# Sticky Substance on budgie's head and eye area



## SheikahVP (Apr 7, 2016)

My poor parakeet, Apollo has something sticky on top of his head which is preventing him from seeing in one eye! I noticed this when I got home, my little sister placed his cage by the construction area in my house! The construction workers are here and something they must of been using got on to my bird! Is there any safe soap I can use because scrubbing his head with water isn't working! He looks sick. My other bird, Papyrus looks okay. I moved them to a safer location. Please, any advice would help!


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## thewandererw (Jul 26, 2012)

You can try a drop or two of dawn dish soap with a lot of water.and get him to the vet if he is looking sick

linda


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## aluz (Jul 24, 2011)

Hi there,

Are you sure this is a foreign object/mass that came from the construction site?

You can use sterile saline solution to wash the eye and try to clean the area, unfortunately using other items such as soap or detergent near the eye area is not advisable, as the eye can get irritated/inflamed.
If the this foreign material is hazardous, a visit to an avian vet specialist is in order. The vet will be able to further assist your budgie, clean the affected area and prescribe any medicine if needed.

I hope your budgie will soon have his feathers cleaned and his eye will not get irritated.

I'm moving your thread to the "Your Budgie's Health" section of Talk Budgies.


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## SheikahVP (Apr 7, 2016)

Ive never seen something like it before. At first, I thought the stuff was tape! Apollo has been trying to get it off, scrubbing his head along the cage and my hand. He is puffed up and sleeping now. I just scrubbed his eye a bit, and he can open in but it's still all over his head feathers. I'm worried he may have ate some of it too. I can't find the source of whatever is on his head. I'm not sure how he could of gotten it on him in the first place.


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## shanebudgie (Feb 5, 2016)

Greetings,hope your budgie will recover soon.and hopefully you can find and afford a bird vet to help it soon.blessings.sending healing prayers


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## StarlingWings (Mar 15, 2013)

Hi there, 

I'm so sorry to hear poor Apollo has something on his face! Could you possibly post a picture? We may be able to offer more advice if we can see what the situation is. 

Is it possible to move him to a different room away from the construction while still not breaking quarantine? If it is from the construction, it's important that chances for that happening again are minimised. 

If he ingested any of it, a vet visit should be in order as soon as possible, in case whatever it is is toxic.

Warm saline solution may help to dissolve whatever is on his head better, if you get another chance to try and get it off. 

Keep an eye on him and ensure his condition is not any worse. 

Best of luck, I'm praying it's nothing serious! ray:

Keep us posted on how he's doing. :fingerx:


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## SheikahVP (Apr 7, 2016)

This is what it looks like and he's bobbing his head.


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## aluz (Jul 24, 2011)

Do you see loose undigested seeds scattered and stuck on the cage's bars, toys and other accessories on the cage?
Is the foreign material dissolvable, what does it look like in colour and consistency?

From the photo it seems to me that your budgie has vomited and some fluid came out during the vomiting spell.


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## Pegg (Jun 7, 2011)

Sorry about Apollo. Could someone contact the foreman of the construction workers? Describe the sticky substance, he should be able to tell what it is. God luck with getting it off.


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## SheikahVP (Apr 7, 2016)

It's a clear shiny substance. I don't see it anywhere else in the cage. I don't see any undigested seeds. His poop is watery though. After the top photo, I have sinced washed the cage. How does vomit look like?

Ooh! He is eating now. The stuff on his head is still bothering him though.


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## aluz (Jul 24, 2011)

When vomit is accompanied by fluid, the substance is clear and whitish in colour, the substance is gooey and thicker in consistency when compared to water and even after the feathers being dry, they will remain unkempt and look wet when they are not. 
The fluid also has a characteristic smell different from the normal scent of wet feathers.
The affected areas are usually the face area (forehead, eyes, cheek feathers) and at times the upper chest area.


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## FaeryBee (May 9, 2011)

*The best thing to use is Renu Contact Lens Solution.
Work it into the feathers gently in the direction the feathers grow.

Your budgie should not be anywhere near the construction area in your home. The dust, chemicals and fumes are not good for his respiratory system and he could end up very ill.*


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## Pegg (Jun 7, 2011)

How's Apollo today? Did you find out what was on him?


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## SheikahVP (Apr 7, 2016)

As of now, his head is clean. Sadly, he's still seems sick, so I made an appointment to the vet this Monday. He's been mostly sleeping and eating. Are there any procedures I should be doing before the appointment? Is it all right to give him fruits while he's sickly?


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## FaeryBee (May 9, 2011)

*How did you get the substance off his head?

How does he seem to be sickly?
Is he sitting fluffed up?
Is he eating and drinking?
What are his poops like?

I would suggest you keep him quarantined from your other bird and be sure both of them are well away from the construction area in your home.

Ensure Apollo is warm and give him electrolyte solution (pedialyte). If you don't have that then you can make some using the recipe in this link:
http://talkbudgies.com/articles-bud...uardian-angel-pedialyte-pedialyte-recipe.html

Is he having problems breathing?
You can put Apollo's cage in the bathroom when you run hot water through the shower so the cage is in the hot steamy air -- that will help open the airways.

Another option is to tent the cage with a sheet and place a pot or kettle of boiling water under the sheet where your budgie is unable to touch it and allow the steam to accumulate that way. If you have pure eucalyptus oil, you can put one tiny drop into the water as that will also help to clear the airways so Apollo is better able to breathe.

It's important that you ensure he is eating and staying hydrated until you can get him to the vet for a proper diagnosis and treatment plan.

Good luck and please keep us updated. :hug:*


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## shanebudgie (Feb 5, 2016)

Sending comforting and healing prayers for your budgie.keep him comfy on the way to the vet and if its cold outside cover his cage and secure his cage or container in the seat belt.I think he will be ok after he gets treatment on Monday.I'm truly sorry he's having a difficult time.breaks my heart to see anything or anyone suffer.we're here for you.blessings and hope to hear some good news soon.:green pied:


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## SheikahVP (Apr 7, 2016)

I used the contact lens solution since its all I had available.

Apollo has been fluffed up, and sleeping on both legs. He has been sleeping A LOT. He eats smaller amounts during the day, and I have been hand feeding him water because he's been skipping that. He's sneezing a lot. He wavers, so I guess he's breathing hard? His poop is watery and there's so little of it.

Apollo is in my room. Papyrus has remained in the living room. Both are safe from the construction area.

I'm trying the hot water shower thing.

As for the homemade electrolyte solution, can I put it on something else besides millet? Apollo has an odd quirk where he won't eat anything new until I eat it first. So he never tried millet.


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## FaeryBee (May 9, 2011)

*I'm glad the contact lens solution worked well for the removal of the sticky substance. :thumbsup:

Yes, you can put the electrolyte solution on anything he will eat. 
You can also put some of the solution directly into his water dish.
Hopefully, he will drink it.

If Apollo is breathing hard and sneezing he may have developed a respiratory infection from the dust and fumes of the construction.

Will he eat egg? If so, try to give him some egg (without the electrolyte solution on it).
The protein will help keep his strength up.*


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## SheikahVP (Apr 7, 2016)

Scrambled, boiled egg? Or left as is? As long as I eat it, he will try it.


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## FaeryBee (May 9, 2011)

*Boiled egg -- mash it up and try to get him to eat that.*


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