the injections work. Keep us posted.

 

[AudreyMcDonough]

Well I always think that if they have the energy to give a few good bites then it's a good sign. Do you add apple cider vinegar to his water? I put 1/2 tsp per 2 cups. You may want to try it as it will help with his whole digestive tract.

He sure is a beauty Mike, I am sending lots of positive energy your way and his!

 

[Pode]

Thanks for all your support.

Just a few hours after taking him to the vet and I've already seen quite a big improvement.

He's been dipping in his seed pot every five minutes and doesn't seem to be bringing it back up. He is still quite fluffed, but doesn't look as scruffy, and after little naps he starts preening his feathers.

You may all think this is cute but since his friend (or possibly brother) passed away in 2010, he has become good friends with my old fox puppet. The puppet is something of a family treasure and was my favourite toy when I was little. But the bird is really fond of him. When we let him out, he sits on the puppet's head and chats to it.

The past few days he hasn't been interested but when I held the puppet up to his cage a minute ago he hopped to the closest perch and sat as close to the puppet as possible.

Thank you all for your wonderful support.

Here's a picture I took a few years ago of him, his white feathered friend and Foxy the puppet

 

[Budget baby]

I am glad he is showing improvement, was it an avian vet you went to? I have not heard of putting a budgie to sleep because he has a crop infection that is why I ask. He seems to be happy and not in a distressed state.
Get some probiotics sprinkle these over his seed, change water every day if it is hot change more often, offer him fresh greens to nibble, Ask the vet what sort of crop infection it was, does he need any follow up treatment or antibiotics? The apple cider vinegar is great for crop problems but it has to have Mother in it.

 

[jean20057]

Mike, if you don't mind me asking, did the vet say how he got the crop infection? Or does anyone know how these little guys manage to catch such a thing?

 

[FaeryBee]

Mike,

Generally with a crop infection the medication will clear it up without too much trouble. Using the Apple Cider Vinegar is a very good thing to do as it works as a natural probiotic.
Click on this link for more information: http://talkbudgies.com/holistic-natural-remedies-[articles]/103936-apple-cider-vinegar.html

I give my birds ACV and use 1/2 tsp for approx 10 oz of water.

I fully expect that your little one will be MUCH improved within just a few days. If not, please have a long in-depth discussion with the vet and/or get a second opinion with regard to alternatives to euthanasia. Did she run both fecal and blood tests? If not, that would be the next step IF he hasn't improved within the 5 day time frame.

Sending lots of love, healing energy, positive thoughts and prayers for a full and speedy recovery!!

Kristen,

A solo budgie can get a bacterial infection (resulting in a crop infection) from bacteria that is normally in their environment but doesn't usually hurt them.

This can occur if the bird is under stress, has a weakened immune system, or the crop is irritated.

Generally, with a crop infection the infected tissue becomes inflamed, causes pain and produces mucus.

The budgie may vomit trying to get rid of the mucus in the crop and/or make frequent motions with the head that looks like they are "gagging" or "adjusting the crop" repeatedly.

 

[jean20057]

Thank you so much Deb, I'm going to save this post so I can come back to it again!!!

Mike, this should have been in my first post on this thread. I wanted you to know that I'm really sorry that your little buddy has gotten a crop infection. I truly hope that he makes a full recovery and lives a very long, happy, and full life with you!!!