# Tail feathers have dropped off and now hes getting poop all over his vent



## trum (Apr 16, 2015)

So the other day i found my budgie had shrunk a good 6cm because his really long tail feathers had dropped off, now hes got a little dumpy tail.

That didnt really worry me since it seems to happen every 6ish months but now his vent is becoming very clogged with poop.

2 days in a row I have had to grab hold of a poop ball hanging from his feathers after taking his sheets off the cage in the morning.

Any advice for what i should do? he seems healthy and normal in every other way.

His diet is trill, millet and fresh apple (only fruit/veg he likes)

Here he is:

Budgie (****y) getting cosy by Trumbit, on Flickr


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## Budget baby (Jan 1, 2013)

Hello, a budgie does not normally drop all of his tail feathers at once if he is moulting. They do this if they get a bad fright or scare or because of disease.
What colour are his poops may I ask? If he were my budgie I would be booking him in for a check up with an Avian Vet.
In the mean time make sure he is kept warm, has fresh water with some apple cider vinegar added to it. The vinegar must have Mother in it to be of benefit it is a natural probiotic. Or you can buy some probiotics and add to his food.
If possible can you please post a picture of his vent area and tail for us to see, also some of his recent droppings if at all doable.


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## trum (Apr 16, 2015)

Pretty boy said:


> Hello, a budgie does not normally drop all of his tail feathers at once if he is moulting. They do this if they get a bad fright or scare or because of disease.
> What colour are his poops may I ask? If he were my budgie I would be booking him in for a check up with an Avian Vet.
> In the mean time make sure he is kept warm, has fresh water with some apple cider vinegar added to it. The vinegar must have Mother in it to be of benefit it is a natural probiotic. Or you can buy some probiotics and add to his food.
> If possible can you please post a picture of his vent area and tail for us to see, also some of his recent droppings if at all doable.


Maybe I should have explained better, he didn't "lose" his tail but he had 1-2 really long tail feathers and they fell out so now he has a short looking tail, it happened last year also, he is very happy and never gets stressed or anything.

I think he probably either just got them stuck while he's acting like a fool or they just fell out and will grow back soon.

His poops are perfect (normal white with a black/brown/green area(no watery stuff)), i really dont see any mood changes or anything so I am wondering if its maybe while he sleeps his vent area has some feathers in the way?

He does fine during the day but thats the third morning I have had to pull a little clump of poop off of him and then he preens himself and gets himself clean.

I will try and get some photos later on.


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## FaeryBee (May 9, 2011)

*Do you offer him a dish of shallow water for a bath regularly? 
Generally a budgie will preen off any poop stuck to his feathers himself.

http://talkbudgies.com/your-budgies-health/59240-pasting-vent.html

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

http://talkbudgies.com/articles-general-budgie-info/103922-my-birds-droppings-normal.html*


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## trum (Apr 16, 2015)

FaeryBee said:


> *Do you offer him a dish of shallow water for a bath regularly?
> Generally a budgie will preen off any poop stuck to his feathers himself.
> 
> http://talkbudgies.com/your-budgies-health/59240-pasting-vent.html
> ...


I do offer him baths but he is too playful, he will run around in the water but after a few seconds all he wants to do is play, he never actually cleans himself :001_rolleyes:


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## trum (Apr 16, 2015)

I thought I would update since i am still slightly worried.

Last night and day he did regular normal black/white poops no problem but when i took his sheet off this morning he had only done 1 poop through the night.

He then spent 5minutes picking at his bum and then produced the largest budgie poop I have ever seen, must have been like 4 times the normal size.

From what I could see his vent was clean when i woke him (i check all the time now since im paranoid)

are large poops a sign of anything?


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## Cody (Sep 5, 2013)

Some birds will leave a little poop pile overnight and some don't, they hold it until morning and then plop, you get a large one and since your bird is a male you don't need to be concerned that a large dropping is a sign of egglaying.
If you are concerned it would be best to consult an avian vet.


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## trum (Apr 16, 2015)

Ok im starting to worry now, it keeps happening, he woke up this morning with huge amount of thick clay like poop all over his bum and i cant get it off.

I dont want to risk the trip to the vet as it killed my last 2 budgies (I think the shock of being thrown out their lovely cage and into a cardboard box then handled by a stranger is really stressful).

I dont know what to do, he wont let me clean him and hes not cleaning himself.

He just keeps pooping and his rear end is getting messier and messier


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## FaeryBee (May 9, 2011)

*Since this is an ongoing problem, it is important you find out what is causing it. As indicated in the links I provided to you in my previous post, pasting of the vent can be very serious.

Why don't you get a small travel cage instead of using a cardboard box? They are not expensive and it would be much less stressful for your budgie to be transported in that manner.

It is important to find an Avian Vet with whom you can develop a good relationship for the times when your budgie requires treatment.

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"

Please let us know how your little fellow is doing after his appointment.*


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## Jo Ann (Sep 3, 2011)

*Tail*

A blocked vent can be lethal in as little as 24 hours. A male budgie does not normally withhold droppings at night. No matter how much your bird resists you must keep that vent clear. While the bird is dry clip or gently pull feathers in the vent area so that any droppings fall away free of feathers. You can soften the vent area by gently holding the bird in a warm shallow bowl of water and gently massaging away the droppings with a gauze or cotton ball or q-tip. Have someone hold the legs still when you trim feathers. They will kick a lot.after vent area is clean and dry take a drop or two of olive or other good kitchen oil and massage the vent area. If the bird has been block you may find it will produce a huge pile of droppings this is normal and important to help it release the droppings before they stop proper release of toxins from kidney, liver that normally pass out of the vent with the droppings that contain digested food product. IT IS CRITICAL THAT THE VENT BE OPEN AT ALL TIMES. Massaging the vent area gently with a drop or 2 of oil may help prevent droppings from sticking to the skin and feathers and also sooth the irritated skin from contact with the droppings.

There are many reasons that a bird may pass abnormal droppings or diarrhea. Until droppings are normal withhold green fresh veggies as these naturally cause the droppings to be loose and watery. Drinking a lot of water will do the same. So watch how much the bird is drinking. to help prevent this provide the bird with probiotics daily at first either in drinking water or sprinkled on the moist /egg-veggie food. Sprinkle vitamins and or electrolyte on moist food or desolve in drinking water as well. A bird can become dehydrated from prolonged diarrhea. the electrolytes help reestablish ph balance and restore the nutrients lost. Some times meds will cause loose droppings.

You are the leader of this birds flock you must learn to gently restrain and hold your bird until it calms down enough to wash or give meds and any other basic activity needed that a bird might resist. "the bird will not let me" is giving your bird the the leadership role. Many vets will not treat a flighty bird for fear it will have a stroke or heart attack. It is very important that you get your bird to accept gentle restraint with or with out a cloth. We give our birds kleenex or a soft tooth brush to chew and express the frustration. This is a normal response. The more often the bird gets to practice this process followed by a safe release and a treat the sooner it will stop and just wait for you to finish. This is different than bonding but will effect how rapidly you and your bird bond. Anyone who wants to have a caged bird as a companion must learn to safely, gently control your bird.

Do they bite ? Yes, many or most will when they are afraid. It is your job to calm the bird. This is your training!!! After handling 40 to 50 birds in one day you become tired and your fingers are sore and your temper may be on edge. If I can do 40 birds you should be able to control your emotions, and issues to give your bird the regular care it needs.Learn to catch a bird with a soft cloth in low light conditions. the bird will be sleepy and easier to capture in dark and will not have time to squak and run and get so up set. We practice free hand catch in our aviary as our birds trust us. We also always have a net to reach your bird in difficult sittuations. Turn the net around and it becomes a perch your bird should view as a safe place to rest and be transported. This is helpful when a bird gets caught behind a bed or dresser. All of our birds learn to come to the stick and or hand. Some times the bird may refuse. It is your job to gently require it to follow your command to step up. this can be life saving for your bird to learn. It may resist. Your job is to gently insist that your bird do as you say to give it the basic care needed. Any one who cannot handle a companion bird needs to consider that they should find another type of companion pet.
Best wishes Jo Ann:Love birds:


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## trum (Apr 16, 2015)

Ok thanks for all the replies.

Past few days I have been using a mister to give him showers and spraying some on his vent area, he is now nice and clean down there and for 2 nights he did loads of normal poops.

I woke him this morning though and once again, no poops anywhere but he was clean.

5 minutes later he squats and starts shaking his bum and a huge big poop shoots out and now hes back to do normal small poops.

He is only being given his normal seed, water and a small bit of millet at around 4pm, giving him nothing else. He also seems super happy and has stopped being as quiet but the large poop still seems weird.

I asked my local vet and they said a large morning poop is sometimes normal but I then called another vet and they said they hadn't heard of it before (both not avian vets, none anywhere near me)


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## StarlingWings (Mar 15, 2013)

A large poo in the morning is normal, the vet is correct. Some budgies go first thing in the morning and others go throughout the night, it just depends  

It sounds like he's doing much better now, so that's great to hear!


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