Post by Budgiebonkers on Nov 19, 2013 23:44:36 GMT
Illness and Injury - Nobody wants or expects their budgie to get sick or injured, but every budgie owner should be prepared in case this happens.
Illness - If you've established what behavior, activity level, and eating habits are normal for your budgie, and you pay close attention to him every day, you need to be on the look out for any changes, even subtle ones. This is because any change can be a sign that there is something wrong. Since budgies are actually wild creatures (not domesticated like dogs or cats) all of their wild instincts are still intact. In the wild, budgies have to mask their illness, because if the flock identifies a bird as ill and weak, the flock will reject that budgie. This is simply and purely a survival instinct. Therefore, pet birds are extremely good a hiding their illness and pain, which is why it is very important to be on the look out for subtle changes. By the time there is something obviously wrong with the bird, he/she has been sick or in pain for a long time and is just now too weak to hide it. The minute you suspect something may be wrong, you should schedule an appointment with your avian vet. You can use http/aav.org/search/index.php to help you look up an avian vet in your area. Keep track of everything you observe about the budgie until the appointment, including eating and sleeping habits and changes in appearance and behavior. Reporting this to the vet at the appointment will help him/her determine what may be wrong. If your budgie has become obviously sick and/or weak you should seriously consider taking him/her in for an emergency visit. You can call the vet's office to let them know you would like to take your budgie in to be seen as an emergency. They will be able to tell you the price of the emergency visit, or, if they are unequipped to help you at the time, refer you to a facility that is.
Remember, the earlier you catch an illness or problem with your budgie, the better chances you'll have of treating it and of avoiding very costly treatments. Check on your budgie every day and be aware of the signs of illness:
Change in droppings - watery or loose, change in color, seeds in droppings
Change in behavior - lethargy, sleepiness, puffiness for long periods of time
Change in eating habits - eating too much or too little
Discoloration of feathers above nostrils and/or excessive sneezing
Wheezing and/or pronounced tail bobbing with each breath
Vomiting - shaking head and spraying seeds and/or slimy stuff about and on face feathers
Accumulation of poop around vent
Weakness, inability to perch, staying on bottom of cage
If you notice any of the signs listed above or if something just doesn't seem quite right about your budgie, make an appointment with your avian vet immediately.
Injury - It can be scary and stressing to deal with a pet budgie's injury. But it is very critical to remain calm. The first thing you should do is call an avian vet for advice and to let them know if you'll be taking your budgie in to be seen as an emergency. You can use http/aav.org/search/index.php to help you look up an avian vet in your area. Some injuries can be remedied at home, such as a broken blood feather or a bleeding toenail. More critical injuries, such as a broken leg or wing, heavy bleeding, concussion, etc, should be seen by a vet immediately. If a critical injury occurs and no avian vet's office is open, take your bird to the closest emergency animal hospital. They will be able to help your bird until he/she can be seen by an avian vet.
You should have a basic knowledge of bird first-aid as well as first-aid supplies on hand in the case that an inury does happen. If a non-critical injury occurs, you will need to know what to do quickly, before it ends up becoming a critical case. If a critical injury does occur it may be necessary for you to apply first aid before you can get your budgie to the vet. And in the case that you are unable to get your budgie to the vet at all, knowledge of first-aid may save your bird's life.
Illness - If you've established what behavior, activity level, and eating habits are normal for your budgie, and you pay close attention to him every day, you need to be on the look out for any changes, even subtle ones. This is because any change can be a sign that there is something wrong. Since budgies are actually wild creatures (not domesticated like dogs or cats) all of their wild instincts are still intact. In the wild, budgies have to mask their illness, because if the flock identifies a bird as ill and weak, the flock will reject that budgie. This is simply and purely a survival instinct. Therefore, pet birds are extremely good a hiding their illness and pain, which is why it is very important to be on the look out for subtle changes. By the time there is something obviously wrong with the bird, he/she has been sick or in pain for a long time and is just now too weak to hide it. The minute you suspect something may be wrong, you should schedule an appointment with your avian vet. You can use http/aav.org/search/index.php to help you look up an avian vet in your area. Keep track of everything you observe about the budgie until the appointment, including eating and sleeping habits and changes in appearance and behavior. Reporting this to the vet at the appointment will help him/her determine what may be wrong. If your budgie has become obviously sick and/or weak you should seriously consider taking him/her in for an emergency visit. You can call the vet's office to let them know you would like to take your budgie in to be seen as an emergency. They will be able to tell you the price of the emergency visit, or, if they are unequipped to help you at the time, refer you to a facility that is.
Remember, the earlier you catch an illness or problem with your budgie, the better chances you'll have of treating it and of avoiding very costly treatments. Check on your budgie every day and be aware of the signs of illness:
Change in droppings - watery or loose, change in color, seeds in droppings
Change in behavior - lethargy, sleepiness, puffiness for long periods of time
Change in eating habits - eating too much or too little
Discoloration of feathers above nostrils and/or excessive sneezing
Wheezing and/or pronounced tail bobbing with each breath
Vomiting - shaking head and spraying seeds and/or slimy stuff about and on face feathers
Accumulation of poop around vent
Weakness, inability to perch, staying on bottom of cage
If you notice any of the signs listed above or if something just doesn't seem quite right about your budgie, make an appointment with your avian vet immediately.
Injury - It can be scary and stressing to deal with a pet budgie's injury. But it is very critical to remain calm. The first thing you should do is call an avian vet for advice and to let them know if you'll be taking your budgie in to be seen as an emergency. You can use http/aav.org/search/index.php to help you look up an avian vet in your area. Some injuries can be remedied at home, such as a broken blood feather or a bleeding toenail. More critical injuries, such as a broken leg or wing, heavy bleeding, concussion, etc, should be seen by a vet immediately. If a critical injury occurs and no avian vet's office is open, take your bird to the closest emergency animal hospital. They will be able to help your bird until he/she can be seen by an avian vet.
You should have a basic knowledge of bird first-aid as well as first-aid supplies on hand in the case that an inury does happen. If a non-critical injury occurs, you will need to know what to do quickly, before it ends up becoming a critical case. If a critical injury does occur it may be necessary for you to apply first aid before you can get your budgie to the vet. And in the case that you are unable to get your budgie to the vet at all, knowledge of first-aid may save your bird's life.
