# Sick budgie - AGY



## JasnaM (Jan 22, 2016)

I had a flock of 4 budgies but lost 1 of them due to tumor 10 months ago and another one probably due to AGY 4 months ago. Now my third budgie is ill 
He had no symptoms before but I took them to the vet because my previous one had AGY, he did some tests and told me they didn't have it at that point but that I should retake the tests every couple of months.
I watched for any signs of illness in them but I saw nothing until last weekend when my usually active budgie started sleeping a lot! We don't have emergency vets here for birds so I had to wait until Tuesday to go. Yesterday they confirmed he had megabacteria 
That opened a whole other problem for me because we don't have a cure here, we have to order it from abroad and wait 7-10 days to arrive. I found out the same medicine is used for humans so I contacted my doctor to prescribe me that medicine so I can get it sooner. It should be here today.
As you can imagine, I'm going crazy. I feel so bad they also have AGY and I keep asking myself if I should do something before. 
Is it even treatable at this point? My heart is broken.


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## Cody (Sep 5, 2013)

What is the name and strength of the medicine that you have been prescribed? Although many human medicines are also used for various animals it is necessary for the strength of them to be compounded for use in various species. You need to work with your vet to make sure that you will be administering the correct strength and dosage of the medicine, have you discussed this with the vet?


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## JasnaM (Jan 22, 2016)

I managed to get Amphoteracin B. It says it's the therapy for humans as well for budgies in systematic fungal infections.
I contacted my vet, he told me to give him 1 drop of the medicine directly in the beak once every 24 hours.
I also give them water with apple vinegar. He looked better yesterday but we know how malicious is AGY so I'm going to give him the cure for 2 weeks at least and then retest. Vet told me it's possible he would relapse but at least we'll be prepared.
If anyone has any advice, I'm here 
I hope we'll manage to save this little guy :green budgie:


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## Cody (Sep 5, 2013)

That is definitely the best drug to treat an active infection but it is not well tolerated by all so talk to your vet and watch for side effects. Sometimes there can be a secondary bacterial infection with AGY so make sure that is monitored and if you see any evidence of that an antibiotic will need to be added. Please check with the vet about the use of the ACV while you are medicating, you may need to discontinue that during treatment. AGY organism is not always actively shed in the droppings, therefore it cannot be considered cured just because the organism is absent from a test on the droppings. Hope all goes well.


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## FaeryBee (May 9, 2011)

*I would suggest you add Sodium Benzoate to their diet.

https://www.talkbudgies.com/article...orhabdus-budgerigars-avian-gastric-yeast.html*


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## JasnaM (Jan 22, 2016)

My budgie sadly didn't make it but I still have one 
How do you use Sodium Benzoate in their diet?


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## FaeryBee (May 9, 2011)

*I'm sorry for the loss of your budgie. :hug:

Begin with 1/8 teaspoon of 100% sodium benzoate powder in 10 oz of water. Monitor water intake for a few days, and if the bird is drinking well increase water intake
to 1/4 teaspoon in 10 oz of water.

Mix a fresh solution each time you change the water.

Sodium Benzoate

Sodium Benzoate can used as a preventative.

I generally give it to my birds for a period of 30 days a couple times a year.*


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## JasnaM (Jan 22, 2016)

Is it better in prevention than lemon juice or apple cider vinegar? I have both of those home made and I've been giving it to budgies for some time now.


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## FaeryBee (May 9, 2011)

*Apple Cider Vinegar with the mother is helpful as a natural probiotic for digestion.

Sodium Benzoate has a different function when it comes to prevention of AGY.*


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## JasnaM (Jan 22, 2016)

I'm pretty sure my budgie is infected with megabacteria so I want to try everything I can but our vets here only suggest apple cider vinegar and probiotics that we put on food. They don't have any other suggestion.
And they told me not to give it amphoteracin B before any symptoms.


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## FaeryBee (May 9, 2011)

*Is the vet an Avian Vet or a regular vet?*


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## JasnaM (Jan 22, 2016)

Avian vet.
We only have one clinic for birds in my country and I'm lucky enough to be living only 10 minutes away. I still believe they are not as good as probably your avian vets but they are the only ones here :/
They have a clinic at the Faculty of veterinary medicine and the ones I go to see are all professors there, specialized in birds.


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