Something or nothing?

[sweetpea]

Lennie is making some strange head movements.

Only noticed in the last couple of days - usually when he eats millet. He is moulting so not in a great mood. Managed to get it on video which I will show the vet next week.




It's possible that Perry has passed on the "collecting ailments" baton to Lennie...

Any thoughts?!

[Loz]

What does Lennie do if you hold up the millet at face level (to him)?

It almost looks like he finds it painful to lean down to the millet.

[sweetpea]

Mar 11, 2023 15:52:49 GMT @loz said:

What does Lennie do if you hold up the millet at face level (to him)?

It almost looks like he finds it painful to lean down to the millet.

I tried that but it didn't make any difference. It's really odd.

[Loz]

It is odd.
I cannot make up my mind whether it's an odd mannerism or a sign of something wrong, perhaps neuropathy.

[Hezz]

What is Lennie’s general health like, otherwise? He doesn’t look well to me, plus the staining above his nostrils - is that always there?
Does he fly, how is his balance, is his sight the same in both eyes? Questions that may have some or no relevance whatsoever to what he is doing. At first it looked as though he was moving to the music but I don’t really think so.

[sweetpea]

Mar 12, 2023 0:43:51 GMT Hezz said:

What is Lennie’s general health like, otherwise? He doesn’t look well to me, plus the staining above his nostrils - is that always there?
Does he fly, how is his balance, is his sight the same in both eyes? Questions that may have some or no relevance whatsoever to what he is doing. At first it looked as though he was moving to the music but I don’t really think so.

He's very fat. He had a couple of bad moults where he was unable to fly, & put the weight on then. Now he can't fly because he's fat...

It's not staining above his nostrils, it's where pin feathers are coming through.

Balance seems fine. Interesting point about sight... I haven't noticed anything to suggest a problem there. I'm wondering now if he has an ear problem - the movements seem to go in the same direction, to his left.

Moult, Perry-loss & anxiety aside, he seems fine in himself & has just had a flirt with Moriarty.

I've just vaguely remembered that in the past I sent a video to the vet of strange movements that Lennie was making but she said it wasn't anything to worry about (it wasn't, they stopped). I'm trying to locate the video...

[sweetpea]

After a bit of investigative work, I located the videos from July 2020 & also the text messages.




This one is longer - 7 secs in & 1 min 17 secs:



At the time, the vet thought it was behavioural.

Do you think it looks similar?!

[Loz]

Can't see the first video, it's marked Private.

His movements towards the end of the second vid look behavioural to me.

[Marianne Marlow]

Hezz I thought the same as you about his eyesight. I wondered if he was turning his head to try and focus on the millet.

At 47 I have reading glasses as well as my usual ones for short sightedness as I just can't see stuff close up anymore. Wondered if it was the same for dear Lennie.

[Marianne Marlow]

In the second set of videos he looks normal to me. The movements look like indecision of where he wants to be. Trying to decide if he wants to jump over to Perry or stay where he is.

Thinking about the first video again. Blueboy used to make similar movements with his head when at the top of the cage and trying to find a way out. It made him look a bit mad. When he was out of the cage he never did it though, just when he was at the top, in a corner.

p.s. nice to see Perry jump over at the end, that made me smile.

[Loz]

I'm able to view the first of the pair of videos. Looks like normal budgie behaviour to me in that one.

[Hezz]

Mar 12, 2023 12:17:01 GMT Marianne Marlow said:

Hezz I thought the same as you about his eyesight. I wondered if he was turning his head to try and focus on the millet.

At 47 I have reading glasses as well as my usual ones for short sightedness as I just can't see stuff close up anymore. Wondered if it was the same for dear Lennie.

Mar 12, 2023 12:21:52 GMT Marianne Marlow said:

In the second set of videos he looks normal to me. The movements look like indecision of where he wants to be. Trying to decide if he wants to jump over to Perry or stay where he is.

Thinking about the first video again. Blueboy used to make similar movements with his head when at the top of the cage and trying to find a way out. It made him look a bit mad. When he was out of the cage he never did it though, just when he was at the top, in a corner.

p.s. nice to see Perry jump over at the end, that made me smile.

I agree with you, M about his movements looking like indecision in these last lot of videos. They are movements that I think are totally normal. Mine will do similar when eyeing up a swing, or trying to work out how to get past me when I open their door. (Bunji, anyway. )

sweetpea, sorry about the staining comment. That must be a severe case of pin feathers he has there! The video is a bit dark, so I had a bit of trouble seeing that they were something else, or just blame my eyes, and I do need new glasses.
I would think if he had an ear infection that his balance might be compromised but that is a bit of a guess as birds’ spacial awareness is much better than ours. I don’t know what else to suggest except to maybe do some sleuthing with regard to how well he sees. If he has just partially lost his sharp sight you may not even notice as he will still be able to see you coming!