Pet Parakeet Care: What To Do When Your Pet Bird Gets Sick

What To Do When Your Pet Bird Gets Sick

Like other pets, your parakeet can get sick but unlike other pets your birds illness can become serious, even life-threatening, very quickly. If your bird is acting even the slightest bit ill you should get him to your veterinarian right away since birds can go downhill very fast.

Sometimes, however you can get your bird to the veterinarian right away so here are some steps you can take to help care for your sick bird.

first off, you want make sure that you sick parakeet stays warm. Keep his cage out of many drafts and you might want to try using a grow light ( the same kind you use to grow plants) aimed at the cage but placed in such a way so that your bird can get out of the direct light if he gets too hot.

If you find that your bird is just sitting on the bottom of the cage and is to sick to even sit on his perch, then you might want to move into a hospital cage for better safety. A glass aquarium can make a great hospital cage. Put a towel or some newspaper on the bottom of the cage and put shallow bowls of food and water where your bird can get to it. Newspaper can be kind of slippery so you want to put something that has a little more grit like paper towels on the bottom so that your bird isn't sliding around.

If you can get a freestanding low perch in the aquarium this is perfect in case you bird wants to perch. Position the light so that It shines and to only one side so that the bird can get out of it if he gets too hot.

if you don't have an anti-aquarium readily available than you can make a few changes to your bird's regular cage. Cover most of it with a towel to keep in the heat input the birds food and water dishes on the bottom of the cage where he can get to them. Also, if you have a freestanding parts put this on the bottom two.

You've got to make sure that your bird keeps up his strength as he can easily become weakened by lack of food and water. electrolytes can give your sick bird some quick energy and if he is a hand fed bird then you might see if he'll try taking a few drops of a sports drink from a spoon or eyedropper. If you have a hand feeding formula ready mix that up with some of the sport strength instead of water and see If you'll take that. if you bird is eating on his own make sure that he's getting enough and maybe offer him a tree like a spray millet so that he can get some quick energy. Make sure he also gets enough water.

If you bird is bleeding you need to provide emergency care before you can get them to the vet. Look him over to see where the blood is coming from. While most others do not bleed new feathers that are still growing can bleed. These occult blood feathers and if you do find that the blood is coming from one you'll need to pull the feather out completely. It's a good idea to cover your birds head with a towel while you are doing this. If it's not a feather that's bleeding check his nails and toes and if it's coming from they are applied to styptic powder to the cut. If you don't have styptic powder handy you can use flour In a pinch.

The key to successfully treating your sick parakeet is getting him to the vet at the first sign of illness. Be sure that you're always watching your bird in checking him for signs of illness. If you notice that your bird Is acting a little different or even look sick it's best to call your bet and get them in right away. It may be that nothing is really wrong with your bird but it's better to be safe than sorry.

Pet Parakeet Care: Signs of a Sick Parakeet Revealed

If you take care of your bird long enough, chances are he'll get sick sooner or later. Since he will do his best to hide whatever is wrong, it's important that you learn to recognize the signs of a sick parakeet. This article will share a few things to look for.

Droppings

One of the most common symptoms of a health condition is a change in your bird's droppings. It may change color, be watery, or appear looser than usual. Also take note if you every spot seeds in the droppings. However, a change in droppings can sometimes be attributed to a minor cause such as a change in food.

Appetite

Speaking of food, one of the next common signs of a sick parakeet is a change in appetite. You should also be aware of your keet's eating habits. That way, you can easily tell if it changes one day. So, be on the lookout for excessive eating or a reduced appetite. Birds with a reduced appetite will also start losing weight.

Feathers

The appearance of your bird's feathers can also tell you if something is wrong. They shouldn't be ruffled or puffed up for long periods of time. They also shouldn't be discolored.

Discharge

The appearance of discharge can also tell you if there is something wrong with your bird. Sick birds can sometimes produce discharge from their nostrils or eyes. This may also be accompanied by sneezing or eye swelling. These are usually serious symptoms that require prompt veterinary attention.

Breathing

A sick parakeet may also experience difficulty breathing

. You should particularly look for rapid breathing, wheezing, or breathing through an open mouth. Some birds will also bob their tail with each breath they take.

Pet Parakeet Care : Parakeet Illness Symptoms

Spotting parakeet illness symptoms is something you ought to know how to do. The good news is that these little birds are rather strong and don't get sick often. The fact that you are keeping one or two little birds in a small apartment can be an advantage. This will likely keep them quite isolated from diseases.

Budgie parakeet is among the most resistant pets kept in captivity and he seldom gets ill. Still, it does occur. And since you can't take the pet to the avian vet on a daily basis, it would be nice to know how your pet looks when he is sick.

You did all you could to ensure your parakeet gets good care - but he still got sick? You should not lose hope. At that moment it is more important to make sure we recognize some parakeet illness symptoms and contact the vet or do some emergency measures (first aid) until we do contact one.

Have an avian vet on speed dial

As a reminder, it would be good to find an avian vet before you bring your pet home. It is sometimes hard to find a good vet specialized in birds even when you have time, let alone when it comes to having an emergency bird situation.

Most of the times these little birds will get sick suddenly, you will not see it coming. But the symptoms are pretty noticeable.

Behavior alterations

First parakeet illness symptoms can be put into behavior alterations category. The bird is not interested in things he usually likes. He is not playing with his toys. If he normally plays with you, you will see a change there too. Even the most tamed parakeets do not let people catch them; well, it will be very easy to achieve this once he is sick. The pet will just behave as he does not care.

Visual aspect

A sick parakeet looks all fluffy. He keeps his eyes shut. His head will likely be stuck into his feathers. These are parakeet illness symptoms you definitely should not ignore as they are clearly showing something is wrong with the pet.

The posture

He is not standing the usual way but sitting down (or better yet - laying down) with all of his lower part of the body on the ground. His tail is just hanging.

Desire for food

The bird has no appetite and at times he sits next to the food dish just looking at the food. The bird might even be throwing up and you can see how the area around his beak is dirty.

Excrement

Your parakeet's droppings are always going to tell you a story about the illness since it is one of the very first symptoms of any complication. When seeking advice, you need to tell a veterinarian exactly how the droppings look like. The droppings are something you will probably discover the first. It will be your alarm to take the budgie parakeet to the vet.

Additional parakeet illness symptoms

Sometimes the bird's wings are hanging and whole body is trembling. He breathes heavily with his beak wide open. When he is in pain he will stand with his legs wide spread and beak open trying to get some air. At the same time the bird has trouble maintaining his balance on the perch.

More parakeet illness symptoms are: feathers falling out in large amounts, strange swellings on its body, scabs, change in body mass, etc.

It is necessary to learn to identify the symptoms so you could provide care for your pet. There are so many parakeet illnesses and majority of them can be treated. Learn how to recognize the symptoms so your pet can have a long and happy life with you.