[luketheturtle]

Hello fellow Talk Budgies members! I am new to birds and will soon be caring for a green budgie -- who was named Nino by my boyfriend and I. :green budgie: I have read through many of the forum's stickies, but am still unsure of and concerned for Nino's health. A bit of info beforehand:

My bf and I live in separate households. A few weeks ago, his dad found a budgie outside and they decided to adopt it. (No, they did not try to find the owner... :sad: Edit: Sorry, I forgot to mention that though his family did not search, I did. I searched online and looked to the humane society for lost budgies, but no reports for the area Nino was found in.) Unfortunately, my bf is the only one who cares for Nino and as his first pet, it is becoming too much for him. He also recently got a full-time job and is no longer able to spend much time with Nino.​

We came to the conclusion that it would be best for Nino to move in with me since I have a bit of experience with pets and have a more flexible work schedule.

My first priority before moving Nino into my home is to get her checked by an avian vet. I have found a clinic of interest and am trying to book an appointment ASAP; however, the earliest I can likely book one is next week. The health exam comes with wing, beak and nail clipping if Nino needs it.

I'm a worrier when it comes to animals, and so... here I am! I have posted pictures below (apologies for any poor shots, as my bf is not the best photographer :wink1, but here is what is concerning us. Nino's cere has started peeling (it was a crusty brown), which we hope is the result of breeding conditions. My bf also says the beak is scratched and believes that Nino may have mites due to:

• Constant itching
• Rubbing cere and beak against cage bars
• Many feathers falling off
• The fact that she was found outdoors

He has checked for moving red and black objects in the cage and missing patches of feathers; none at all. According to him, Nino is quite active as she sings along to any (pop genre) music that he plays.

I last saw Nino last week, during which the cere was not peeling. There were many small white feathers on the floor. Nino often sat in front of a closet mirror and did absolutely nothing else but poop.

I'd like to know if there are any obvious signs of health issues from the pictures. Nino definitely needs a change in diet -- more fruits and vegetables -- and a larger cage with new perches, both of which I have already ordered online. I also ordered a cuttlebone holder; my bf placed the cuttlebone in Nino's food dish (not the best place, but ok :innocent because it kept falling. P.S. the flowers in the pictures are fake!

Thank you to everyone in advance for your responses!

Nino's beak looks a little overgrown to me.

Nino's cere appears to only be peeling on the left side.

 

[JRS]

Hi
There are members on this site, who have accidentally lost beloved pet budgies in the past.
I understand that it was your boyfriend, not yourself who found this budgie and that it was a few weeks ago, however, it is still worth checking online for lost budgies and making a few telephone calls to local vets and animal rescue centres to see if anyone has reported a lost bird.
You could make the previous owner(s) really happy and could then decide whether to return your ordered supplies or to look into purchasing another bird. If there are no reports of lost budgies, then you can happily take over this girl's care without any feeling of guilt from imagining a previous owner in distress.

The photograph isn't the clearest, but if she is eating and pooping normally and seems lively and chirpy, then I don't think that waiting until next week for an vet appointment will be too late, just keep a close eye on her until then.

 

[Therm]

I agree that just because your boyfriend didn't look for the pets owners doesn't mean you can't. It could be that you don't find the owner but there's a level of responsibility for you to try and find it's original owners first.

 

[StarlingWings]

Hi there and :welcome: to Talk Budgies!

It's great to have you here with us; you couldn't have come to a better place to learn even more about these beautiful birds! :thumbsup:

You've been given great advice above, I would try to find the owners meanwhile. Although her cere looks to be in good shape, as it is normal to be dry and crusty for a female budgie, peeling a little, it still is worth it to take her into the vet for a checkup, since she used to be outside for a time.

Additionally, be sure to look through the forum's many Budgie Articles and "stickies" (threads "stuck" to the top of each subform for easy reference) to stay up to date on all the best practices for caring for budgies. If you have any questions after reading through anything, be sure to ask as we'd love to help!

We look forward to seeing you around the forums! Keep us posted on how Nino is doing!

Cheers! :wave:

 

[luketheturtle]

Thank you, JRS, Therm and Starling for your input!

I actually did search online (911Parrots, kijiji, craigslist, and a few other sites that popped up on Google) and looked to the local humane society for lost budgies in my boyfriend's area and neighbouring cities (we live in different cities). It's a little tough because my bf lives on the border between two cities. :blink: This was during the first week and a half that the budgie was found, as well as yesterday for new reports. There weren't any reports of lost budgies (many cockatiels though...) in the two cities he lives by, nor road intersection. I scouted for lost bird posters last time I was in his area, but I only saw lost dog posters.

It definitely would have been better if his family looked for the owner since they know the area better than I. I'll still be on the lookout for lost budgie reports; meanwhile spending money for animals isn't too big a deal to me as long as it keeps them safe and happy.

 

[FaeryBee]

Hi! :welcome: to Talk Budgies

Thank you (and karma) for being willing to take in little Nino and give her the love and care she needs.
I agree with the advice you've received from the previous posters. :thumbup:

Please take the time to read through the Site Guidelines, all of the How To Guides, the FAQs, the Budgie Articles and the stickies located at the top of each section of the forum.

Truly, the very BEST advice anyone can offer you is to take the time to read ALL of the stickies throughout the various Talk Budgie forums as well as the Budgie Articles we have posted.

These are great resources for Talk Budgie members and have a wealth of reliable information which will assist you to learn the best practices in caring for your budgies for their optimal health and well-being.

Site Guidelines
http://talkbudgies.com/general-budgie-talk/333106-posting-forums.html
http://talkbudgies.com/general-budgie-talk/388145-lets-talk-budgies.html
How-To Guides
FAQs Frequently Asked Questions
Budgie Articles
http://talkbudgies.com/general-budgie-talk/295001-list-stickies.html
http://talkbudgies.com/general-budgie-talk/295033-prepared-veterinary-care-expense.html
Avian First Aid
Why Quarantine?

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

http://talkbudgies.com/budgie-breeding/327881-heartfelt-plea-forum-members-new-old.html

http://talkbudgies.com/housing-budgies/24411-cage-sizes.html
http://talkbudgies.com/housing-budgies/31719-essentials-great-cage.html
http://talkbudgies.com/general-budgie-talk/339826-resource-directory.html

When you upload pictures as thumbnail attachments directly from your computer, tablet or phone, the forum automatically defaults to landscape.

To upload full-sized pictures with the proper orientation, please use a photo-sharing service such as PhotoBucket and follow the steps in these instructions:
http://talkbudgies.com/how-guides/175818-how-post-pictures-photobucket.html

For gender and/or mutation help - Lighting and Angle DOES matter

By the way, all photos entered in any of our forum contests must be a full-size photo and not a thumbnail attachment so it's good to know how to upload them!

If you have any questions after reading through everything, please be sure to ask!

Glad you decided to join us and looking forward to seeing you around the forums.

:wave:

 

[Brienne]

Hi and Welcome...it is great you are looking for the previous owner...if, you don't have any luck and you are going to keep her, I personally would remove her mirror toy and give her some natural, safe wood perches...Nino is a beautiful little girl and all my best with her...