URGENT!! , really worried!

Quon · Snr Member Joined: Mar 05, 2006 Posts: 159

Ive noticed that my male kakariki seems well . Doing stuff he usually doesnt do.

I mean i could litterally touch him and caress him and yeah okay maybe he is tame but he is like usually sleeping by the sticks that ive put up on the cage

Right now he is kinda like leaning against the bottom wall of the cage and sleeping and i dont know im kinda worried since when yeah i open the cage talking to him and caressing him he doesnt appear to fly or climb the cage (well except once but still)

kinda worried something is wrong with my bird.

Any response and advice is more gladly then w3c

and im just worrying myself to death atm

JohnV · Snr Member Joined: Dec 20, 2005 Posts: 42

Hi Quon,
My advice is get him to an vet NOW!!. If you suspect a problem, then there probably is!!!!. I lost two males in six months they were fine one minute then suddenly they were'nt. They went from their usual mad selves to a quivering mess in the space of TWO to THREE HOURS followed by the inevitable. It was late night and no vets open!!.
ANYONE that suspects a problem should seek immediate advice from a good VET immediately.

Good Luck!!
John

Kaka-riki · Site Admin Joined: May 30, 2005 Posts: 363

Quon,

Kakariki are very adept at hiding illness until it finally brings them down. It is important that owners / breeders of Kakariki learn to read the signs that something is wrong and act quickly. From what you have described your bird is VERY sick and as John said you need to get him to a vet as soon as possible.
To try and help in the future, I have listed some tell tale signs that help indicate when these birds are suffering. By observation and knowing what the signs are it might assist others in the future.

1) Look for recent droppings from the bird. This can be a quick effective method of knowing that your bird is healthy. If the droppings are different from normal keep a very close eye on your bird until they return to normal. The droppings will change if the hen is laying eggs or you have recently fed the bird things such as soft fruit etc, but should return to normal very quickly.

2) Observe the bird resting. If it is sleeping with it's head tucked into the body and appears "fluffed up" there may be something wrong. When I notice birds in this position I will gently approach the bird and check that it will fly or move away and return to a normal condition with the feathers tucked in correctly. Dont panic if the bird is okay. I would rather wake our birds to make sure everything is okay instead of the wait and see approach.

3) Check that the bird is eating the same amount of food as usual. If the food has not been touched there could be something seriously wrong and you bird will go down hill very quickly.

For even the novice owners of Kakariki it is a good idea to learn how to handle your birds. If you are worried about being bitten use a tea towel or soft gloves to protect your hands. DONT use leather gloes as you will be unable to feel how much pressure you are appling to the bird. Learn how to handle your bird while it is fit and healthy. Gently hold the bird in one hand and run your fingers across the birds chest. This is where the crop is located and you will feel the soft build up of food around the breast bone on a healthy bird. If the bird is "down" on it's weight the breast bone will be noticeable and this is NOT A GOOD SIGN. This test is a good way of checking that your birds are being fed the correct diet and quantity, whilst in a sick bird it will quite often provide you with a enough time to seek help from a vet. We have in the past had birds placed on drips due to weight loss, but the birds have been saved because we checked the birds early enough for the vet to be able to apply medication.

If you notice a problem early enough you can sometimes help the bird back to recovery with some simple but effective methods. Place the bird into a temperature controlled environment (ie brooder) and place some electolytes into the drinking water dish. These elecrolytes are basically similar to the energy drinks available to us and will help give the bird some added energy to fight off any bugs. If you do not see any change to the bird over a 12 hour period it is then best to seek out a vet. DO NOT give your bird any form of anti biotic as this will usually prevent the vet from being able to administer stronger forms of medication for some time. [/b]

Quon · Snr Member Joined: Mar 05, 2006 Posts: 159

well i think he was just really tired someway heh ...*feels ashames*

he seems to be bad to his normal self. Tried to open the cage and at least get close to him with my hand and he just took off to another direction

He sitll is a bit clumpsy and heavy -_-

I guess people were right that i worry to much.

But thanks honestly for the responses. I was gonna take him to the vet if he was the same way as last night