Worried about Sunny

[tkdbabe]

Sunny got out (chewed a hole in the screen) and spent the night in a palm tree last night. He then spent half the day screaming at me to come and get him. After noon he finally flew down low enough for us to get him. I immediately got him water and food, but I'm worried about him. He is eating and drinking but he keeps twitching. He was without food and water for quite some time. I put his cage out over night but he just did not know how to get out of the tree. He does not have any apparent physical injury but catching him was a little traumatic. He also is really sleepy but he did have a stressful adventure. Any ideas on how long I should wait before taking him to a vet? As soon as he recovers he is getting a wind trimming. Never thought he would eat threw the screen. I've had him for 10 years, hope he is just stressed and needs to rest.

 

[EnglishMuffin]

If I were you I would get him to a vet right away, just to be sure. Sootie got out and spent an afternoon flying around the park with the crows and the pigeons and I took her the next day. With an overnight adventure, he could easily have drank water trapped in a hollow in the tree that could be dirty or infected. They're so good at hiding their symptoms that even of he seems normal to you, he might have a problem that only a vet could pick up.

In the meantime, keep a close eye on his feathers and feet. They can get pricked by spines and sharp twigs in trees that can cause sores. Check frequently under his wings, his legs, feet, butt etc. Keep an eye where he is preening and scratching and if he seems to be fidgeting with a particular area, get in there and check the skin out. Even small skin punctures can lead to feather plucking, or worse sores or infection pretty quickly. Watch his poop to make sure it's looking normal. Make sure he's drinking andeating plenty of water-rich fruits to keep his system running, and try and get a close look at his nares and eyes to make sure there's no swelling or discharge.

Definitely do get him in to the vet right away though so s/he can check his mouth, throat, ears and chest!

 

[Terry57]

I agree, I would take him to the vet as soon as possible just to be on the safe side.

 

[tkdbabe]

He is doing much better, regaining his energy climbing all over the cage but not wanting out. Eating and drinking a lot. Quite more than normal but starts telling me how pretty and good he is when I go near him. I'll keep an eye out, been giving him extra pellets and dried fruit. Will give him an apple in the morning, it's late and he complains if I wake him at night.

 

[MikeyTN]

I would bring Sunny to the vet to give you a peace of mind. But he's just scared and freaked. Probably didn't get much rest from being out.

 

[MonicaMc]

After taking Sunny to the vet to be sure he's healthy, you might want to consider researching recall training for Sunny. A properly clipped bird can still fly, so if he's recall trained to fly to you from various locations and heights, if we were to get outside again, at least he'd know how to get back to you a lot easier!