When is it time to go to the vets?

[JennyB]

Merry and Pippin (both boys) are around 3 months and they've been with me for 5 happy weeks now. They are my first birds. I'm wondering if Merry has a cold (and possibly pippin now). I've read that birds don't recover on their own and need medicine to help them. He is fine in himself. At bedtime he wheezes a little on and off a little like this budgie on YouTube (a comment underneath the video suggest airsac mites)



After eating sometimes he bobs his head up and down like he's got a bit blocked but nothing comes up then he'll shake his head and I'll hear seeds falling onto the floor. They both sneeze a bit too. Merry sounds like he has a bit of mucus. Yesterday he was lifting his wings up like he was hot. When he sits on my finger for a while his feet are warmer than pippin's. 

I think I will be phoning for an appointment on Monday but I'd like to hear your valid opinions please. On what if anything to do I between times. Their diet is a seed mix the breeder provided. They've gnawed at carrot twice but I haven't tried since if they're ill in case it upset their tummies. They didn't try the cucumber or kale yet. Broccoli was pecked at once. 

 
I have a small travel cage. They haven't been out of their normal cage yet. Would it be less traumatic this time to take them to the vets in that? 

Also so does anyone have suggestions to stop them nibbling at their poo? I stopped putting paper on the grill when they started that so it fell through but I'd find that much easier to go back to. 

Thanks in advance. 

[Moogie]

hI I CAN NOT ANSWER ALL YOUR QUESTIONS AS I AM NOT AS GOOD AS OTHERS ON THIS FORUM BUT WHEN YOU SAY THAT HE SHAKES HIS HEAD AND YOU HEAR SEEDS FALLING OUT REMINDS ME WHEN MY FIRST BUDGIE ELFIE DID JUST THAT..(SORrry about the capital letters my mistake) Any way...is there staining above his cere??? my Elf had this too and i took him to the vet and he did have a cold and was given meds which cleared things all up...When my elf was shaking his head and letting out seeds it was due to a crop infection and given other meds (poor boy had a lot to deal with in his first year)...so yes in my opinion i would get them to the vets to be on the safe side...(is it an avian vet you would be seeing?)
If you dont want to put them in there travel cage then their normal cage would be finr just remove swings ect and water so they dont go all over the place as you transport them and i always cover up the cage with a sheet-either all sides or just 3 so they can see out-that is up to you....
please let us know how you go and i am sure other members will be along soon with other surrgestions xx

[birdguhl]

Bearing in mind I have just written a post about being an over-anxious, vet-stalking budgie obsessive, I think if you are noticing a few things that you are not happy about it is just as well to get them checked out. I know myself that my enjoyment of my birds evaporates when I am concerned about them and is replaced by worrisome, handwringing watching. The buds notice I am not chatting away to them in my usual ridiculously overaffectionate way and then they become all suspicious and spooked, which makes me even worse. If nothing else the (hopefully avian) vet will be able to give your birdies a check over and you some reassurance and then they'll know some baseline info for future needs. If there is something amiss they can get some treatment and return them to full health.

[JennyB]

Thank you for replying so quickly. Yes Merry has a little bit of brown above his cere. I've been trying to take a photo of it. There is an avian vet about 25 minutes away fortunately. I hope I can get an appointment quickly.

[JennyB]

I wish I had phoned the vets on Friday as I almost did. I didn't want them to have the trauma of going if I was over reacting being a new mummy. This parent lark is stressful!

[stace]

Hi there. Which cage you take depends on the size. If you can get their regular cage in the car, that's fine. That way the vet will be the bad guy catching them up to check them over.

[Hezz]

When to take them to the vet? When you feel something is not right. You may not be completely in tune with their individual characters as yet, but a vet check now is going to nip anything nasty in the bud, give you peace of mind, and a great chance to get both birds a good check over. You never know what gremlins may have come in with them when you got them. A decent vet will do a good thorough check of both, but not prescribe anything unless it is needed. Go with your gut.

[ruthpaton]

I like to get my budgies checked over by a vet within the first few weeks anyway so it won't do any harm to take them. They will know if one or both has a problem and be able to treat it early. If not your mind will be put at rest. If these are your first budgies they will give you helpful tips on care and feeding etc (although no better than what you can learn on this forum!) It's great you have an avian vet fairly close to you, not everyone has that benefit.

I take my budgie to the vet in a small carry cage but he will get in there by himself if I put his favorite toy and a bit of millet inside! As someone else said, do whatever causes less stress to the budgies and you. The vet will not have much bother getting them out of whichever cage you go with. Let us know how you get on!

[JennyB]

Hi. I took the boys to the vets. He examined them both. I showed him the video I had of Merry head bobbing and looking like he was trying to be sick but only having seeds fly out once he shook his head. From that video he said it could be megabacteria. He said that was the A typical symtom. The usual treatment he'd suggest would be catching the bird and giving him medication by syringe twice a day. I couldn't manage that without a lot of stress to the birds which he said wouldn't be beneficial to them either. He's discussing other options with his exotics group and phoning me back.

What have any of you used for treatment for megabacteria?

The head bobbing etc is the only symtom Merry is showing so far. He seems to be okay otherwise. He isn't fluffed unless it's bedtime. He does sneeze usually after drinking. When he's flapped his wings a bit I can hear a slight whistling noise for a bit. He's also wheezed a few times a bedtime.

Any thoughts very much appreciated.

Xxx

[ffiscool]

Glad they are sorting out options for you. Do they play? I ask because I had to give Bailey medication via syringe and no way I could grab him. But I made a game out if it so he would nibble the end. Then when he did, I pushed the plunger.

[JennyB]

They do and it's quite possible I could try that out method out. I have a plastic syringe that I could just try now with water in thanks!

[starrymist]

I'm assuming it's liquid? Can you hand feed them things like veg etc? With Brodie's liquid med I put a drop onto a leaf & held it up to him & he'd lick it off then eat the bit of leaf. There's no way I'd have been able to catch him every day & this way worked well. It was a low stress thing & it's all part of bonding which is an added extra! The best things to put the liquid on were basil & lettuce. The vet said it tastes horrible & he wouldn't like it but actually B wasn't fussed, he always licked it & ate it so it cant have been that bad! maybe worth a shot? If it doesn't work, you can try something else
Another idea is do they play with mirrors? Could you place 1 on the floor of their cage with a drop of the meds on it (possibly alongside a tasty something, a few grains of millet or egg food to tempt him down there?) That could be a completely stupid suggestion but I know that doing this way with Brodie with his pill meant that he ate up what he was meant to plus I could monitor whether he took it all up & I can't see a liquid would be any different as he likes licking things (!). An issue with that even if it works may be Pippin though I realise.
Sorry I've not emailed, been laid low with a chest infection.

[ffiscool]

I would try just the syringe empty first, a few times. Water will shoot out faster and may hinder it. I started off tapping the syringe and showing it was 'ok'. I the rolled it about on my lap. Bailey couldn't resist.

[budgiefriend]

Great tips on giving out meds! I had a terrible time using the syringe with Blueberry, and I am not sure she ever got enough. Next time I will try these ideas. Thanks!