I've had my female budge, Patch, for a year and a bit now and she has always been a heavy breather. She does'nt breath with her beak open, but her tail has always bobbed quite noticably and if she gets a little paniced (she is a nervous creature) you can hear her breathing. Is this anything to worry about? As I say, she has always been like it.

 

Also, I was giving both my girls a little inspection and noticed that their under bellys were a little dirty and pooey so I cleaned them up! Is this normal?

 

And lastly, but by no means least they both seem to like almost lying down on their perchs...I've just noticed it and as I've always had boys before I just wondered if it was a girl thing????

 

I would grealy apprciate any comfort that you can give to hear that my birds are normal??!

None of it sounds normal to me. I would take your babies to an avian vet and get them checked out. My budgies do not lie down on their perches ever. And the only time they have had sticky poo is when I first brought them home and they were adjusting to the new environment. They occasionally heavy breathe if they are nervous but it is very uncommon.

I agree, everything you described screams "sick birds" to me. They need to see an avian vet as soon as possible.

I have booked an appointment to see the budgie vet this afternoon. It's a little drive away, but I hope she can help them. I feel really nervous and sick....my poor babies. I hope they will be okay. They don't like strangers and strange places I want to wrap them both in cotton wool and make them better.

hugs it will be okay, just keep them covered

and we will be thinking about you and your babies

keep us updated

Thank you for the hugs. Keep your fingers crossed for us. I will let you know what she says......I hope she is a nice lady!!!! Oooooo......I hope they will be okay. They seem to a be bright and perky and preening and playing and they had a fly this morning.....aw, my babies!!

Just got back from the vets. She found a fatty lump on Patch on her front and her abdonmen. She wants me to put both of them on a diet and weigh them every couple of days. If that doesn't help she said for me to take Patch back and she will remove the lump.

 

Has anyone else's budgie had a lump or a lump removed?

 

On the pooey tummy's and lying down, she said they were both healthy and it might be just a behaviour thing and the other one has picked it up. Their droppings are normal and them seem happy, so she said just keep an eye on it.

 

I am going to just feed them 2 teaspoons of trill seed each and fresh fruit and veg....will this be okay?

Good to hear they are not sick . Try to give them lots of veg or fruit, it might help

I was told to use Finch food to get the weight down off tootie. This is becuase it doen't have the junkfood seeds in it like Trill does.

 

I think others here use 2 teaspoons of food a day for their budgies, so that should be fine.

 

and yes fruit and vegges each day too.

good to hear they are okay

I believe that Rainbow has experience with the fatty lump, you may want to PM her.

Just got back from the vets. She found a fatty lump on Patch on her front and her abdonmen. She wants me to put both of them on a diet and weigh them every couple of days. If that doesn't help she said for me to take Patch back and she will remove the lump.

 

Has anyone else's budgie had a lump or a lump removed?

 

On the pooey tummy's and lying down, she said they were both healthy and it might be just a behaviour thing and the other one has picked it up. Their droppings are normal and them seem happy, so she said just keep an eye on it.

 

I am going to just feed them 2 teaspoons of trill seed each and fresh fruit and veg....will this be okay?

 

Lovey is right, I have two budgies with fatty lipomas. I have also tried to get them to lose weight, but have not had much success. I do not feed them very much dry seed at all, and (un)fortunately LOL my birds will eat practically anything I put in front of them and manage to remain overweight despite eating more "people food" than "bird food". Having several birds makes it not feasible to measure out an exact amount of food, although I am trying. I only have 4 birds now, so it is easier than it was before, but need 5 food cups in the cage so as not to cause trouble. It will be best if you can get the weight off. The excess weight affects them similarly to how it affects people - it makes their organs work harder than normal and also makes them less inclined to exercise. The amounts you want to feed will be fine, but it is very important you weigh them at least every other day until you find the amount of food that will give a slow weight loss. Did your vet tell you what to aim for? I would suggest the loss of only a gram or two per week. So if one bird needs to lose 10 grams, it should take you about 3 months to get to target weight. If the feces starts to look black when it is fresh and not dried, you need to feed more.

 

Did your vet do a gram stain? Sitting low on the perch is not a normal behavior, I have found it to mean the bird has something of a tummy or crop upset when they do that. A healthy birds feces will not stick to the feathers around the vent, nor make them stained.

Happy and Monty both have lipomas, actually they don't eat that much at all and really enjoy vegetables. Other than that they are happy and healthy but are NOT good flyers. Kerplunk. Don't think all vets recommend this but they get crushed Synthyroid (people medicine) in their water dish every other day and that shrinks the tumors so they aren't as uncomfortable. Lying on their tummies has nothing to with lipomas so I hope that gets sorted out.

Thank you for all you advice, support and help. I felt so guilty when she told me Patch had a fatty lump...I keep thinking Ive fed them to much of the good stuff!!!! I brought some electric scales last night and Patch weighed in at 74g and Kylie at 69g. I've read so many different opinions on how much a budgie should weigh...the book I have suggests between 35-60g is average!? I've only put one teaspoon of trill in each of their pots today and have clipped carrot and apple round the cage so hoefully if they are hungry they will eat more of the healthy stuff. I will go to the pet shop later and buy some of that low fat stuff!!

 

Their vents are not stained at all and the vet checked those bits out. I actually thought last night that maybe they are chewing too much of the newspaper I put in the bottom of the cage? I took it out and just put some sand down. I watched them last night and they didn't lie down at all and their poos all look fine to me. Light/med brown/white when they pop out and then dry to black and white...that is normal isn't it? As I say they don't lie down all the time. I won't put any paper down and see if that stops it.

You might have to keep an eye on your birds with the sand. Just recently Zebra had a problem with one of her budgies...http://forums.budgiebreeders.asn.au/index....opic=10890&st=0

You might have to keep an eye on your birds with the sand. Just recently Zebra had a problem with one of her budgies...http://forums.budgiebreeders.asn.au/index....opic=10890&st=0

 

 

Thanks for that....Ooooo.....what do I line the bottom of the cage with??? What do other peeps use?

I use plain old newspaper, but you can use plain white paper towels from your kitchen also. My birds have a grate on the bottom of the cage so they can't get to their feces or old food. They never go to the bottom of the cage anyway, unless I have millet or something down there for them. I know a lot of birds will shred the cage liner if you don't have a grate. Normally they don't eat it though, just shred it to bits. The poop color you described is fine. There is a variance on weight - it sounds like you have the larger type budgie.

 

And just because your birds have fatty lipomas doesn't necessarily mean they got them because you overfeed. There are many things that contribute to tumors. Being overweight is one thing, but sometimes birds are just genetically inclined to get them. There is a lot you can do to try to prevent the onset, but if they are going to get them due to genetics, they are going to get them and all the good husbandry practices in the world might not keep them from appearing to some degree. Sort of like people, if you have a family history of some health issue you can take steps to prevent it from happening, and sometimes it works, but sometimes doing all the right things won't prevent them from occurring to some degree. So don't feel guilty. Just do what you can to follow your vet's advice.

Ah thank you for that Rainbow! I was feeling awful that I had over fed them with love and was hurting my babies! It's nice to be reassured I will follow your advise and let you know how they are doing. Thanks again...as I say, I feel better have heard from someone with the same problems.

Hello,

 

Just a little update on my girls. I've been feeding them canary seed and basic budgie mix and they are shifting those grams! I chase them round the room daily for some excercise and have been feeding them green stuff, apples, carrotts. 10 days ago Patch weighed 74g and Kylie weighed 69. I weighed them last night and Patch now weighs 65g and Kylie weighs 61g, so they have both lost about the same.

 

Is this a good weight loss for budgies?

 

Ive been watching them closley and they are not lying down at all and they dont' have any more pooey bits and are lovely and clean, so I can see a difference already!!!!

I'm glad they look healthier. I was reading in Zebra's "Fat Budgies" thread where Rainbow said don't let them lose more than a gram or two per week, so maybe slow that weight shedding down now.

 

I really want to buy some electronic kitchen scales now. I wonder if my hubby will mind if I buy them for him for Father's Day?

I'm glad they look healthier. I was reading in Zebra's "Fat Budgies" thread where Rainbow said don't let them lose more than a gram or two per week, so maybe slow that weight shedding down now.

 

I really want to buy some electronic kitchen scales now. I wonder if my hubby will mind if I buy them for him for Father's Day? :sad:

 

teeheee....does your hubby cook lots in the kitchen then? Like your thinking!! :ausb: I will slow that weight loss down a little now....but more good news, Patch, who hated flying, is starting to fly like an angel. Thanks for the tips!! Speaking of my angels is time to clean them now.