We have a 2 year old cockatiel that we have had for about two months now.It was a birthday present for my little girl.She has been doing just fine and was great last night when we went to bed.When I woke up this morning I couldn't see her so I went over to her cage and she was sitting on the bottom.She has been there all day and that is not like her.I took her out and it is almost like she cannot walk.She seems to be alert, and she did drink and eat a little for me. I took her to the vet but he said that he could not help me. We do not have any vets for birds anywhere close to us.Please help with any suggestions, my little girls heart is breaking!!!!!!!!!
2006-09-02 16:01:39 · 15 answers · asked by jmt 2 in Pets ➔ Birds
Your bird could be eggbound! If so this is very serious. Single females do lay eggs,and its fairly common in young females. Egg binding is when the egg gets stuck inside the hens body. Symptoms include: check!
lethargy. Sitting on bottom of cage for more than a few hours without laying an egg.
Abdomin is swollen for more than a day without producing an egg.
Bird pants, won't eat, hasn't pooped, and spends alot of time sittling on bottom of cage or in a nest box.
Check her vent area for staining.
If this happens, your birds life is in danger. If she doesn't pass the egg, then she will die. Giving her a drop or two of mineral oil(not baby oil) in her beak and a drop or two on her bottom will help to pass a bound egg. Mineral oil can also be put in the water to decrease the chance of this happening.This may/not work,but worth a try! Usually egg binding occurs most in young birds. I suggest you try another vet as soon as you can. I do hope your bird will be ok.
2006-09-03 10:53:38 · answer #1 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 0⤋
Birds are extremely sensitive to any air borne toxins. These sources can be Teflon coated pans, gas, bug spray, room freshener, etc... Did the bird eat anything that it shouldn't? Also, do you have a dish of water at the bottom of the cage? She will need this to keep her from getting egg bound. Warm is best. Another thought, is she stressed? Too much activity in a new place can cause many problems. A nice quiet warm (no drafts- they can get pneumonia very easy) would be best for now. Go to a pet store and get her on some antibiotics. They won't hurt her and may save her life. Follow directions carefully. Pick up a manual on cockatiel care. I lost mine 20 years ago (while in someone else's care) and I still miss her. You will need to get her fixed or she'll continuously lay clutches of eggs. Take them away but if you don't fix her she'll die of malnourishment. Start vitamins asap. Good luck. Sounds like she has someone who really loves her. (you can look on line and find an vet who cares for birds. Also the zoo can help you.)
2006-09-02 16:29:15 · answer #2 · answered by Cyndi S 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Either your bird has been bitten or scratched by a cat or other animal. Or someone did a big no no and gave the poor thing chocolate. There are many foods that can kill your bird. Get a book and look it up on the net good foods and bad foods. Maybe you will find a food you are feeding the poor thing that you shoudl not be
If it was chocolate it might be dead by morning and it is impressave it is still alive right now. Maybe you will get lucky but I would not put much hope in it.
However don't give up and put a heating pad under the cage and cover over the cage to keep the little thing warm but don't over heat him. Make sure it is eating and drinking and hope for the best. He could pull out of it. I am thinking that 2 years is just a little on the young side to have fell in love and wanting to nest but could be be?
Avoid chocolate, avocado, and seeds of apples, peaches, pears, and cherries: these are toxic.
Grit is not necessary for parrots because the food is soft enough for the gizzard to grind up. Grit may be dangerous because ill birds may gorge themselves on grit and block their digestive system. Therefore do no give parrots (including "parakeets") grit.
2006-09-02 18:03:52 · answer #3 · answered by Don K 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋
You need to find an avian vet..the bird won't just "get better" or "perk up". They don't work that way. Every minute you let the bird go on like this the sicker and more weak it is getting. Not to mention at this point the bird is suffering. When birds are ill they mask it because in the wild it would be picked off by the flock for showing weakness. So they mask their illnesses, so when you see that a bird is ill..it is VERY ill by that point. I'd call the local vets and try to get a reference to an avian vet as quickly as possible if you want the bird to live. As with all of us that have birds, you may have to drive to get a certified avian vet because not every veterinarian handles avians.
Good luck
2006-09-03 03:48:59 · answer #4 · answered by Jenn 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
The bird isn't that old so if the bird doesn't get better in a few days I would find a vet that specializes in birds. It may just not feel that well though. I mean just like people we eat things that make us feel bad, or we just aren't the same some days. If this continues I would then do something about it.
2006-09-02 16:08:44 · answer #5 · answered by Stephanie 1 · 0⤊ 0⤋
she may be getting ready to start laying eggs I have had cockatiels for several years and one of the females done this too.As long as she's eating and drinking i wouldn't worry much, but if she stops eating& drinking and starts breathing hard she probably has egg binding ( can't lay the eggs) this happened to mine and i couldn't help her and the vets in Mo.don't know anything about birds either. I lost her. Later someone told me when this happens to put olive oil on the vent ( Butt) where the egg comes out .It's worth a try and it makes sense cause it lubicates her. Good luck hope it's a happy ending
2006-09-02 16:28:40 · answer #6 · answered by Anonymous · 3⤊ 0⤋
I would be very concerned. If at all possible take your bird to a vet with specialized knowledge about birds. I lost my favorite bird of all time due to "egg binding." She was fine one day, and dead the next. Of course I don't know if this has anything at all to do with your pet.
Here's a link to a first aid page I found:
http://www.cockatiels.org/articles/care/firstaid.html#012
There are probably lots of others out there. Good luck with your bird!!
2006-09-02 16:09:13 · answer #7 · answered by davidepeden 5 · 3⤊ 0⤋
Check under it's feathers for bites if you have had it near any other animals. My parrot got bit by a dog once and started acting sluggish like that. It came around after the vet cleaned the wound and it had time to heal. Keep it warm. Make sure it's water is clean and just let it know you love it.
2006-09-02 16:08:49 · answer #8 · answered by xiorcalm 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
It is extremely important to find an avian vet. Here is a link to a site that will help you find the one closest to you. Even if it is too far for you to travel, call and try to get a phone consultation.
http://www.aav.org/activemembers.html
In nature when birds get sick, they try to hide it because they do not want the flock to reject them. Are there any other symptoms?
2006-09-03 04:10:34 · answer #9 · answered by Ms. Jo 3 · 1⤊ 0⤋
It is hard to guess but I will give you some ideas.
Is there newspaper lined on the bottom of the cage? - Poisoned from the ink in the paper.
Did the food get wet? - It will mold if wet which is toxic
Is he near a draft? - This can make them sick
2006-09-02 16:07:50 · answer #10 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋