# New budgie not acting 'right', have poop pictures!



## FurryBadgers (May 9, 2018)

Hello all,

So about a month ago we got two new budgies to add to our flock. One of them has settled in really well, and is flying around/playing with toys/climbing around the cage and just generally enjoying himself.

The other one however has been acting different. He's pretty stressy, and whilst he has seemed fine, recently he has been acting 'off'. I noticed that his poops are sometimes odd.

Picture of poo!

Does anything know what's going on?

Thanks


----------



## FaeryBee (May 9, 2011)

*Hi! :welcome: to Talk Budgies

Hopefully, you quarantined both budgies before introducing them into your flock.

Quarantine means housing the new bird in a different cage in a different room than the current bird (as far away from the room the current bird is in as possible) for a period of 35-45 days.

Budgies mask symptoms when they are ill. Symptoms may not show up for over two weeks. 
Often you will not even realize your bird is not well. Many budgie illnesses are airborne which is why you need to quarantine your new bird in a completely different room.

Your budgie needs to be seen by an avian vet for a 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.

Distinction between an Avian Vet and a Vet that "Will See 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.

http://www.talkbudgies.com/articles-budgie-disease-illness/103922-my-birds-droppings-normal.html

http://www.talkbudgies.com/articles...aluation-bird-droppings-indicator-health.html

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.

Site Guidelines
Posting on the Forums
Let's Talk Budgies
How-To Guides
FAQs Frequently Asked Questions
Budgie Articles
List of Stickies
Be Prepared for Veterinary Expense
Avian First Aid
Why Quarantine?

A Heartfelt Plea to All Members
Guidance regarding Breeding Advice Threads

Recommended Minimum Cage Sizes
Essentials for a Great Cage
Resource Directory

When you upload pictures as attachments directly from your computer, tablet or phone, the forum automatically defaults to landscape. Additionally, the picture appears as what we term a "thumbnail" attachment.

To upload full-sized pictures with the proper orientation, please use a photo-sharing service such as Imgur and follow the steps in these instructions:
How to Post Full Size Pictures from a Photo Sharing Site
You can practice uploading pictures in the site's "Test Forum:
Test Forum

By the way, all photos entered in any of our forum contests must be a full-size photo and not a thumbnail attachment so it's good to know how to upload them! 

If you have any questions after reading through everything, please be sure to ask!

Glad you decided to join us and looking forward to seeing you around the forums.

:wave:*


----------



## RavensGryf (May 8, 2015)

:iagree: FaeryBee has given you some detailed information above. 

Have you noticed your budgie eating? The pic shows dark poop, as if he might not be eating much. It could also be the photo. Is he perhaps being bullied away from the food dish? 

At any rate, as was mentioned, an avian vet would be best able to check your little one in person, and give you a treatment plan if necessary. 

You noted that he’s been acting “off” lately, but has he been sleeping more or less energetic?

** Also, we have a ton of great information in our Articles section as well as in all the Stickies posts located at the top area of all the forum sub-sections. Do take a look at these . Please keep us posted!


----------



## FurryBadgers (May 9, 2018)

Thanks very much for your responses!

Yes he has been eating - could be the camera or the light?

We managed to get him to an avian vet this evening - he's got an enlarged air sac, and they've taken droppings to be tested.

He's now on a course of antibiotics and we're going to be treating the water with supplements.


----------



## FaeryBee (May 9, 2011)

*I'm glad you've taken your budgie to the vet for a proper diagnosis and treatment plan. 
I wish him a full and speedy recovery. :hug:

*


----------



## StarlingWings (Mar 15, 2013)

Hi there and :welcome: to the forums!

You've been given great advice  I agree completely. 

Be sure to read through the budgie articles and stickies in the links above to ensure you're up to date on the very best of budgie care practices!

If you have any questions after reading through everything, please be sure to ask as we'd love to help!

Hope to see you and your budgies around the forums! 

Cheers :wave:


----------



## RavensGryf (May 8, 2015)

Best wishes to your little one, for a complete recovery! Please keep us posted on how he’s doing .


----------



## FurryBadgers (May 9, 2018)

Thank you everyone!

This will be his third day on antibiotics. His droppings have returned to a relatively normal shape/consistency, which I hope is because the medicine is kicking in. He can be a bit of a git with the medicine, so hoping he is getting the right dosage to help him.

Still waiting to hear back about the gram stain.

He’s still pretty tired all day but I assume that will pass as this goes away.


----------



## FaeryBee (May 9, 2011)

*Thanks for the update. I'm wishing your little one a full and speedy recovery! :hug:*


----------



## RavensGryf (May 8, 2015)

Good to hear the meds seem to be working. 

A little tip to get oral meds in a budgie’s mouth, is to take a bit of water and smooth away the feathers around the mouth. Then, leak the drop of medicine into the mouth at the corner (where the beak meets the body).


----------



## FurryBadgers (May 9, 2018)

He certainly likes to squirm!

Took him to the vet for a follow on appointment, and the good news is that nothing came back from the gram stain. He was more ‘fighty’ in the cage this time (running around/chewing newspaper etc). They were happy with his progress, although said it would take a while for him to recover.

He is underweight though. I can only assume that’s been an effect of him being ill for a while and not being comfortable in his new environment. He’s certainly eating more now than I’ve seen before. Also his keel bone isn’t visible to the eye, and I’m hoping that doesn’t change.


----------



## FaeryBee (May 9, 2011)

*I'm so glad the gram stain came back negative and he's on the road to full recovery!!*


----------



## FurryBadgers (May 9, 2018)

Me too! He's still fluffed up generally and doesn't interact alot, but I'm hoping that will go with time.


----------



## RavensGryf (May 8, 2015)

Great news ! I’m glad to hear the gram stain was negative, and the meds have been working! I’m sure he’ll be back to normal weight soon.


----------



## FurryBadgers (May 9, 2018)

Hi everyone,

I’m sorry to report that he died this morning  we gave him his meds, then a minute later he fell on the floor and wouldn’t recover.

I’m going to ask the vets about him. They may suggest a necropsy, or perhaps there’s something we’ve missed.

But yeah, gutted


----------



## Blingy (Feb 26, 2018)

Oh no, I'm so very sorry to read this. The poor little thing. He was obviously more unwell than he seemed. Fly high and free sweet angel. You are in my heart at this very difficult time.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


----------



## JRS (Sep 3, 2016)

I so very sorry to hear that.
You did all you could to help him and I hope that gives you some comfort. :hug:
These little birds can be so good at hiding just how poorly they are.
Fly high little guy.


----------



## FaeryBee (May 9, 2011)

*I'm very sorry for your loss. :hug:

Fly high and soar freely little budgie; rest peacefully now.*


----------



## FurryBadgers (May 9, 2018)

Thanks everyone.

The vets agreed that because of his age (he was only 9 months old) and him being new to our home that a post mortem would be best. That’s been done and there was nothing obvious (except for an enlarged lobe on the liver). They’ve sent off samples for testing, so at least if there was an underlying issue that the breeder should know.

The good knows is that the other one we got at the same time is running around throwing broccoli off the edge of the cage, so I guess he’s fine ... *cough*


----------



## Hunterkat (Mar 29, 2017)

I am so sorry for your loss...


----------



## RavensGryf (May 8, 2015)

Oh no, this was unexpected . I’m so sorry that your little one could not recover. You had done all that you could. :hug:


----------



## StarlingWings (Mar 15, 2013)

I'm very sorry for your loss :upset: 

Because your little one is no longer with you, I'm closing this thread.

If you'd like, you can post a tribute to your budgie in the "In Memory" section of the forums. 

I'm glad your other budgie is doing well despite everything. 

Rest in peace, little budgie. Fly high among the stars.

Hugs to you during this difficult time :hug:


----------

