Is Sammy sick?

[sammybird]

Lately Sammy has been a little poofy, and has had runny droppings. I live in a very old/drafty house and am wondering if this is the problem. And other than sitting on the bottom of his cage sometimes and the droppings he seems fine. What should I do? I dont live near a vet and even so its not an avian vet, so i don't know if it's the right thing to take him there.

 

[weco]

Has Sammy been eating any fruits or other wet veggies.....something with a lot of juice? Also, while many 'tiels have an aversion to baths, if he takes a bath, many birds will present runny poops for a couple of presentations after the bath,,,,,

As to a vet, if the vet you have access to is a reasonable distance away, speak to the local vet & find out if they would be willing to work with a an avian vet on a consultation basis...if he/she is, find an avian vet in WI, call them & explain your vet situation & see if they would be willing to work with yours on a consulting basis, or if not, do they know of a vet who might do so.....most vets will not turn you down, but you may have to pay a consulting fee.....be sure to ask the avian vet about that up front & if you think it's too steep, go looking elsewhere.....

 

[ct92404]

The runny droppings would concern me a bit. I think it's normal for them to have droppings that are a little runny once in a while, but if all or most of his droppings are like that, then there might be something wrong. If you notice changes in his behavior, and if he is puffing out his feathers a lot, then I think those are signs he might be sick. Birds do puff out their feathers when they get sleepy, so if he is doing it at night or if you see him yawning, then he might just be tired. But if he keeps his feathers puffed out and he seems like he's not quite as active, then you should get him to a vet. I agree with Weco's idea and see if your nearest vet can talk to an avian vet.

If there is something going on, you are catching it early, so don't panic.

 

[Niner10Tango]

Weco has a great suggestion in regards to the vet consulting with an avian vet. Perhaps you can try adding some pedialyte or equivalent to his drinking water. It will boost Sammy's electrolytes until you make contact with a vet. Also, if you have any health food stores nearby or even produce stores, perhaps you should look into purchasing a scale. Cockatiels are weighed in grams. From what I have read in my books and researched on the internet the average weight range is anywhere from 78 to 125 grams depending on gender.

 

[sammybird]

Weco he does like to have apples (but not the seeds witch are toxic to birds) and sometimes grapes.

 

[lovemybirds]

How is Sammy? Hope that things get better for you.