# Help! What's up with my best bud? (video)



## indigolake (Aug 21, 2017)

Hello! My best bud is nine years old. He doesn't have too many health problems historically. However, he does moult fairly often (he finished moulting a few weeks ago). Over the last few days, he has been sleeping a lot more. He's typically been with his beak tucked under his wing and with two feet on his perch instead of one. He still has some appetite although I'd say he's eating a little less than usual due to sleeping more. He still has energy to come out of his cage when offered so that's also good.

We took him to the vets yesterday -- he's been to that one once before. Unfortunately, there was no avian veterinarian available although they were consulting with one during his stay. He was there 24 hours during which he was given some vitamins. When we called and checked how he was doing this morning, we were told that he was better -- eating, sleeping less, and being quite chatty. However, they were suggesting that they anaesthetise him to take a blood sample. Due to him being a small budgie and 9 years old, I said no to that (I've heard there's some risk). I was also concerned that the vet doing the blood test/anaesthetising isn't an avian veterinarian.

So having decided not to do the blood test with them, we went to collect him based on them saying he seemed better. Unfortunately, we haven't seen a difference since getting home. He's spent the afternoon with his beak under his wing, two feet on the perch, and very quiet. He's eating but only a small amount. His only poops have been urine (a wet patch with a little bit of white in the middle). Unfortunately, he has also developed a slight tail bob -- this was not happening before going to the vets. Could this be stress induced? Is it likely after his treatment that he's still sick or is he just tired and in need of recovery time?

I apologise if this is a little lengthy but hopefully this paints a clear picture of the situation. He's my best friend and I just want the best for him. If necessary, I'll drive a couple of hours further from home to see a place that does currently have an avian veterinarian available. Thank you and I appreciate any help or advice you can provide.


----------



## Cody (Sep 5, 2013)

I would make the drive to have him seen by an avian vet asap, he does not look well at all. Giving vitamins will not do anything if he has some type of infection going on. An avian vet will notice things that are quite obvious to them that another vet would not notice. Given the fact that he is a bit puffed up and has the tail bob, at the very least he needs to have a test on the droppings to see if there is a GI tract infection and possibly a throat swab depending on what the Dr. sees when looking in the mouth. If those tests do not reveal anything then perhaps blood work is in order, a budgie should not have to be sedated to get a blood sample, you cannot take much blood from them as they don't have much and an avian vet will know how to collect it if necessary. If he is stressed out by having already been a the vet, that should pass after being back home and he should not be puffed up as he is.


----------



## indigolake (Aug 21, 2017)

Cody said:


> I would make the drive to have him seen by an avian vet asap, he does not look well at all. Giving vitamins will not do anything if he has some type of infection going on. An avian vet will notice things that are quite obvious to them that another vet would not notice. Given the fact that he is a bit puffed up and has the tail bob, at the very least he needs to have a test on the droppings to see if there is a GI tract infection and possibly a throat swab depending on what the Dr. sees when looking in the mouth. If those tests do not reveal anything then perhaps blood work is in order, a budgie should not have to be sedated to get a blood sample, you cannot take much blood from them as they don't have much and an avian vet will know how to collect it if necessary. If he is stressed out by having already been a the vet, that should pass after being back home and he should not be puffed up as he is.


Thank you for taking the time to reply and provide advice. I agree with you -- I'll try to have him see an avian pet. That wasn't possible in the place we went to until Monday. It may be difficult having him seen tomorrow with it being a Sunday. There might not be much choice in terms of who is available in each veterinary practice.

I agree about the poop test. He had one of those in the past (when we lived elsewhere and went to a different vets). I also felt it was strange they would need to sedate him to do a blood test. I feel that must be down to the lack of expertise of the vet (not an avian vet) who would have had to do it. That just reinforces my belief that I made the right choice not to go ahead with that. I'll look to get a second opinion elsewhere but let's see who we can find.

What I would say is that not long after recording that video, he actually rallied a fair bit. He spent a good half hour at least eating his food. He also ate some fruit and nut that I gave him. He chatted a little and generally looked a little livelier (ie not sleeping "tucked in" with beak under wing and all puffed up). Furthermore, the tail bob was completely gone. That was only visible when he was sleeping a long time during the afternoon. That's gotta be good, right?

Safe to say, we'll be keeping a close eye on him and hopefully schedule an appointment with an avian vet for as soon as we can.


----------



## StarlingWings (Mar 15, 2013)

Hello and welcome to the forums! 

I agree with Cody, she’s given you excellent advice. I'm so sorry to hear about your little one and I hope you're able to find a solution for him soon.

Meanwhile, you’ve come to a great place to learn even more about the best of budgie care practices! Please be sure to have a look around the forums’ many budgie articles and “stickies” to ensure you’re up to date on everything. If you have questions after doing so, please be sure to ask as we’d love to help. 

Please keep us posted on how he's doing soon! 🤞


----------



## indigolake (Aug 21, 2017)

StarlingWings said:


> Hello and welcome to the forums!
> 
> I agree with Cody, she’s given you excellent advice. I'm so sorry to hear about your little one and I hope you're able to find a solution for him soon.
> 
> ...


Thank you for the welcome! I certainly will take a look around. I feel like I've learned a lot over the years with Perico who is my first budgie! However, I know I still have a lot to learn. I feel like it's one of those topics where it's always possible to continue learning and improving. I'll certainly take a look around as you've suggested. I'll try to provide an update again soon. Fingers crossed it's a good one! 🤞


----------



## FaeryBee (May 9, 2011)

*Good luck with the vet appointment for your little fellow. I look forward to your update after his appointment.*

*Avian Association of Veterinarians*

*A Healthy Diet for your Budgie*
*Quality Seed Mix*
*CuttleBones, Mineral Blocks and Manu Clay Roses*
*Safe Foods for Budgies*
*The Truth about GRIT*

*Please take the time to read through the Site Guidelines, the FAQs, the Budgie Articles and all of the Stickies located at the top of each section of the forum.
Truly, the very BEST advice anyone can offer you is to take the time to read ALL of the stickies throughout the various Talk Budgie forums as well as the Budgie Articles we have posted.
These are great resources for Talk Budgie members and have a wealth of reliable information which will assist you to learn the best practices in caring for your budgies for their optimal health and well-being.*
*SITE GUIDELINES*
*List of Stickies*
*Posting on the Forums*
*Let's Talk Budgies!*
*FAQ*
*Articles*
*Be Prepared for Veterinary Care Expense*
*Avian First Aid*
*Quarantine IS Necessary!*
*A heartfelt plea to forum members new and old*
*Tips For Discouraging Breeding*
*Before You Ever Consider Breeding Your Budgies*
*Guidance for Breeding Advice Threads*
*Cage sizes.*
*Essentials to a Great Cage*
*Dangers to Pet Birds*
*Resource Directory*


----------

