# Pasting of the vent advice



## Aithusa (Oct 20, 2014)

Hello, since last week i noticed my Gwen has some digestion issues. Dropping stick to her vent feathers and she is scratching it with her leg and puffs up her lower back. I put apple cider vinegard (a teaspoon in half a liter of water) in her water. And she was fine for a few days but started having same issue couple days ago. So now i put store bought bird probiotics that worked last summer when she had same problem.
I read article here addressing this issue, and she does not have diahrrea. The dropping on the bottom of cage look normal, white part is white and brown vaires to dark olive green to dark brown. She does seem to struggle to poop though. She puts herself in a puffed position and starts kinda nervous chirpping when she tries to poop. 
So, from your article, it could be that she isn't drinking enough water. And i don't see really water level changing. I tried giving it to her but managed her to drink only couple of drops.
The problem is that her probiotics that should help are in water. Do you have any advice how i get her to drink more? I stopped covering her at night so there is light on.
She eats only seeds and millets. 
I also noticed for a while now, like maybe last couple of weeks that her tail is lower than usual, if that makes any sense. Like not too low, but not pointing down more than before. I'll post a photo.
Sadly, no avian vets nearby. Only one vet that treats without tests or anything so i would like to avoid that.

Any advice is more than welcome.


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## Cody (Sep 5, 2013)

Budgies usually drink very little water and it is not unusual for you not to notice the water level changing. It is better to sprinkle the probiotics on the food rather than in the water, I am assuming they are in a powdered form. Will she eat any veggies, that is a way to get a bit more fluid into her. You also need to clean the vent area to assure that there is not a build up of droppings stuck to her. Can you post a picture of the droppings?


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## Aithusa (Oct 20, 2014)

Hi Cody, thank you for your response. No, the probiotic is in liquid form and the instruction say 2 drops into her water. I did clean her vent as much as i could, cause she isnt tamed yet(won't even step on finger) so she was struggling to fly away. I used cotton soaked in warm water, the vent is cleared but still some dropping were left stuck on feather. I cleaned her yesterday too. But they keep on sticking. I am attached photos of her dropping, there isn't few cause i cleaned her cage yesterday to close monitor how much she drops. I am also attached her photo when she puffs up when trying to poop and photo of how she keeps her tail- more down than usual.
Also, she is very picky and gets panic attack if i bring and new food near, so just seeds and millet.


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## Cody (Sep 5, 2013)

Are you able to get a probiotic that is in powder form? Is that sand on the bottom of the cage, if so I would stop using that, your bird may be eating it and that could cause a problem, you can use paper towels or newspaper at the bottom of the cage. The droppings that I can see do not look abnormal but something is not right if they continue to stick to her vent. In the pictures you posted of her she looks to be a bit uncomfortable, I say that because of her posture and the fact that her wings are drooping. If there are no avian vets near you are there any exotic vets, they frequently have experience with birds.


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## FaeryBee (May 9, 2011)

*Do you have exotic pet veterinarians in your area that have experience dealing with small birds? If so, then I'd have Gwen seen by one of them.

I agree with Cody - if you have sand and/or grit in the cage, you need to remove it right away and use newspaper (black and white print only OR newsprint which is the paper used for creating newspapers but which has no print on it. It is often used as packing paper as well), white craft paper or paper towels as a liner for the cage bottom.

Grit and/or Sand can cause impaction of the crop.

The information in the link below gives you the type pro-biotic I use for my birds and the site from which the link was taken ships internationally.

To me, the poops do look as if Gwen isn't ingesting enough water since I see very little of the urate (white part of the poop)

I'd recommend you give her Guardian Angel/Pedialyte for a few days to encourage her to drink more while you are waiting to receive the pro-biotic.

You can also make your own Pedialyte using the recipe below:

Pedialyte Recipe*


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## Aithusa (Oct 20, 2014)

I did not know that about sand. It is bird sand that I've been using last 8 years. She never goes to bottom of cage but i will switch to paper. Thank you
Last night she drank lots of water i caught her drinking 6 times and this morning there was lots of droppings below her just not small ones, rather like one large. I will attach photo but it's not very good resolution. 
Thank you for the links, i will see if i can get it and try this homemade receipt.
Regarding the vet, the only one i found, last time my budgie was sick, in our wider area is a small animal vet and she was the only one who didn't refuse to see us. But, she starts giving meds and hope they work, no tests are done. So i would like to avoid that but if she doesn't start showing progress today i will take her there.


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## Cody (Sep 5, 2013)

I can understand that if the vet does not have a lot of experience with small birds that they would not want to take blood for tests but I don't know why they could not at least do a test on the droppings, a gram stain test is a simple basic test that would reveal the amount of bacteria in the droppings and looking under the microscope would also reveal the presence of other things that might be in the GI tract that should not be there, does this vet do tests on other animals?


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## Aithusa (Oct 20, 2014)

Hey Cody, few months back when my budgie was sick i did have droppings analyized so the process isn't simple cause no vet does it but a specialized institute far away and it took them over a month to get results. 
She seems better today. She is drinking lots so she is taking enough probiotic i guess cause she hasn't scratched all day and started pooping, which are all small and normal. She is eating a bit less and slower than usual and is pretty calm all day but it's not unusal for her to be calm on rainy day so that could be reason. It's her third day of taking probiotic.


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## Aithusa (Oct 20, 2014)

So she was fine for a day, and now again same issue. She is scratching again and drops are sticking to her vent feathers. I made her pedialyte, but she wouldn't take it. She is very calm, and sleeping mostly. Drink a bit, and eats a bit, but mostly is calm. I am contacting vet first thing Monday. 
She is a female, and never hatched eggs. Someone mentioned to me it could be that...could it?


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## Aithusa (Oct 20, 2014)

She started what i think is regurgitating, she never did that, and it lasted for good few minutes. She i also scratching her head all day. She is also like munching all the time. I am worried cause she doesn't look good, her eyes are either closed or half opened, but isn't puffed up at all.
Vet isn't available until Monday.


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## Cody (Sep 5, 2013)

She does not look at all well. She may have been trying to vomit, did you see anything come out of her mouth? Has she ever laid an egg before, do you see any swelling in the lower abdominal area or around the vent?


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## Aithusa (Oct 20, 2014)

She didn't vomit. Nothing came out of her mouth. She hasn't tried to ever since. She was singing all morning and playing with her toys. She isn't eating much. And is sleepy a lot. I started her on antibiotic today. I hope she will drink it enough.
She never laid eggs. She is at least 8 years old now. I don't see any swelling.
She is struggling to poop all day. She poops very little and some of what i saw from last night were ony like yellowish watery drops.


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## FaeryBee (May 9, 2011)

*Are you giving her the pedialyte?
If she doesn't drink then she isn't going to make it...

I'd strongly encourage you to find a wildlife rehabilitation center, a zoo or a regular vet that can give you assistance.

There is really nothing members of a forum are going to be able to offer on-line that will be of help under the current circumstance. 

I would also suggest you contact an on-line Avian Vet for assistance.

On Line Avian Vets

http://www.justanswer.com/pet-bird/

http://www.vetlive.com/

Dr. Ross Perry
US/Canada exit code: 011
Australia country code: 61
The 0 on cell phones/mobile phones is dropped on international calls.

Dr. Ross Perry
Mobile 0419 693279
Calling from US/Canada: 011 61 419 693 279

Home (612) 9401 4586
Calling from US/Canada: 011 61 2 9401 4586

Work (612) 99825831
Calling from US/Canada: 011 61 2 9982 [email protected]
[email protected]
Skype and iChat: DoctorRossPerry
Aspiring to love all, serve all, help ever, hurt never.
http://www.drrossperry.com.au/

Appointments, consultations, phone, skype, iChat, e-mail - Budgie Health*


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## Aithusa (Oct 20, 2014)

Hey FaeryBee, 
It's not that she isn't drinking at all, i see her drinking. I just don't know if she is drinking enough. I tried giving her millet soaked in homemade pedialyte but she wouldn't eat it. I am gonna try again today.
I took her to a bird breeder nearby who has vast knowledge, and he said it could be early stage coccidiosis. He gave me medicine to treat it. He also said that sending drops to be analyzed takes over a month to get results back and sadly best chance is to try treat it by symptoms. Cause if i wait that long it could be too late.
I'll see about sending drops to be analyzed either way. And take her to a vet if she doesn't start getting better. I know she will treat it without any tests too, but i don't have any other options. There aren't any zoos or wildlife centres or anything bird related in a 200mile distance.
Thank you for the online vets, i will contact them too.


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## FaeryBee (May 9, 2011)

*Give her the pedialyte to drink instead of plain water for 1/2 of each day. 
It will help make her more thirsty.*


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## Aithusa (Oct 20, 2014)

Thank you for your advices. She is drinking water. And is feeling better. Her drops are almost back to normal, and i have few more days of giving her treatment. I hope worse is behind her. 
Thank you again


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## FaeryBee (May 9, 2011)

*So glad to hear this!
Wishing Gwen a full and speedy recovery. :hug:*


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