# What's wrong with my budgie? Is he sick?



## BudgueBudgie24 (Nov 28, 2018)

I have a male budgie named Kiwi and he has been fine until recently. He is constantly puffed up despite the warm house temperature. And he rapidly opens and closes his mouth. I don't know if he's sick or not. Please help.


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## FaeryBee (May 9, 2011)

*Hi! :welcome: to Talk Budgies

Anytime a budgie exhibits behavior that is abnormal such as what you are describing, you need to take the bird to an Avian Vet for the proper diagnosis and treatment plan.

Avian Vets have special training to determine the cause of symptoms resulting from illness or trauma. 
This is important as "regular" vets will often overlook symptoms that are quickly obvious to an Avian Vet.
When you rely on anyone who has not had training in Avian diagnosis and care, you may be delaying effective treatment. 
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.

If there are no Avian Vets near you, please find an Exotic Pet Veterinarian with experience in dealing with small birds.

Having your budgie examined by an Avian Vet allows you to develop a good relationship with the vet in case your bird needs care for an injury or illness in the future. Additionally, it is always helpful for the vet to have a baseline for your bird to refer to should it need future treatment.

Please have Kiwi seen by the vet as soon as possible and let us know how he's doing. I'm wishing him a full and speedy recovery.

Please take the time to read through the Site Guidelines, all of the How To Guides, the FAQs, the Budgie Articles and 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.

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## StarlingWings (Mar 15, 2013)

Hi there and :welcome: to the forums!

You've been given great advice. It's very important to take your little one to the avian vet right away to ensure that he's doing well. Please take him in as soon as you can, and let us know what you find out!

Meanwhile, you've come to a great place to learn even more about the best of budgie care practices. Be sure to read through all the links above to ensure you're up to date on everything! If you have any questions, please do ask as we'd love to help. 

We hope to meet your budgie soon  

All the best! :wave:


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