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Post by Loz on May 18, 2022 8:42:47 GMT
lordpurchase, your budgies may be suffering from mites of some sort. This needs treatment. The pigeons may be the source, maybe not. I use www.amazon.co.uk/Ivermectin-Treatment-Suitable-Finches-Canaries/dp/B01JJG1MR0to protect my flock from mites. You can also use applications of ivermectin to the back of the head, a bit like the flea treatment people use for dogs and cats. If you aren't already using Ivermectin I strongly urge you to get some asap!
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Post by Hezz on May 19, 2022 1:29:03 GMT
People can be amazed at how much budgies, or any bird, spend preening themselves. It doesn’t necessarily mean that anything is wrong. Feathers have to be kept in perfect condition and preening is how they achieve this. Having said that, keeping the pigeons away from the budgies is the right thing to do as they do carry their own load of diseases.
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Mar 27, 2022 22:51:43 GMT
lordpurchase
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Post by lordpurchase on May 19, 2022 11:44:12 GMT
People can be amazed at how much budgies, or any bird, spend preening themselves. It doesn’t necessarily mean that anything is wrong. Feathers have to be kept in perfect condition and preening is how they achieve this. Having said that, keeping the pigeons away from the budgies is the right thing to do as they do carry their own load of diseases. That is what I was thinking. Sometimes I can worry too much about my budgies, however there preening does seem to me to be excessive and the fact that Mango pecked out a lot of his feathers tells me there is something wrong that needs addressing. They have all been fine over past couple of days. Its always better to be safe than sorry. It could be that they are molting now that the hot weather is here. I have ordered some treatment which should arrive within a few working days.
I did ask at the pet shop to see if they had anything and they told me that mites are always visible and normally on there beaks but I can't see nothing on them at all but that may not mean there isn't any type of other mite/parasite affecting them. The issue with the pigeons outside especially the nest, there is a lot of little crawling things that come out of it, sometimes fleas get in the house and when pigeons flap stuff probably flies of them. Right now the budgies have to stay in there flight cage because I need to keep the back door and windows open as it gets like an oven in my house which isn't good for the budgies.
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Mar 27, 2022 22:51:43 GMT
lordpurchase
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Post by lordpurchase on May 19, 2022 17:12:20 GMT
Just an update... its bad news.
Jessie has started sneezing, she was making a noise which sounds like a quiet squeak with her beak open and tail bobbing. At first I thought it might be a mating call so I looked up the symptoms online and could not find what I was looking for until I came across a video of a budgie sneezing and coughing and it matched what she is doing. Upon further research there is a strong possibility that my budgies have Air Sac Mites I am 98% sure they have it. S76 seems to be the only treatment for it so I have got some of that coming. Mangoes not as vocal as he once was, he has hardly chirped at all today. I'd hate to start losing budgies so early on. I just wish I knew about these illnesses before so that I had everything I need on hand without having to wait for stuff to arrive.
Finding all this out makes me very suspicious that MR Noisy could of had air sac mites too because his behavior was strange and he was always itching and squawking very loudly which became constant... even though the vet said he could find nothing wrong with him I'm having my doubts whether the vet actually examined him fully. MR Noisy was a rescue so it would make perfect sense that he had air sac mites then passed it onto the others. I'm regretting re-homing MR Noisy now if that were the case.
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Post by Loz on May 19, 2022 17:36:40 GMT
I hope your S76 arrives quickly and you can get your birds treated asap.
The instructions for using S76 are straightforward but detailed. If you have any questions after reading the instructions, do post them here.
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Mar 27, 2022 22:51:43 GMT
lordpurchase
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Post by lordpurchase on May 19, 2022 17:55:33 GMT
I hope your S76 arrives quickly and you can get your birds treated asap. The instructions for using S76 are straightforward but detailed. If you have any questions after reading the instructions, do post them here. Is there anything I can do in the mean time that might drive out the air sac mites? would feeding them hot peppers and fresh peppermint have any affect on the air sac mites?
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Post by Loz on May 19, 2022 19:41:31 GMT
You could get some Ivermectin from the pet store, the kind you apply using drops on the back of the head. I don't know anything else that will help with mites, perhaps another forum member knows?
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Post by Hezz on May 20, 2022 1:19:39 GMT
I doubt a vet would miss something like air sac mites with Mr Noisy. Why don’t you call them and ask if they did check for them? Air sac mites are not terribly common in budgies and the symptoms can be similar to other problems such as respiratory infections. Beware of making your own diagnosis from information gleaned via the internet. As a doctor once said to a hypochondriac sister in law “a little knowledge can be a dangerous thing”.
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Post by Loz on May 20, 2022 6:20:43 GMT
lordpurchase, is your budgies' vet an avian specialist, an "exotics vet" or other? Hezz is right in that that an avian vet is unlikely to miss mites. However it seems prudent to me to cover your bases and provide mite treatment along with the antibiotics prescribed by the vet. I would recommend S76 as a preventative measure in any event for any flock, regardless of the presence or otherwise of any symptoms.
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Mar 27, 2022 22:51:43 GMT
lordpurchase
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Post by lordpurchase on May 20, 2022 7:45:33 GMT
Self diagnosis can be a problem. Its easy to fear the worse when your pets are sick. This morning Mango is happy and chirpy along with the others. I haven't noticed any more sneezing from Jessie but that doesn't mean she wont sneeze or cough. It could be any number of things like a cold or flu or maybe a minor respiratory infection or it could be that Jessie might have swallowed a small feather or some food got stuck. I don't want to rule anything out and I know how serious air sac mites can be. I know of a couple remedies to cure some illnesses but not all so having S76 on hand is probably a literal requirement for budgie keeping in general. For yeast infections - Apple Cider Vinegar in the water For worms - Hot Peppers S76 that covers everything
I read that turmeric is good to mix with there food. The Victorians used turmeric as an antibiotic.
I had a somewhat sleepiness night worrying about my budgies but this morning they seem to be pretty active and chirpy which is a relief. The coughing and sneezing yesterday is still a worry that something isn't quite right and that could be anything. Hopefully its not to serious. How common are air sac mites?
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Post by Loz on May 20, 2022 8:06:14 GMT
I cannot answer about how common air sac mites are but can I ask, do you run an air purifier in the room with the budgies? They seem to be popular bits of kit on the forum and I certainly use one. That has to help with air quality (along with vacuuming once, twice or three times a day!).
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Mar 27, 2022 22:51:43 GMT
lordpurchase
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Post by lordpurchase on May 20, 2022 19:33:26 GMT
I cannot answer about how common air sac mites are but can I ask, do you run an air purifier in the room with the budgies? They seem to be popular bits of kit on the forum and I certainly use one. That has to help with air quality (along with vacuuming once, twice or three times a day!). The air is often very dry and dust builds up quickly. I often forget to dust or hardly dust at all but the budgies are always cleaned out once a week and water is changed daily and I sweep the floor daily. Jessie did some more sneezing and coughing today but it only lasted a short time. I don't have an air purifier but I know now it would be wise for me to get one although I've read some air purifiers can be bad for budgies so I will need to do more research into them so I buy the correct type.
I forgot to add that I gave them some willow branches which might of had some pollen on the leaves. I've since removed it all and just left the thick branches for them to perch on.
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Post by Loz on May 20, 2022 19:40:32 GMT
My advice for a purifier is a filter-type. Although the filter needs repacing regularly, you don't have to worry about emanations, ions or other semi-magical effects. Other folks might have other advice!
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Post by Hezz on May 21, 2022 1:11:40 GMT
And all birds are going to cough and sneeze at times, but if they live in your bedroom some sort of filter system is almost a necessity.
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Mar 27, 2022 22:51:43 GMT
lordpurchase
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Post by lordpurchase on Jun 8, 2022 17:53:32 GMT
Mango is losing his baby looks which could explain his recent plucking. His eyes are starting to look more like an adult budgies eyes and his feathers are growing back nicely. Its making me think it was all normal and that he might have been just plucking out his baby feathers ready for his new ones. I think by the end of this year he will have grown into an adult budgie.
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