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My bird is shaking, breathing fast, and sleeping. Should I see a vet?

Updated on September 23rd, 2025

Pet's info: Bird | Parakeet | Male | unneutered

I woke up this morning to see my bird sitting on the tray of the cage and slightly shaking. When I reached towards him, he began to slowly walk towards me while crouched almost as if he was crawling. I checked all of the food and water which had no problems and then proceeded to take him out of the cage. He is now just sleeping and breathing relatively fast.

3 Answers

Most Helpful Answer

Answered By Jessica Desrosiers

Veterinary Technician

Published on December 5th, 2019

Those are all very general signs of illness in a bird. It would be a good idea to get Blue to a vet as soon as possible to try and determine what may be causing his symptoms. Until you can get to your vet, keeping him in a warm hospital cage with low/no perches and food and water that is easy to get in and out of may help.

1Pet Parents found this answer helpful

Related Answers from Veterinarians

Answered By Jessica Desrosiers
Veterinary Technician
Published on May 22nd, 2018
That is concerning that this is happening. Even if he is acting normal otherwise, I'd be concerned about something neurologic going on, or even something like a seizure. Loss of balance is a serious sign, so seeking vet care and ruling out any more serious issues is a good first step.

If he checks out healthy, looking for any triggers may help you determine what is going on. Is there a loud noise right before? A TV turned on? Does it happen at night (night frights), etc. If you can pinpoint a potential cause, you may be able to take steps to prevent it such as moving the cage to a quieter location, covering it at night, adding in a night light, lower, flat perches, etc.
1Pet Parents found this answer helpful
Answered By Jessica Desrosiers
Veterinary Technician
Published on June 12th, 2018
That is a lot going on, and all of those symptoms are very vague signs of multiple possible issues. It could be that he is stressed out if it is too warm or there are too many people/pets, and moving him to a shaded, calmer area of the house may help him return to normal activity.

Other issues may include problems such as illness, infections, GI upset, changes to diet (too many snacks can cause GI upset and loose stool), etc that could be causing him to be listless, puffed up, etc. Keeping him comfortable with access to his regular food and water -- and removing any extra treats may help with minor GI issues.

If his symptoms continue, worsen, or do not improve with changed activity, seeking out vet care in person ASAP for an exam to figure out the underlying cause is best.
1Pet Parents found this answer helpful

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