Vet Q&A-Bird

I am concerned about my budgie who is around 2 years old. He has been quite lethargic and is constantly sleeping with puffed up feathers. He is eating and drinking as normal. However, he has been unable to fly due to a slightly damaged flight feather that has been been by another budgie.

Thanks for reaching out about Kiwi. A damage flight feather should not alter flight significantly, as they can fly when they molt. Lethargy and sleeping during the day (to conserve energy) are clinical signs of being sick, the question is why. Providing heat support in the 80-85 F range can give some support. Monitor fecal production by a total cage clean-out. Sick birds often act like they're eating but aren't. A veterinary visit is recommended to assess and provide a diagnostic/treatment plan. Multiple possibilities include ingestion of foreign material (metal, fabric, wood, etc.), metabolic concerns (liver, renal), infections (viral, bacterial) and others. Good luck.

my budgie appears healthy, happy and active but is losing ALOT of feathers (he is not pulling them out much they just come out when he flys or flaps around... is he ok what could it be

Harry could be molting, which is a normal thing that occurs about once or twice a year. This is when your bird loses their feathers and then replaces them with new ones. You can check if this is the case by looking for "pin" feathers, or what looks like little pins growing out of the skin (these are the new feathers coming in). Other things to look for include making sure Harry is on a balanced diet, and checking for mites or other skin issues that can also cause feather loss.

My zebra finch is puffed up and eating normally is a sign of what kind of illness

Thanks for reaching out about Mr. T. Being fluffed is not a specific sign for any illness, and could be just cold. Provide heat support in the 80-85 F range. Intestinal parasites or infections, metabolic (liver, kidney) disorders, nutritional deficiencies, inhaled or ingested toxins are just a few of the possible causes. A veterinary visit can help rule in/rule out causes. Good luck.

PLEASE HELP! I found my two baby budgies severely attacked by another bird. I have separated that bird into a smaller cage. The greener baby has its beak loose on one side. I have absolutely no vets near me and I can not travel because of this whole annoying pandemic. The bleeding has stopped but I am scared for the green baby as I do not know what to do with it’s beak and I am not sure what I will feed it in the future because no pet shops near me sell baby formula except for Ebay and Amazon (C

Unfortunately, there isn't much you can do at home if the baby is severely injured or you don't have food for it. Trying to see if a local pet store or big box store that carries pet supplies is open may help you find syringes and baby bird food you need, otherwise. In a pinch, adult bird food can be ground down into a mash and then mixed with water and given via a syringe until you can get actual baby bird food. Keeping the babies warm and keeping any wounds clean and dry can help, however if there are severe wounds or the injuries are bad enough the babies can't function properly, seeking out the care of a vet in person ASAP is best (Many are open still for medical emergencies such as this).

What happens when my budgy has feces stuck to his bum?

Budgies hide ill-health well, and a dirty vent might be your bird's only symptom. Sometimes diarrhea only lasts a day or two, but longer-lasting problems indicate a more serious condition, requiring a visit to the vet. Dangers of diarrhea include waste build-up due to clogged vents, and intestinal damage from blocked ducts. Diarrhea makes him at risk from dehydration, weakness, lack of appetite and weight loss. Extreme cases lead to fits and starvation. Checking your bird's poop when he has a dirty vent can give useful information. Normal droppings are soft, olive-green to brown and coiled or cylindrical. Poop that's very dark, very pale, liquid, lumpy, dry, sticky or bubbly mean illness and need vet attention. Green-stained vents often mean poor quality feed and usually appear within 24 hours of eating new food. Providing healthier food should make symptoms disappear. One check of feed quality is biting. Grains should split cleanly and be hard to bite. Intestinal inflammation causes most diarrhea in budgies, due to bacterial or fungal infections. Vets can test for infections and treat with antibiotics. Worms, gut changes due to abnormal growths, viruses, liver disease and problems with egg production can also cause diarrhea. Less obvious causes of upset tummies are stress from a change in environment and over-use of antibiotics, causing an imbalance in normal gut bacteria. Vets can use probiotics and prebiotics to re-introduce healthy bacteria. Sick budgies need to be kept warm to conserve energy, and clean water is important in preventing dehydration. When he's lost his appetite, tempt your bird with his favorite treats, or offer specially-designed, easily digested feeds. Some budgies love soaked millet sprays. Cold, sweet black tea provides fluids and energy from sugar, and tannin in tea coats his intestines. Intensive nursing can often help in cases without a specific cause.

Hi there! My cockatiel accidentally flew into a blanket while out of the cage for the first time and he got caught inside it. I quickly got him out and checked to see if he was alright.. he has blood coming from his wings and a loss of balance. I'm not sure what to do but it's late and I won't be able to get to a vet till morning. He also keeps picking at the feather (possibly a blood feather), causing it to bleed more. I'm not sure what to do, please help. Thank you.

Hi there. From what I can tell this is a broken or dislodged blood feather and probably needs to be pulled out to decrease the chances of further bleeding. If you're not comfortable doing it (which can be rather tricky and if you are inexperienced I discourage you from trying) I would see if you can see an ER vet. If that's not an option possibly keeping him covered to keep him as calm as possible till morning. I hope this helps you!

My cockatiel bird has a feather bleeding from its tail and it looks long and bleedly I'm really scared and afraid because I've been reading about blood feathers and how dangerous it can be , it's currently 11:42pm in California we're I live and I'm really scared there's not vets at this hours , my cockatiel it's screaming she seems fine but my dog pulled her tail feather I'm really Afaid

Ouch poor birdie! It looks like she may have lost more than a few feathers, and yanking out healthy feathers can definitely cause bleeding and is very painful to your bird. If you have it on hand, styptic powder can be used to stop the bleeding on the skin. If you don't have that, corn or potato starch can be used as a substitute. Keep the area cleaned and dry, and if the bleeding continues, the area looks infected or badly wounded, or if Canela is in a lot of pain, seek veterinary care as soon as you can.

My birds have beak disease..how can it be cured

I'm sorry to hear that, but the picture is blurry and overall very bad, there are many types of beak diseases and i would need a much better picture to try and find out which one it may be. please take a new picture and upload it under a new question.

One of my baby budgies cannot fly. He/she never left the breeding box and the mother wanted it to leave, so I brought it inside to look after. It can eat on it's own and used to not be able to perch (now it can). It keeps losing flight feathers and there are no other birds that could be plucking them. It doesn't seem like french moult and none of its relatives have had it. What could be causing the loss of flight feathers? Will it ever fly? The budgie is close to 2 months old. Can I help it?

Thanks for reaching out about Bog and including photos. French molt should still be considered and tested, hopefully negative. Intestinal malabsorption diseases and poor protein can lead to weak feathers and loss. Provide heat support. Good luck.