Budgerigar: diseases, symptoms and treatment

2024 Author: Priscilla Miln | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-16 00:21

It is important for every owner of feathered pets to know about budgerigar diseases. Under good conditions of keeping and feeding, these birds rarely suffer from various pathologies. Most diseases are associated with violations of the rules for caring for parrots. You need to know your pet well in order to notice the slightest changes in his appearance and behavior in time. This will help to start treatment in the early stages and save the bird. Many diseases of parrots are characterized by a rapid increase in pathological manifestations and lead to the death of a pet.

Signs of bird he alth

The appearance and behavior of the pet can determine how well he feels. These birds have a very fast metabolism, and signs of disease in budgerigars are usually clearly visible. A he althy pet has a good appetite, is active and mobile, makes chirping sounds, and does not have excessive drowsiness. There are other signs that indicatebird wellness:

• smooth and shiny plumage without ruffle;
• beak and cornea do not exfoliate or peel off;
• eyes clear and shining;
• parrot sleeps on one leg;
• tail area is clean, no droppings;
• stools are neither too thin nor too thick.

If the parrot has no changes in appearance and behavior, then you can not worry about his he alth.

Signs of illness in a pet

Only an ornithologist veterinarian can accurately determine what disease a budgerigar has. After all, each pathology has its own clinical picture. However, there are common symptoms that indicate that a pet is unwell. Take your bird to the vet immediately if it shows the following signs:

• refusing food;
• sluggishness;
• long sleep, during which the parrot leans on both legs;
• cloudy eyes;
• noisy breathing;
• excessive silence or plaintive sounds;
• loss of feathers not related to molting;
• limping;
• convulsions;
• the bird constantly fluffs up;
• liquid or tight droppings;
• sneeze;
• scratching;
• changing the condition of the beak and cornea.

These signs indicate various diseases of budgerigars. Their symptoms and treatment will be discussed next.

Types of diseases

Bird diseases can be divided into 3 groups:

• non-infectious;
• infectious;
• parasitic.

Non-infectious pathologies most often occur due to improper care of birds. These diseases can be triggered by poor nutrition, untimely cleaning of the cage, hypothermia. Budgerigars are heat-loving creatures, they are extremely sensitive to all adverse factors. Such diseases can be easily cured if you pay more attention to the maintenance and feeding of birds.

Injuries can also be attributed to non-communicable diseases. Birds most often get bruised and injured during molting. During this period, their body is poorly protected by plumage.

Infectious diseases at home are difficult to cure. In this case, you need to consult a specialist and conduct a diagnosis. Infection often occurs if several parrots are kept in the house. Bird infections spread very easily. Insufficient and rare cleaning of the cage can become a provoking factor.

Like other animals, parrots can suffer from parasitic diseases. The infection is transmitted from one bird to another. Pets can have both external parasites (downy eaters, scabies pathogens) and internal parasites (roundworms, coccidia).

Next, we will look at the most common diseases of budgerigars and their treatment.

Obesity

Budgerigars can be overweight. Obesity greatly complicates the life of feathered pets. It becomes difficult for them to move and fly. Most often the reasonobesity becomes an incorrectly composed diet. To get rid of this disease, you need to transfer the bird to a diet with a restriction of fats and carbohydrates. Overeating is not allowed. The pet should be left with the amount of food that corresponds to its age. You need to regularly let the parrot out of the cage and give him the opportunity to move around.

Sometimes, obesity in birds develops due to a malfunction of the thyroid gland. If excess weight is not associated with excess nutrition, then the parrot should be shown to the veterinarian. He will conduct the necessary diagnostics of the endocrine system and prescribe treatment.

Intestinal Disorders

Budgerigars often have diarrhea. The reason for this is usually stale drink or expired poor-quality food. Also, diarrhea is noted in birds if there is a lot of fresh greens in their diet. If the pet does not have weakness and lethargy, then it is enough to change the diet, as well as give the parrot twigs of fruit trees and crushed activated charcoal. Cabbage, herbs and greens are excluded from the diet. If the diarrhea is only caused by malnutrition, then these measures will help.

However, diarrhea can be a symptom of disease in budgerigars caused by infections. They can cause the death of a bird. If diarrhea is accompanied by a deterioration in well-being, then you should immediately contact a specialist.

Colds

In nature, budgerigars live in warm climates. These birds do not tolerate cold. They must be protected from drafts andmaintain a room temperature of at least + 20 … + 25 degrees. When hypothermia, there are signs of a cold: the bird becomes lethargic and sleepy, discharge comes out of the nose, sneezing is observed. The parrot often rubs the cere against various objects.

A cold bird needs warmth. An incandescent lamp with a power of 60 watts is placed above the cage at a height of 35-45 cm. Such heating sessions are carried out for 1 hour 3-5 times a day. The other half of the cage is hung with a dark cloth so that the bird can go into the shade when it gets warm. Pour a decoction of chamomile into the drinker and add 3 drops of lemon juice and honey to 50 ml of liquid. If these measures do not help, then you need to contact your veterinarian.

Gout

This budgerigar disease is associated with an excess of uric acid in the body. Gout is always the result of malnutrition. It occurs in birds that are often fed human food. White nodules and red veins appear on the paws. They cause severe pain to the pet. In addition, there is lethargy, increased thirst and diarrhea, alternating increased and decreased appetite.

This disease requires immediate treatment from a specialist. A parrot can die from gout within 3-4 days. With this pathology, damage is noted not only to the joints, but also to the kidneys. In the veterinary clinic, a puncture and opening of the nodules is performed, drugs that reduce uric acid are prescribed. Requires a special diet, with the complete exclusion of animal proteins.

Hyperkeratosis

Hyperkeratosis is a disease of the budgerigar cere. The pathology is due tolack of vitamin A. With this disease, the cere (formation above the beak) grows, darkens, begins to peel and exfoliate.

It is necessary to include bell peppers, tomatoes, lettuce and dandelion in the pet's diet. They are rich in vitamin A. This helps in the initial stage of the disease. In advanced cases, the cere grows so strongly that the bird has difficulty breathing. This stage of the disease requires treatment by a veterinarian.

Curvature of the beak

Beak diseases in budgerigars include different types of its deformations. This may be an innate feature of the bird. Curvature of the beak occurs in parrots who have had rickets or inflammation of the sinuses.

Sometimes in adult birds there is an excessive growth of the upper part of the beak. This is dangerous because the sharp process can injure the goiter. In such cases, the beak is cut. This procedure should not be carried out at home, it is necessary to contact a veterinary clinic.

Injuries

Most often budgerigars have injuries to the head, paws and wings. The bird may hit window panes or furniture during flight. Very often, limb injuries occur when a parrot gets its claws stuck in the curtains. When traumatized, the following symptoms are noted:

1. The bird loses its balance.
2. The pet cannot keep its head upright, it is thrown back on its side.
3. Damaged wing lowered.
4. The parrot drags its sore paw, avoids stepping on it, limps.
5. Damaged placebleeding, redness or blueness of the skin.

The pet needs first aid. When bleeding, you need to press on the damaged area with a swab dipped in hydrogen peroxide. If there is a suspicion of a wing fracture, then the damaged limb is bandaged to the body. If the foot is injured, you need to put a splint on it. After providing first aid, the bird must be taken to a veterinary clinic.

Salmonellosis

One of the most dangerous diseases of budgerigars is salmonellosis. This is a highly infectious disease. Its causative agents are Salmonella bacteria.

Pets become infected with this disease through contaminated food, contaminated water or the droppings of sick birds. Salmonellosis causes severe diarrhea and dehydration. The parrot becomes inactive, lethargic, loses weight dramatically.

Sick birds must be immediately isolated from their cage neighbors. You need to show your pet to a specialist as soon as possible. Salmonellosis is deadly for parrots! You can help the bird only at the initial stage of the disease, treatment is carried out with antibiotics. Unfortunately, most pets die from salmonellosis. Even with a successful outcome, the disease often becomes chronic, and the bird becomes a carrier of the infection.

It is very important to remember that salmonellosis is a common disease of budgerigars and humans. A person can become infected when cleaning the cage through the droppings. Therefore, care must be taken when caring for a sick bird.

Psittacosis

Psittacosis (psittacosis) is a disease of budgerigars,caused by chlamydia. Such a pathology can be transmitted from birds to humans by airborne droplets through dust from litter. In humans, ornithosis occurs in the form of severe pneumonia, with an atypical variant of the pathology, meningitis occurs. Therefore, extreme care must be taken when caring for sick birds.

With this disease, the connective membrane of the eye swells in a parrot, abundant mucus is released from the anus, symptoms of a runny nose appear. In severe cases, convulsions and paralysis are observed. Psittacosis can only be treated by a veterinarian. They prescribe antibiotics and special food with medicinal additives.

Mycoplasmosis

Mycoplasmosis is an insidious infectious pathology of birds. Symptoms of budgerigar disease caused by mycoplasmas may not appear for a long time. At this time, the bird can infect its cage neighbors, the infection is transmitted by airborne droplets. Asymptomatic carriage can be observed for quite a long time, and only when the nutrition and conditions of keeping the pet deteriorate do the first signs of the disease appear.

When the mycoplasma is activated, the parrot becomes lethargic, inactive, its beak fades and turns pale. If you do not start treatment at the initial stage, then in the future the bird develops a cough and difficulty breathing. With the defeat of the respiratory organs, it is very difficult to save the pet. Urgent antibiotic treatment is needed at the initial stage, this will help prevent the death of the bird.

Mycoplasmosis also affects people. However, getting infectedpathology from a parrot is impossible. In humans and birds, this disease is caused by different types of mycoplasma.

Fluff-eaters

Puhoperedy are parasites that live in the plumage of parrots. They cause disease - mallophagosis. Downy eaters feed on skin particles, blood and feathers. The parrot is worried about severe itching, the bird constantly itches with its paws or beak. First, there are small areas of baldness, then there is a strong loss of feathers and inflammation of the eyes. A photo of the symptoms of budgerigar disease caused by feather-eaters can be seen below.

When the disease is advanced, the pet loses its appetite and dies of exhaustion. Treatment of mallophagosis is carried out with the help of special insecticidal sprays for birds. The following preparations are used: "Frontline", "Insectol", "Arpalit", "Celandine-spray". They are applied to the places of the greatest accumulation of parasites. The dosage of sprays is selected by the veterinarian. It is also necessary to treat the cage with insecticides.

Scabies

Scabies (knemidocoptosis) is a parasitic disease caused by a microscopic mite. The causative agent is most often localized on the limbs of the bird. Inflamed tubercles and growths appear on the paws. The pet is worried about excruciating itching. He constantly tries to reach his paws with his beak to scratch them.

Also, places of accumulation of ticks are formed on the wax, it becomes rough, covered with growths. Feather loss and scratching can be seen on the bird's head. The beak is deformed andbends, because of this it becomes difficult for the parrot to eat. Severe exhaustion develops. The defeat of the legs in advanced cases can lead to tissue necrosis and subsequent amputation of the limb.

Treatment is carried out with special insecticidal ointments. Additionally, antibacterial agents are prescribed to prevent infection of scratches and immunomodulators.

Ascariasis

Budgerigars can also have intestinal parasites. Most often, roundworms are found in birds. These are roundworms that parasitize the small intestine. A sick parrot becomes lethargic, loses weight dramatically, sleeps a lot, painfully reacts to touch. Diarrhea alternates with constipation. Ascaris is transmitted from an infected bird to a he althy bird through droppings in the feed.

Anthelmintic therapy is carried out with special drugs. After the end of the course of treatment, it is necessary to disinfect the cage and all bird care items.

Coccidiosis

This disease is caused by parasites from the class of protozoa - coccidia. They parasitize in the intestines of birds. For a long time, the parrot may not show symptoms of invasion. And only when immunity falls, the disease makes itself felt.

Infected bird loses weight, its plumage becomes disheveled. There is a decrease in appetite and intense thirst. In the future, there is diarrhea with bloody impurities and vomiting. The pet may die from dehydration. Infestation is often seen in young chicks.

Backseeding of litter is being carried out to determinepathogen sensitivity to antibiotics. Treatment of coccidiosis is carried out with the help of antibacterial drugs.

In closing

It can be concluded that proper bird care helps prevent many pathologies. At the first sign of a pet's illness, you should immediately contact a specialist. It is important to remember that parrots have a very fast metabolism. Because of this, the symptoms of bird diseases are growing rapidly, and the pet cannot always be saved. Contacting a veterinarian in the early stages of pathologies will help save the life of a bird.