Sick Budgie On Bottom Of Cage

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When you see budgies in cages, they tend to like sitting high in the cage, on their perches

But a sick budgie won’t do this

They would go on the bottom of the cage due to their illness

If you notice your sick budgie on the bottom of the cage it is worrying without a doubt

This is when you need to take action by taking your budgie to the vet

The good news is, at least you know your budgie is sick as they are showing signs of illness

That way, you can get them treated asap!

Let’s get into more detail in this article

Carry on reading

As mentioned earlier, your budgie is sick so they are at the bottom of the cage

This may be because they find it more comfortable being at the bottom rather than sitting on their perch

Another reason is, well, they are not feeling well, so they can’t fly higher to the top of the cage

Due to this, they would rest at the bottom of the cage rather than try to fly higher in their cage

Other possible reasons why a budgie is sitting on the bottom of the cage is

  • Physical trauma
  • They are stuck at the bottom of the cage
  • Fear – Maybe you added a new toy and they are scared of it
  • Escape from bullying – Are they being bullied by other budgies?
  • Temperature – It may be more cooler at the bottom of the cage than at the top

These are all possible reasons why a budgie may be at the bottom of the cage

It does not necessarily mean they are sick

So do keep an eye out and observe your budgie’s behavior

Of course, if you know your budgie is sick then you should take them to the vets

One question may arise here which is

Can you treat a sick budgie at home rather than taking them to the vets?

Let’s find out

How to Treat a Sick Budgie At Home?

I would strongly advise you to take your budgie to the vets rather than trying to treat them at home

Why?

Because, a veterinarian would have a better idea on what your budgie may need as they are experts and have studied

Now if the vets are closed or it’s the weekend and you can’t take your budgie to the vets then yes you can treat them at home till their appointment or when the vets are open

So what should you do? How do you treat a sick budgie at home?

First thing you need to do is make sure your birdie is comfortable

Just like us humans, when we fall ill, we want to be comfortable in our bed and be pampered

Same goes for your bird

If your sick budgies is at the bottom of the cage you should try to keep it clean, have fresh water available all the time, let clean air circulate in the room

The temperature has to be right (This is very important)

Keeping your sick budgie warm is very important

The temperature of your birds cage should be around 90 °F (32 °C).

How do you tell if your budgie is feeling cold?

If your bird is cold, it would fluff up it’s feathers to try and trap warm air next to it’s body

What you should do is check the temperature of the cage with a thermometer every couple of hours or you can keep it hanging on the outside of the cage

This will give you an idea of what the temperature of the cage is

If the cage is too cold, you can put a heat lamp in their cage to warm it up

Another thing you can do is put a hot water bottle or a heating pad on the bottom of the cage covered with a blanket

This will keep the cage warm and your budgie too

Sunlight

Your budgie will benefit from sunlight

If you keep curtains close due to the sunlight, it’d be a good idea to keep it open and let it shine on your birds cage

Of course, you shouldn’t let your budgie feel too hot so having a spot of shade in the bird cage would let your budgie stay cool if they feel too hot

Keep the cage in a way where you know your budgie will get sunlight but at the same time there’s shade too

Don’t move the cage to a different room to achieve this

Another way you can give your budgie sunlight is by using a diffused light

Vitamin D from sunlight will help life your birds mood and help recover quicker from their illness

Tip – To create diffused light, put a thin curtain over your window. Curtains like this should be made out of a semi-transparent material, such as silk organza or a very thin cotton.

Add Humidity

If your bird is ill due to a respiratory illness it would be very beneficial to keep the environment humid as this will help your budgie breathe easier and will keep the airways moist

You should put the humidifier or vaporizer near the birds cage and keep it on all day and night

Tip: Choose a humidifier or vaporizer that will help you keep your bird at the ideal temperature. If your home tends to be cold for the bird, try one of these machines that puts out warm air. If your home tends to be too warm, try one that shoots out cool air.

Easy Access To Food And Water

When your budgie is not feeling too well they won’t want to move too much as this can exhaust them

Dehydration is also another big problem when a bird falls ill

That is why keeping the food bowl and water bowl near your budgie will make it easy for your birdie to have access to their food and water without much effort from their part

Relax Environment

Keep calm around your budgie

Try not to make too much noise or add any new toys in their cage

Don’t wake your budgie up if they are sleeping

Try to keep the house quiet

The idea is to keep a soothing and calm environment for your budgie

Here’s a list of signs you need to look out to know if your budgie is sick

  • Increase in lethargy
  • Sleeping during the day (Check out my article – Budgie sleeping a lot)
  • Fluffed up feathers
  • Excessive squawking
  • Change in perching behavior
  • A dirty vent
  • Droppings
  • Loose droppings
  • Liquid in the droppings
  • Discolored droppings – green
  • Discolored droppings – grey
  • Discolored droppings – red
  • Discolored droppings – green and yellow
  • Undigested food in the droppings
  • Vomiting
  • Gummed up nostrils or nose discharge
  • Hot feet

These are some of the signs to look out for

 

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