How To Treat Budgie Diseases

Introduction

A budgerigar or budgie is a small brightly colored parrot. They are an extremely popular pet due to their size, ability to mimic human speech, their dynamic color variations (blues, whites, and yellows, and grays) and their cheeky demeanor. When you decide to acquire a pet budgie its a good idea to become knowledgeable on the various budgie diseases they can infect your pet. 

Goiter or thyroid hyperplasia is a common disease of the thyroid gland in budgies. This variant of budgie diseases is caused by an iodine deficiency ( normally manifest due to the budgie not eating an iodine-enriched seed diet), eating a large amount of food products that are high in goitrogenic agents. These include soybean, flax, rapeseed, turnips,kale, cabbage, and broccoli. Additional causes for this budgie diseases occurrence are  severe infection or contact with toxins such as organophosphates and clorinated biphenols. Signs that your budgie has developed goiter are as follows,

• Seizures 
• Difficulty swallowing
• Crop distention
• Regurgitation
• Weight loss
• Lack of appetite due to blockage of the esophagus
• Difficulty breathing
• Wheezing
• A "squeak" during inspiration or expiration
• A change in song or voice

Methods in which your vet will diagnosis your budgie include Blood tests (to discern thyroid function and the levels of the thyroid hormones), feeling of the thyroid gland to ascertain if it is inflamed or radiographs. 

The treatment method for this budgie diseases will depend on why the bird developed goiter. If it was due to a iron deficiency then the vet will provide  iodine supplements usually administered via the drinking water. If the goiter is extremely bad then the bird will be placed in an oxygen-rich environment and receive sodium iodide injections. If the goiter was produced by goitergenic agents then the offending food should be omitted from the birds diet. In regards to an infection then the bird should be appropriately treated. 

Features

Psittacosis or Parrot fever is a type of budgie diseases caused by the organism called chlamydophila psittaci. This disease will be transmitted from bird to bird via the inhalation of infected dust from droppings or respiratory secretions. The symptoms of this budgie diseases will fluctuate widely in accordance to person cases but common symptoms include lack of appetite, weight loss, depression, listlessness, difficulty breathing, watery green droppings, pink eyes, discharge from eyes or nares, or sudden death. The diagnosis of this disease can be quite difficult but it is attempted thorough a detailed knowledge of the birds environment ie is it in contact with other birds, clinical signs, X-rays, and blood work. Once diagnosis has been confirmed treatment should began immediately. The treatment method is in accordance to the will of your the .avian veterinarian.However,you will be responsible for isolating your bird from other birds on the premises. 

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