Grey being clever or is she sick?

[nmrspindoc]

Ralphie my CAG seems to be doing one of two things.

Either she is deliberately making noises that sound like heavy breathing or she really is breathing like that.

I'm not sure which. She isn't showing any signs of illness (what bird ever does till it's too late?). She's eating normally and is very bright eyed and active.

She recently learned how to make a hissing noise or a wheezing noise...and my kids are amused with it (well, so was I). So, I don't know if she's being funny now, by doing it more often and is noticing that I react to it, or if she might be sick.

Have you ever heard your Grey breathe when she stretches out her wings? I have. She seemed to be breathing heavy after she became startled and flew (kind of...her wings are still clipped) off my bed to the floor today.

I am thinking a trip to the vet is warranted, but maybe she's playing with me.

[Lisa B]

hiya...unless a grey(or any bird really) is used to flying and gets alot of it, they will breath heavy after a flight.

what you wnat to do, is stand next to her cage at night, when she is covered, and listen.....listen to see if she makes ANY noise. thats the time they will be relaxed and you should hear it if she is having problems.
she might get startled if she hears you so outside her cage so be prepared to run and turn on the lights.

not saying disregard the vet..... if you are conserned, then yes, a vet visit is in order....


i had two greys that had breathing problems...its a routine I kinda got used to and do each night...I listen to them all.

[Lucky498]

My grey is flighted and when she goes for a little flight she will breathe hard afterwards, but it doesn't last long at all - sometimes she will also flap her wings as if she is going to fly and never takes off and after that she will breathe hard to, but those are the only times she will have breathe heavily. Sounds like your grey is probably doing the same as mine.

[jbsmomto1]

does her tail bob at the same time??

[Amie]

Originally Posted by jbsmomto1

does her tail bob at the same time??

Oh, i really hope that's not a bad thing. When Scarlett gets really excited (beginning of a shower, when I'm fixing her bean mash each day) she will say "boink" really low, a bunch of times, and her tail kind of bobs every time she does it. She's been doing it for years, I thought it was just excited talking. . . .

[jbsmomto1]

Originally Posted by amiestgermain

Oh, i really hope that's not a bad thing. When Scarlett gets really excited (beginning of a shower, when I'm fixing her bean mash each day) she will say "boink" really low, a bunch of times, and her tail kind of bobs every time she does it. She's been doing it for years, I thought it was just excited talking. . . .

No she sounds fine, but a bird with breathing issues will often bob their tail due to the breaths being deeper or something not sure how to explain it. A bird who is not tail bobbing is not likey to have breathing issues, but a bird wheezing, breathing heavy with tail bobbing is a bad sign.

keep in mind I am only going by what the vets have told me. Mango has does the wheeze type thing and I have taken him in but the vet assumed that he is just attempting a new sound or is just imitating a noise he liked and since he was not tail bobbing he was ok.

[Amie]

Originally Posted by jbsmomto1

No she sounds fine, but a bird with breathing issues will often bob their tail due to the breaths being deeper or something not sure how to explain it. A bird who is not tail bobbing is not likey to have breathing issues, but a bird wheezing, breathing heavy with tail bobbing is a bad sign.

keep in mind I am only going by what the vets have told me. Mango has does the wheeze type thing and I have taken him in but the vet assumed that he is just attempting a new sound or is just imitating a noise he liked and since he was not tail bobbing he was ok.

Thanks!! I get to be kind of a worry wort about her since she's pretty much the animal love of my life!

[xafsmom]

LOL! "Boink!"

That made my morning!

[Amie]

Originally Posted by xafsmom

LOL! "Boink!"

That made my morning!

YouTube - Stewie my Eclectus 'BOINKS' the camera if you haven't seen the video of Stewie "boinking". Scarlett was 11 when we tried to teach her, so she associates it with kisses and good things, so she only says it when she's happy, and not in the really quick succession like Stewie here

[nmrspindoc]

No tail bobbing at all. She's silent in the cage at night. I haven't heard her "cough" all day today.

Thanks for the assurances. I thought she was okay (70% sure), but wanted to know if anyone else heard the same noises.

I was worried because we just moved and I keep her in a room that's cooler than where we lived before. On the plus side, I have almost two extra hours a day to spend with her because I'm not commuting. And my daughter lets her out of the cage as soon as she's home. So, instead of being in her cage till 6-7 every night she's out by 3:00 and stays out till it's bedtime. Weekends she's out all day. Lucky booger. LOL