Baby budgie - clagged vent, health questions

[tmax]

Hi everyone,

We've had Buddy for almost two weeks now; he is the very young normal dark green bird with the black beak who appeared to be about a month old when we got him. He has had a bit of diarrhea since we got him, and he started having poop stuck around his vent a few days ago. His tail is bobbing, which scares us, having lost a baby budgie recently; this also just started a few days ago. He naps during the day, but other than these things, he appears very normal. His feathers are not puffed up, and he seems to eat and drink well. We give him premium seed as well as a veggie seed treat mix, which he loves! We've been trying to introduce fruits and veggies but he hasn't taken to them yet (and we're a bit nervous due to the loose droppings). He still plays and chirps, and his eyes are bright.

We found instructions for cleaning his vent, and we did that this morning. His droppings appear less loose this evening. We also read that sweet black tea can help, so we tried that tonight. We added a small bit of vitamin powder we got from the vet to his treat for the past two days too. The pet store we got him from says it pays for vet bills during the first 15 days from purchase. Day 15 is Monday, and if he isn't better, he will be going to our vet first thing Monday morning.

Any ideas what this could be? Is there anything else we should be doing? Right now, we have a black heat light on one side of his home (we call them homes, not cages!). Should we use a heating pad instead or is the light good?

Thanks for any help you can offer.

[Sarah]

So long as he can get away from it if he wants to, a heating lamp is fine so long as it is safely used and far enough away that the bird could not touch it in any way.

The loose stools may actually be a response to the stress of his new home and/or the sudden change in his diet. Other than what you are already doing (which sounds wonderful so far! ) you could start adding pedialite to his water in order to make sure he is properly hydrated. In general I would say that a vet trip might not yet be worth the money- as it seems most likely that he is just adjusting to his new home. However, if the trip is going to be paid for by the store, you may as well go ahead and insure that he is okay and ease your mind!

[tmax]

Thanks so much, Sarah! We're trying not to panic, but losing Lucky despite heroic attempts to save her has us on edge. His tail appears to be bobbing a bit less this morning, and he has drank some of the tea. We will get some pedialyte today and try that as well. The black light is far enough away that he cannot touch it, and we have it positioned so it only throws heat on his favorite sleeping perch. He has another perch and a small platform so he has options to get away from the heat if he wants. He loves to get up on the small platform and chirp when he hears the other birds! We plan to keep a close eye on him today and may still take him to the vet tomorrow as long as the 15-day warranty is still in effect. We've never had one this young, so we were wondering if we should be doing something different. Our budgies are a bit spoiled as it is, so we make sure they have everything they need to be healthy and happy!

[Sarah]

I only wish all bird owners looked at it that way!

[tmax]

Just wanted to update you that we took our baby Buddy to the vet this afternoon, and Petco is picking up the tab (which was almost $93). Buddy is being treated with Baytril and Flagyl for flagellated protozoans. The vet said it did not look like Giardia, and he appeared to have a light case of it with a strong immune system that was trying to fight it off. She marveled at how good Buddy was and how tame and sweet he is. He stepped right up on her finger from mine and let her do a full examination. She also removed his leg band, so we won't have to worry about injuries with him being so young and little. She said he appears to be about six weeks old now, so he must have been four weeks old when we got him. He weighs a healthy 27.5 grams, and she expects him to make a full recovery after a week's worth of antibiotic treatment. 

[Sarah]

Wonderful!