Post by Berserka on Apr 9, 2007 11:22:35 GMT
There are several external signs of illness that give you very good clues that all's not well with your feathered friend.
Feathers should be lying close to the bird's body in an orderly fashion. If your bird is chewing or plucking its feathers, or if they're dirty or feathers are missing, then you should seek help.
Lots of feathers lying on the floor of the cage, broken or curled feathers, bleeding feathers aren't normal.
Your bird's skin should not be itchy or broken. Birds can develop skin tumours just as humans can. If your bird develops a lump of any sort you should have it checked out by an avian vet.
His beak should be clean. If crating or flakiness occurs then a tiny parasite called a mite is likely to be present and should be treated. These mites can attack the bird's feet as well and cause the same crustiness - which looks awful!
If the bird is on the bottom of the cage with it's wings drooping & feathers fluffed out then it'is likely that it's cold, stressed or unwell and you should phone your avian vet. Birds can stress easily and a sudden drop or increase in temperature could be enough to upset them.
Rocking on his perch, head tilting/stretching and tail bobbing are not normal things for a bird to do. Gagging, wheezing and gasping are indications of a respiratory probem.
Any discharge is to be considered abnormal. Birds suffer from vomiting and diarrhoea just as other pets and people can. If you do have a sick bird, it really helps if you bring the him in his regular cage so that the vet can observe the birds environment and his droppings. Normal bird droppings are composed of two parts: a green moist part from the digestive tract & a white solid bit from the urinary tract.
Any sign of weight loss, if he stops eating and stops singing or talking should be treated with concern and advice sought.
If you are breeding birds and problems such as poor hatch rates, chick deaths or other reproductive problems occur, then your veterinarian may have to refer you to a colleague with expertise in that area.
Feathers should be lying close to the bird's body in an orderly fashion. If your bird is chewing or plucking its feathers, or if they're dirty or feathers are missing, then you should seek help.
Lots of feathers lying on the floor of the cage, broken or curled feathers, bleeding feathers aren't normal.
Your bird's skin should not be itchy or broken. Birds can develop skin tumours just as humans can. If your bird develops a lump of any sort you should have it checked out by an avian vet.
His beak should be clean. If crating or flakiness occurs then a tiny parasite called a mite is likely to be present and should be treated. These mites can attack the bird's feet as well and cause the same crustiness - which looks awful!
If the bird is on the bottom of the cage with it's wings drooping & feathers fluffed out then it'is likely that it's cold, stressed or unwell and you should phone your avian vet. Birds can stress easily and a sudden drop or increase in temperature could be enough to upset them.
Rocking on his perch, head tilting/stretching and tail bobbing are not normal things for a bird to do. Gagging, wheezing and gasping are indications of a respiratory probem.
Any discharge is to be considered abnormal. Birds suffer from vomiting and diarrhoea just as other pets and people can. If you do have a sick bird, it really helps if you bring the him in his regular cage so that the vet can observe the birds environment and his droppings. Normal bird droppings are composed of two parts: a green moist part from the digestive tract & a white solid bit from the urinary tract.
Any sign of weight loss, if he stops eating and stops singing or talking should be treated with concern and advice sought.
If you are breeding birds and problems such as poor hatch rates, chick deaths or other reproductive problems occur, then your veterinarian may have to refer you to a colleague with expertise in that area.
