Hi BN,
Any change in a budgie's behavior is cause for concern, so I'm glad you contacted me. I'd like to ask you a few questions so I can better provide you with advice.
First of all, has your budgie been on a mainly-seed diet for the past 10 years? What estimated percentage of her diet is seed? What amount of her diet is dark greens, grasses, and fruits/veggies or other foods? Does she have a cuttle bone always available and does she use it?
Next, please tell me about her droppings. Have you seen any changes since she had stopped eating seed?
Did the change in seed occur after or before she stopped eating seed?
Have you seen any little brown moths flying around that you don't usually see?
Is she an only bird or does she have cage mates? Are there other birds/pets in the home?
Is she grooming and playing as normal?
Is she spending more time sleeping or sitting with feathers puffed up at all?
Also, please give me any other info that might help. I'll then be able to provide you a course of action to help your budgie.
HI Pamela,
I can tell you love your little budgie a great deal. And I know you want her to recover fully. So, I must suggest you get her to a vet right away.
When birds in the wild get sick, they hide it very well because they are cast from the flock if they show illness. This instinct is still in our pet parrots (yes, budgies are parrots too). She is showing a couple of major signs of illness: lack of eating and less activity than normal. This means, fortunately, that you've seen the changes in time to help her.
However, a lifelong diet of mainly seed is bad for parrots and they really should get only about 35% seed. Because seed are high in fat, it is possible she has liver damage or other organ problems. But, the good news is that a qualified certified avian vet can help you save her and help her live longer and happier.
You need to locate a vet immediately if you don't have one already. Go to http://www.aav.org/ to find one near you. Take her in right away because with symptoms like you've listed, she can deteriorate quickly.
By the way, soaking her seeds was exactly the right thing to do. Until you can get her into the vet (hopefully later today), keep her calm and warm and give her whatever she will eat. Changing diet shouldn't be attempted when the bird is not feeling her best. Later on, you can work on that issue.
I'm listing a few links on diet for you as well as care for an under-the-weather parrot. But please, please, please don't delay a visit to the vet. I don't want you to lose your beloved little lady.
If I can help further, please use "reply" after accepting this answer.
Household Dangers: http://www.parrotparrot.com/birdhealth/alerts.htm
Diet: http://www.freearticlesarchive.com/article/Why_The_Wrong_Parrot_Diet_Can_Kill_Your_Bird/53588/0/
Supporting care for sick parrots: http://www.quakerparrots.com/health/caring-for-a-sick-or-injured-parrot/
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