unusual wing problem

[karen]

My 3+ year dark old blue opaline male budgie's wings droop.. I've had him to 2 Avian vets and neither can figure out what is wrong with him. He's in an Aviary and started having trouble flying about 5 months ago. He can fly short distances (3 to 4 feet) and runs and climbs. If he tries to fly more than 3 - 4 feet he can't make it across the aviary and "flutters" to the floor and then quickly climbs to the top. I've "handicap accessed" the aviary with perches and ladders from top to bottom on 2 sides so when he finds himself on the floor he can climb up. I tried putting him in a smaller cage but he was very unhappy separated from the other birds who, interestingly, seem to be aware of his handicap - they get out of his way. He seems OK otherwise - he sings, perches on one foot, grinds his beak, basically acts fine except that his wings droop. I got him when he was less than 6 months old and when I look at old photos, his wings always drooped a little but they are getting worse - as though he has a degenerative muscle disease. He is smaller than his 4 cagemates - his head is smaller and his chest is narrow. One of the vets thought he just never developed - possibly some nutritional deficiency in his mother or when he was a chick. Neither of the vets thought it was a nutritional problem now - he eats a mostly pellet diet with a small amount of seeds, gets hard-boiled egg and vegetables 3 - 4 times/week, Kaytee bird greens several times/week, has plenty of cuttlebone and mineral block access, and drinks microfiltered spring water (which has minerals). I've done some internet searching to see if there are any nutritional deficiences that could cause this or muscular dystrophies or other neuromuscular diseases in budgies or other birds but haven't come up with anything. The pet store where I got him gets their birds from a breeder in Florida but could not tell me anything else. Has anyone else seen something like this?

[stacey101]

wow ! i have never heard or seen anything like this, I really hope someone can help asaap

[Budgiekin]

Interesting problem your little fella has. I have not seen this with any of my budgies, nor am I aware of any particular reason why this may be happening.

How was his flying prior to you noticed him starting to have difficulties? Was he an avid flier who could fly well?

Have the vets eliminated the possibility of a tumour? X-rays can sometimes help locate them..... Tumours can press on nerves and tissues in just about anywhere in the body, making movements like walking or flying more difficult.

Please let us know. ;)

[karen]

Answers to questions:

Yes, he used to fly well but in old photos his wings were always a little droopy - even when he was a good flier. Also his head is small and his chest is very narrow - only about half as wide as the other birds despite his age of 3+ years. He also gets winded easily. One of the vets (who commented that he looked "juvenile") took X-rays and there are no signs of tumor or broken bones. Also, if he had a spinal or paraspinal tumor I would expect him to have trouble walking and climbing and he does not. The vet thought he might have a respiratory infection and had me treat him with antibiotics but it didn't make any difference. Interestingly, I was telling a pediatric genetics specialist I work with about the bird. She told me about a rare human disease where affected patients have a muscular dystrophy and the chest does not develop. I looked it up and it certainly sounds as though he could have an avian version of such a condition as it seems to be a muscle weakness issue. It is recessive and very rare so it is possible that a bird may only rarely show up with it and severely affected ones may die shortly after hatching. I also found reports of an avian version of myasthenia gravis in quail. If he does have a neuromuscular disease, as with humans with either of these conditions, he will probably eventually succumb to respiratory failure. For the meantime, however, he's happy running around the cage with his buddies and doesn't seem to be uncomfortable. It's amazing how he knows his limitations and just doesn't try things he knows he can't do.