Rapid Breathing

[Northern Budgie]

Hi, brand new on here.....and registered when I was searching around for some explanation of my little guy's behaviour. I've been corresponding with an extremely helpful fellow in Australia, but I'm still concerned, and continue to look for explanations. My little Beak is holding his wings out from his body and panting slightly, but inconsistently. I noticed that there was a posting from 'Adria' a year ago on this forum, with the same description, and I would really like to know the outcome. He's a very active free ranging 6 year old budgie, great talker, eats and drinks well, lots of fruit, etc. He's just developed these symptoms in the last couple of months - we moved in June, very old building, steam heating that clanks when it comes on. So I don't know if this is stress, bacteria, etc. I took him to the vet last month (avian vet) and she pronounced him healthy in a visual/feel exam. I watch him very carefully, and I haven't seen him sit on one foot in months. I have him booked for bloodwork on Monday.

Any suggestions or alerts would be helpful....

Thanks!
Jacki

[Monica]

He is becoming "old" for a budgie, though considering his diet and circumstances, the panting seems to be mostly weather related, though I could be wrong.

Budgies that are fed mainly a seed diet normally don't live past the age of 6 years due to complications such as tumours, cancer, and malnourishment. Budgies that get a healthier diet may live for 10+ years, though quite a lot of it also has to do with how much excercise they get.

[milihandra]

I would recommend having your budgie checked again.
We had a budgie who was exhibiting the same behavior. We were told that 'it's just stress' but the panting just seemed to frequent. She seemed otherwise healthy at first but slowly took a turn for the worst. We found out later, and unfortunately too late to save her, that her liver was failing due do a fungal infection. My best to you and your little one and hopes that there's nothing too serious.

[Lori L]

Not to scare you even further but birds are very good at hiding their illness, it's a survival thing in the wild. They would be killed if they showed a sign of weakness. So, when you can visually see that something is wrong it's usually not a good sign. I hope in your case this is not true, please keep us updated.

[Northern Budgie]

Hi all,

Thank you for your replies; I have the results of his bloodwork. His kidneys and liver are both fine, and everything else seems fine, except he has some bacteria in his system that doesn't belong there. So, I've got him on antibiotics and a bacterial replacement (just started yesterday), and he's as chipper and cheerful as he has been. I thought he might be a little struck down from the antibiotics, but if anything, he was more pesky and wouldn't let me go anywhere without him. He's not quiet at all, not fluffed up at all, drinking lots, eating lots (seed mixture, fruits, veg, cheese, juice) in the shower with me, etc, so if he's sick, he's not just hiding it, he's completely blocked it out.

This is very gratifying to me, that he's doing well. It's felt like touch and go over the last few months. He's got such a personality; a couple of weeks ago, I came home from work and he was sitting by the coffee pot, which he loves, and I leaned in to him and told him what a long day I'd had, and he gave a squawk and said, "That's okay! Want some juice?", at which point I collapsed, forgot the bad day, and just put everything into perspective.

Thanks again,
JM & NB