My senior budgie has pneumonia and isn't recovering. What can I do?

Thanks for reaching out about Pearl. It is illegal to recommend or prescribe any medications without seeing a patient, so that is not possible. Providing heat support in the 80-85 F range can give comfort. Removing perches and providing a soft towel on which to stand will require less energy expenditure. Maybe a dog/cat veterinary can at least provide some antibiotics or consult with another veterinarian. There is a fair chance this is not bacterial in nature, including metabolic (liver, renal), ingested toxins (plants, metals), other. Good luck.

As you already eluded to, getting a vet visit for evaluation is recommended. Until you can do that, the best you can do is supportive care at home. Unfortunately, we can not recommend any medications, as your vet will need to do that once she is seen. Things you can do are to make sure she has a well heated environment of around 30C so she doesn’t need to waste energy on keeping herself warm. You can also put her in a cage with low perches (or no perches) and easily accessed food and water sources. With her enlarged belly, your vet will also want to rule out a potential egg on the visit, which may be done with a physical exam alone, or radiographs (x-rays) may also be needed. I hope that gives you a place to start!

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.

If you think she is losing weight and malnourished then you should re-evaluate her diet. Birds do not do well on an all seed diet so, if seeds are the majority of her diet you need to change that. I suggest using Lafeber's foods. Pellets, Nutriberries, Avicakes. https://www.amazon.ca/s?k=lafeber+parakeet&crid=25UA8PCK2FUTD&sprefix=lafeber%2Caps%2C171&ref=nb_sb_ss_i_6_7 Lafeber also has excellent articles on their website regarding health, nutrition, training, how to switch diets properly, etc. https://lafeber.com/pet-birds/ Lafeber diets are perfectly balanced for birds but since she is under the weather now I would add in this multivitamin and a probiotic. https://www.amazon.ca/Nekton-201150-Nekton-S-Multi-Vitamin-Birds/dp/B0002DILTM/ref=sr_1_1?keywords=nekton+bird&qid=1588519306&sr=8-1 https://www.amazon.ca/Nekton-208050-Nekton-Biotic-Bird-Probiotic-Birds/dp/B01CZUO7VK/ref=sr_1_9?keywords=nekton+bird&qid=1588519306&sr=8-9 Hope this helps. Best wishes.

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.

I'm sorry Pocoyo is ill. If it is possible he may nee to see a veterinarian. If not possible, i would quarentine him away from other birds. Keep in a warm, draft free area and try to encourage eating. Here's a bit more info on nursing care. https://vcahospitals.com/know-your-pet/sick-pet-birds-nursing-care Best of luck. Thanks for using PetCoach.

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.