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Signs of illnes:
In the wild. budgerigars are prey animals. Like any prey animal, if they show signs of weakness (such as
illness or injury) they will be the first to be picked of by the predators. Because of this budgerigars are very good at hiding
illness and injury. It is up to you ,as the owner to get to know your budgerigar so that you can quickly spot signs that your
bird is not feeling well. Any change in behavior should be taken very seriously but there are also other common signs to look
for that may indicate your bird isn,t feeling well:
Abnormal Droppings -
These are often the first thing you,ll notice when your bird is ill. Normal budgerigar droppings are firm and a green or brown
colour. Abnormal droppings may be loose/runny/ watery,bright (almost neon) green or even smaller in size. Sometimes stress
will cause loose droppings but if your budgerigars droppings are light green or if they contain undigested seed, have your
bird seen by an avian vet immediately.
Bright green droppings can indicate kidney problems and undigested seeds mean that something is seriously
upsettind yor budgerigars digestive system.If your bird is having loose droppings ( ot droppings that stick to the vent) for
no apparent reason or if they last for more than a few hours, take him/her to the vet.
Weight Loss - It can be very
hard to tell if your budgerigar has lost weight unless you monitor it regulary with the use of a gram scale. If you notice
a weight loss that cannot be explained by achange in diet or increased exercise, you should have you budgerigar seen by a
vet.
Discharge from eyes or nose - If your budgerigar is having
any type of discharge from the nares (nostrils) or eyes he should see a vet. Many people write this off as a "cold" but it
could be a more serious infection which may need to be treated with medication by the vet..
Sneezing - It,s not uncommon for a budgerigar to sneezebut
if your budgerigar is doing this often he should be seen by the vet. As mentioned above these symptons should not be over
looked and simply labeled a"cold".
Vomitting - Budgerigars often regurgitate food for a favorite
person, toy, or other budgerigar. This is not a cause for concern. When a budgerigar regurgitates it is usually doing so on
purpose. The Budgerigar cock or hen will bob its head up and down to bring the food up from the crop ( a pouch which holds
food before it is past on to the stomach. Vomitting involves very fast shaking of the head, you can sometimes tell that a
budgerigar has vomitted because it will have messy feathers on its face and /or head.
Deformed/Missing feathers or Prolonged Molt - During a molt,
its normal for your budgerigar to look scruffy and uncemt.However if you notice abnormalities about the feathers ( blood feathers
) are encased in a sheath of keratin untill they are completely developed. Theses, especially the larger ones, can look
very odd if you have never seen them before. You may be able to see the blood supply through the feathers and this is perfectly
normal. Abnormal feathers may have stress bars, discoluration or they may curl. Stress bars are dark lines that go across
a feather and are often a sign of a poor diet. If your budgerigar is continually losing flight or tail feathers, this can
be a sign of polyomavirus ( pscittacine beak and feather disease ). Theses are serious diseases that often go hand in hand
and must be checked out by a veterinarian.
Diagnosis of desease in the sick bird is difficult. Advice from a
veterinarian surgeon should always be sought.
The treatment I discribe works for me, and I am happy to pass on my
experiences.
In the first instance warmth is very important to the sick budgerigar
a minimum temperature of 80 degrees Fahrenheit must be achieved.
Vomiting in budgerigars is quite common and can sometimes be caused
by a minute parasite which can be introduced by wild birds, the condition is known as Trichomonas.
The treatment I use is in powder form and is diluted into the drinking water.The name
of the product is Amtyl, containing Amoxicillin Trihydrate and Tyslosin Tratrate a broad spectrum antibiotic for the
treatment of bacterial infections,I find this normally works. you will need to contact your vet.
Harkanker is also another medication that budgerigar breeders
use, which has been used by pigeon fanciers for many years. When you find a bird with this condition it is a good idea to
treat the whole stud as some birds may be carriers, if you do not , you may find that the whole cycle may start all over again.
Strokes and Fits- These really come under seizures . They can be fatal
but sometimes the bird can recover. There really is not a lot you can do if a bird has a fit but leave it alone and keep it
as quiet as possible.
Enteritis - Can be contracted from
other birds or by eating contaminated food/seed. The loose green dropings and soiled vent are very noticable.Treatment must
be immediate or the bird will die.
Heat is the first priority with a minimum temperature of 80F.. Wash
and clean the birds soiled feathers with warm water you do not want to get the bird to wet on the rest of its body, the
heat then will dry the bird s quickly as possible.
The medication for this condition is an old treatment that has been used by budgerigar
breeders for many years, cold tea with a small amount of sugar to encourage the bird to drink as dehydration is now a big
problem, because of the bird losing a lot of body fluids.
So as you can see you are now walking a tight rope , heat is critical but you must not
dehydrate the bird any more. A very carefull eye must be kept on the bird if the condition continues and there is no sign
of recovery it is best to see a vet.
Probiotics
Probiotics are particularly valuable when birds are undergoing stress or veterinary traetment. It
can be used for oral rehydration. The live encapsulated bacteria colonise the birds gut for a short time and help in
encouraging the right conditions to allow the birds natural gut flora to re-establish itself.
Avipro, a microencapsulated water soluble probiotic is a good example. It is a veterinary formulated
complete probiotic with a combination of bacteria, enzimes. electrolytes and vitamins which can be added to the drinking water.
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