# I think my budgie is dying



## Cayote (Dec 25, 2018)

Hi, I posted here a long time ago about my budgie that was sick with scaly face, good news is he recovered from it shortly after treating him with Avimec. It's come back recently so I bought a fresh bottle of avimec and have been treating him as instructed for 2 weeks now, but something else is up with him.

He's been sitting on the floor of his cage and rolling around, seemingly has little control of his legs and wings, he's been holding himself up on the cage with his beak because he has no balance. This started yesterday and I figured it's because it's getting close to summer now and he's overheating, so I put him near my air condition and he almost instantly got up and sat on his perch and played with his favorite toy. Today I woke up and he was happy, singing his tune and playing, then a few hours later he started acting weird again, and he looks worse than yesterday.

It's Sunday and all the vets are shut, if he makes it through the night I will take him tomorrow but it's really not looking too good. Is there anything I can do to help him? Or at least make him comfortable? He isn't hand tamed and hates when I get close so I'm trying to avoid handling him but I've offered him some mashed pea to see if it will be easier for him to eat, as I don't think he's been eating his seeds.

Any tips would be appreciated. Thank you.


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## justmoira (Aug 29, 2014)

I'm so sorry this is happening. 
I would stay with him if possible. Even if he doesn't like being handled, you being near is comforting. Play some music you know he likes. 
Do you have any soft cloths you could line the bottom of his cage with in case he falls or something?


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## Cayote (Dec 25, 2018)

justmoira said:


> I'm so sorry this is happening.
> I would stay with him if possible. Even if he doesn't like being handled, you being near is comforting. Play some music you know he likes.
> Do you have any soft cloths you could line the bottom of his cage with in case he falls or something?


Hi, thank you for responding.

His cage has been beside me all day, I haven't left him out of my sight. I don't really have any cloths besides hand towels (wash cloths) that I could use. He's been sitting on the floor of his cage all day and has just kinda wobbled around. I honestly thought he was dead a few times.

A couple hours ago he suddenly got up and went on his perch and seems complete fine :S His feathers are puffed up which I believe means he is cold? But it is VERY hot in my room at the moment, I'm periodically turning my air conditioner on and off, trying to keep the temperature balanced but I really don't know if it's helping or making things worse.


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## justmoira (Aug 29, 2014)

If he's puffed up he's in a bad way. Talk to him gently. I'm sorry there's not much you can do without a vet. 
What;s his favourite toy?


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## Cayote (Dec 25, 2018)

justmoira said:


> If he's puffed up he's in a bad way. Talk to him gently. I'm sorry there's not much you can do without a vet.
> What;s his favourite toy?


I've thought about it and I've decided that I'm going to try treating him myself. A lot of my family members have taken their birds to these local vets and they all ended up passing away because the vets are inexperienced when it comes to birds.

His symptoms correlate with ataxia and from what I've read the vet will inject medication under the bird's skin and make sure it stays hydrated and I'd rather not put him through that because he will literally be scared to death especially since he's going through an illness. He REALLY hates being handled and will scream bloody murder if I even put my hand near the cage, so I imagine he would be even more scared of a stranger.

I will call some vets and see if they feel capable of treating him but if not, I plan to feed him mushed oats with a syringe every few hours and make sure he stays hydrated.

BTW his favorite toy is a set of bells that are hung from the side of his cage next to his perch. He loves them so much, every night he sleeps with his head underneath them :laughing2:


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## justmoira (Aug 29, 2014)

I hope he's still doing okay. 
How long has he had these metal balls? Are they stainless steel? His illness could be metal poisoning. Has he been chewing on them at all?


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## Cayote (Dec 25, 2018)

justmoira said:


> I hope he's still doing okay.
> How long has he had these metal balls? Are they stainless steel? His illness could be metal poisoning. Has he been chewing on them at all?


He's had them for a long time, I'm not sure if they're stainless steel but they were cheap so most likely made from Aluminium. I've never seen him chew on them but he does wiggle them around with his beak. I just had a look at the toy closely and I noticed there is a bit of rust on the ring that clips onto the cage. I'm going to remove the toy now.


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## FaeryBee (May 9, 2011)

*It would really be best for your budgie's well-being to be properly diagnosed and treated by an Avian Veterinarian.

If there are no Avian Vets in your area, then the next best option would be to take the bird to an Exotic Pet Veterinarian who has experience dealing with small birds.

When you rely on anyone who has not had training in Avian diagnosis and care, you may be delaying effective treatment. 
Trying to treat at home by what you find on the internet can cause more problems than the bird is already experiencing.
This can prolong suffering that may be avoidable.
The bird will often require a more intense, prolonged treatment with a poorer chance of full recovery than it would have if you seek prompt professional diagnosis and treatment at the first sign of illness.*


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## Cayote (Dec 25, 2018)

Thanks for responding

I really don't trust these vets at all. A while back when he was first sick with scaly face he also had scissor beak, I called my local vets and they recommended I go to this one vet in particular and when I called them they said there is a chance the bird will bleed out after trimming the beak... I have no idea how much they intended to trim off exactly, but it's safe to say they aren't very good with birds.

The closest avian vet from me is a 2 hour commute via public transport, I can't exactly bring a bird cage on a bus and train, nor can I leave him in a box for 2 hours to get there and another 2 hours back.

He seems to be doing better now but if he goes downhill again I might just take him to one of these local vets as a last resort. I'd prefer him to pass away peacefully at home instead of dying from the stress of being handled by a stranger in an unfamiliar place, I keep picturing that scenario and it breaks my heart.


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## FaeryBee (May 9, 2011)

*Let us know how things progress for him.

I'm praying he will have a full and speedy recovery.*


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## Cayote (Dec 25, 2018)

FaeryBee said:


> *Let us know how things progress for him.
> 
> I'm praying he will have a full and speedy recovery.*


Will do. Thank you!.


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## Cayote (Dec 25, 2018)

Quick update: My boy is doing much better now, he regained his balance and is eating and drinking normally. Will continue to update.


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## justmoira (Aug 29, 2014)

That's wonderful news! Do you have any pics?


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## Cayote (Dec 25, 2018)

justmoira said:


> That's wonderful news! Do you have any pics?


Sorry just saw now.


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## justmoira (Aug 29, 2014)

He's a handsome boy <3


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## FaeryBee (May 9, 2011)

*I'm very glad to hear he's doing better and will be praying he continues to improve.
I'll look forward to your updates.*


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## Cayote (Dec 25, 2018)

He seems to be completely healthy now. His behavior has been normal for just over a week now, he's happy, whistling and eating well. Thank you both for your kind words and concern for his wellbeing


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## Cody (Sep 5, 2013)

He's a beautiful boy, glad to hear he is doing well.


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## Cayote (Dec 25, 2018)

Cody said:


> He's a beautiful boy, glad to hear he is doing well.


Thank you


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