Vet Q&A-Bird

Why are my birds scared when I put my hand in the cage

Your birds may not be used to you and so are afraid of your hand. Taking some time to get them used to you and tamer may help. You can start by just offering a treat every time you approach the cage or sit near the cage without any other interaction. Once they are used to you walking past, you can start to then offer the treat while talking to them, move on to giving it from your hand, and then go from there. If at any time they become too scared or nervous, taking a break to let them calm down and then starting again from the step they were comfortable with can help.

My baby budgie has been really inactive and has air bubbles Around it’s neck.

If you are spoon or syringe feeding, use care to not allow too much air to go in with the formula. The formula should also be at proper temp to prevent yeast or bacteria from growing. Make sure the chick is warm as well. You can gently "burp" the chick by massaging the crop to move the air up and out. Be careful to not cause regurgitation which could lead to aspiration of formula into the lungs.

My female budgie has laid 6 clutches all of them hatched two of her chicks are still in cage and she started mating with her pair. Though she is not attacking her chicks in nest but today i noticed her cloaca swoolen. I know this is not normal

Laying so many clutches of eggs and raising that many chicks can be taxing on a bird. Ideally, a breeding hen should have no more than two clutches per calendar year. Remove the remaining chicks from the cage if they are eating on their own. Remove the nesting box as well. Separate the male and female. Drop room temperature by a few degrees and gradually limit her amount of daylight she is getting. This may get her out of "breeding mode" and stop her egg laying. She should be seen by an experienced avian veterinarian to make sure the inflammation around her vent is not infection.

Why is my cockatiel sitting at the bottom of the cage?* (She normally doesn't do that) *She only did this for a couple minutes then went back up to her perch Is this a sign of illness???

If she only sat there for a few minutes and does not constantly sit on the bottom of the cage, appears happy, healthy and not puffed up, then I would not worry about this. Sometimes birds want to explore the floor, or there was a draft they tried to get away from, or it was too hot on the perch and cooler on the bottom.

I have a two months old alexandrine parrot. He was fine and active 2 days before but now he dosent want to have food. I usually feed him boiled and grinded chana dal(a kind of pulse) and he eats it normally and in a good amount, but from a week he dosent want to eat and runs here and there when he sees me making food for him so i make him feed forcefully with a syringe by holding his beak upwards. His poop also seems normal but sometimes watery. I am worried about him & dunno What to feed him.

If Mitthu doesn't want to eat food he is normally interested in, it is always best to have him sen by a vet to make sure there isn't an issue such as illness or injury causing him to not want to eat. Watery stool could be due to the food he is eating, being given too many treats, parasites, or general GI upset. Removing any extras such as excess fruits and veggies for a few days may help clear up the stool, however if he continues to not want to eat or has watery stool, the vet is best. If he checks out healthy, then switching him to a balanced parrot diet (many pet stores will carry commercial feeds that are usually a mix of pellets and various nuts and seeds) can help encourage him to eat more. You can add in some fruits and veggies as treats to help keep him happy and his diet varied.

My Australian Shepherd ate two bird suet cakes over the weekend and now isn't wanting to eat very much (which is unusual, she eats all of her meals) and seems a bit blocked up not wanting to go outside to use the bathroom very much.

Hello. Leia ate a lot of fat, so I am not surprise she feels a bit of under the weather with a gastrointestinal upset. She may even be on course to develop a case of pancreatitis. I would feed her a very bland meal of boiled chicken & boiled white rice ( not Minute or Instant rice ) for the next few days once she is interested in eating. She may have some diarrhea for a day, but if her symptoms continue, or she starts vomiting, please see your veterinarian. Hopefully, once she gets rid of the suet, she will start to feel better. Thanks for using Boop by Petco.

My dog ate the wrapping of a Dove chocolate candy. I heard it can really hurt him. Is there anything I can do to help him?

If he only ate the one wrapper, I wouldn't worry too much. The foil isn't stiff enough or large enough to block or cause damage as it moves through. If it has been less than an hour since your pet ate it, you can induce vomiting by giving an oral dose of hydrogen peroxide, about 1 cc per pound. One tablespoon is about 5 cc. A turkey baster will work if you don't have a syringe. Longer than an hour and it will have already moved into the intestines. Keep an eye on him for a few days to make sue he's okay and watch his feces for evidence that it has come out.

my baby parrot eating his own poop

Your baby parrot may just be trying to explore his environment. Making sure he is on a balanced baby bird food, or is being fed by his parents, and keeping the cage cleaned/extra stool removed can help reduce his curiosity in eating it.

My male budgie who is a father of 4 baby budgies has started to move right to left continuously on the bottom of cage. His mate stays in the nest box looking after 4 budgies and 2 eggs. He has started behaving like this since yesterday. What is he doing? Please help. Thanks.

Repetitive behaviors can sometimes indicate stress or boredom in pets, and just having four babies may be stressful. However if you see any signs of illness such as changes in eating habits, falling over or stumbling, puffing up feathers, etc, it may indicate illness or injury and should be seen by your vet.