My bird is sick!

Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share
1

Well, one of my birds is sick.

Sydney the White-headed Cockatiel didn’t want me to give him his morning head scratch. That’s very strange. Especially since he’s going through a molt and itchy.

Well, I got him down off the way-high-up perch for a closer look. It was like his head had been dunked in slime. Clear, mucus-snot type slime. Well, I washed him off in the kitchen sink as best I could, dried him off as best I could, and returned him to the perch. Really, it was like someone sneezed on him. I didn’t recall sneezing on him, and my husband uses Kleenex, not little birds, but it was possible one of the other birds sneezed on him - really, they can produce prodigious amounts of snot - or maybe he sneezed on himself and made a mess trying to wipe it off.

Meanwhile, I get on with my day. A couple hours later I check on him. His head is covered in snot again, if anything even more than before. So I washed his head again (using warm/tepid water and mostly just working on his head) and blotted him off. Once he figured out I was washing him off he was pretty cooperative. The husband and I have both looked him over. There is no obvious injury, the slime was totally clear, the birds is eating, drinking, perching, and even flying from perch to perch. Nothing seems irritated or red, not his little nose holes or ear holes or eyes or eyelids. He’s still vocalizing.

>sigh<

On the other hand, he is right now sitting on my left shoulder trying to alternately nap and preen. His feathers still look a bit matted down and I have a heat lamp aimed at him (feels kind of yummy on my shoulder, too) He’s a bit irritable and still doesn’t want a headrub. When removed from my left shoulder he either hops or flies back - clearly, it’s where he wants to be.

For tonight, all we can really do it keep him warm, make sure he has food and water, and keep the other two birds from harassing him. If he’s not better tomorrow we may be taking him to the vet (there’s a matter of serious snowstorm and very cold weather to complicate things).

The problem with birds is that they always hide just how bad they’re feeling from you. We’ve had some birds get pretty sick before, and they’ve usually survived it, but it’s always hard to be sure just how bad off they are or aren’t.

2

Best wishes to the little guy.

I’m still working out the whole bird owning thing. I found Brian only a few months ago and I was amazed to discover that Budgies can vomit - in huge quantities over vast distances. He also had a bit of a snot issue for a week or so, but nothing like what you’ve described.
Just as well, as he doesn’t allow handling yet. I crave the day where he voluntarily comes to perch on me for rubs. He barely seems to tolerate them now (though he seems to like sitting on my finger and having ‘tummy mumbles’).

He’s been to the vet once, to discover that he was less than a year old, and the terrible plague that caused his feathers to fall out was called “Moulting” and that he otherwise seemed to be a very happy and healthy bird. He bit the vet - he’s got a hell of a bite for something with no teeth.

3

I can also report that Sydney does NOT have diarrhea, just very normal bird poop.

:rolleyes:

So much for a clean shirt, but at least I know for sure about THAT bodily function. And I’ll forgive him, the little darling. He’s having a bad day.

4

My parrot’s had things that look like head colds before-- a bit of snot and sneezing. Take him to the vet if he’s not feeling better, and maybe separate him from the other guys? You might be able to tell if his breathing’s bad-- his tail might bob in time with his breathing (this is how I noticed that my guys had a bacterial infection in his. . . air-sacs or whatever it is birds have instead of lungs).

5

His breathing is completely normal. We checked that, too. Other than not wanting to socialize (which is a BIG change in his personality) and the slime there seems to be no change in him whatsoever.

We made sure he had a cage all to himself for dinner so he wouldn’t have to squabble with the other birds. Meanwhile, we’re keeping him warm. Mostly, he seems to want to nap which isn’t that unusual at the end of the day. Like I said, we’ll keep an eye on him.

6

Poor Sydney! Here’s hoping the heat lamp helps turn things around for him.

7

I’m mostly suggesting separation because it might be contagious.

8

My nightmare. I have no avian vet nearby. I hope you will keep me posted on this. I am holding my breath.

9

I’m wondering if it might be that with all the itching, he just rubbed his head on something - perhaps a rather abnormal stool that was stuck on a perch - does this sound at all possible?

10

Well, Sydney is alive and unslimed this morning. Good appetite and now preening under the heat lamp. He seems fine, but we’ll have to keep an eye on him.

11

My conure had recurring snot issues after stuffing a big piece of cuttlefish bone up one nostril. Before it was found, he had recurring infections, to the point where you could put antibiotics in his mouth, wait a full minute, ands watch him launch the same antibiotics out his left nostril. (we had to give him injections, which did not bug him). They found the cuttlefish bone with an xray. He always had recurring snottitude after that, but was hale,healthy and able to shoot discrete mucous blobs up to 3 feet.
Steve the grey occasionally pumps his tail like a bird in respiratory distress. Over a decade of regular vet visits and monitoring have led us to conclude that Steve just likes to pump his tail. I hope your snot monster has a complete recovery, best wishes.

12

If he starts to act sick, consider isolating him in a hospital tank.

Sailboat

13

Agh, kids and pets, one minute they’re fine, the next on death’s doorstep. Just when you’re about to stroke out with the stress and guilt of not noticing sooner, they’re fine again!

Glad Sydney seems better this morning (preening is one of the best signs, isn’t it?).

14

My girl cockatiel, Kellogg, recently passed away from an unknown illness. One day she was fine, if a bit quiet…the next she was huddled on the floor of the cage…then she was gone.
I wish they weren’t so good at hiding illness.

15

Sydney has been grooming my left ear as if to say “thank you”. Really does seem better. He’s also back to squabbling with the other birds instead of retreating from all confrontation. I’m hoping it was just a passing thing but we’ll keep an eye on him a bit longer.

I know we’re supposed to isolate a sick bird, but the other two had already been thoroughly exposed and separation from the flock is also very stressful. A judgment call.

16

Is there any chance he is sensitive feather dust? George always got more snotacular during molting, and it appeared to have a lot to do with all those aglets.

17

At least you don’t have a sick raptor.

That would be ill eagle.