# Sick Budgie



## Sid.lola (Jan 10, 2008)

Looking for a bit of guidance or reassurance as I haven't kept birds for many years until a few months ago.

Our budgie is poorly. He's doing the whole hanging his head sideways or upside down and feeling sorry for himself, then yesterday he couldn't perch or fly and was sitting around the bottom of his cage.

OH took him to the vet and she said she couldn't really see any symptoms other than a bit of mucus around his nostrils so _maybe _it's a head cold. She gave him some baytril and antibiotics. I've put food and water at the bottom of the cage cos he's struggling to balance well enough to get to his feeder pots. He's back on his perch now but still hanging his head down and is scratching himself a lot. He is eating and drinking well.

My question for anyone with a bit more experience than me: OH wasn't sure if the vet he saw was actually the avian specialist and as she said there were no real symptoms I would have expected her to do a fecal test. Am I worying prematurely or would you go back? Today will be his third day of antibiotics.


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## PPVallhunds (May 23, 2010)

Is he walking in circles at all? Wondering if it's stargazing

""Stargazers" constantly throw their head back, sleep with their heads between their legs; go around in a circle; look at the ceiling, turn their heads around in a circle and look up"
"If this condition is left uncorrected, the following progression) can be expected:

Inability to fly.Loss of balance/equilibrium. Falls off the perch.Difficulty moving around in cageCan't find food or water 

"http://www.beautyofbirds.com/stargazing.html

Here is a good budgie forum that has helped me alot with mine one poster has a crisp of his staircases http://budgerigarsforum.proboards.com/thread/2922/first-stargazer


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## Sid.lola (Jan 10, 2008)

No it's not stargazing, it's either drooping his head forward and down or tilting sideays when he's trying to look at things. He's not holding his head up at all. 

I'll take a photo.

Thanks I did try to register on that forum a few weeks ago but I can't log in, it just messed with the login for a forum that I run hrough proboards.


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## EmmyRVN (Apr 28, 2014)

I would try to confirm you saw the avian specialist before taking it as gospel. Sadly, there is very little teaching for most vets on anything vaguely exotic, meaning knowledge can be limited. Good luck with your little one x


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## Rach1 (May 18, 2010)

Another good forum to join is Feathered Flyer.
It can be a bit slow at times BUT is full of people with loads of experience.
It's been a great help to me...
I do hope your little budgie is ok.
My cockatiel is under the weather at the moment.


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## Sid.lola (Jan 10, 2008)

thanks I will chech out that site and yeah I do think I'll call the vets and check her birdy credentials.

What's up with your cockatiel?


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## Rach1 (May 18, 2010)

She's new and we dint realise until we got her home that she has been plucking at the feathers under her wings and on to her back.
I'm going to treat for mites, but I suspect it's more that she was bored in her previous home.
Her owners had given her up for reforming.
Plus she's a lutino and they apparently are more prone to plucking.


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## Sid.lola (Jan 10, 2008)

Aw it's horrible when they're self harming, my dog got stressed after an incident and started pulling out all her hair, got infections, which led to more chewing. Took months to get her sorted and happy again.


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## Sid.lola (Jan 10, 2008)




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## PPVallhunds (May 23, 2010)

has his eyesight been checked?
ive got a blind one who hangs upside down a lot (will hang there preening) and on occasion does rolls head some a bit looking around.


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## Rach1 (May 18, 2010)

Lola... Would you mind if I described your budgies symptoms on feathered flyer?
Some one may be able to help?


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## Rach1 (May 18, 2010)

Ideas I can think of...
Stroke
Ear infection
Toxic poisoning
Maybe a vitamin deficiency?


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## Sid.lola (Jan 10, 2008)

He hasn't had it checked. That's worth bearing in mind but I don't think it is that because he seems to be able to see fine and it came on really suddenly. He was fine and then the OH came home from work, went over to say hello and Mr Flappy just turned his head sideways really slowly and never really held it upright again, the next day he was looking really poorly and sorry for himself, which is when we got him to the vet.

Is it really obvious when a bird has any blindness?


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## Sid.lola (Jan 10, 2008)

Rach1 said:


> Lola... Would you mind if I described your budgies symptoms on feathered flyer?
> Some one may be able to help?


please do, they haven't activated my account yet. I'm on talk budgie too and no ideas there really.

I'm definitely going to take him for a second opinion at my reptile vet where they also have an avian specialist cos I know they're good


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## Rach1 (May 18, 2010)

Sid.lola said:


> please do, they haven't activated my account yet. I'm on talk budgie too and no ideas there really.
> 
> I'm definitely going to take him for a second opinion at my reptile vet where they also have an avian specialist cos I know they're good


Thank goodness you said yes...
I already did as it was bothering me that much.
I have sent you a pm by the way...


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## Rach1 (May 18, 2010)

The guys and gals at FF would like to know what antibiotics it is on (did you say Baytril?) and how it's been given?


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## Sid.lola (Jan 10, 2008)

He's got metacam and baytril


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