Sick or just chill budgie? Sincerely confused

[B2STANG88]

Tweety is 3-4 years old. She has always been VERY relaxed and chill often sleeping most of the day and playing more around night time. She'll sing sometimes and loves being scratched. She also molts very often, maybe every 3 months? I should have kept a log but never did.

My concern is that last week (Tuesday) she threw up whole seeds. She has not done it again but it made me pay attention to how she's acting. I think she just overate or ate too fast. For about two weeks she has been a bit stationary. Now I see more that she has been fluffed up all day even while eating and playing (which she does for a few minutes and then freezes as if she's catching her breath). She also seems weak and lethargic. She spends a lot of her nap time on both feet (which concerns me) but then, later on, picks up one foot and grinds her beak which she does when very comfortable. She has been more vocal now than she was a few days ago. Her droppings have also been very watery and strange, with very little feces (dark green) and lots of urine. She's eating and drinking for real (not pretending) and enjoying her calcium. I feed her an all-seed diet (Dr. Harvey's Parakeet blend) with added greens and vitamins in her water. For the past few days, she is finally voluntarily leaving her cage to play a little which to me is an improvement. I keep room temp between 21-24C (70-74F).

I don't know if this is sickness or a very bad molt that she's still recovering from. She started molting about 5-6 weeks ago and she lost a lot of feathers. Or if she just doesn't want to be bothered. Almost all her pin feathers are gone. Her eyes and cere have no discharge and her feathers look vibrant enough to me.

I will not take her to a vet because it's freezing outside and the closest avian vet is about an hour in public transit. I know Tweety and she will get worse if I take her. The vet doesn't do house calls in my area. I have my own personal position on vets and fragile animals so I will not take her to a vet, I am considering a televisit but am not sure what they could even do through that. I just hope she's not in pain.

Do you think she's sick? This is my first post so I'm sorry if I posted in the wrong place. Thanks.

[Pajarita]

Welcome to the forum and I am afraid that she is, indeed, quite sick. Now, the fact that is cold outside should not stop you from taking her to the vet because the problem is easily solved -simply put her in a small carrier, cover it completely with a quilt and take a hot water bottle with you so you can put it right under it. Start the car early and have it nice and warm when you get in and call the vet in advance so they can take you in right away.

I do not know exactly what is wrong with her but her diet is real bad and her light schedule is even worse. Birds need to follow a strict solar schedule (she is up at night, according to your post) and the only birds that can be free-fed (meaning, you fill up a bowl and leave it there all day long) seeds are the ones that evolved to eat seeds - parrots did not and, when you free-feed them seeds (no matter how good quality they are), you end up destroying their liver and kidneys. I don't think that her liver or kidneys are in failure due to her bad diet because she is too young but there are other causes: metal poisoning or other sort of toxins, too much vit D3 or vit A, etc.

I will tell you what I know from what you posted: I know that she is sick (lethargy, lack of appetite, bad poop, fluffled up, etc), I know she's had a bad diet (free-fed seeds), I know she is not eating enough (very little feces), I know she is drinking too much water (too much urine), and I know that her endocrine system is completely screwed up (budgies molt only once a year at the end of the spring, beginning of summer). The thing about keeping birds at a human light schedule (when you turn on the lights as it gets darker and keep the bird up) is that it messes up their endocrine system (because they need to follow a strict solar schedule - research avian photoperiodism, avian endocrine system and avian reproductive system) and that affects everything else because glands and hormones pretty much govern all bodily functions. And one of the things (there are more bad things that happen, not only this one) that is directly linked to an unhealthy endocrine system is a depressed immune system so birds that are not in tune with the seasons often end up getting sick with infections because their body cannot fight them as it was meant to. Another possible problem is stress. You do not say if she is a single bird or if she lives with other budgies but, if she is alone, that is a HUGE cause of stress for a budgie as they need to have companions of their own species to feel safe. Budgies are an aviary species that is intensely flock-oriented and being alone causes chronic anxiety which, in turn, also depresses the immune system.

Her problem is, most likely, either an upper respiratory infection (check to see if she has a tail bob) or an infection somewhere else so you need to take her to the vet to get checked up and get antibiotics or antifungals (vet could possibly prescribe both). In the meantime, please reconsider her diet and light schedule and keep her quiet in her cage with A LOT of heat (90+ degrees F/33+ C). You could get antibiotics for birds online but I would recommend you do take her to the vet because it might be something that cannot be solved with antibiotics.