Bluie (my tamest and sweetest budgie) http://maureena.net/Images/Berdie010.jpg

 

has been favouring his left foot, still using it but not putting a lot of weight on it and raising it in the air quite a bit. We took him to the avian vet who gave us some anti-inflamatory and sent us home to just watch him for the next few days. When it didn't improve, we brought him back and we had x-rays done. One appears perfectly healthy, but the other x-ray she told us was ominous and showed us the shadows and suspects that Bluie has tumors in the kidney area and they are pressing on his sciatic nerve. We have him home again and give him some anti-inflamatory and are watching him. The vet is going to confer with the other more experienced vet but she is pretty convinced. We, of course, are hoping she's so wrong but still have to be realistic.

 

I would like to hear from people who have had this happen to their budgies. I would like to benefit from the advice of someone who has gone through it, what they did, how they handled it, what alternative treatments did you try? How long do I expect him to maintain his normal life before his quality of life changes?

 

I would appreciate any experiences that anyone would be willing to share who has gone through this.

 

Thank you

 

Maureena

Edited September 8, 200816 yr by Elly
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I personally haven't had anything like this happen to me before -

 

I am sorry to hear that you have to go through this - We are all here giving you big hugs

 

((((( HUGS )))))) ..

 

What did the vet say were your options?

Thank you for your hugs and wishes. Much appreciated. We just lost Bluie's girlfriend a very short time ago. It's so cruely ironic that now we must face this with Bluie.

 

Well, the vet doesn't seem keen on surgery and neither do we. He's so tiny, and we would rather not take the risk of losing him during surgery. If it's cancerous, it may have matastasized (sp) and even if it's not cancerous, who knows how the tumor has formed and what it has wrapped itself around. The vet told us they could do a barium dye to find out for sure. But at this point I am waiting for both doctors to confer on the x-rays. The vet told us she just had one of her budgies die from the exact same thing. They are going to call us to monitor Bluie's situation but other than that, there wasn't any other type of treatment recommended. I was just given anti-inflamatory for him.

 

I just had 5 dental implants put in this morning and I got home a short while ago and laying on the sofa with my eeepc recovering from it. This is also the bird room, so I have six of my birds out flying about, including Bluie. He is doing good and right now it's more of not being in pain exactly, but more of bothersome to him. He doesn't want to put the foot down because it feels numb to him. An unpleasant sensation for him, I'm sure. But other than that, he's quite cheerful, happy and flying about and interacting with everyone. I guess it's a matter of watching him daily for any signs that his quality of life is deteriorating and at what point I have to make the call to release him from any pain he might be in.

 

It's just tough because he and Berdie were my first budgies 6 years ago. We've been through Berdie's Xanthomas and fought and won; Bluie's respiratory illness 5 1/2 years ago; Jada's run-in with Avian Gastric Yeast which we fought and we won; two years ago getting 4 more birds from the Humane Society and losing one within 10 days of having him even though we took them for their wellness visit (Vet's aren't perfect); then Anthony also getting AGY and how we fought with the vets to understand what was wrong with him and how we really had to make them "see the light" with regards to AGY but with the help of Megabac-s and a little bird called Monkey...we pulled Anthony through and he's the picture of health today; lastly Alex who succumbed to a number of things - fatty liver disease and probably AGY on top of it - we fought hard to save her too but some battles aren't won. Today we have 4 more birds from the Humane Society who are not finished their quarantine. All green and all girls...not one of them tame. Got my work cut out for me but I love it.

 

Anyway I'm babbling too much.

 

Maureena

You do sound like you have your work cut out for you

 

Tumors are in the TOP 10 of common budgie Health problems -

I guess the thing you need to talk tot he vets about is Quality of life with he tumor?

as they hide their pain and illness so well it would be hard to see if it was affecting him

apart from his foot - Hard and tough times ahead You have fought Budgie battles before

I hope you can fight this one too :

Hi Maureena

 

I'm so sorry to hear about your darling Bluie. I don't have experience of this...yet.... but my darling Percy who is now limping on his right leg, might have a tumour after having read of your ordeal with Bluie. One of the avian vets I saw some months ago, when I mentioned that Percy was holding his right leg up a lot which was unusual for him, said it could be a testicular tumour which is pressing on the nerve in the leg. However, after a little while he was fine but now just recently he is hobbling about on that leg, though I wondered if I'd caused that by having to pick him up from the cage everyday to wash his botty as he has now got poo stuck most days. Having thought of it though maybe it wasn't me as it's the same leg that has given him trouble...I'm very upset over it all. Taking him to the vet later today to see about the sticky poo and will mention the leg too though yesterday he was better on it.

 

Percy has had chronic illness for 6 yrs now (liver disease and gut probs) so I can understand how you must be feeling Maureena when you say it's a case of watching and knowing when to make that call.....I dread it for me, I can't even bear thinking about it. I do so hope you and Bluie will fight this with courage, I will be thinking of you and sending you lots of hugs.

 

Chrissie

I'm really sorry to hear about Bluie. Biggest hugs xoxo.

 

From past experience, Budgies don't do well in surgery and stress and blood loss is a big worry. I think by watching him and deciding when the time is best for him, is probably the best way to go. I had a female budgie (who I had from an early age and who is the mother of 7 of my chicks) who went down hill over time. I noticed she was loosing weight, not eating and not really moving around the aviary like she used to. I took her to the avian vet and it turned out to be ovarian cancer. Sadly, she was euthanised on the spot. It was in her best interest as her quality of life was not great. It was quite upsetting, but in the end, it was the only decision I could make. I hope Bluie manages okay in the near future and enjoys the rest of his life with you... how ever long that may be. I do believe you will know when the time is to let him rest in peace, and I wish you love and good luck for this time. maesie xo

My Arkady just recently died from a testicular tumour. He died during surgery. He was apparently tender on one foot, which I didn't pick up. It took him about 7 weeks from when I first noticed signs till his death on the table. His symptoms got progressively worse as the weeks went by and he spent about 4 of those weeks in hospital. He was a little fighter. He had been through about 3 anaesthesias before the last one took him, but he was quite ill at the time.

I have heard from many people that Beetroot water is good at stopping cancer growth in Budgies. Two avairn vets have also told me this.

 

Basically get fresh beetroot from the market, boil it in water then let the water cool and give it to them instead of their regular water every second day. it will not cure it but should stop it from getting worse.

 

Also my guys LOVE it and love eating the chopped up cooked beetroot. Just don't use stuff from a can as it is full of sugar and salt.

 

I hope it works out. *hugs*

Hi MaureenaI'm so sorry to hear about your darling Bluie. I don't have experience of this...yet.... but my darling Percy who is now limping on his right leg, might have a tumour after having read of your ordeal with Bluie. One of the avian vets I saw some months ago, when I mentioned that Percy was holding his right leg up a lot which was unusual for him, said it could be a testicular tumour which is pressing on the nerve in the leg. However, after a little while he was fine but now just recently he is hobbling about on that leg, though I wondered if I'd caused that by having to pick him up from the cage everyday to wash his botty as he has now got poo stuck most days. Having thought of it though maybe it wasn't me as it's the same leg that has given him trouble...I'm very upset over it all. Taking him to the vet later today to see about the sticky poo and will mention the leg too though yesterday he was better on it.Percy has had chronic illness for 6 yrs now (liver disease and gut probs) so I can understand how you must be feeling Maureena when you say it's a case of watching and knowing when to make that call.....I dread it for me, I can't even bear thinking about it. I do so hope you and Bluie will fight this with courage, I will be thinking of you and sending you lots of hugs.Chrissie

Hi ChrissieThank you for responding as you did. I hope your Percy doesn't have the same problem...and I hope he turns out just fine. But the avian vet did happen to mention that sometimes the lameness disappears and then does come back. And sometimes the tumors mysteriously just stop growing. I think I will phone them today to find out if they have conferred over the x-ray. I'd also like to ask them if they have any alternative medicine choices...who knows. They didn't offer anything up like that though. I have found though, that when the vets don't give me many options, I end up in research and determination mode and nothing beats the internet and forums full of the experiences of those who have gone through things and have good suggestions. I've helped and saved many of my budgies through reading and research. It's an invaluable source. And now I'm in that mode again, but do I have to face the fact that there isn't much I can do to fight this time? I guess I can't stand feeling helpless and watching death slowly creep up. I've seen it enough in my life and I've fought hard for control and beat the odds here and there but knowing when to quit is a smart choice sometimes too I guess. I'm not there yet though, and I won't be for a while. Please keep me posted on Percy. ThanksMaureena

I'm really sorry to hear about Bluie. Biggest hugs xoxo. From past experience, Budgies don't do well in surgery and stress and blood loss is a big worry. I think by watching him and deciding when the time is best for him, is probably the best way to go. I had a female budgie (who I had from an early age and who is the mother of 7 of my chicks) who went down hill over time. I noticed she was loosing weight, not eating and not really moving around the aviary like she used to. I took her to the avian vet and it turned out to be ovarian cancer. Sadly, she was euthanised on the spot. It was in her best interest as her quality of life was not great. It was quite upsetting, but in the end, it was the only decision I could make. I hope Bluie manages okay in the near future and enjoys the rest of his life with you... how ever long that may be. I do believe you will know when the time is to let him rest in peace, and I wish you love and good luck for this time. maesie xo

Hi MaesieThanks so much for responding to my query. I won't go down the road of having Bluie operated on and from the vet's body language and tone of voice, you could tell it isn't something they feel he would do well with. I don't want to lose him like that when he could live a lot longer, possibly. When Berdie had her ulcerated xanthoma on her abdomen, the avian vet wasn't very optimistic, didn't want to operate and I couldn't have afforded it anyway. But they aren't very forthcoming on alternatives, didn't even suggest a collar for her, in fact freaked on me when she saw the collar on Berdie. She said "how would you feel if you couldn't scratch an itch?" I said "how would I feel if she bled to death in the night from tearing it open?" I take what my vets say with a grain of salt...I always take my birds to the vet but I don't always see their word as the truth for my birds. If I'd listened to them, Berdie would be dead, and so would Anthony. In Anthony's case, he was heading for critical with Megabacteria/AGY and if I let them dawdle and hedge as they were doing, he'd be dead. Berdie got a homemade collar, we even put a pink trim on it. She could fly with it and on the weekend we let her out of it to bathe and preen. We used Polysporin cream on her tumor and little by little the ulcerated tumor healed and with some good chasing around the house for exercise, the fatty tumors went by the wayside. The vet suggested we stop the polysporin and don't have her in a collar. But if we had listened, she'd be dead now. Thanks again Maesie

My Arkady just recently died from a testicular tumour. He died during surgery. He was apparently tender on one foot, which I didn't pick up. It took him about 7 weeks from when I first noticed signs till his death on the table. His symptoms got progressively worse as the weeks went by and he spent about 4 of those weeks in hospital. He was a little fighter. He had been through about 3 anaesthesias before the last one took him, but he was quite ill at the time.

Hi Sailorwolf, I know that it musn't have been easy to reply to my post and I'm very sorry for your loss of Arkady. It's really devastating to lose them. I just recently lost my Alex to fatty liver disease and AGY and she died in my hands. It was heartbreaking. I also didn't pick up Bluie's favouring his left foot and even when I saw it, I really thought he had hooked his nail in something when I wasn't paying attention. But when I really think about, I think I've seen him favour this foot a bit quite some time ago. They are such wonderful little guys and it's so hard when something happens to them. Just like everyone here, I do the best I can and work hard at keeping them well fed and looked after. I fight for them when I can and protect them to the extreme.Thank you Sailorwolf for answering me as you did.

I have heard from many people that Beetroot water is good at stopping cancer growth in Budgies. Two avairn vets have also told me this.Basically get fresh beetroot from the market, boil it in water then let the water cool and give it to them instead of their regular water every second day. it will not cure it but should stop it from getting worse.Also my guys LOVE it and love eating the chopped up cooked beetroot. Just don't use stuff from a can as it is full of sugar and salt.I hope it works out. *hugs*

Hi Angelic Vampyre,Thank you so much for that information on beetroot. I plan on giving that a try for sure! I am gathering as much herbal alternatives as I can at this point. Thanks again!

Updates? I hope I didn't miss anything.

Hello Maureena, I've had a budgie with a kidney tumor. I will share my experiences if you would like. Please give an update when you are able.