It's that time of the week where another of my budgies is starting to slow down and look ill. I spotted it last night and while I wasn't quite sure if she was sick or not, catching her gave me the answer, in that she normally squawks and bites me a lot, this time she didn't even struggle.

 

So I put her under the lamp all night (60W, its all I have), and I found her in the bottom of the cage this morning, but no worse than yesterday. She is eating a little, and drinking a little too, but she has green poo.

 

I've been trying to look over the faqs here because I'm sure I've read about this before, but its a little hard while trying to work as well.

 

Crumbles happens to be one of my favourite budgies, I wont be very happy at all if she dies, not to mention I will have to start panicking about megabacteria and other plague like diseases...

 

Maybe I just fed her too many greens?

Edited October 29, 200816 yr by Neat

I am so sorry to hear you are having troubles.

All sick birds need to visit an avian vet, especially if you are seeing a trend and suspect an outbreak of something.

 

Good luck

Yeah... I wish we had an avian vet less than an hour from home...

Aviary or cage birds ?

If aviary...earth or soil floors ?

If earth floors....wormed recently ?

If aviary floors...damp ? Creates coccidiosis.

 

60 watts is too warm. 25 to 40 watts is better. Do you have any suplha meds. prior to a vet visit it can help stop the fluid loss through the runny poo.

Clean its bottom and pull away some feathers from the vent area so it doesnt reinfect each time it cleans and preens.

Thanks Kaz.

 

They're all cage birds at the moment, though I'm hoping to get them into an avairy quick smart when my house is built.

 

I realise that I should have a 25-40W, but 60 was all I had, so I monitored her for a few hours to see if she was getting too hot, but she kept moving to the side closest to the light when I moved the cage or the light.

 

I can't say I have any sulpha meds, bird medicine is fairly new to me. I guess I was super lucky when I was a kid, that my budgies never seemed to get sick (except for when we put them in an avairy build from treated pine, but I know better now... )

 

*sigh* I wish normal vets did avian too...

She died before I got home

Oh my gosh I'm sorry for your loss

Thanks Jodie.

 

I'm ready to give up on budgies at the moment, that was a very painful loss.

I am so sorry for your loss buggest

If this has been an ongoing problem maybe it would be worth having her autopsied by the vet. The vet that came and spoke at our club said he has even had bodies posted to him with dry ice so it might be worth talking to the vet about what options you have.

My understanding that a body that is frozen is no good for autopsy as its damages the tissues

Is dry ice a different type of freezing/thawing?

It might be worth it, though I disposed of the body quite quickly without thinking of such a thing (now unretrievable).

 

Is sunlight a reasonable substitute for lamp light when they are sick?

 

Yesterday was quite warm and 100% sunny here and we left her in the sun with a tiny bit of shade instead of using the light. I'm thinking that probably wasn't the best idea, that I should have kept her under more controlled conditions, but my partner made the suggestion and it sounded like a nice thing to do for Crumbles at the time.

 

Knowing my luck, I'm sure I'll have another opportunity to provide a body for autopsy sooner than I'd like

I think if you pack it within a wrapping then in the dry ice it doesn't freeze it The main thing is to not have it in contact with the body as you then get cold burns on it. I know people who have easy access to dry ice so they use it to cart food places when they go on holidays to keep it cool

sorry for your loss ShadowGhost. Hopefully you have a change of luck soon!

Is sunlight a reasonable substitute for lamp light when they are sick?

 

No.

Edited October 29, 200816 yr by KAZ

So sorry for your loss. Hugs xo

Is sunlight a reasonable substitute for lamp light when they are sick?

 

No.

 

 

I suspected not. Something in my gut said it wasn't, but my partner had the opposite opinion. We will know better next time :/

I am sorry to hear of your loss ... It is always our favourite or our best birds that either get sick or die

 

Have you wormed your birds?

Sorry for your loss and I agree with MB if you can't get your deceased bird check out then the dropping of some of your healthy birds because it this is on going something is up in your aviary.

 

Make sure and I am sure you do clean the water food and water daily.

Thanks Elly. That's a good idea, I hadn't thought of that. The rest of them at the moment are looking decidedly healthy, but obviously now is the time to get things checked out!

 

No I don't clean their water daily. I do it at least 3 times a day!! (dirty little buggers keep pooing in their water, and when I put greens in there, even though they demolish them, the water still ends up green with greens in it!).

 

To clarify in case it matters, I have been discarding their seed onto a dedicated patch of our garden, and been feeding them greens that grow from the seeds.

I am sooo sorry SG for your loss. I know what its like to be hurt so bad by a loss. You will never forget them. I am ready to give us as well. BUT think, if you gave up before you met Crumbles you would never been able to enjoy them. If you stop now you may miss out on meeting another different, but still just as loveable bird.

 

God Luck! Much Love!