# How to feed medication to an untame budgie?



## donttakemycandy

My budgie lets me go near him and has no problem with that unless it's my hand. I need to give him medicine for 2 weeks and it's going to be a battle to give it to him... any tips in making it easier for him and myself?


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## FaeryBee

*Have the budgie in a smaller hospital cage during this time frame. This will help to keep him quiet while he recovers from his illness and will also aid in you catching him for the medication sessions.
Use a glove or a soft white cloth when you catch him so he doesn't associate the trauma with your hand as much as he would otherwise.

The link below will give you information on the best way to administer the medication.

[nomedia="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fUv7gFi8W3w"]How to Medicate Your Bird - YouTube[/nomedia]

[nomedia="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PsMdnQJ1LSI"]Birds Budgies How To Give Drops By Mouth - YouTube[/nomedia]

*


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## Cody

None of my birds are hand tame, this is what I do when I need to give medication. First have the prescribed amount of meds already in the syringe and ready to administer. If it only needs to be given once a day I do it in the morning before the room is light. I will have on a small night light but the room is usually fairly dark. First I pull back the cover on the cage, I open the door slowly and quietly, usually the bird is awake but not yet active, I reach in and very gently cup my hands around the bird and bring it out of the cage, at this point I have to decide if I can hold the bird with one hand and give the meds with the other hand or if I have to let the bird sit on my knee with my hand over it, depends on how much wiggling and squirming the bird is doing. Sometimes the bird will try to bite the syringe and that is an opportunity to get the meds in, sometimes gently tapping on the beak will get them to open, if the bird absolutely refuses to open I can sometimes get it in the side of the beak. It gets easier the more you do it. After I get the meds in I put the bird back in the cage still keeping the lights low, that seems to relax them a bit rather than all of a sudden turning on the lights. Try to stay calm yourself and don't get too nervous about it. If you have to give two doses a day then I give the other at night after I have turned the lights down.


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## donttakemycandy

Wow thank you so much for your advice! I will definitely try that out!


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## RavensGryf

Another thing specifically for budgies... It might help get the meds “inside” the mouth instead of the mouth feathers, by smoothing the mouth feathers away from the beak with a bit of water first, so that you can actually see the tiny beak better .

Then put only a small amount in one drop at a time to avoid too much spillage or getting shaken out. It often helps to gently tap the top of the beak to get them to swallow. Be aware that with every drop, most birds like to shake their head right away to get it out of their mouth. 

Another trick to help th meds get in the right place, is to drip the medicine right in the corner of the beak where it meets the face; as opposed to straight in from the front.


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## donttakemycandy

RavensGryf said:


> Another thing specifically for budgies... It might help get the meds "inside" the mouth instead of the mouth feathers, by smoothing the mouth feathers away from the beak with a bit of water first, so that you can actually see the tiny beak better
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> Then put only a small amount in one drop at a time to avoid too much spillage or getting shaken out. It often helps to gently tap the top of the beak to get them to swallow. Be aware that with every drop, most birds like to shake their head right away to get it out of their mouth.
> 
> Another trick to help th meds get in the right place, is to drip the medicine right in the corner of the beak where it meets the face; as opposed to straight in from the front.


Thank you so much for your advice! It's been difficult because he turns his head around to avoid the medicine -_- but I'll continue trying!


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## Cody

donttakemycandy said:


> Thank you so much for your advice! It's been difficult because he turns his head around to avoid the medicine -_- but I'll continue trying!


I think anyone that has had to give medication has experienced that, I know I have, keep trying.


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