Keet Acting Strange (w/video)

[christobal]

Hello,

Two months ago, my 3.5 year-old parakeet had a spell where she became listless. She started hanging around and sleeping on the bottom of her cage. I noticed she began developing some brown matting on the top of her head and around her beak. One night, I decided to gently wipe her with a cloth and warm water (she HATES being touched).

While I was attempting to position her, she vomited on me. I placed her back in her cage and went into "what to do" mode. While I was sitting on the couch with my laptop searching for any hints, she flew over to me and looked awful. She was not very steady and seemed in distress.

I took her to a bird vet the next day. She as given a shot and prescribed an antibiotic and some apple cider vinegar in her water.

Several days later, she seemed back to her old self. I continued the antibiotic for 10 days.

Now, the weather has gotten colder outside. I have found her again on the floor f her cage from time to time. She has also developed the knack for using ME for heat. She lands on my shoulder and tries to wiggle her way down the collar of my shirt to sit. She also doesn't see to mind my hands anymore as I can hold her in my open hand and groom and scratch her chin and neck with my fingertips. This has been cute in all, but from time to time, I see her doing this thing where she looks like she's gagging or choking, then swallowing and constantly moving her mouth. Kinda like she did right before I took her to the vet, but more extreme.

I have finally managed to get it on video and you can see it via the link below. She doesn't do it constantly, but she does go through spells where she will do it for up to 5 minutes straight before it subsides.

mysite.verizon.net/vze7f6jz/sitebuildercontent/sitebuilderpictures/sick_trixie.mov

Does this look familiar?

Thanks for looking!

Chris

[Sivin]

Hi Chris,

I'm not a vet but have had budgies and cockatiels for many years. Kerry is the expert on budgies and if she disagrees with anything I say, then take her advice over mine. Here are my thoughts:

1. Is your vet one who specializes in birds? Were any tests taken before antibiotics were administered? If this is a dog and cat person who takes care of birds as needed I would hotfoot it out of there and find someone who only takes on birds (and often, reptiles).

2. Something that bothers me is that your normally hand-shy bird isn't any longer. If she were healthy and you taught her this, it would be one thing, but when a bird's behavior changes in such a manner it's a signal that something is wrong. (Concurrently, if a normally healthy bird becomes antisocial you would have the same concerns.)

3. From what you are describing it does appear that the bird is indeed vomiting, which must be considered separate from regurgitating, which they can do at will to feed their young and partners. That you spotted it on her head and her overall poor appearance confirms this to me. She is definitely ill.

4. I really can't take a guess by looking at your video. One of mine does something similar but that might or might not have anything to do with your bird's overall health.

Please take your bird to someone who handles just birds. This is really very important. The schooling is very specialized. Believed me, we've run the gamet!

Good luck, and let us know what happens.

Sivin

[christobal]

Thanks for the reply Sivin.

I traveled quite a long way and spent a great deal of money to visit a bird vet. She seemed confident in handling my bird and taught me a lot of things. They ran a stool sample for something, but it came back negative. She also mentioned that the area where her eggs would develop seemed a little large, but since she had never felt the bird before, she couldn't be sure if she was carrying an egg or not.

This morning, it has occurred to me that she only does the "gagging/gulping" upon being stimulated. ie, if she is sitting calmly in her cage and I first approach her, or if she is resting quietly on my shoulder, then I begin talking to her and making the noises she likes, she will do it. She will also do it after a quick flight across the room. I have never seen anything actually come out of her mouth, but this morning, I could tell there was something IN her mouth for a brief second.

Thanks again,

C