Just returned from the Avian Vet with my bird "Chico". He has not been flying very well and seems stressed when he returns to his cage, we don't have him fly everyday, but I try and get him to fly a couple times a week. He always seems to be stressed when he's done a couple of laps around the room. The vet found a couple of lipoma lumps on his chest, she says they are not that large but that we should keep our eye out on them. The vet mentioned Synthroid, that maybe this will reduce these lumps. I'm wondering if more flying for him would be better. He's not a large budge but about 38 grams. He is most of the time very cheerful and talkative but his stools are a bit different now. Quite wet, you can see the liquid around the stool part.

 

After he flys, he gets all puffed up and his breathing seems a bit easier to see on his chest.

 

Any thoughts??

 

Ilka

What is his diet like? If it's high in fat (mostly seeds) that is most likely a big part of the problem. Has he been tested for any other diseases?

What is his diet like? If it's high in fat (mostly seeds) that is most likely a big part of the problem. Has he been tested for any other diseases?

:budgiedance: As of right now he is on Nutriphase seed, yes mostly all seed, but I do feed him apples, carrots, broccoli, spinach, pear,plums among others. No the vet at this point did not test him for any disease just put him on some antibiotics for 10 days (oral) to see if this clears up some of the runny stool and breathing problems.

 

Ilka

How often does he get fresh foods (the ones you mentioned)? He'd definitely do better if you varied his diet just a bit more and gradually lessen how much seed you feed. Have you tried converting him to pellets? He'll still need seed, just less of it. :budgiedance:

Edited October 1, 200519 yr by eterri

How often does he get fresh foods (the ones you mentioned)? He'd definitely do better if you varied his diet just a bit more and gradually lessen how much seed you feed. Have you tried converting him to pellets? He'll still need seed, just less of it.

I give him fresh food of some sort daily. I've tries the pellets he will not eat them. I also include vitamins in his water daily. Does anyone have any information about the Synthroid and reducing lipoma's. I'm also wondering if once he feels a bit better, if letting him fly even more than we do will reduce the size of the lipoma's??

 

Ilka

Edited October 2, 200519 yr by Ilka

as far as my understanding goes once a lipoma has developed it is extremely difficult to reduce its size. the best thing you can do is try to stabalise the tumour so that it does not continue to grow. this can only be done by reducing the calorie intake of the budgie and changing the diet. a bit of extra exercise would be beneficial definitely - but if the growth makes him feel uncomfortable he may not want to fly as much as he used to so thats why diet is the way to go.

 

by giving him fresh food daily you have done nothing wrong - budgies have always been prone to lipomas, part of it could be genetic or it could just be that they are seed eaters by nature and thats what makes them more vunerable to this type of tumour.

 

i would suggest fresh veggies make up 50% of his diet. good fruit and veggies eterri, provided this link recently - it will give you a good idea of which foods would be beneficial to your budgie. cut his seed right down (if possible only offer it once in the morning and once at night and leave fresh food for him throughout the day).

 

you can also offer cooked foods from beak appetite instead of seeds sometimes. also wheatgrass is very good for them.

 

hope that gives you some idea. keep your eye on the growth and if it does continue to grow surgical removal is sometimes an option but not always neccessary so discuss it with your vet.

Edited October 2, 200519 yr by pixie25