My parakeet's eye is red and she can't open it. What should I do?

Rio appears to have an injury to the eyelid, which may explain why he is not opening his eye. This can result in swelling and discharge, which may be the liquid you are seeing from the eye. I am unable to see the eyeball itself, so I am unable to determine whether that is injured or not. I would recommend that you take him to see a veterinarian - your vet can look at the eyelids to determine if there is an injury there, and then can look at the eye itself to ensure that it hasn't been damaged in any way. They may prescribe antibiotics to control or prevent any infection, and pain-relieving anti-inflammatory medications. Please do not give Rio any human medications as they can be harmful to our feathered friends.

Ideally, she should be examined by your veterinarian or a vet experienced in treating birds. If she is in with other birds, remove them to a different cage in case the injury was due to aggression. Check the cage for anything on which she could have injured herself. Monitor for lethargy, loose droppings or loss of appetite. These are symptoms that need to be addressed by a veterinarian.

Thanks for reaching out. Blood from the eye is concerning and a veterinary visit is highly recommended to assess and provide a diagnostic/treatment plan. Corneal scratches can be painful and get infected. Could a family member or friend take him to the vet for you. Monitor food and water intake. Good luck.

Crestwood Animal Hospital in your area is listed as possibly seeing exotics/birds so you may want to give them a call if Rococo continues to act ill. In the meantime, keeping him warm in a separated hospital cage from your other birds, and eating and drinking may help with any illness. If the eye has any discharge, keeping it clean with a warm washcloth and free of debris may also help. You can also look for parasites or other skin issues around the eye that may need to be treated.

Thanks for reaching out about Coco. Keeping the eye closed could be the result of a trauma, infection, inflammation and other conditions. A veterinary visit is recommended to assess and provide a diagnostic/treatment plan. If not eating or drinking and weak, a veterinary exam is even more important, and quickly. Providing heat support in the 80-85 F range can give some comfort but is not a treatment. Good luck.

If the eye is bad enough that your budgie is keeping it closed, or if it looks cloudy or glazed over, it is best to seek veterinary care. While a cataract is possible in an older bird, injury or infection to the eye can also cause cloudiness, closing of the eye, or even debris to ooze from it, and should be treated so the eye is not lost or the infection doesn't spread. Keeping your budgie comfortable, eating, drinking and resting until you can get to your vet is best.

Unfortunately, if the eye is infected it needs to be seen in person by a vet (even if it isn't an avian-specific vet) in order for medication to be prescribed. Keeping Karo separated in a warm hospital cage with easy access to food and water, and continuing to remove any debris from the eye can help until you can find a vet near you.