Budgie Benny needs your help

[bennythebudgie]

Hi, I would really appreciate your help, since we don't have avian vet in our city.
My little budgie "Benny" is sick. He is 6 months old.


7 days ago diarrhea started, on that day he was given green salad. But since diarrhea started he is off vegetables and fruits, just eating his seeds. Since diarrhea started he was normally eating, just drinking a lot of water, with every meal. His activity was also normal, playful bird, just problem with diarrhea.
I bought him Tormentil root extract drops. But it didn't help.

On 6th day he started showing symptoms of a sick bird. He just wants to sleep, even when I'm trying to cuddle him, he closes his eyes, he's not playful at all, still eating but less and also drinking water less.
Same day (6th day) I bought him Enrofloxacin (Baytril) antibiotics. Today is second day that he is on antibiotics, still same behavior. (My brother mentiond that Benny was sneezing a bit before all this started).

I really want to give my best, to do anything that is in my power to help him. Pls any tips would help a lot, I am so worried for my little bird.

 

[Anansi]

Hello, and welcome to the Parrot Forums family! Though I wish it could be under better circumstances. I'm so sorry to hear that Benny is going through all this.

Forgive me if I'm misunderstanding your post, but it seems that you've been diagnosing your budgie without the help of an avian vet. If so, my advice is to get him to a certified avian veterinarian right away. There are tests that need to be run. For instance, what if his sickness is actually fungal in origin rather than bacterial? Enrofloxacin wouldn't be able to help with that. If you've lucked out and the cause is bacterial in nature, the antibiotics might just need more time to work... but can you be sure you've administered the correct dosage?

No, best place for your budgie at the moment is in the care of a CAV.

 

[sonja]

If you give us your general location, we can help you find an appropriate vet. His situation sounds dire and life-threatening. Birds can die so quickly and easily, you really must get him to a vet.

 

[Flboy]

Please, even if you need to get to a barnyard vet, go!

 

[bennythebudgie]

I have consulted with a general veterinarian, he prescribed antibiotics, but did not examine the bird. I was not able to find avian vet here. I live in Bosnia and Herzegovina, Sarajevo.
Last hour I'm desperately trying to find electrolytes for birds, no pet shop here has it

 

[bennythebudgie]

This is Benny today.

 

[Flboy]

Your baby is dying! Any electrolyte for humans should work!

 

[itzjbean]

Sorry to see your baby is sick. Unfortunately without an avian vet to administer real aid, you may be prolonging the inevitable, I hope he doesn't suffer for much longer. He may pull through on his own but it is not very likely.

 

[Kentuckienne]

Sometimes fresh vegetables can be contaminated with listeria or other fungal or viral pathogens. Once a bird becomes listless and sleepy there may not be much time left.

If you can set up a “hospital cage” it would make him more comfortable. Smaller box, good ventilation, source of warmth like heating pad under it in one side do Benny can move toward or away from the warmth as he wants, water and food in dishes in easy reach, soft padding. This will allow him to conserve what energy he has left. Google “bird hospital cage” for more details and pictures.

If it’s a fungal infection, or aspergillosis that gets into the air sacs, it’s very hard to treat. Birds have hollow channels and air spaces all through their bodies and bones which makes them light enough to fly, but the blood doesn’t circulate through these spaces so it’s hard to get the medicine to the infection. We made a vaporizer box for a sick parrot so we could put his medicine (Baytril) into a mist for him to breathe.

There is an online Merck veterinary manual, and since you are desperate you might try looking up the symptoms and seeing if there is a recommended treatment you can share with the vet. Otherwise do what you can to keep Benny comfortable and quiet and we will hope for the best. I’m very sorry.

 

[itzjbean]

Sometimes fresh vegetables can be contaminated with listeria or other fungal or viral pathogens. Once a bird becomes listless and sleepy there may not be much time left.

If you can set up a “hospital cage” it would make him more comfortable. Smaller box, good ventilation, source of warmth like heating pad under it in one side do Benny can move toward or away from the warmth as he wants, water and food in dishes in easy reach, soft padding. This will allow him to conserve what energy he has left. Google “bird hospital cage” for more details and pictures.

If it’s a fungal infection, or aspergillosis that gets into the air sacs, it’s very hard to treat. Birds have hollow channels and air spaces all through their bodies and bones which makes them light enough to fly, but the blood doesn’t circulate through these spaces so it’s hard to get the medicine to the infection. We made a vaporizer box for a sick parrot so we could put his medicine (Baytril) into a mist for him to breathe.

There is an online Merck veterinary manual, and since you are desperate you might try looking up the symptoms and seeing if there is a recommended treatment you can share with the vet. Otherwise do what you can to keep Benny comfortable and quiet and we will hope for the best. I’m very sorry.

Great post! To the OP - where did you get the leafy greens you fed your budgie? It was most likely contaminated as mentioned here.

 

[bennythebudgie]

Sometimes fresh vegetables can be contaminated with listeria or other fungal or viral pathogens. Once a bird becomes listless and sleepy there may not be much time left.

If you can set up a “hospital cage” it would make him more comfortable. Smaller box, good ventilation, source of warmth like heating pad under it in one side do Benny can move toward or away from the warmth as he wants, water and food in dishes in easy reach, soft padding. This will allow him to conserve what energy he has left. Google “bird hospital cage” for more details and pictures.

If it’s a fungal infection, or aspergillosis that gets into the air sacs, it’s very hard to treat. Birds have hollow channels and air spaces all through their bodies and bones which makes them light enough to fly, but the blood doesn’t circulate through these spaces so it’s hard to get the medicine to the infection. We made a vaporizer box for a sick parrot so we could put his medicine (Baytril) into a mist for him to breathe.

There is an online Merck veterinary manual, and since you are desperate you might try looking up the symptoms and seeing if there is a recommended treatment you can share with the vet. Otherwise do what you can to keep Benny comfortable and quiet and we will hope for the best. I’m very sorry.

Thank you very much for advises, I made hospital cage for Benny, but he didn't want to stay there, actually that was the only time today that I saw him active, he repeatedly refused to stay and wanted back in his cage (he really really likes his swing). He ate a bit, and his diarrhea stopped I really hope tomorrow he'll be my playful Benny again.

 

[Flboy]

We are all there with you on that prayer!

 

[Kentuckienne]

That’s a good sign!

 

[bennythebudgie]

Sometimes fresh vegetables can be contaminated with listeria or other fungal or viral pathogens. Once a bird becomes listless and sleepy there may not be much time left.

If you can set up a “hospital cage” it would make him more comfortable. Smaller box, good ventilation, source of warmth like heating pad under it in one side do Benny can move toward or away from the warmth as he wants, water and food in dishes in easy reach, soft padding. This will allow him to conserve what energy he has left. Google “bird hospital cage” for more details and pictures.

If it’s a fungal infection, or aspergillosis that gets into the air sacs, it’s very hard to treat. Birds have hollow channels and air spaces all through their bodies and bones which makes them light enough to fly, but the blood doesn’t circulate through these spaces so it’s hard to get the medicine to the infection. We made a vaporizer box for a sick parrot so we could put his medicine (Baytril) into a mist for him to breathe.

There is an online Merck veterinary manual, and since you are desperate you might try looking up the symptoms and seeing if there is a recommended treatment you can share with the vet. Otherwise do what you can to keep Benny comfortable and quiet and we will hope for the best. I’m very sorry.

Great post! To the OP - where did you get the leafy greens you fed your budgie? It was most likely contaminated as mentioned here.

At supermarket like always. Maybe this time it wasn't good.

 

[itzjbean]

Sometimes fresh vegetables can be contaminated with listeria or other fungal or viral pathogens. Once a bird becomes listless and sleepy there may not be much time left.

If you can set up a “hospital cage” it would make him more comfortable. Smaller box, good ventilation, source of warmth like heating pad under it in one side do Benny can move toward or away from the warmth as he wants, water and food in dishes in easy reach, soft padding. This will allow him to conserve what energy he has left. Google “bird hospital cage” for more details and pictures.

If it’s a fungal infection, or aspergillosis that gets into the air sacs, it’s very hard to treat. Birds have hollow channels and air spaces all through their bodies and bones which makes them light enough to fly, but the blood doesn’t circulate through these spaces so it’s hard to get the medicine to the infection. We made a vaporizer box for a sick parrot so we could put his medicine (Baytril) into a mist for him to breathe.

There is an online Merck veterinary manual, and since you are desperate you might try looking up the symptoms and seeing if there is a recommended treatment you can share with the vet. Otherwise do what you can to keep Benny comfortable and quiet and we will hope for the best. I’m very sorry.

Thank you very much for advises, I made hospital cage for Benny, but he didn't want to stay there, actually that was the only time today that I saw him active, he repeatedly refused to stay and wanted back in his cage (he really really likes his swing). He ate a bit, and his diarrhea stopped I really hope tomorrow he'll be my playful Benny again.

That's great to hear of improvement. Perhaps it was just a bug he caught and his immune system is fighting it. If he's eating and diarrhea has stopped, that is excellent! Keeping your budgie in my thoughts.

 

[bennythebudgie]

You are all so kind.
Benny woke up this morning, ate and drank a bit of water, he's not lethargic like yesterday, but still not same old Benny. But his diarrhea is back during the night droppings were normal, and right after eating it started again. He just ate his regular seeds and took water with antibiotic in it (it's not tap water). I really don't understand why it's back again. He's sleeping now

 

[plumsmum2005]

Would you put up what you actually feed your little Benny please? Also do you weigh him, just use kitchen scales and keep a note.

If you can find any of this https://www.johnsons-vet.com/products/large/birds_vit_min_drops.jpg It provides essential daily multi-vitamin supplement, promotes & maintains good health & resistance to ailments in all cage birds. Particularly beneficial for poor condition or recovering from illness. A dropper can be used to administer. I used to administer this to mine 'back in the dark ages' and he used to be back to his normal self after.

If not this then look for something similar but for 'caged birds'.

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Vetark-Pro...coding=UTF8&psc=1&refRID=DEXK6CDJ5YAXEF8GS13V

 

[Kentuckienne]

It’s possible that the diarrhea is caused by the antibiotic. They caused my bird to have diarrhea, too, when he had to take them. Antibiotics can be hard in a bird’s body. They can cause damage to the kidneys and to the liver. Antibiotics are very specific - they don’t work against viruses at all, and they only work against some kinds of bacteria. That’s why the good vets take samples, for example of poop or swabs inside the beak, to see if there are bacteria and what kind of bacteria before prescribing any antibiotics. They want to be sure the drugs will have enough benefits to outweigh the risks.

If it were me, I would stop giving the antibiotics. You don’t know that he has a bacterial infection, because the vet didn’t do any tests. The diarrhea could be caused by the medicine. I would stop giving it. I would take Benny out of the cage and put him somewhere warm, then take his cage to another room and clean it very well, then disinfect it with a bleach solution. I would wash all his toys, perch, and water/food dishes with bleach as well. Just a few tablespoons of bleach in a quart of water is enough. I would make sure everything was absolutely dry, and the bleach smell all aired out, then put in clean cage paper, water and food before letting Benny back in. Be sure to throw away any uneaten food in the dish and give fresh.

This way, if Benny has been sick, the old bacteria in the cage will be killed so he doesn’t re-infect himself. Bleach also kills viruses. After that, begin a very strict cleaning method: wash the water and food dishes every day. You can soak them in a solution of half vinegar, half water for ten minutes or so after washing them. Change the cage paper every day. Think of yourself as the doctor and nurse, and the cage as the hospital, and Benny is the patient. You have to trust your eyes. You might know better than the vet, who didn’t even see Benny or make any tests, because you have him in front of you. You can see if giving him something has a bad effect or a good one. It’s very hard to help sick birds. Birds hide their illness, so they can be very sick and look fine, their little bodies are so delicate, and they are so sensitive to drugs and to toxins.

For now don’t give any fresh food or leaves. Benny needs the calories in the seeds. Hopefully the diarrhea will stop. Wait a week before giving fresh foods. Wash all produce before giving it to Benny. Wash lettuce thoroughly under running water, spin it dry just like for a human salad. Same for veggies: they should be washed and scrubbed first, and let drain dry in a clean towel.

It warms my heart to see you taking such good care of Benny. Just because a bird has a tiny body doesn’t make it less precious. I think the little birds are miraculously beautiful with their tiny fathers and feet and eyes. Such works of art! I hope he recovers and that you will keep us entertained with Benny the Budgie stories for many years to come.

 

[reeb]

Sometimes fresh vegetables can be contaminated with listeria or other fungal or viral pathogens. Once a bird becomes listless and sleepy there may not be much time left.

If you can set up a “hospital cage” it would make him more comfortable. Smaller box, good ventilation, source of warmth like heating pad under it in one side do Benny can move toward or away from the warmth as he wants, water and food in dishes in easy reach, soft padding. This will allow him to conserve what energy he has left. Google “bird hospital cage” for more details and pictures.

If it’s a fungal infection, or aspergillosis that gets into the air sacs, it’s very hard to treat. Birds have hollow channels and air spaces all through their bodies and bones which makes them light enough to fly, but the blood doesn’t circulate through these spaces so it’s hard to get the medicine to the infection. We made a vaporizer box for a sick parrot so we could put his medicine (Baytril) into a mist for him to breathe.

There is an online Merck veterinary manual, and since you are desperate you might try looking up the symptoms and seeing if there is a recommended treatment you can share with the vet. Otherwise do what you can to keep Benny comfortable and quiet and we will hope for the best. I’m very sorry.

Such fantastic advice!

 

[Scott]

I admire your dedication to Benny and hope you are able to restore him to health.

As others have suggested, Benny really needs a certified avian vet, but apparently there are none in your area. Lab tests may pinpoint the issue and allow a targeted therapy. Are there any zoos or falconry facilities nearby? They may be able to provide specific advice or have a staff vet give you a consultation. Long shot, but worth asking!

For now, following the advice from the last few posts seems the best bet! My best wishes for Benny, please update as needed. We're here to support you.