classylady

Hi everyone, Percy (who has liver disease, fatty lipoma and gut probs) still has problems. Took him to the vet last week telling him that Percy seems to be getting hot for no reason at times... and I wondered if he had an infection because his gut was still playing up (watery droppings, green tinged, hard sometimes etc etc). So the vet gave him an antibiotic shot (ouch poor devil) that lasts for 2 weeks. Well it has changed nothing and Percy is still fluffing up all round his tum and back as tho it's sore or uncomfortable. I recall something about giving budgies with liver disease vitamin B but I don't know where to find a product here in the UK that is specified for that, can someone advise me please? Also if it was just the gut problem say, that is making him unwell which is seems to be... what can I give him for that..... maybe it's colitis or constipation et al (he does strain at times tho I think it could be the fatty lipoma in the way of him going to loo).... what sort of thing can I give him for the gut problem? I've tried over 5 years and 3 avian vets to find an answer to my boys' problem and we are still no further forward. I hate to see him uncomfy and not happy but can do nothing. Apart from that he is chirpy and tries to be "okay"... mind you when he's bad he sleeps a lot as you may imagine. Any help great received as I know everyone here is kind enough to pass on tips and help where they can. Thank you. Chrissie

Here's my entry (for what it's worth (Laughing out loud)) " My bruvver taught me how to pick my nose.... I don't think I'm getting it right somehow"

Hi, thanks for your replies. I added vits to his water it's called Guardian Angel but don't use it every day. I also scrape some of his iodine block onto his seed at times to help out if it will. He is mainly on a seed diet because that's what he prefers (you know what they are like) but I mix ordinary seed with canary seed because the vet said it's less fattening. I don't give him millet now as the vet said not to because it's fatty. I occasionally use the superfine pellets for him but he rarely eats them but I occasionally put them in a shallow dish on top so he can choose to pick at them, also "tonic seed" which I get from the pet shop. It's all difficult with his liver condition to know what to use. Is there a special tonic one can give especially at times of moulting as I'm sure he needs something like that? Thanks for all your help Chrissie

Hi everyone, Just wondering what sort of protein/vits I should be giving my boy, he has a bad moult on, lot of white feathers showing through his blue chest ones. I wonder if anyone buys things like "feather up" to give whilst they are in this condition... he is very quiet mostly and is scratching etc. Trouble is with his liver disease and fatty lipoma I just don't know what I can and can't give him to help him. I try him on veggies cooked and raw and mashed up egg the latter he loves but not the veggies... sigh....any suggestions would be gratefully received. Thank you Chrissie x

Hi My budgie has had an enlarged liver since he was young, he's now 5 yrs old. I think if you can get him onto pellets or at least half seed half pellets it might help a little. One of the vets told me that you can help by reducing weight in a budgie so as not to strain the liver but it's not worked for mine. You will probably notice he has green ish poo's as well (mine has all the time) but as for other help I have never found it. He is chirpy and lively most of the time, scratching a lot too and moults a lot, but with tlc he keeps on going thank goodness. Another thing you will notice too is his beak and claws will grow quicker than most budgies due to the liver condition. It's an ongoing thing that you just have to manage and keep in touch with your avian vet. I hope you can cope as it can be distressing at times. If you have any tips you find out please let me know, we might be able to help one another here. best of luck Chrissie

Really sorry to hear about your little sweety.... terrible when they aren't well. I can only tell you about my darling bird, he's 5 yrs old now and never been "well". Eventually after xrays they found he has enlarged liver which has not helped him with gut problems (obviously pushing down on his intestines) and also he has a fatty lipoma... again not helping and that's why he has the gut problems that have been going on all these years. I don't know the answer to it, he's been on antibiotics, etc etc but nothing is curing him, we just manage his health the best we can and he is chirpy and happy most of the time... I hope your little angel does well and that your vet can help her out... I'll pop in here to see how things go, hopefully you will have some good news soon. best wishes Chrissie

Sitting here reading this thread and crying as I know just how much our darling birds mean to us and I would be SO devastated at losing my little sweetie as I know Lovey is at losing Pretty. You are so brave to share your experience and sadness with us, I don't know I could be as brave. As you said, people here understand and that is what is brilliant about this site. My thoughts are with you and your family and anyone else who suffers the trauma and devastation of losing their darling birds. I know with Percy's chronic illness it could happen to him at anytime so I hold him very close to my heart knowing I'm lucky to have him whilst he's here, though what I will do when his time comes I dread to think. Thank you for sharing things with us and thank you everyone for being here as and when we need you. hugs Chrissie

Have only just seen this post but I must say how much it annoys me (and no doubt others too) when anyone says they can't afford the vet. I don't usually comment on things like this but I just cannot believe people will have animals and deny them treatment from the vet. The quote "If you can't afford the vet you can't afford the pet" comes to mind and is SO true. I just wish people would consider what it takes to keep ANY animal and that one will usually have to visit a vet at least once and that they don't give their services free! Pity animals aren't considered more as far as I'm concerned... as it seems so selfish that anyone would get an animal and yet if ill will not take it to the vet. Sorry but I feel this has to be said as I read so many times on here where people can't afford the vet but WILL get the pet!

Hi thanks for your help everyone. The toe seems okay today and now I can see it, the claw isn't completely off there's a tiny fraction still there but nothing to speak of, so maybe it will grow again in time. Yes Percy has had non stop gut problems since I had him at 6 weeks old, droppings range from plain "water", cloudy "water", urates only, grey and white, green and white, hard, soft, green stained with just bits in the middle of the staining... you name it, anything but normal. He has been diagnosed with liver disease and has fatty lipoma too (he's now 5 yrs old By The Way) but the main problem with his gut is that he sits fluffed up over the vent area - i.e. on the bottom of his back and looks very uncomfortable when he gets really bad. I feel sure it's like a colitis when this happens but three avian vets have said it's just his liver disease... I'm not so sure. Just lately he's bad again and why I think it's gut problems is that he is fine first thing in the morning before he's eaten, then as the day goes on he gets worse (after eating presumably). He eats plain seed, sometimes mixed with canary seed now and I've started him on Harrison's superfine pellets which he will eat occasionally. I just don't know what to do for him when he's bad, he's been on probiotics which haven't helped, occasional antibiotics from the vet but that never clears it fully...... so any suggestions here would help me and him! Thank you. Chrissie

Hi just wondered if anyone else has had a budgie lose a claw? Percy's back (inside) claw caught on some fabric the other day and bled though not an awful lot. It has seemed painful to him for a couple of days and rather than panic him to try and pick him up to cut the tip off (it had turned on its side) I have left him as it wasn't bleeding. Anyway I had to pick him up today because he had some droppings stuck to him (same old gut problem he's had for ages now) and when I picked him up I noticed blood over my hands. Having looked at him it seems the "hurt" claw has now come out. I have put him back into his cage and he has settled down and it isn't bleeding, I don't want to disturb him but is there anything I SHOULD be doing for him re this and will it grow back? So many problems for this poor little mite, I just don't know how he stands up to it all as he's been a fighter all the way through (enlarged liver, liver disease and gut problems). I am so upset about all this as not only has this happened he has the dropping problem again and I'm wondering if I should give him antibiotics.... problems, problems... I would so appreciate any advice you can give me folks... thank you very much Chrissie x

My budgie's beak looks exactly the same and that's because he has liver problems. I'm really scared to get it trimmed this time because my last avian vet trimmed it too much and it wouldn't stop bleeding.. I was devastated. He had to take him in and cauterized the beak and kept him overnight at home with him for which I was thankful but I am NOT taking him back to him to have it done this time. I vowed I'd do it myself but again scared that I might not do it right.... after the trauma for my bird and for me I'm leaving it for as long as poss though I know it will have to be done eventually. Am trying to convert budgie to Harrisons fine mix pellets and of course he doesn't want to know (sad), though he is taking a few when I pick them up and offer them.... just wish they knew we are only trying to help... oh well, que sera sera methinks. Hope you can get your budgies beak clipped and with no trauma involved though I must admit my birds beak has been done before without it bleeding, just think the vet went beserk last time!! Chrissie x

Thanks for your replies. The vet doesn't really offer much help most of the time, last time he gave Percy a steroid injection which I wasn't happy about and also some Ambidec vitamins which are for children. I wanted to try something different because this problem has been going on for the life of my bird - 5 yrs - and three different avaian vets later and no real help most of the time. I have been in touch with "Birds on line" and they recommend Calcivet for his moulting. I've never given anything to Percy during his moult so maybe this would help and I'm willing to try something different.... with care of course. I gave him mashed up hard boiled egg this week and he enjoyed that, as I was told that might help... so will see how it goes. Thanks everyone for your help it's really appreciated and if anymore tips and help is out there I'd love to hear. Thank you Chrissie

Hi everyone Just wondered if you could give me some advice as to what I can give Percy with him moulting as he always seems to go downhill more when in moult (which he does quite often due to his liver disease methinks). He has fatty lipoma too which doesn't help as the vet says that's what makes him scratch his vent so much cos the droppings don't always fully come out.. so that's a problem which I can't do much about sadly. Anyway, his food consists mainly of pet shop seed as he won't touch much else, though I do give him cooked and raw broccoli at times, both of which he picks at, also carrot. His droppings have always ranged from loose, to hard, grey, green, green stained water... white, grey white etc etc but rarely normal. I know this is to do with his liver disease though. Does anyone treat for constipation which I am sure he often suffers from? He also gets very "anxious" which results in him tapping on his cage, or mirror etc and I put this down to him lacking something as he does this more when he's moulting or "under the weather". I really don't know what to do for him, he's 5yrs old now and had all these problems since I first had him, though the fatty lipoma came on later. Would love some advice from you guys if you can throw any my way as I'm once again at my wits end as to know how to treat him and get him through this once more. I think he needs vitamins but which ones and how etc... I give him the occasional Lactulose for the droppings probs but it doesn't help too much at times. Thanks for any help you can give. Chrissie x

I was told by a budgie breeder that to stop loose droppings in budgies, to administer cold black tea as this helps them. If I were to give it to mine I'd use caffeine free tea which I drink anyway. Don't know if this helps but just to say I have had this advice given to me which I would use if I needed to. I wouldn't recommend it unless the droppings were loose but as a "medication" for quick fix I should think it would be okay though always best to ascertain why the droppings were loose in the first place. Chrissie

Excellent idea, I would be very interested in this especially if it's anything to do with liver et al as my budgie suffering from liver disease and fatty lipoma. Need help too with digestives as he is always scratching vent and nothing there so all help greatly appreciated. Well done for offering this and thank you. Chrissie

Hi Rainbow Thank you so much for answering this I am really grateful for your input as always. The vet didn't actually discuss how, what and where (thank goodnes really), he did say Percy was in good condition at the moment which he is. It's just that he is continually scratching which is distressing to see, though the noticeable area is his vent which he tries to scratch with his feet. I STILL feel it could be an infection/parasite there, but the vet who hasn't tested for that lately said he doubted it!! In fact he gave me Fuciderm (which is for dogs) a corticosteroid gel for treating eczema and other skin condition in dogs. I'm not happy about this (after having bought it from the vet and read the leaflet esp as one of the side effects can be an enlarged liver which Percy already has!). Anyway, I really am upset with all this as you will imagine with what you went through with Rainbow. I don't think I could give Percy injections and as the vet hasb't discussed it fully I don't know what it will entail. I am going to try and take Percy to yet another vet next week if possible. He is well in himself, chirpy lots so it's very very difficult to say "this is it"..... I just want to know really if there is something other than the liver disease making him scratch his vent area... he's ALWAYS done it so I feel it's not just that, only that he's doing it more. Thank you so much for your help here, you don't know how much I value that. I will keep you posted as much as I can, suffice to say I'm getting more and more nervous about it all as Percy being 4 yrs old now and knowing this is a terminal illness, I am absolutely dreading "the day". Especially as he was on my lap last night and I was playing with him, I said to him, "Come and cuddle mum", he looked up and ran all the way up to my chin and rested his head there..... so you can imagine how I feel talking about "the end" etc etc... when he is like this, this is why I try so hard to get as much help for his as possible, I couldn't have it any other way. Take care Rainbow and thank you SO much for your help. hugs Chrissie x

Percy who has chronic liver disease with all the associated problems of that (gut probs etc) and scratching round vent lots as per usual. The vet now says that the last resort for him to make him comfortable would be steroid injections.... has anyone heard of this and if they have what results have they had? I am not happy with him injecting my budgie unless it's to save his life or prolong it comfortably, but steroids always seem such an aggressive form of treatment for anyone, let alone a little budgie. I haven't posted all the symptoms and treatments he's had here (there are other postings of mine about Percy), but I would really appreciate any answers/help/comments re this treatment and anything else anyone may be able to say. Many thanks. Chrissie x

If anyone is familiar with my budgie Percy and his liver disease etc etc... then what this is describing is something he has always done, nothing to do with him being "fat". He has a fatty lymphoma on his stomach though, but the trying to itch his vent with his back feet is awful for him and he's done it for ages now, always gets worse when the gut problem he has is worse too. It helps with some antibiotics but the liver disease is always going to be there unfortunately. I would say that your budgies, if looking ill and you should know seeing them every day, also them being fluffed up and "kicking their bums" isn't because they are over weight, I would seek further advice and help and definitely not let them have injections for something you or the vet doesn't know what they're for. I'm not an expert but I do know that doesn't sound right all round. I hope you find something out that will help the poor little mites, let us know if you do... take care Chrissie xx

I am sorry but I have to disagree with not giving a lone budgie mirrors and plastic budgies in their cages. To me it is totally wrong. My wonderful budgie Percy (has chronic liver disease etc etc) has ALWAYS had mirrors in his cage and has one of those budgies with a weight at the bottom that swings on the perch.. he LOVES his mirrors and the budgie and I would never deprive him of either. In fact he has two mirrors in his cage and several outside.... he is a brilliant talker, he is finger tame (tho doesn't like to be held in your hands as he associates this with dosing of medicine!!) but he has been fine with all the accoutrements since we had him. I really think that it's cruel not to give them some company apart from human. I don't like the fact that we don't have two budgies but we couldn't at the time and now after 4 yrs and all his ill health problems I couldn't get another one. But please DO give them mirrors and plastic budgies as it doesn't impede their character at all. And whilst on the subject of do's and don'ts.... PLEASE don't clip their wings as that is the cruellest of all. They are meant to fly, Percy is out all day and comes and goes in his cage as he wants, all you have to do is keep the door of the room closed and be careful when you go in. Luckily he stays in or on his cage... but to clip their wings is total cruelty... how would we humans like our feet cut so we couldn't walk???? By they way, Percy also twitches his wings and preens them a lot... not sure what that is either so hope someone can come up with the answer to the original question. Thanks guys. Chrissie x

Hi Rainbow, your reply is very much appreciated thank you. I asked my vet and he said to get it from the heath food store and give the milk thistle in birds water. Now I don't know much about this product, but I really didn't think that was the case so not happy about that. He doesn't prescribe it or get it apparently!! I'm really hacked off about it but he's the only avian vet in my area, well 15 miles away... so I'm winging it now as with him having cut Percy's beak too short and traumatising him, I will only go back to him for routine things. I will have to keep looking for the milk thistle, but it's the dosage.... and how to give. So thanks for your help, I will keep trying tho. hugs Chrissie x

Hi everyone, just a question on where to buy (probably on the internet) milk thistle for my budgie Percy who has a chronic liver ailment. I have heard that other people give it to their budgies for this problem but I'm not sure where to get it or in fact, how to give and what dosage. Would really appreciate any advice on this. .. thank you so much. Chrissie x

Hi Rainbow, many thanks for your input. My vet hasn't got the milk thistle he said to buy it from Holland and Barrett, but I know that's only for humans and I should be able to get it for animals. I am going to put up a new thread asking if anyone knows where I can buy it.... just in case they know of a place on the internet. Percy is much better at the moment, though still scratching his vent (as has always been the case and which I think is the caused by the dropping problems he's had since 6 wks of age). I've got a spray from the vet for that... AVi X or something like that... don't like to use too much so only use it if he scratches a lot. Percy did start to eat the softer foods thanks, never tried the sprouting seeds, I've read somewhere you have to be careful because of them going bad.... so never done it. I think his chronic liver condition makes him go down from time to time, but of course he could well have done without the vet butchering his poor little beak. He's a tough soldier though is Percy, comes bouncing back each time with all the trauma he goes through.... all I have to do now to keep him going for a while to come, is the milk thistle. Vet told me to give it to him in his water... I'm not sure he actually knows about it....will have to see when I get some. Thanks to everyone for their help and advice, you are brilliant, I don't know where I would be without this site. Thanks guys (unisex meaning). Chrissie x

Hi again, Percy has begun to pick up in himself and is eating better than he was. However, he is sleeping an awful lot which worries me now. I know the trauma to his week was only five days ago, but I just don't know why he is sleeping so much. I feel sure it could be to do with his liver problem as he did sleep more than other budgies but it seems to have increased now. I still haven't found out about using milk thistle, my avian vet said he would find out for me.. so will have to ring him. Thanks again for your interested in Percy and any further ideas/help would be appreciated. Many thanks. Chrissie x

Hi Lovey, thanks again for your support. Percy is bucking up.. he really is a tough cookie thank goodness. He is eating a bit more today. I am hoping to find out more about thistle milk and if that will help him, someone emailed me about it today so looking into it. Just wondering have I mentioned the AXI soothing spray the vet recommended for the skin irritation? I got that but not used it yet as I know the scratching business is because of his liver. Anyway I'm continuing to try and find out more and get something positive into him for his liver condition. Thanks for you help and I will get back to you when I can. take care Chrissie x

Hi everyone, thank you again for your most valued help. Lovey, he eats a little fruit at times but not much, is having a little peck at some nectarine at the moment - at least he's eating. Is having a little seed too, but not much. I boiled an egg and mashed it to pulp with a little soaked brown bread and he tucked into that a little too (so glad, I can't tell you). Reibie, thanks for that, will try some bread again soaked in water, wholegrain bread I mean. Also this morning because I didn't know how much he'd eaten I mashed up some cornflakes in semi skimmed milk and he ate some of that too.. Once again he is bouncing back, this little boy has been through the mill I can tell you but he tries to be chirpy whatever happens. One thing at the moment, with his liver condition he is scratching like mad, it's terrible to see, esp his vent. I wonder if anyone knows anything about Thistle milk which I've heard is for liver conditions, and if you have, do you know where I can get it please? I need to do something about his scratching, poor soul what with the beak and the scratching I just wonder why he doesn't give up... ugh. Thanks again guys and gals, you really do help out and especially in a time of need. Thank you SO much. Chrissie x