# How can I caretake for a budgie



## AdmiralBanana (May 8, 2017)

It's been a while since I've posted, but things have otherwise been well with my boys Prince and Beep. However, a couple days ago Prince tried to fly up to the top of my TV and he missed and fell about 5 feet without properly catching his landing. He was pretty shocked when he fell, and he sat in a corner for a few minutes without moving. There was no sign of bleeding and he has no broken limbs. I rubbed my finger along his belly at many different spots to make sure nothing was broken and nothing was hurting him. I called the vet and told him in great detail everything that happened and he said that Prince was not in need of emergency care but I was free to bring him in for an appointment. However the price he quoted was outside of my budget so I decided I would only take in Prince if I really had to.

Since then Prince hasn't been much of the same. He hasn't been irritable at all, but he's seemed to be a bit more lethargic. He hasn't been singing much and he hasn't screeched a single time (he usually likes to screech a bit in the mornings when he's excited for food). I also haven't directly observed him eat food, so I'm going to try a different bowl for him. He's drank water which I took as a good sign, and he will still eat millet when offered so he's willing to eat, which is what made me think the larger bowl was intimidating for him. This morning, I noticed he wasn't wanting to put a lot of weight on his left foot. This evening I still am noticing that behavior. It isn't bothering him to the point where he won't put weight on it, as he will still climb around using it, grab toys, and scurry around on perches. However, when he's sitting still, he opts to lean on his right foot, taking weight off the left. He even took a nap where he leaned the left side of his body against one of the ladders in their cage. 

Is it likely that this just means Prince is recovering? I'm trying to remain optimistic because this is already a stressful time for me and I very much so love my bird. I'm no expert on birds, but based on his behavior the last couple days, he just seems to be a bit lower on energy and I think his leg is sore and it's recovering (like maybe a bad bruise or a sore). 

Also, what are some good caretaking practices I should do for him? Are there any good nursing tips for helping out a budgie?

Thanks for the read, I can produce any kind of pictures or additional information as requested. 

Cheers,
Matt

P.S. I already have an appointment to get Prince's wings clipped. He's never had an issue flying but I never want to take even the slightest risk of something like this happening to either of my birds ever again. I've read from various sources that it's up to preference so this is going to be my preference from now on. When Beep's wings grow out more I'll do the same for him.


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## Goldenwing (Oct 4, 2017)

We are not trained vets. I think the best advice in this situation is to take your bird in to be checked out by an avian vet. I understand about money being an issue. You can likely work out a payment plan with your vet so that you don't have to pay it all at once. If your bird is injured, delaying care can prolong his suffering and make the injury worse.

That being said, there are a few things you can do. Keep Prince warm. If you do have concerns about how much he is eating, using Guardian Angel or Pedialite in his water can help.
http://www.talkbudgies.com/articles...uardian-angel-pedialyte-pedialyte-recipe.html

Best of luck! Keeping my fingers crossed that all goes well. :fingerx:


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## AdmiralBanana (May 8, 2017)

Thanks for the swift reply! I know it's hard to say exactly what he may be feeling but I wasn't sure if this is typical behavior or not. When I go to get his wings clipped I'll ask the vet if he thinks a full examination is necessary. I'll definitely consider a payment plan.

The prolonging of an injury thing is something I'm certainly aware of. Yesterday he was definitely a little more somber but he wasn't showing signs of soreness. If this behavior continues a couple more days I'll make sure he gets help.

Positive update: he's been singing a lot for the last 15 minutes or so! I'm glad to see him putting out that kind of energy. It's a good sign to me because he's typically a very chatty fellow.


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## Goldenwing (Oct 4, 2017)

In my limited experience, I have learned that budgies are excellent at masking injury and illness. Some other members have talked about how their bird started to do better but then later say how ill the bird became again. Yet sometimes it goes the other way, birds heal on their own. It is just hard to know. I am glad you are planning to take Prince to the vet. I do think the fact that he is climbing around using both feet is a good sign. I hope he starts doing better soon!


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## RavensGryf (May 8, 2015)

Good to hear the latest, that Prince is singing again. Definitely a good sign . I’m sure you’ll be keeping a close eye on whether his appetite and other behavior has picked up as well. Please keep us posted! 

When is the vet appointment?


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## AdmiralBanana (May 8, 2017)

Update: Prince certainly doesn't have the same appetite he used to have (he was quite the morning muncher) but I HAVE observed him eating food! I kept a vigilant eye on him this morning before I left my apartment and he was taking snacks here and there rather than sitting down for a big meal. 

It still doesn't look like he wants to put weight on his left foot but he seems to be a bit more willing to walk around and lean into his large water bowl so I am hoping this is a sign of recovery.

As for his energy to sing he's still not chatting much but he is gracing me with a few notes here and there. This whole ordeal has been very hard on me as the last couple and the next couple weeks are ones where I have to be out for most hours of the day. I'm just constantly worried about him and if I could have it my way I'd be with him the whole time.

His vet appointment is next week.


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## philw (Aug 22, 2014)

Just a comment that if you're birds have being flying out of cage on a regular basis, before this accident, is there a reason for having them clipped? Having wings clipped usually causes them to have very limited ability to control any flight they have, and you could end up with more crash landings. Budgies that fly, in limited areas that they know, learn quickly where they can land and where they can't.


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## AdmiralBanana (May 8, 2017)

Hey Phil thanks for the response. Prince is the only one that can really take full flights since Beep's wings have not grown out very much. When I first moved into this apartment Prince didn't have an easy time flying but he's a bit better now. When I first got Prince his wings were clipped and he couldn't fly very much at all but he could hover. I figure if he can't do much but fly extremely short distances or hover above the ground for a moment he doesn't have a way to cause any harm to himself.

When I go back home to visit my parents, I always make sure I am in a closed room with my budgies so that no other animals can come in contact with them. Thus I'm not too afraid for their safety in this regard because I exercise a great deal of caution. (At my apartment though there's no other animals. They get to roam around free)


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## FaeryBee (May 9, 2011)

*Birds that have been fully-flighted often become depressed and despondent when their wings are clipped.

Birds are meant to fly.

The fact that Prince had one unfortunate accident doesn't mean that there is excessive risk in allowing him to remain fully-flighted.

I have twelve birds, all of which are fully-flighted. 
Yes, there has been a little mishap or two along the way over the last 7 years but nothing I ever felt warranted changing their ability to fly.

Just some food for thought. *


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