Why is my budgie weak, trembling, not preening, and losing weight?

Unfortunately, there isn't much you can do from home without veterinary care if she is already showing signs of illness. However there are some things that may help make her more comfortable to hopefully make it until your vet appointment. Keeping her in a small hospital cage that is kept warm can help with body temperature regulation. Perches should be low to the ground or removed completely, and soft bedding placed at the bottom of the cage in case she falls. Having food and water (if she is still eating on her own) in shallow dishes she can get in and out of even if weak is best. If she's not eating or drinking, you may need to make a slurry of baby bird food and water and drop feed it to her to help keep her energy up. Otherwise, monitoring her and any changes in her symptoms can help when your vet is able to see her.

Thanks for reaching out Hururu and including a photo. A veterinary visit is recommended. Diseases such as Psittacine Beak and Feather Disease (PBFD) and polyoma are concerns. A veterinarian can test for these. Offer food and water via a syringe to maintain nutrition. Good luck.

Potential causes include infection (bacterial, fungal or parasites), trauma/injury, toxicity or malnutrition. It is critical to have the underlying cause(s) diagnosed before an effective treatment can be administered. Until you do that, you're simply guessing and possibly wasting time. Millie needs to be physically examined by your veterinarian or an experienced avian veterinarian as soon as possible. In the meantime, keep her warm and as stress free as possible. Use a hand feeding formula and warm water to make a mash or paste that she may eat. You can also soak a pelleted diet in a small amount of apple juice to stimulate the appetite. Discuss payment plans or alternative financing options, such as CareCredit ( www.carecredit.com ), with the veterinarian or office manager. Ask friends and family to assist you financially if possible.

It would be best to bring your bird to a local avian veterinarian, especially if he has been ill for a few weeks. it's possible that an underlying illness, neurologic issue, muscular disease, stroke or other problem has occurred that needs to be examined and treated as needed. In some cases birds may not recover fully, and you may need to adjust your bird's environment to help him get around a little easier, such as adding in flat platform perches or changing access to food and water.

Thank you for reaching out about Timmy. First, congratulations at having a 12 year old budgie - that is so great. With the signs that you are seeing, I would be concerned about something serious due to his age. With weight loss despite an appropriate appetite, there may be a disease that is consuming all of his energy so he has higher nutrition requirements than normal. The weakness that you are appreciating with the lack of gripping may go along with this as well. One disease that is very common in older budgies is problems with the kidneys - this can manifest as weakness in the legs as well as watery droppings. I would recommend having Timmy evaluated by a veterinarian to help to determine what is going on. I hope this helps to answer your question, and I wish you two the best of luck.

Thanks for reaching out Lemon and including photos. Don't think has to do with the fan trauma one year ago. Being weak and lethargic, are only general signs of illness and are not specific for any particular problem. It is often difficult to differentiate between loose stool and polyuria (increased urine), as they often pass both at the same time. This must be examined as the birds passes a bowel movement to identify well formed feces. A loose stool can be the result of an intestinal infection, liver disease, ingested foreign body (particle, toxin, other) and more. Increased urination can be due to increased water intake (behavioral, kidney or liver disease, diabetes (rare), environmental stresses (heat, breeding season, change in diet). Providing supplemental heat in the 80-85 F range, 24/7 can sometimes support the immune system. If the weakness continues, a veterinary visit is recommended to assess and provide a diagnostic/treatment plan. Good luck.

Your bird is probably ill, but i couldn't tell you what is wrong based on these very general symptoms, you will need to take her to an avian vet where a blood test and faecal exam will be done to determine what is the cause of the disease before it can be treated.