I think my budgie might be ill

[chris2504]

Hey, I've had my budgie about 2 years maybe longer...
Recently he's (well she i think) been moulting and recently wont come out much and when he (she) trys to fly seems pretty weak and usually ends up on floor and then goes back in. He (she) also been sitting on the bottom of the cage quite a bit. All been going on for about 2 weeks

Thanks peeps

[Budgiekin]

Hi! I am sorry to hear your budgie isn't feeling well. It would certainly be best to take him/her to a vet to get him/her checked out. If you don't take your budgie to the vet, then at least keep him/her warm. You can put a heating pad set to low under the cage and add an extra blanket on the cage.

Here are some questions (actually, a bunch of questions) for you to think about:


Is your little sweetie eating? Drinking? How is your water quality in your area?
Does your budgie still preen (clean his/her feather?)
What about the poops; do they look normal (i.e. a whitish center with a greenish or brownish ring around it) and are there a decent number of them? (Budgies usually poop anywhere from 30 to 70 times in a day).
Are the vent feathers (i.e. the feathers around the bum) clean?
Does your budgie have anything oozing out of his/her nostrils?
Are you feeding your budgie vegetables to supplement his/her diet?
Does your budgie have a cuttle bone and a mineral block to chew on?
Have you moved recently? Anything that might have stressed out the little fellow?
How is the air quality in your place? Are there any drafts?
Where do you keep your budgie in the house? (Hopefully not in the kitchen where they can be exposed to harmful cooking fumes and other substances; and hopefully also not in a place where your budgie is exposed to cleaners and perfumes etc.)There are a gazillion questions to ask! Your best bet is to take your bird to a vet though. Many illnesses are treatable (e.g. bacterial infections) with antibiotics so it is worth finding out if your budgie's problem is in fact treatable. It would be a shame to do nothing, especially if the illness is treatable.

Be sure to keep us posted with how your budgie is doing!

[Dave]

Well Budgiekin seemed to cover everything. :P But I agree, you should take your budgie to a vet and keep in warm. :)

[Bea]

When you go to the vet be absolutely sure that they are an AVIAN vet, not a small animal vet. Small animal vet means cats and dogs and so most have no or very little experience with birds and although they may give you some medicine for your budgie it will most likely be a general medicine which won't help very much. I've had a budgie that i KNEW had bumblefoot (a pretty serious foot infection) and i made the mistake of taking him to a small animal vet where i was told he has weak feet and that it wasn't anything to worry about. :rolleyes:

[Amy]

Oh dear! He/She should be kept in a warm room away from draughs and direct sunlight.

I agree with Budgiekin and Bea take your budgie to an avain vet and tell him about what has been happening and he might be able to give you a few suggestions.