JustAnswer > Pet
Ask A Question|Register|Login|Help
JustAnswer

Pet

Ask a Pet Question, Get an Answer ASAP!

Have your own Pet question?

7 Vets and Pet Experts are Online Now
characters left:
Not a Pet Question?

Related Pet Topics:

  • Cat
  • ,
  • Cut
  • ,
  • Faq
  • ,
  • Fix
  • ,
  • Ill
  • ,
  • Pet
  • ,
  • Vet
  • ,
  • Top
  • ,
  • Back
  • ,
  • Bird
Bookmark and Share

Question

I have a parakeet that started having diarrhea and looking sick, three weeks ago. i gave him the antibiotics from the store that go in the water. he is not having diarrhea any more, but looks sick and is sitting on bottom of cage sometimes. now he is eating constantly, sits in the dish and eats everything. why is he doing this

Submitted: 864 days and 4 hours ago.
Category: Pet
Value: $15
Status: CLOSED
+
Read More

Optional Information

Optional Information:
Age: 2; Male; Breed: parakeet

Already Tried:
antibiotics in water and now giving a food supplement

Posted by Patricia 864 days and 3 hours ago.

Answer

Hi Goldie. I know you thought you were doing a good thing for him but that stuff from the pet store is, for the most part, worthless as you can see. About all it will do is cause them to build a resistance to real antibiotics, making it much harder to cure them when they really need something. If the diarrhea has really slowed down, that much is good. But because you are adding something to the drinking water, (which is a huge no-no with birds) he has probably cut way back on the amount of water he is drinking. Diarrhea doesn't just go away and that pet store junk is not going to cure it either. He is probably well on his way to dehydration. You need to get that stuff out of his water, wash and scald the dish and give him plain, fresh drinking water right away. What you are seeing are classic signs of a very ill bird. Not only that, it's a bird that has been ill for way too long without proper treatment. One of the strongest instincts our birds have is to mask all symptoms of illness or injury from us, for as long as possible. When we finally see symptoms, it's because they are too weak and too ill to keep up the pretense any longer. Sitting with feathers fluffed, sitting on the cage bottom, sleeping an inordinate amount of time and any change in the droppings that lasts more than 24 hours and cannot be accounted for by diet are serious alarm signals. I cannot diagnose for you in this format. Not even a Certified Avian vet could do that. If you will not delay any longer and get him in to a proper vet, there is a chance that a simple test on one of his dropping samples to pin point the problem, then a 10 day course of real, full strength oral antibiotics, (not in the water) might just fix him right up. If you don't already have a good avian vet, I'll give you some links to help with that. In the meantime you need to make sure he does not get chilled. The closer we can keep an ill bird to 80F, the better. Cover the top and 3 sides of his cage, keep him as quiet and stress free as possible and get on the phone to a vet. I'm not going to waste more of your time asking about diet. I will just tell you that if he has not been getting anything but seeds, he is not in good health at all. He should be getting fruits, vegetables. leafy greens and much more. I'll also give you some links to help with that but for now, the little guy needs a vet, "yesterday". I hope this helps and I hope you will find him the help he needs right away. If you need anything else, just let me know and I'll keep the little guy in my thoughts. Patricia

Click here: Bird Proofing Your Home

Click here: BirdMart.com - HOUSEHOLD PARROT DANGERS - Learn what dangers exist around your home. Find out how to "bird proof"

Click here: Budgies as Pets - Introduction to Budgerigars and their care

Click here: Budgie World Budgie care - tips on budgie care, toys and diet

Click here: Pet Bird Budgie FAQ

Click here: Budgie Care and Information - Melopsittacus Undulatus

Click here: Hepatic Lipidosis

Click here: PetCareLibrary - Tumors in Parakeets (pvy.com)

Click here: Parakeet Medical and Safety Information

Click here: Parakeet Budgie and Keet FAQs and Info

Click here: Toxic and Safe Plants/Trees for Birds - Household Poisons

Click here: Birdsnways - Safe Plants & Trees for pet birds, pet parrots &exotic birds

Click here: Nutrition

Obesity & Diets (budgies)

Click here: The Basics: Intro to Budgies / Parakeets

Click here: The Budgie and Parakeet Place - Care, Training, Pictures and More

Click here: BUDGIE CARE SHEET

It's advisable to have a proper vet already located, well in advance of the need for one. The odds are excellent that it will be an emergency when you need one.

Click here: Find your local Avian Veterinarian

Click here: Avian Veterinarians Recommended by Bird Breeders and Owners http://www.birdsnways.com/articles/abvpvets.htm

Click here: Avian Vet List

Click here: BirdsnWays - Avian Veterinarians - Vets - Vet Services for Pet Parrots & Exotic Birds

This one looks like an advertisement for Harrison pellets but they are only sold by vets so it's another good list to check. Click here: Harrison's Bird Foods is a family of certified organic pet bird diets that were formulated to make your bird as he

864 days ago.

Reply

he has not had any thing in his water for about a week. thanks for your help

Goldie 2007

Posted by Patricia 864 days ago.

Answer

That's good then. But he is still ill and that stuff from the pet store is not going to help him. He really needs to see the vet.

Accepted Answer

Hello again Goldie. Is there anything else I can help you with, or is there more information you need? If so, just let me know. If not, and if my answer was helpful, could you go ahead and press the accept button? Even though you have placed a deposit, I will not be paid until you accept by clicking on the green button. Thanks so much. Patricia

Picture
Expert: Patricia
Pos. Feedback: 99.9 %
Accepts: 
Answered: 7/16/2007

Parrot C&onsultant

Published author, free lance bird behaviorist, adviser to the parrots at Sarasota Jungle Gardens.

+
Read More

Related Pet Questions

  • We have cats and pet mice. Last night our youngest cat got
  • My koi fishes seem to be infected by some bactiria, can you
  • My hamster has a musky discharge from her vagina, it is thic...
  • I found a baby wild rabbit in the driveway, my dog was chasi...
  • my 3 year old Beta has a lump on his left side. He is not ve...
  • just found a wild baby rabbit what should I do
  • I have a 4 yr old male guinea pig. He has been exposed to
  • My 3 month old rabbit has a swollen tummy and when I flipped



Disclaimer: Information in questions, answers, and other posts on this site ("Posts") comes from individual users, not JustAnswer; JustAnswer is not responsible for Posts. Posts are for general information, are not intended to substitute for informed professional advice (medical, legal, veterinary, financial, etc.), or to establish a professional-client relationship. The site and services are provided "as is" with no warranty or representations by JustAnswer regarding the qualifications of Experts. To see what credentials have been verified by a third-party service, please click on the "Verified" symbol in some Experts' profiles. JustAnswer is not intended or designed for EMERGENCY questions which should be directed immediately by telephone or in-person to qualified professionals.
Question List | Become an Expert | Terms of Service | Security & Privacy | About Us
© 2003-2009 JustAnswer Corp.