It is a very exciting moment when you bring your budgie for the first time to your home. You take care of him just like a mother treats her baby. He sits on you, plays with you. Both of you love to spend time with each other.
I know how hard it is for you when your bird is close to death. Every pet has the right to leave this world in comfort. You have to do it for him. But how to put away his stress. How to comfort dying budgies?
There are 10 things you can do to comfort your bird:
- Provide him a warm environment
- Keep the room light dim
- Grab your budgie with the blanket
- Keep the predator’s pets (dogs, cats) away
- Separate him from other birds
- There should be peace
- Feed him to avoid weakness
- Avoid stress
- Ignore negative behavior
- Keep him hydrated
Is your budgie dying or just sick? There are some symptoms of a dying bird are explained in the below section.
I know the situation is hard. You have to keep yourself strong and help him in his last moments. Keep yourself calm and act upon the tips, I recommend to you.
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How to comfort a dying budgie at home?
Budgies are cheap and easy to be petted. Some people don’t care if they are sick or dying. They just bought them for the purpose of decoration. Owners think of buying another one and thought why waste money on a sick one when you get a cheaper one.
You have a kind heart and have feelings for the animals. This is a big loss for you. Don’t be sad. Keep yourself motivated and help your dying bird.
Provide him a warm environment
Temperature plays an important role in keeping your bird comfortable. Just take our example, when we are sick we don’t want a cold environment.
Warm temperatures can act as a nurse. According to some experts, it should be between 21-28C. I would suggest that 24 C is best.
As he is in his final moments, we need to conserve his energy. Energy used to maintain body temperature must be used by the body for other activities. However, when he finds the perfect environment, he remains calm and relaxed.
You can use a thermometer to check the temperature. If Boogie is meant to fluff up, it needs heat. He is trapping air by doing so. You may have noticed this behavior in the winter. The more they trap air, the hotter they get.
Do not keep it near fire. A heating lamp or pad should be used instead.
Keep the light dim
In the wild dying budgies look for the darker place to hide from the predators. A darker environment ensures safety for them.
Having a bright environment can boost the stress levels in them. As they are small and prey birds, there is always a danger of predators. In light, they know they can fly and save themselves. In dark they think no one can see them and they are safe.
At the last stage, birds can’t fly. So you need to provide them a dark environment as it is a sign of safety. This can reduce stress and keep them comfortable.
Grab your budgie with the blanket
Budgie is sick. There is a risk that you can get sick from it (not very likely). For example, psittacosis is an infectious disease that spreads from birds to humans.
In addition, he can not move by himself. If he is sitting on the floor, he will stay there. You have to hold him to move from one place to another and also while feeding him by hand.
The blanket should be soft. This will give him a sense of peace and security.
Keep the predators away
Budgies are prey Birds. In wild they avoid predators by flying all day. When they are sick they hide in the nest or anywhere in the dark. If they failed to do so they end up attacked by the Predator.
Dogs and cats are common predators that are available in almost every home. The presence of these animals can boost their stress levels.
They might not kill them. As a friend, they might try to play with them which in turn might be a source of the disturbance. It is better to keep them away.
Separate him from other birds
There are some diseases that transfer from one bird to another. If you don’t know what is the cause of the bird’s sickness, the first step should instantly take is to separate him from other birds.
Moreover, other birds may tease the sick bird and disturb his comfort level. Everybody knows budgies are too naughty. They won’t stop. All you can do is to keep them away. They keep making noises.
There should be peace
A calm and cool environment is recommended even for healthy birds. The noisy place can increase their stress levels. At the last stage, we have to reduce his stress.
If the cage is placed near the window where too much noise is reaching, move it to another place. Kids should stay away as their screams can fear him.
The birds need to sleep. If there is a noise he can’t take a good nap. He needs solitude and quietness to get a comfortable sleep.
Feed him to avoid weakness
If the budgie is sick, he won’t eat anything. It can make him weak which in turn can take him one step closer to death. You should handfeed him.
Try to give him soft food that can be easily digestible. Mashed banana can be a good source that is full of nutrition. Ground-up pellets mixed with fruit juice, boiled eggs, and pellet seeds are easy to be eaten by him.
If he is still not eating you can give him Pedialyte. It can stimulate his hunger and urge him to get food. If he is too weak, you can feed him with the syringe. But at first, go with the spoon or hand feed.
If you never tube feed a bird, you should talk to a veteran or go with the expert anyone in your neighborhood.
Ignore his negative behavior
Your bird is sick. He is close to death. There are chances that you see changes in his behavior. He may be more aggressive than before. May peck or bite you for no reason. Don’t yell at him. Punishing him at this stage is not recommended.
Try to ignore his negative behavior. Just keep yourself calm and focus on giving him comfort. So, he can leave this world in peace
Keep him hydrated
Water plays a crucial role. Dehydration occurs in birds when they are sick. As they don’t drink enough water which is required for proper metabolism, they become lazy and don’t eat anything.
Loss of appetite is the main symptom of dehydration. Watery poops can cause water deficiency. Always look after his behavior. If he is not drinking, you should feed him by yourself.
Avoid stress
Stress can sick your pet more. You should avoid all the stress-boosting factors. Keep the surroundings quiet. Don’t yell at him. If there is any cat and dog around keep them away.
Try to keep your movements slow. While handling, grab him smoothly. There should be proper ventilation in his room. Direct sunlight in hot weather must be avoided. Placing before the fire for heating purposes can increase stress levels in budgies. If you want to heat them you can use a heating lamp or pad.
Symptoms of dying budgies
Budgies can live up to 6-8 years on average. Their life expectancy can be increased up to 15 years or more if treated with proper care. It is very difficult to know if they are ill because they hide their sickness.
It is hard to tell a sick budgie. They hide sickness to prevent predators in the wild. If the predators find them lazy and sick they think of them as an easy targets. So attack becomes a must.
Some symptoms can reveal a dying budgie which includes
- They breathe heavily
- Keep themselves quite
- Stays at the bottom of the cage
- Do not sit on the perch
- Stop playing
- His feathers look unhealthy
- Don’t clean themselves
- Skip their diet
- They may vomit
- Poops changes
- Loses stability
Breathing can be a problem
Due to their smaller size, they have a fast metabolism. Fast breathing is normal if they do after a flight or a playing activity. Sometimes severe heat can be a problem. But if they are doing it for a long time, it should not be ignored. It is a sign of sickness.
How do you know my bird has breathing difficulty? Here are the symptoms that your bird is striving for breathing
- Strive to take in and out the oxygen
- Up and down of tail
- Breathing through the open mouth
- Head shaking
- Whistling sound while breathing
- Uplifting the whole body
Respiratory problems can be caused by viral infections. It may also be due to cold which can be curable and will heal soon. But if the breathing difficulty is consistent. It is a serious threat. You should immediately call for the veteran.
Stay at the bottom of the cage
This is the most common symptom of dying budgie. When he is sick, he avoids flying.
They are very social animals. Chirping and making noise is their primary source of entertainment. If they are not playing with other birds and just staying at the bottom of the cage, they are sick.
If their sickness is not treated on time, they may be dead soon.
Don’t eat food
Their digestive system is disturbed. Hunger is reduced and when they avoid eating food, weakness occurs. It leads to more sickness and one step closer to death.
There are possible chances, that they have cankers. It may be in the mouth or the stomach. canker should be treated on time. Birds die in 4-18 days of canker if left untreated
Change in droppings
Poops can be used to judge whether your bird is healthy or ill.
- If they are white with no dark feces it is a sign of pancreatic infection
- If feces are dark red, it is due to internal bleeding. You should immediately call the veteran. Remember red poops can also be due to recent food they eat like cherries or any red-colored fruit. For blood, you can see clear clots in feces.
- yellow urine is the sign of bile. There is a liver problem in him, You should treat it immediately as there are chances of liver failure
Don’t clean themselves
Budgies are clean birds. They don’t want themselves to remain in the dirt all the time. Cleaning from time to time is a sign of good health. If they are dirty and not cleaning themselves for a long time. It can also indicate an illness
How long can a sick budgie live?
Sick budgie can live up to 3 days. Moreover, it depends on the intensity of the illness. If he is eating and drinking, the life expectancy can be increased. You should immediately take him to the veteran as soon the signs of illness appears.
The veteran will examine your bird and tell you the cure. If he is dying due to old age, you can’t delay it. All you can do is to provide him comfort.
Why do Budgies die suddenly?
Budgies can die suddenly if they ingest any toxic element. An imbalanced diet that is high in sugar can mess with their blood and cause their sudden death. Heart attack is another factor.
Necropsy is done by the vet to know the real cause of the death.
What to do with the dead budgie?
You should bury your budgie in the yard or anywhere it is legal when he died. I don’t recommend you to cremate or preserve his dead body. Burying is comfortable and a good way of leaving your bird in comfort.