Advice please :-(

[lynseylu]

Poor Charlie is just not well again. Since he collpased in June he hasnt ever really been right and 3 months ago we took him back to the vet cause he was stuggling to breath and his balance was bad. Again he bounced back but the vet suggested there could be a respiratory problem. Since last week he started making a weird throaty noise over and over, a noise he only did after he was ill the last time and it stopped after a few weeks. He is falling a lot as well and at the end of last week he seemed really uncomfortable flapping his wings really fast constantly, picking constantly. Unfortunately he did this so much Fri night he fell off the perch and we noticed he was struggling to get back up again from the floor of the cage. We think it looked more like he had hurt his foot when he fell. We took him to the vet monday i gave all the symptoms and she suggested we treat him for mites, and gave me an anti inflamatory and antibiotic. She said she feels since he took ill June there is something underlying but with listening to his chest etc they cant seem to find what the problem is. The nearest avian vet is a distance away, something i dont and the vet doesnt think Charlie would cope with is the journey or the tests as he actually went into a little shock Monday when we first gave himhis medication. The vet adviced as well there is a waiting list to see them and she just feels it isnt fair to put him through mmore tests but will continue to give me anti inflamatory and antibotics and check on him. Usually he picks right up after one or two days this time though hes more or less the same infact a few times now (including 5 min ago) im finding him wandering about the bottom of his cage and hes not lying there as if dying but seems to be unable to work out how to get up to his perches. im making sure i have food at the bottom now incase he is down there. He just seems so sad and withdrawn and tired. He has an occasional moment of hopping about and chatting then its back to this noise and just sitting there.

will try to add sound later as currently cant get my computer to recognise my phone

[jellybean]

I'm so sorry to hear your little bird is ill, and sorry too that I don't have the expertise to help you, someone with more experience will give you some advice soon I'm sure.
What I would suggest is, to put an old blanket or an old cotton sheet, something that he could not catch his claws on, over the grill at the bottom of the cage, so that if he did fall off his perches he would get a softer landing. Lots of love to the little guy, I hope you get to the bottom of his problem.

[lynseylu]

Thanks Jellybean think ill do that. he is only in the small cage just now cause his balance is so bad so at least he doesnt have far to fall.  Read another thread earlier with someone whos budgie sounds very similar to Charlie. It was recommended they try an iodine block which i put in today. Would be too positive just now to say he is all better but does seem a little better tonight so crossing my fingers.

[Hezz]

Sorry to hear that your budgie is ill, poor wee little man.

In the meantime, I would lower his perches right down as well. jellybean's suggestion of an old sheet or the like is a good one, and if you are able to put his perches so they are only just off the floor at least you will have one less worry about him hurting himself when he does lose his balance. If you think iodine is his problem, you can put iodine into his water. This will be much faster acting than relying on him to peck at the block. The vet, chemist/pharmacy should be able to provide you with iodine tincture (its a weaker solution than that used to sterilize the skin) concentration 25mg/ml. You add three drops to 100mls of water.

Have you considered that he may have had a mild stroke or a seizure?

[lynseylu]

Thanks for all the advice Hezz i put his perches lower last night when i found him on the ground again unabe to get up, ill see if i can get the iodine solution. Back when he took ill in June the vet on the day discussed the possibility it was a seizure because of how quickly he collapsed. she felt after it couldnt have been because he wouldnt have recovered so quickly (in their eyes he recovered in mine he never fully did) i considered it since with the breathing episode again which came on so quickly. he was severely panting we thought again he wouldnt last the night but he was fine the next day. whatever is wrong with him just now is moe prolonged however and has been working on him for over a week.

Today he is a little more lively standing a little taller (he was very slouched all the time)but still very quiet. did discuss with the vet that he has been so quiet during the day but louder at night. usually he is in himself during the day whilst we are out at work but im off at the moment so she thinks by routine he might just be quieter even if im there. I dunno really cause hes usually making more noise than this!

been considering the weather being a factor as its damn cold at the mo, got heating on a lot.

[Hezz]

It seems that if budgies start to have seizures they lose a little bit more each time, so be aware that he might get worse if this continues. I seriously hope this is not what is happening with him, but I really have nothing else to offer.

[lynseylu]

Hi thanks for all the help sorry for the late reply. Charlie is doing a lot better seems a lot more his crazy self. His falling episodes are certainly not as frequent but tbh he doesnt help himself, sick as he was he still insists on climbing around the cage! on his perches u can see he can use them to get everywhere but he just always has been a climber!

The only things are his chirp is still very hoarse all the the like as if hes got a sore throat? but to me at least hes chirping again. As i type this he is sitting chattering away right now so it comes and goes.

Hezz- i think there is a lot to be said about it being little episodes. the vet was very kind but i knew she was saying i need to accept he isnt gonna be around forever. its just hard cause hes my first pet (And im 30!) but it some ways im comforted at least knowing right now he is a lot happier than he has been in the past few weeks.

[Hezz]

Glad he seems a bit more himself. It really is so hard watching them take a turn and not being able to stop any/everything happening. I do hope he is able to continue to improve. I seem to remember you mentioning that Charlie isn't a young bird any more - how old is he? And make sure you make the most of all your time together. There is nothing worse than looking back and regretting not making the most of the time you had. I sincerely hope you and Charlie still have many years still to come.