Turbs

They're just little bubbies aren't they. How old are they?

I know what you mean by the claw issue... Strangely though my budgies have lived with this arrangement for years without a hitch... The weave is too tight for their claws on the ones I use... If you get a really old towel, it's mostly flat. The downside with towels though is the cleaning... I'm continually having to cut up towels! Washing them works, but they do wear out... Hi Metta, Yes - it's very strange and not good practice that they didn't look at his droppings... First step is to give him his antibiotic... Which one is it? I hope it's not Baytril cause it tastes so awful. If it is an infection, then there is a good chance things will clear. But you really have to be regimented in giving him medicine. Next step if you're really worried and he's not improving in 24-36hrs, get him to produce a dropping and take it to the avian vet - put it in a plastic bag and make sure it's fresh, not dried up.. They can then do a microscope test, culture to see what type of bug it is. Then they'll know 100% that the antiobiotic you're giving him is working (called a culture test - ie. to find the bug and a sensitivity test - to test which antibiotic kills the bug). If they can't do this, I would without any doubt in my mind, look for another avian vet. Best hop on the phone and ask them about whether they can do the microscope/culture and sensitivity test... If they are good, ring them back if he's not getting any better. Remember that budgies can recover from such illnesses. I've had some I thought were on death's door and they've recovered... So have faith, keep him warm and give him the medicine. Hugs from Turbs. I'm sorry he isn't feeling well after the trip. Do you know what he was given with the needle? Keep him in the warm room like you were doing, the heat helps them work against the illness more rather than trying to keep themselves warm. I was told by my vet that around 40 degrees was about right for them. But I was using a bed lamp right next to the cage so they could be as close or as far away as they felt they needed to be. To give the meds hold him gently, bring the dropper from the side of the beak for better control. I was told this way again by my vet when I was using a syringe to give meds via the beak. I know you feel bad but it's up to you to get this meds into him to help.

Another thought may be to pop a sheet of perspex (see through) plastic over the top... Then they get some sun too.. May be you could build 2 aluminium channels either side and then slide it on and off.. Just a thought anyway... Hope the babies don't get cold in the rain! :hap:

I'd go for spinach too. If he finds it a bit hard to bit into, often 3-4min in the microwave does the trick. Although watch out for the hot spots in the stem. Make sure it's cool down :hap:

Sad news Irene... Sorry to hear that... Maybe try the petlink dot com dot au web site to look out for breeders in your area.

Could you take him back to the breeder to see if he's looking for a feed from his parents? Otherwise, feel his crop during the day (especially at night before bed) and make sure that it's full of seed. It should be a pretty hard little lump if he's eating correctly. 4wks does seem rather young to sell a baby. And yes, do indeed get a gram kitchen scale for weighing him... They're so invaluable. Especially keeping track of his weight throughout his life... It'll help you determine when he's possibly getting sick. Look at it also as an investment in his future health...

He is a naughty boy... If his foot is sore though, it could be arthritis.. How old is he and is he a bit pudgy? Happens if the birdies are too fat... Pressure on the leggies can lead to arthritis unfortunately... Though maybe he's just putting up his leg like all birds do from time to time...

Oh dear me... You could try walking around with a saucepan on your head (!)... No really, perhaps you could put a few mirrors in his cage (or does he have some)... Or hold up a mirror to him... My guess is that he thinks that these birds are girl birds and it's a type of courtship response... He's a funny little guy isn't he... If he's biting, as difficult and painful as it is, the best thing is NOT to react. Just pick him up (scream in your head, but don't say anything) and talk to him calmly each time... I've done this many times with birds that bite and believe it or not, all have stopped after a few days... They realise that biting isn't going to work and eventually lose interest. Then make sure that everyone does this - ie. no-one can break the cycle, otherwise it won't work... Although pain hurts and it's easier said than done. But guarantee it will get better after a few days if you can stand the pain... :ygbudgie:

So sorry to hear about Mr B. It's such a worry isn't it... Bear in mind that you're best chance is to go to an avian vet. The Ornacyn-plus medicine you were given is a broad spectrum antibiotic. If you suspect he's really ill, the local avian vet should be able to look at his droppings under the microscope. So if it is another type of pathogen (eg. ones which aren't going to be killed by antibiotics), this will help them determine what exactly it is and give you the right type of medicine. You WILL feel relieved if you can get this type of info, as you'll know what's happening... If you don't have an avian vet, perhaps ask about whether they can check his droppings under the microscope. A lot of vets will have some clue about this, so they may be able to do what is called a Gram Stain (to look for bad bugs) of the droppings... If you are worried about the long trip to the vet, perhaps ask a friend to drive you, so that you can hold the cage and Mr B during the journey. As it's probably very cold where you live (being the Nth hemisphere), warm the car before popping him in and wrap the cage up in full, so he's not exposed... Make sure he's fully covered with many towels or rugs, so he doesn't get chilled... If you're thinking to avoid the vets (not rec'd of course), you would be best to give Mr B. the antibiotic straight into his beak. Then you know that he's getting the stuff into him. But take care to follow the exact instructions on the box - ie. just give him what you are already popping in the water straight into his beak...So don't give him the stuff straight. Just give him what is in the water... Most drinking medicines base the dosage on birds drinking so much per day. However, also remember that this is only an antibiotic - what if he's in pain or has a neurological condition? If you're worried about him falling down again, one thing I tried for my arthritic budgie, is to cut up an old towel (a thin one) and wrap it around the perches - use tape to keep it on. This will make it easier for him to stand. Also perhaps turn a wooden ladder on its side and then cover the ladder with a towel as a soft platform. You could also buy him a piece of mattress foam for his cage floor, so he's protected if he does fall... Just pop paper over it (or whatever you use for his droppings)... If you buy a digital gram scale (like for weighing stuff in the kitchen), you can keep track of his weight each day. Must be grams though. This is a great way to keep check on him, as birds going downhill tend to lose weight. Although remember that it's not a certainty and some birds can die without weight loss... Best of luck with it all. Do go to the vet. You'll feel much better as well. Turbs.