Posted July 28, 200619 yr Hello, I've been reading the copious information on this board for a while and signed up a short time ago. Bluey is our family's first budgie, although my father did keep birds when I was growing up and I hand-reared a young budgie which was being attacked by it's mother. Even with that experience, I feel quite overwhelmed about having full responsibility of our own little charge. My mother must have done a lot of the work involved in daily care and I don’t remember my Dad ever using a vet. :budgiedance: Bluey was born sometime this year. We bought him from a pet store. Shortly after getting settled we took him to a vet who has an interest in avian medicine because he was continually scratching. An ivomec drop on his neck and soluvet vitamins in his water seem to have taken care of that. For a while, all he was eating was millet and seed, so the vet recommended crumbles as well. Bluey has started to turn green - this is not a problem. We've had several people ask us why we called him Bluey - we just laugh it off. He was quick to become tame and is pretty good at coming back to his cage when necessary. I think he even knows when 3pm is near and I have to pick the children up from school because he puts himself in his cage! A couple of days ago I noticed his dropping were watery and bright green and he stopped ‘chatting’ and didn’t want to come out of his cage. Not even to play ball with my hubby when he got home from work! When he started to fluff up and stoop on his perch I stopped giving him spinach and put vitamins in his water again. He started to come good yesterday, but still with bright green poo today I took him back to the vet. He tested his droppings and couldn’t find any sign of parasites and he said there doesn’t appear to be signs of any liver damage. He thinks it's a bacterial infection. He has given me Psittavet powder to put in his water for 7 days. So now I have a few questions… Is Psittavet an antibiotic? The vet did tell me, but I’ve forgotten. If it is, what probiotic should I be using in conjunction? I’ve been told not to combine the psittavet and soluvet, so I won’t, but does anyone have any special tips that will help get our Bluey back to full health more quickly? He likes to eat apple, pumpkin and eucalyptus leaves. Lettuce and spinach are on hold for now and he’s gone off his cuttlebone because I bought one from the supermarket and I think he prefers the fresh ones we brought back from the beach on our last holiday. Also, could people in Ballarat please share their avian vet contacts because I'm 'winging it' here? Many thanks. :budgiedance:
July 28, 200619 yr Poor little Bluey :budgiedance: Sounds like he is Yellowface type 2 to be 'turning' green now. I'll post this then dash to get my meds to check up for you the other questions. Stop giving him any fresh food for now so that he drinks more water and the meds. I do remember this stuff reacting to the sun so try to keep the water covered. It turns red and darker with more sun and stains the cup. EDIT TO ADD: okay I was given Doxy-t for my birds not Psittavet like I thought. But I think I was told it's the same sort of thing from my vet. I would believe this Psittavet is an antibiotic. As to Probotic I know Vetafarm makes it and it can be found in pet stores. You can't use it while on the meds but it's good to get a rebalance to the digestion track after wards. Did the vet want to re check Bluey after the 7 days? Be careful with the luttuce and Spinach they are full of water and should only be used as a treat. If he likes apple and the rest try sprouts, corn, carrot, mung beans and other dark leafed vegges. Also you can mash a hard boiled egg with them for protein. Of cuase this will all have to wait until he has finished his meds. Edited July 28, 200619 yr by Nerwen
July 28, 200619 yr Thank you Nerwen. The vet wants to hear from me if Bluey doesn't get better. I'm not worried about staining the cup because it's black and not in the sun. I'll have a look for the probiotic when I go to the pet store. I'll have to try the hard-boiled egg. Does that include the white and yellow? White is protein, yellow is fat that I thought wasn't good for them.
July 28, 200619 yr It's the whole lot of the egg, including shell (calcium). Make sure you boil the egg for 10-15 mins.
July 28, 200619 yr Check before you use the shell of the egg or have calcium in the cage (cuttlefish and mineral blocks) as mine werent allowed calcium whilst on that medication. It stops the medicine working properly according to the avian vet. Edited July 28, 200619 yr by Bubbles
July 30, 200619 yr Thank you for your replies. Bluey seems to be on the mend now. He has been chatting away and has had a good fly around today now that his droppings are more formed. He actually went quite ballistic to get out this morning, which is a good sign because it's normal. :ausb: He is still avoiding the new cuttlebone. :bluebudgie: A fresh question... I am trying to sprout some seeds on the windowsill on wet paper towel for a treat when Bluey has finished the psittavet , but it keeps drying out and none have sprouted. Does anyone have a foolproof method please?
July 31, 200619 yr Hello and welcome! I have never used any of the medicines mentioned, so I can't help there. But I'm glad your budgie is on the mend. However I can help you with the sprouts. My birds get sprouts most every day in place of much of their dry seed, and actually prefer them. Go here to see how I grow them, or go to www.sproutpeople.com and read their instructions. It is a great website, and I have ordered from them before too. The quality is fabulous, and they really know their stuff!
August 1, 200619 yr Thank you Rainbow. I have the perfect strainer for the job. He he I was in a rush to get my children to school this morning and just left the stalk from yesterday's millet on the floor under Bluey's cage (he has a fresh one in his cage) and right now he's down on the floor absolutely annihilating the stalk! He usually does this to a tissue. :ygbudgie:
