Molting busgie is twitching excessively.

[lazarus_04]

Hey everybody! I've got a male budgie named coco who's about 8 years old. We took him in after learning that he'd been passed around alot. No one seemed to want to keep him, the poor thing. Anyway, I've had him now for 7 years, and I know him very well. The reason why I'm posting is because he has started twitching alot this past day. It's something that I've seen him do a hundred times before, especially when he's molting, like he's trying to shake all his loose feathers out. And he is actually in the middle of a molt. But the thing is, he's been constantly twitching his wings and head now for about two hours. I've never seen him do it this long before. But he seems fine otherwise. He's either flying about my room or sitting on his perch, happily cracking his beak at me, and closing his eyes in sheer bliss when I give his neck a scratch, but he just can't seem to stop twitching. Could it just be that he's really scratchy from the molt? Like I said, he does do this often. He's just never done it this long before. Or maybe it's a calcium defficiency? I did run out of vitamine powder for over a month. Our pet store just stopped stocking it for some reason.

Any ideas?

[Monica]

An avian vet visit would probably be a good idea....

[GracienGeorge]

Originally Posted by Monica

An avian vet visit would probably be a good idea....

Yes , very good idea indeed! Please keep us all informed asap, your sweetie sure appreciates your warmth and love as apposed to being passed around sooo many times
Your baby is in our prayers, too.

[lazarus_04]

Well, my little guy's still twitching. He had a hard time sleeping the night through, but he's still quite active today. Curiously enought though, when I offered him some seeds, he backpedaled so fast he almost fell of the dresser, even though I know he's hungry. He hasn't eaten since early last night. So I cooked up his favorite. Scrambled egg. Boy did he ever dive into the plate! He seems better for having filled his tummy. He spent a good few minutes cracking his beak happily afterwards...Maybe his new food's not agreeing with him...

God I wish I knew what all the twitching and flicking was about. He seems perfectly normal apart from that...anyway, I booked the earliest appointment I could get at the avian vet's, which is tomorrow morning at ten. Wish us luck.

[Kiwi1224]

I'm so glad to read that you're heading to the vet tomorrow...good luck. Budgies lose weight so quickly when they don't feel well or something isn't quite right. Please keep us posted.

[svolk]

Good luck at the vet's - it's a wise decision to have this checked out by an avian vet.

[Tinker]

All I can think of is mites. You said he wasn't sleeping well?

[Kiwi1224]

I agree with Tinker...totally forgot about mites...I took in a budgie from my friend's daughter who bought him on impulse and then didn't care for him. When I brought him home and had him quarantined I noticed that he was tapping his feet. After watching him for a day, I took him to the vet and he did have mites...we treated his feet and along his beak and after a week-long treatment they were gone and we haven't had any further problems. Another great reason to quarantine which prevented the other birds from being infected. Please keep us posted on your visit.

[lazarus_04]

When I woke up this morning, coco was 100% his old self, apart from a bit of soft poo...He ate his seed, drank his water, got annoyed when I tried to give him a pet (he only ever lets me pet him when he's not feeling well, probably gets some comfort out of it) I called the vets and told them the entire story from beginning to end. They said that it most likely was the new food I had just had him on a few days previous, and suggested I should go out and buy a brand that I had already had him on that he liked. They told me to give it a day or so, and that if he stayed ok, than there was no need to come in. I was unsure about not bringing him to the vets, but if the vet is saying not to come in (loss of money anybody?) then that's gotta mean something right? So I went out and bought some other food and bottled water while I was at it just in case. He's siting on his perch preening himself right now. I'll give him till tonight for his stool to solidify. If it isn't by then, I don't care what the vet says, I'm scheduling another appointment.

But you guys have got me wondering about mites. I doubt he has any external parasites. We've had him for 7 years now, and he's been in absolutely no contact with other animals, except for my two dogs, who have always been treated for parasites and have neither of them ever suffered from them. (Thank God) But I have heard that a bird could be infested with feather mites for several years before it died, and that worries me. I'm ashamed to say we've never taken him to the vets for regular checkups, so he's never been tested for anything. He's just such a nervous, and very easily stressed, bird. He's had who knows how many owners, he was abused by at least one that I know of...It took him two weeks to recover having to spend one night in another room while mine was being painted, and I slept in the room with him!

I've heard of something called Avian Insect Liquidator, which is specifically designed for preventing and killing any type of external parasite that birds could have. It's water based and is, supposedly, very safe for all types of birds. But it comes from australia...Do any of you know of anything I could give coco to kill/prevent mites and such that WON'T be harmful to him if he DOESN'T have mites? I know of evermectin, but that's more something that a vet would prescribe right? With dosages depending on type of bird and weight...

I'm getting ahead of myself. I always do this when I research bird diseases and such. The symptoms are so like what a bird does normally (except in excess) that's its hard for me to differentiate between a sick coco, and a coco who's annoyed because he's molting and he's itchy.

Sigh. My parents think that coco was just really stressed out. He's always had the run of the first floor, but we just adopted a new dog 2 months ago, and...well it's not that dakota wants to eat coco or anything, it's just that he thinks coco's a really fun toy... So he's been sequestered in my room for the last two months, and I've had to share my time between the dogs outside my room, and the bird inside my room. (Which coco was not happy about. We used to hang out as one big happy familly you see)

And all of this to say that I have no idea what to think anymore...my head hurts.

Any thoughts on this huge ramble anyone?...

[GracienGeorge]

Hey there......go to budgieworld.net and check out htis stuff called "budgie butter". it is said to be derived from the place where budgies are from "australia" and comes from the eucalyptus plant/tree there. this guy claims to have spent a large portion of his life studying budgies and developing this concotion.....
btw: were sooo glad your budgie baby is getting back to normal!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!