# What is wrong with my budgie?



## MrSeaSnake (Sep 25, 2016)

Hello, i am new here. 
I bought my budgie about 3 weeks ago, and at the time he was about 8 weeks old. Since the beginning he refused to eat anything but seeds (He didn't even eat all the seeds offered) even though we offered him a whole variety of veggies. He also scratches himself a lot. Another weird thing is that he didn't drink any water, even though i changed it every day. He also hasn't touched the mineral block and cuttlebone. Also, he doesnt play too much, just sits and nothing else eventhough i talk to him for hours. However, he is already used to me and he lets me scratch his head and now is confident on standing on my finger.
Everything was looking fine until today.

Today I we bought a automatic water dispenser and i saw him drink for the first time. However, after couple of hours, he started bobbing his head up and down, and then shaking it from left to right. I read that this is because he is vomiting. He also doesnt look very well today. Here is a picture, please tell me what is wrong


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## Therm (Aug 2, 2015)

If your baby budgie was raised on a seed only diet it's very normal for him to only eat seed to start with. Keep trying some veg daily and he might try then in time. Romaine lettuce, spinach and kale are all good 'starter' veggies. 
Budgies don't drink a lot of water so he will have been drinking, you just haven't see it. If he hadn't drunk in three weeks he wouldn't survive, so don't worry about that. 
It's perfectly normal for a budgie to not touch a cuttlefish of calcium block. They will use this when they need it. 

If your budgie it sitting on your finger and allowing head scratches then you can take advantage of this to encourage play with some toys. If he has never had a toy he might be unsure so encourage him. 

When he's shaking his head, are you seeing him bringing up undigested seed? 
What are his poops like today and have they been okay before today? 
Do you have an avian vet near you or have you located where your nearest one is in case of an emergency?


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## aluz (Jul 24, 2011)

Welcome to the forums! 
Even though you haven't seen your budgie drink up until today, that doesn't mean he hasn't had any water. Budgies, especially new ones can be very sneaky and will take a couple of short, quick sips when we aren't looking.
Because budgies take little water on a daily basis and unless they use the water container to take a bath, we won't notice a difference on the water consumption levels.
As to the mineral block and cuttlefish bone, when his body is in need of the calcium and minerals, he will make use of them.

From the photos, I'm noticing is a little staining on the feathers above the cere area. Have you noticed any sneezing and if so was the cere wet in the process?
Also the feet seem to have some crusted spots, this could be the start of leg mites.

Since your budgie is new it would be good to have him seen by an avian vet specialist, so that he is properly examined, diagnosed and if need be treated.

Best of luck with everything!


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## StarlingWings (Mar 15, 2013)

Hi there and :welcome: to the forums! What a cute little guy you have there  

Therm and Aluz have given you great advice :thumbsup: 

Monitoring him closely and seeing which symptoms he is showing can help you to confirm if he is ill or not; I agree that the crusty appearance of the feet may indicate mites. 

Unless he actually brought up seeds while he was bobbing his head, he was not vomiting. Budgies may adjust their crop by doing the same type of up and down head bobbing to rearrange the food/water in there. 

Let us know how your budgie is doing now!

Meanwhile, be sure to read through the articles and stickies of the forums as they will help you to stay posted on the best information regarding budgies and their care. If you have any questions after reading through the forums, please do ask as we'd love to help!

Cheers, and best wishes :wave:


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## FaeryBee (May 9, 2011)

*Hi! :welcome: to Talk Budgies

aluz and Therm have given you excellent advice. :2thumbs:
Your little fellow is very cute. What is his name? I agree it would be best to have him checked by an Avian Vet.

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 new 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 take the time to read through all of the How To Guides, the FAQs and the stickies located at the top of each section of the forum.

You'll find most of your basic questions about budgies and caring for them will have been answered after you've read through all of them.

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Why Quarantine?

http://talkbudgies.com/articles-general-budgie-info/227841-50-common-budgie-dangers-watch-out.html

http://talkbudgies.com/budgie-breeding/327881-heartfelt-plea-forum-members-new-old.html

http://talkbudgies.com/housing-budgies/24411-cage-sizes.html
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To upload full-sized pictures with the proper orientation, please use a photo-sharing service such as PhotoBucket and follow the steps in these instructions:
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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:*


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