Is he just fat or more serious than that????

[Rosie]

Recently, I have noticed Percy has got a little more fat round the tummy. I just wanted to know if he, sorry SHE is just chubby or possibly a tumour ( i know budgies are prone to them). By the way Percy weighs 72g. Here are some pictures, please help!

http://i43.photobucket.com/albums/e399/percysmate/P5210098.jpg

http://i43.photobucket.com/albums/e399/percysmate/P5210099.jpg

http://i43.photobucket.com/albums/e399/percysmate/P5210100.jpg

[Rosie]

She is 3 y/o

[pinkygold]

I'm not really a budgie EXPERT but I know that budgies are overweight if its chest shows that fat is bulging against the keel bone and has a line down the middle, and budgies are underweight if the keel bone if pressing against iits tummy.

[your_only_nightmare]

i sorry i cant say anything, i ont really know anything about budgies that well, but hope hes alright

[Budgiekin]

Your little sweetie does look a little large in the lower abdomenal area. This concerns me, especially since she weighs 72 g. That is rather heavy for a budgie. Normally they weigh anywhere from about 26 g to 45 g. I would highly recommend you bring her to an avian vet to have her looked at. If it is an abdominal tumour, I don't know that there will be much you could do for her. Tumours, especially internal ones, are very difficult if not impossible to treat. It is possible that it could be a benign one, however those can still grow to be outrageously large and the only thing that can really be done is to euthanize the budgie when it gets uncomfortably large. Don't get me wrong, I am not saying for sure that she has a tumour, but it is a possibility. Three years old isn't actually too young to develop one; my budgie Skyla was only 2 and a half when she developed a tumour on her wing which we had amputated.

Please keep us up to date with how she is doing and on what course of action you decide to take with her. I wish you the best of luck in figuring out what, if anything, there is wrong with your sweetie.

If you are looking for an avian vet, try looking one up here:

http://www.aav.org/vet-lookup/

[Rosie]

Ok, thanks! I have found a nearby avian vet. I'm going to try to persuade my parents to take her there (I have no money). I know its not about the cost, but does anyone know how much they cost? I'll keep you updated.

[shawna]

I have a budgie that is quite big too - 49 grams. Most of my other budgies weigh in at the 35 gram mark. She definately has a fat pad around her vent but no tumours that I'm aware of. When I posted on another forum people were concerned about her being 49g, so now I'm really concerned for your budgie at 72g. Poor quality seed can be a major cause of obesity. What kind of diet is she on? Does she eat veggies? Does she get to exercise? A trip to the vet is probably a really good idea. They can rule out the possiblity of tumour and will hopefully give you some recommendations for getting her weight down.

[Joey]

Try to feel around the fattened part I know.....I used to work at a petstore there was this sick budgie of course I bought her to try to help her but she died the next day.The order came in while I was putting her inside the sale cages and she was beautiful but she looked like yours in the bottom area.When I brought her home I felt around her and there was a lump.I called teh vet but he was closing and I could only come in tommorow he told me.She had died during the night....:( Get her checked out as soon as possible.

[Rosie]

She's on a varied sort of diet with seed, greens, veggies, and yes she does get exercise on a daily basis.

[Rosie]

There is an avian vet coming into the vets clinic nearby today. I don't know whether to take her or not. My parents say I'm wasting my money, and they just think he is really fat. I don't really believe them, but can someone just assure me that this is a good idea?

[Budgiekin]

I would highly recommend taking her in. If anything, it would be nice to know if at the very least she is simply overweight, or if there is something more going on. If all the vet does is weigh her and palpate her body and decide your sweetie is just tubby, isn't that better than not knowing if there is something more serious? Doing just that would not make for a horribly expensive vet visit.

If on the other hand, the vet decides it may be something more serious, then you can decide whether or not to go further with more tests etc. You are in control here.

It is up to us as pet owners to ensure our sweeties get the proper care, and in my opinion, responsible budgie ownership means bringing your sweetie to the vet if you are concerned about their health.

Good luck and please keep us up to date.

[Rosie]

Ok, I'm going to book her in today. I don't think we have a spare cage to take her in, so what could I take her in? (my budgies live in a cage sort of attached to the wall)

[Budgiekin]

Do you have a small shoe box of some sort? You could poke some small holes in it to make sure there is air circulation. I would even sprinkle some seed along the bottom, just in case she feels like eating. Just make sure the box is completely clean on the inside and doesn't smell of anything (like shoe chemicals etc).

If you don't have a small box, you could consider using a small plastic juice jug with a lid (just make sure the lid is turned so that there are holes to breathe).

Good luck!

[BUUZBEE]

good luck with the vets visit
i hope you get good news