Hi,

 

My budgie, Sunny, died this morning. I am pretty devastated as I really loved her. She had been at the vets for 3 days at the end of last week. They found Megabacteria but nothing else wrong so she was being treated for this. From other information I have read Mega is most often a secondary infection - Though as I said, the vet couldn't find anything else and said they were unable to treat her for anything further.

 

It wasn't an avian vet but they did try very hard to help Sunny and performed droppings examinations and crop washes to try and find a cause to her illness.

 

My question is regarding having an autopsy performed on Sunny. I feel I really need to know what happened to her so I know what it is and what should be done if any of my other birds get sick. I am so heartbroken I don't want this to happen again. What is the correct way to keep Sunny so that an autopsy can be performed (bearing in mind it's Sunday and Monday is a public holiday).

 

If this information is elsewhere on the site, I apologise for not looking properly.

 

Thank you for any advice.

From what I've been told, keep the dead bird in a air-tight plastic bag in the fridge. I am sorry for your loss and good on you for deciding to have an autopsy performed.

 

Keep a close eye on your other birds as they have been exposed to whatever Sunny had. If the birds start showing any signs of being ill, bring them inside and set up a hospital cage with a heat lamp. Ring your vet. Mevabacteria is now found in most budgies bowels. It is a secondry illness. How drafty is your cage?

 

Ps. I am not an expert! The other members probably know more on this subject than I.

Edited June 12, 201014 yr by Ratzy

Hi, thanks for your reply Ratzy.

 

I am all too aware that the other budgies may get sick also. They are still on the course of amphotericin for megabacteria which was recommended to be given to the other 3 birds at the same time and to be continued for 30 days. At this stage it seems all are okay.

 

My birds live in the house with us and without exposure to drafts. 2 of my budgies lived with Sunny up until she became acutely ill and I moved her into a hospital cage. The other bird is a newby and he's in quarantine. The quarantine bird lives in another cage in another room where the door is closed. I am very particular about my hygeine when I have contact with him so as not to spread disease to the others. Anyway he seems fine at the moment.

 

I am not sure where this illness came from. The 3 birds had been sick a few weeks ago with similar symptoms and were treated for megabacteria (again all the vet could find). The treatment was 10 days of amphotericin and 7 days of enrofloxacin at the same time (just in case). They recovered very quickly and it seemed were back to good health. This was before the new bird came so it obviously didn't come from him.

 

Then very unexpectedly on Friday night last week Sunny fluffed up, started vomiting and had bright green diarrhoea. I got her to the only vet within reasonable driving distance who can perform faecal examinations and crop wash. They are 2hrs away so poor little Sunny.

 

Anyhow, they kept her in until Monday afternoon and could find nothing expect the megabacteria and so sent her home as there was nothing more they could do. The vet said the only other diagnostic test they could perform was a blood test but she felt Sunny was too ill to go through the sedation needed to get the blood. Added to the mixing pot was the fact that I have had to be away for a few days after Sunny came home from the vet as my Mum had a surgery and needed me to be there for her. If it hadn't involved a flight I would have taken Sunny with me. My partner looked after Sunny carefully and I was in constant contact with him and the vet who treated her. I got home late yesterday afternoon and I knew she wasn't going to make it. My absence is another factor I feel has added to this outcome. I know my partner really did everything he could and was asked but he's not me.

 

I don't know whether the vet missed something or not. However, I feel like I have caused this in not knowing what I should have done. Should I have sent her droppings away to Vetafarm for analysis, should I have got onto a flight to an avian vet. I'm not a breeder with years of experience in recognising symptoms so I can only rely on the advice of a vet and the internet to educate myself and it sucks actually.

 

I don't know think I could go through this again. I am really devastated.

Generally once the megabacteria rods multiply and take over a bird, there is a very small window of time in which a bird with mega can be saved. In most cases its too late once they are showing signs.

I am sorry for your loss and hope there will be an answer that rests your mind

Hi,

 

My budgie, Sunny, died this morning. I am pretty devastated as I really loved her. She had been at the vets for 3 days at the end of last week. They found Megabacteria but nothing else wrong so she was being treated for this. From other information I have read Mega is most often a secondary infection - Though as I said, the vet couldn't find anything else and said they were unable to treat her for anything further.

 

It wasn't an avian vet but they did try very hard to help Sunny and performed droppings examinations and crop washes to try and find a cause to her illness.

 

My question is regarding having an autopsy performed on Sunny. I feel I really need to know what happened to her so I know what it is and what should be done if any of my other birds get sick. I am so heartbroken I don't want this to happen again. What is the correct way to keep Sunny so that an autopsy can be performed (bearing in mind it's Sunday and Monday is a public holiday).

 

If this information is elsewhere on the site, I apologise for not looking properly.

 

Thank you for any advice.

can i say i have had five birds autopsy with no real answer

i was told to get a true aswer you need to get the bird crop swabed poo swabed then put to sleep where they then do atopsy straight away and do micro autopsy where they slice layers of each orgin to find true death

i did this alsoand still was not satisfied

my advice is

save money and with it build up a medicince cubbord and have everything you needin a plabnfor provetion against desisese

Thank you so much for your replies. I have got a few medications now for different things and the only trouble is I don't have the knowlege or the confidence to self prescribe and in Sunny's case I didn't know which one to use or which could be used in conjuction with the other. The vet had said that antibiotic treatment was not necessary as Sunny didn't show a bacterial infection. I wonder if she did have one as well as the mega and they just didn't spot it. I'm not sure if that's even possible (that they could miss something). I'm not upset with the vet that treated Sunny - she really tried her best to treat her based on what she saw. Our own local vets, there are 3, don't do crop washes or any faecal diagnostics at all, so I feel lucky that I found a someone within driving distance that could. I guess my fear is if the others start becoming symtomatic whilst they are on the medication for the mega. Take them back to the vet I guess is all I can do.

 

I really have respect for all of you who breed your birds and do it consciously and with care and keep it going smoothly. I only have four little pets and was yet to get to the point of partnering them up for breeding (Sunny was the youngest so I was waiting for her to grow up) and I have had sickness and death. Ironically, I feel I am very particular with everything I do with them.

 

You know we had a couple of pet budgies at different times when I was going up and they were never neglected by any stretch, however they certainly didn't get the same effort in care that my budgies get now and they lived for 10 or 12 years and as far as I remember they never got sick and definately didn't see a vet in their life.

 

So I wonder if mine have have come to me with already underlying infection of some sort that doesn't show up as acute and is missed that way. I mean I notice things and I've taken both Sunny and 1 of the others to the vet about what I've noticied and because they haven't been fluffed up and acute they send me home with some worm medicine. I know with Sunny the faecal part of her droppings always looked a little pale (grey/green) from when I got her about 7 months ago. I took her to the vet (local) they said nothing to worry about, she was bright, active, not puffy etc etc etc. But maybe she did harbour something all along. Maybe I should have sent her droppings to be tested myself. I wish I could know.

 

Sorry for raving on but no one to talk to about my budgies. I really appreciate any feedback.

Thank you so much for your replies. I have got a few medications now for different things and the only trouble is I don't have the knowlege or the confidence to self prescribe and in Sunny's case I didn't know which one to use or which could be used in conjuction with the other. The vet had said that antibiotic treatment was not necessary as Sunny didn't show a bacterial infection. I wonder if she did have one as well as the mega and they just didn't spot it. I'm not sure if that's even possible (that they could miss something). I'm not upset with the vet that treated Sunny - she really tried her best to treat her based on what she saw. Our own local vets, there are 3, don't do crop washes or any faecal diagnostics at all, so I feel lucky that I found a someone within driving distance that could. I guess my fear is if the others start becoming symtomatic whilst they are on the medication for the mega. Take them back to the vet I guess is all I can do.

 

I really have respect for all of you who breed your birds and do it consciously and with care and keep it going smoothly. I only have four little pets and was yet to get to the point of partnering them up for breeding (Sunny was the youngest so I was waiting for her to grow up) and I have had sickness and death. Ironically, I feel I am very particular with everything I do with them.

 

You know we had a couple of pet budgies at different times when I was going up and they were never neglected by any stretch, however they certainly didn't get the same effort in care that my budgies get now and they lived for 10 or 12 years and as far as I remember they never got sick and definately didn't see a vet in their life.

 

So I wonder if mine have have come to me with already underlying infection of some sort that doesn't show up as acute and is missed that way. I mean I notice things and I've taken both Sunny and 1 of the others to the vet about what I've noticied and because they haven't been fluffed up and acute they send me home with some worm medicine. I know with Sunny the faecal part of her droppings always looked a little pale (grey/green) from when I got her about 7 months ago. I took her to the vet (local) they said nothing to worry about, she was bright, active, not puffy etc etc etc. But maybe she did harbour something all along. Maybe I should have sent her droppings to be tested myself. I wish I could know.

 

Sorry for raving on but no one to talk to about my budgies. I really appreciate any feedback.

 

 

hi penny you know its not easy trying to work out what is wrong with a bird

i still feel sometimes that to many people medicate for nothing causeing birds to be sick

if you treat your birds with a basic plan then they should be fine

if by chance on goes to ground or you see change in its self poo what ever i say take it out seperate it keep warm seed only diet and freash water see if that helps

alot of birds get food poisioning and we dont even know it we asume their sick add meds and bang birds actually worse with in 24 hours if not more

you need to ask this vet or another avian one on the phone for a treatment plan to guide you as to treating birds to keep their well being

took me years to relize its about maintaining a blance and any slight change can cause upset and stress which causes other things to hit hard

so find a ballance and keep it

also adding birds is always a inballance no matter how healthy they are

if you want to breed birds

start with what you have and breed your spare a partner as you will not be bringing anything into you flock that way thats not their and stress wont be isue you will just have to wait for a long time to breed your spare bird

 

other wize get the amount of birds your wantingall from one breeder at same time

Yes, you're absolutely right. I need a plan. I've been thinking that over last few weeks either get birds from 1 source or routine meds during quarantine. With each bird I have purchased I did quarantine without meds (only basic worm and pests) and when I noticed something odd took the bird to the vet but because it wasn't dying was sent home to worm it. It sort of put me off taking the birds there for anything other than near death, certainly not advice. Anyway the vet I have found who treated Sunny is very nice/approachable, but not an avian vet. I have read a lot on here and elsewhere on the net regarding other peoples practices with routine meds. I need a good book and a good avian vet I think (only no avain vets north of Brisbane area by the looks - maybe/hopefully I'm wrong?).

 

For 2 years I have been planning on breeding budgies and wanted to have 6 to 8 in total (I mean 3 to 4 pairs) I now have only 3 budgies and I'm very sus on the health of 1 of them. I have posted about him before as he's been sick and even though he recovered and seems fine in himself his droppings continue to be abnormal. I have also taken him in for consults before to no avail and no diagnosis. So really I am totally aware that in actual fact I am left with just 2 suitable budgies, one of which is still in quarantine (goodness, poor fellow, what a lot of pressure on him to perform!). I'm not doing too well so far despite doing all the right things with the ones I have got.

Yes, you're absolutely right. I need a plan. I've been thinking that over last few weeks either get birds from 1 source or routine meds during quarantine. With each bird I have purchased I did quarantine without meds (only basic worm and pests) and when I noticed something odd took the bird to the vet but because it wasn't dying was sent home to worm it. It sort of put me off taking the birds there for anything other than near death, certainly not advice. Anyway the vet I have found who treated Sunny is very nice/approachable, but not an avian vet. I have read a lot on here and elsewhere on the net regarding other peoples practices with routine meds. I need a good book and a good avian vet I think (only no avain vets north of Brisbane area by the looks - maybe/hopefully I'm wrong?).

 

For 2 years I have been planning on breeding budgies and wanted to have 6 to 8 in total (I mean 3 to 4 pairs) I now have only 3 budgies and I'm very sus on the health of 1 of them. I have posted about him before as he's been sick and even though he recovered and seems fine in himself his droppings continue to be abnormal. I have also taken him in for consults before to no avail and no diagnosis. So really I am totally aware that in actual fact I am left with just 2 suitable budgies, one of which is still in quarantine (goodness, poor fellow, what a lot of pressure on him to perform!). I'm not doing too well so far despite doing all the right things with the ones I have got.

 

 

what i suggest you do penny is if you think your boy is not healthy and maybe harboring something i suggest you dont breed him or keep him near other birds

not yet anyway ...

the next thing it to ivomectom them all for worms and mite

let them go another two weeks then give them a dose of baycox or cocci vet both these medications treat for cociddia

then when you have done this give one day freash water nothing in it

then give three days of probiotics

then one day freash water

then another three days of probos

you can give some carrot and oranges what ever vegies they get around then but dont give too much just a small amount

then in two weeks from the coccidia treatment give them some ronni vet or terbosole

this treats foor canker prevention again treat for the course then after one day fresh water and followed by three days prbiotics again

as far as megabacteria is conserned i was told to treat this by giving probiotics every three days and then one day of citrc acid (i use lemmon ) in water every week

i would also give the birds a treatment of something like oxyb which is a antibiotic to deal with fungle

two weeks after the ronivet treatment

 

then again with the one day freash water three day probiotics

 

after you have done this the only posibility of illness left is chlamidia (psittacosis ) so if birds look sick after all that i would get some doxy vet and give two week treatment of that if in the two weeks birds get depressed looking and poo goes large and green then id stop the treatment as your birds wont have it but if birds actually pick up and poo does not change id continue this treatment for the 45 day recomended dose

followed by

yes one day freash water and three days probos

 

from then on just

probiotics three times a week broken up and one day of citic acid in water (freash water dayly )

vegies well i have changed my habits with these and seems to be good ballance what i now do

and clean seed dayly

 

that should be it

if you add birds id redo the whole lot again giving your existing birds exact procedure as quarinteen ones so when they all go intogether they all redone

so that would mean no new birds till around six months or so of doing this or buy all birds then do this while new birds are quarinteening

 

 

hope that helped

what my vet told me to do

a avian vet i did it and my birds are all good

after long time of not looking so good

Edited June 13, 201014 yr by KAZ

Thank you, thank you, thank you. I really appreciate your reply GenericBlue. I so need a plan and I will definitely follow this protocol.

 

I had already separated BT (the not quite healthy bird) from the other 2 when they all got sick last month. I had also decided not to breed with him as well. (Hence the new boy in quarantine). So to hear you say the same makes me feel I am on the right track with that anyway.

 

He isn't a new bird, I have had him for about 7 months and I also did quarantine with him. He was never right from first up and I've had him to the vet many times. First visit was during quarantine due to extremely wet droppings & regurgitation. And then just after quarantine he was diagnosed over the phone by Vetafarm with trichomoniasis. Then the local vet diagnosed him with psittacosis and the treatment for that nearly killed him. Generally, he's happy and sings away but he's thin, has extremely wet droppings (polyuria), sometimes seems to have flaky material in his nostrils (though never any wetness) and is very thirsty. I first noticed the excessive thirst when I did the treatment with Psittavet - like I said I think it nearly killed him so treatment was stopped. I bought him as an untamed adult so can you imagine a non tame bird trying to dive into your glass of water? (usually he won't go anywhere near you). Anyway, he's going to go for some tests with the new vet I have and maybe something will come of it finally. As he hasn't actually died I am most worried he's harbouring something that's been missed and that he may transfer to the others (not sure if that's possible). Or maybe he did have something before I got him that's damaged his system somehow. Who knows? But I sure would like to!

 

Thank you again for your plan. I feel more confident now to get some new birds – although as you suggested I will aim for getting them all at the one time and go from there.

Thank you, thank you, thank you. I really appreciate your reply GenericBlue. I so need a plan and I will definitely follow this protocol.

 

I had already separated BT (the not quite healthy bird) from the other 2 when they all got sick last month. I had also decided not to breed with him as well. (Hence the new boy in quarantine). So to hear you say the same makes me feel I am on the right track with that anyway.

 

He isn't a new bird, I have had him for about 7 months and I also did quarantine with him. He was never right from first up and I've had him to the vet many times. First visit was during quarantine due to extremely wet droppings & regurgitation. And then just after quarantine he was diagnosed over the phone by Vetafarm with trichomoniasis. Then the local vet diagnosed him with psittacosis and the treatment for that nearly killed him. Generally, he's happy and sings away but he's thin, has extremely wet droppings (polyuria), sometimes seems to have flaky material in his nostrils (though never any wetness) and is very thirsty. I first noticed the excessive thirst when I did the treatment with Psittavet - like I said I think it nearly killed him so treatment was stopped. I bought him as an untamed adult so can you imagine a non tame bird trying to dive into your glass of water? (usually he won't go anywhere near you). Anyway, he's going to go for some tests with the new vet I have and maybe something will come of it finally. As he hasn't actually died I am most worried he's harbouring something that's been missed and that he may transfer to the others (not sure if that's possible). Or maybe he did have something before I got him that's damaged his system somehow. Who knows? But I sure would like to!

 

Thank you again for your plan. I feel more confident now to get some new birds – although as you suggested I will aim for getting them all at the one time and go from there.

 

 

just remember this is not what i do all time

this was just a once over whole flock treatment as i had birds straggling from everywhere when i started show birds and when i stopped purchasing my birds never really seemed right i did quarrenteen

anyway i did what vet said birds all seem good

i only bring in birds at same time now never just randomly from everywhere

your vet will fix you up with a good plan to stick too

Thank you, thank you, thank you. I really appreciate your reply GenericBlue. I so need a plan and I will definitely follow this protocol.

 

I had already separated BT (the not quite healthy bird) from the other 2 when they all got sick last month. I had also decided not to breed with him as well. (Hence the new boy in quarantine). So to hear you say the same makes me feel I am on the right track with that anyway.

 

He isn't a new bird, I have had him for about 7 months and I also did quarantine with him. He was never right from first up and I've had him to the vet many times. First visit was during quarantine due to extremely wet droppings & regurgitation. And then just after quarantine he was diagnosed over the phone by Vetafarm with trichomoniasis. Then the local vet diagnosed him with psittacosis and the treatment for that nearly killed him. Generally, he's happy and sings away but he's thin, has extremely wet droppings (polyuria), sometimes seems to have flaky material in his nostrils (though never any wetness) and is very thirsty. I first noticed the excessive thirst when I did the treatment with Psittavet - like I said I think it nearly killed him so treatment was stopped. I bought him as an untamed adult so can you imagine a non tame bird trying to dive into your glass of water? (usually he won't go anywhere near you). Anyway, he's going to go for some tests with the new vet I have and maybe something will come of it finally. As he hasn't actually died I am most worried he's harbouring something that's been missed and that he may transfer to the others (not sure if that's possible). Or maybe he did have something before I got him that's damaged his system somehow. Who knows? But I sure would like to!

 

Thank you again for your plan. I feel more confident now to get some new birds – although as you suggested I will aim for getting them all at the one time and go from there.

 

 

just remember this is not what i do all time

this was just a once over whole flock treatment as i had birds straggling from everywhere when i started show birds and when i stopped purchasing my birds never really seemed right i did quarrenteen

anyway i did what vet said birds all seem good

i only bring in birds at same time now never just randomly from everywhere

your vet will fix you up with a good plan to stick too

 

Thanks GenericBlue for your advice. I can see that you wouldn't want to carry out a medicated quarantine programme too often. Though I can definitely see the benefit if you had experienced sickness/loss in an aviary - very upsetting and stressful.

 

I am waiting to see how my quarantine bird goes (he seems great) and I'm also closely watching my hen who was in with Sunny when she first fell ill. So far she is okay. I still have the male bird BT separated and am going to take him to the new vet for further investigation and at the same time I will ask about a quarantine/medication plan such as the one you posted.

 

Once I know for sure that the birds I have are okay I am going to aim to get some birds from 1 source, maybe a breeder, and not from the petshop/produce store where the birds come from everywhere.

 

Anyway thanks again for your input which is much appreciated.