Lacey being sick....

[Shirls]

Lacey is being sick again. She was like this about 6 weeks ago, regurgitating a lot and shaking her head. Whole seeds are coming up. We got over it before, I gave them Guardian Angel, didn't separate her off. She has been her usual quiet reserved self since the first time so I thought she had got over it. She seems normal in every other respect, eats, drinks, preens. She now has very mucky chops from being sick. Any advice please would be greatley appreciated.

[Hezz]

Shirls, reading your post, I immediately started to think of megabacteria ......... I don;t know why, as I haven't had anything to do with it ever, only what I have read .......... so went for a very short walk into cyberspace and almost immediately found this:
www.petalk.com/megabacteria.html

If I were you, I would be getting her in for a comprehensive check over, looking for the little known organisms that may be the cause of her problems. I think it is Ruth's Pepito who has this and is on a regime to help keep it under control - stress seemingly to be something that triggers a relapse.

One of the symptoms later on seems to be that the bird seemingly eats rather frantically, but does in fact eat nothing.

[ffiscool]

Oh no. Poor Lacey. I hope you get her sorted

[Shirls]

Thanks for that Hezz, very informative and obviously not very easy to treat. I have quarantined Lacey, covered her up, given her GA and put her in a warm conservatory. I do however have some reservations about her having megabacteria, because of the way she is. I feel sure she is eating normally, not gorging and she doesn't appear to have changed either way with her weight, just her normal self really. Anyways, will bear megabacteria in mind and see how she goes over the next 24 hours. I have a very good vet, even tho she admits she doesn't have a lot of experience with budgies but lots with chickens! Thank you so much for your quick response btw!!

[OP]

Crossing my fingers for you Shirls, that's all I can do.

[Moogie]

Elfie was sick bringing up whole seeds (and LOADS OF THEM) He shook his head and they went every where when i took him to the vets they found it ws a crop infection...Really cant say if its the same for little Lacey but just a thought...Have every thing crossed for her x

[budgiefriend]

Poor little Lacey. Hope you and the vet can figure out what is wrong. Lacey is much too cute to be sick.

[starlingqueen]

Have you tried giving her ACV in her water?

[Shirls]

Aug 31, 2014 11:51:54 GMT starlingqueen said:

Have you tried giving her ACV in her water?

They all have that all the time, even the chickens! But thank you.

[Shirls]

Little up-date on Lacey. She is in a 'hospital' cage, in the conservatory, well covered up and being kept warm. She is very lively and is trying to bite her way out of the cage. She has eaten a little millet and she has had some water with her GA in. She chirrups occasionally cos Charlie is calling to her most of the time - he is lost without her! Her poops a bit watery as she had fresh corn on the cob yesterday. My feeling is that I want to put her back with the others. What do you think? Confused from Canterbury.

[JennyB]

I've had a similar experience. Pippin was bobbing his head up and down looking like he was trying to get something up. He'd then shake his head and I'd hear seeds hit the floor. He'd sound a bit like he had a snotty nose if he was humane. He'd also make a little wheezing noise at bedtime. I took him to the avian vet. I showed him a video I'd taken on my phone. He said the head bobbing was a typical of megabacteria. The treatment available in the uk is by mouth and I'm not adept enough to catch them and treat them that way. He said that would be stressful for them too. He said in Australia the treatment is in drinking water but that's not available here. I wasn't very confident in his opinion.

I took them to a second vet and he said it was regurgitation bonding behaviour. I didn't agree with him either because pippin wasn't doing it at will. He'd start sneezing then it'd progress to head bobbing etc. That was a couple of months ago. Merry has just started doing it last week so I'm going to book an appointment for them.

I'm going to ask if it was megabacteria how often they'd head bob. It's maybe two or three times a week. They also, touch wood, like Lacey aren't showing any of the other symptoms. I did wonder if it was from dust from seed or the balsa wood when they play with it. There's a bowl of water near them in case it was the dry air with central heating. They've been on guardian angel for two days. I started ACV once a week two weeks ago.

I will grill him this time to be sure and get them weighed and check the breast plate etc. I'll ask about a possible crop infection too.

I'll write an update when I'm back from the vet.

[Shirls]

Oh dear, I am sorry to hear that JennyB. No doubt you will let us know how you get on. I really don't feel that Lacey has megabacteria after reading the article that Hezz sent. I will see how she goes still and keep my fingers crossed for both you and me.

[starlingqueen]

I would put one bud in with her. I wont do her any good to get stressed on top of feeling ill.

[Shirls]

Thanks for that SQ. I have now put her back in with the others. She has been so lively in the hospital cage, she ate some millet, licked up all the paper on the floor as well as chewed it to bits, drank some GA -kicked over the seeds and kept chewing the bars to come out! Sounds like a very sick bird aye? She hasn't been sick ALL DAY! So I put her back, she went in like a dream, preened Charlie, Charlie fed her, she has eaten some seed and is acting perfectly normal. Watch this space, I shall be keeping a close eye on her for the next few days.

[budgiefriend]

Sounds encouraging, Shirls. Maybe Lacey just had an off day. A little tummy trouble?