All Entries Tagged With: "veterinary"

Megabacterial Infection

Weight loss over a prolonged period is consistent with Megabacterial infection. Megabacteria as a secondary disease related to immune suppression. So we have to look for another primary infection which may be a genetic weakness, but more often inherent Polyomavirus infection and / or stress related psittacosis.

Budgerigar Health Part 3 of 5 – Self Diagnosis

For breeders, an ability to detect the first signs of an illness is essential as many budgerigar diseases are rapidly fatal with the best quality show birds often being the first to die.
Changes in the behaviour or physical appearance of an individual bird may indicate the beginning of an illness or an inherent weakness.
Individuals that [...]

Budgerigar Health Part 2 of 5 – Medicine Selection

Sick birds are given their best chance of being saved by adding an appropriate medicine into the ER/Quik Gel formula and administering it directly by crop needle.

At the same time, whilst waiting for the final outcome of veterinary tests, adding Quik Gel to the drinking water may temporarily protect healthy in-contact birds.

Budgerigar Health Part 1 of 5 – Emergency First Aid

The first response to failing health should be to isolate any sick bird(s) to a hospital cage. The hospital cage should be pre-heated to 25-30 degrees Celsius, possess a perch, fresh seed and have Quik Gel in the drinking water. The floor should be lined with clean paper so that the droppings can be clearly viewed.

Dr Robert Marshall

Any fancier can easily find an emergency solution, via a step-by-step diagnosis of any sick bird, to see exactly the right course to follow and drug(s) to give.

Dr Marshall is also arranging for supplies of the relevant approved drugs to be available within the UK for distribution worldwide.

New Publication “The Budgerigar” by Dr Robert Marshall

Fanciers will have seen a bird(s) with the nostrils within the cere exuding a fluid. This is often associated with darkened feathers immediately above the cere. The fluid can also possess a foul smell. At the same time, the nostrils can be seen to be closing as the fluid slowly hardens around the nasal apertures.

The Frustrations of Losing Birds

Any new purchase from an aviary that exhibits poor management with uncovered outside flights, can be supplying birds that are, even unknowingly, “carriers” of disease.