# Is my budgie unwell?



## BirdMommaKirsty (Apr 1, 2014)

Hello everyone!

I have a male budgie (Darcy) who is roughly around 5 years old who is usually very active and noisy!

However, today he is basically just sitting on two legs with his eyes closed, he is also puffed up. He is moving very little and is making little to no noise at all. He is pruning himself every so often and is occasionally tucking his head and sleeping. It is worth noting that he is a budgie who is usually flying around the house causing havoc so this is really unusual for him.

He has a healthy diet of a mix of seeds, pellets and nuggets. He very very rarely eats anything else. I haven't seen him eat today and I don't really recall him eating much yesterday, although the day before that I gave him some millet spray that I got him for christmas and he practically ate the whole thing and non of his regular food. Could this be the cause? 

I have gotten him out of his cage to have a look at him and there is no wheezy breathing, no mucus around his eyes or nose and his bum is also clean. He made a small noise when hopping from my finger to my shoulder. He has flown today from my husbands shoulder to his cage, roughly around 2 feet. I haven't seen him poo or urinate today either. There does *seem* to be some rapid breathing, my husband disagrees. No tail bobbing from what I can tell.

He is being his very loving self when sat with us, no aggression or irritation.

Any and all advice will be very greatly appreciated!

Thank you so much!

- Kirsty


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## Cody (Sep 5, 2013)

Any noticeable change in behavior is a cause for concern, when a bird puffs up that is an indication that the bird is not feeling 100%. Birds will naturally puff up a bit when sleeping but this sounds like your bird is feeling unwell. Foods moves through a budgies digestive track quickly so I doubt that it was the millet that is making him feel poorly. Has he had any droppings at all today? There are so many things that can cause a bird to feel unwell, the cause can only be determined by being examined by an avian vet, do you have one? If it was my bird I would be taking hm to the vet asap as if he has some type of GI issue the sooner treatment is started the better. Keep him warm and quiet and consult an avian vet.


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## FaeryBee (May 9, 2011)

*Hi! :welcome: to Talk Budgies

I agree with Cody.
The best thing you can do for Darcy is have him examined by an Avian Vet for the 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.

If there are no Avian Vets near you, please find an Exotic Pet Veterinarian with experience in dealing with small 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.

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.

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## BirdMommaKirsty (Apr 1, 2014)

Hello thanks so much for your replies.

Just wanted to update you that Darcy is absolutely fine now! He did a very large poo and then was immediately himself again, Im guessing it was the millet causing him some tummy upset! Lesson learned! 

Thanks again!

- Kirsty


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## philw (Aug 22, 2014)

I'd ration his millet!!!  Relief.


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## StarlingWings (Mar 15, 2013)

Hi there and an official :welcome: to Talk Budgies!

I'm so glad that Darcy is feeling better now  Keep an eye on him to ensure symptoms don't return. 

Meanwhile, you've joined a great place for staying updated on everything budgie! If you ever have any questions after reading through the best of budgie care practices, please be sure to ask as we'd love to help! 

We hope to meet Darcy soon  

Cheers :wave:


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## SnowySugar (Aug 25, 2016)

Good news! Glad he's feeling better!


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## SnowySugar (Aug 25, 2016)

Good news! Glad he's feeling better! :lovie 1:


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## PoukieBear (Sep 27, 2013)

LOL, don't we all feel a little better after a big poop?


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