Post by Loz on Jul 23, 2023 10:42:51 GMT
I don't know whether I'm being overly sensitive or not. I got Maddy Prior together with poor Sandy Denny, a rehome from a local source. I know the vet store where they originally came from. The loss of Sandy so young really hurt and I know I watch Maddy very closely as a result.
Maddy is seven months old (approx), a hen. She is normally quite active and she does remain so but not her 100% manic self of late. Perhaps this is the normal maturing process. In the four months I've had her, her weight has gained fairly steadily. If I'm honest, her weight now seems out of proportion with her frame. She's a lot heavier than Squeak now although they are of a size. She's about the same weight as Boba, although Boba looks like a giant next to Maddy.
I noticed a few weeks ago, after she started to latest weight gain session, that she will rest on one of the platform perches I have. She sort of stretches out on it for five-ten minutes. before moving on. She still perches normally at other times, flies around, feeds and such. I am unable to look at her droppings unless I isolate her - I'm reluctant to do that without some certainty for the need of it.
My thoughts have ranged from "she's fine" to "she's egg-bound". However, the timescale of my observations - a month or more - suggests to me that it cannot be egg-binding as she would not have survived that long. Her behaviour, intermittent "stretching out" followed by fairly normal activity, doesn't indicate egginess, I believe.
Watching her now, playing with Finrod & Finarfin, I think I'm just transferring my worries over Sandy onto Maddy. I'm looking for something to worry about. I suspect that I need to bite the bullet and isolate her for a while to perform a droppings check but I loathe putting budgies into stress situations just to put my own mind at rest. If not for the weighings, I wouldn't be scratching my head over her weight gain which, for all I know, is perfectly normal.
At the time of writing, I am awaiting a call-back from the Out-of-hours vet service. The charge for seeing Maddy is eye-watering but I'd gladly pay it if an avian vet was on offer. Unfortunately, that won't be the case. I will be paying £136 for the privilege of being told to keep an eye on Maddy and get in touch again if she worsens. I don't think I want to do that.
I am perfectly poised on the knife-edge between "you worry too much" and "you must take action!" Does anyone else go through this?
Maddy is seven months old (approx), a hen. She is normally quite active and she does remain so but not her 100% manic self of late. Perhaps this is the normal maturing process. In the four months I've had her, her weight has gained fairly steadily. If I'm honest, her weight now seems out of proportion with her frame. She's a lot heavier than Squeak now although they are of a size. She's about the same weight as Boba, although Boba looks like a giant next to Maddy.
I noticed a few weeks ago, after she started to latest weight gain session, that she will rest on one of the platform perches I have. She sort of stretches out on it for five-ten minutes. before moving on. She still perches normally at other times, flies around, feeds and such. I am unable to look at her droppings unless I isolate her - I'm reluctant to do that without some certainty for the need of it.
My thoughts have ranged from "she's fine" to "she's egg-bound". However, the timescale of my observations - a month or more - suggests to me that it cannot be egg-binding as she would not have survived that long. Her behaviour, intermittent "stretching out" followed by fairly normal activity, doesn't indicate egginess, I believe.
Watching her now, playing with Finrod & Finarfin, I think I'm just transferring my worries over Sandy onto Maddy. I'm looking for something to worry about. I suspect that I need to bite the bullet and isolate her for a while to perform a droppings check but I loathe putting budgies into stress situations just to put my own mind at rest. If not for the weighings, I wouldn't be scratching my head over her weight gain which, for all I know, is perfectly normal.
At the time of writing, I am awaiting a call-back from the Out-of-hours vet service. The charge for seeing Maddy is eye-watering but I'd gladly pay it if an avian vet was on offer. Unfortunately, that won't be the case. I will be paying £136 for the privilege of being told to keep an eye on Maddy and get in touch again if she worsens. I don't think I want to do that.
I am perfectly poised on the knife-edge between "you worry too much" and "you must take action!" Does anyone else go through this?