Learn how to comfort your budgie as it nears the end of its life and make its last days as peaceful as possible
God forbid this happens to your bird!
But unavoidably budgies (and other pet birds) at times develop severe, untreatable conditions, such as tumors, especially when not frequently or promptly checked out by a vet.
At which time, there is nothing much you or a vet can do and only recommended you keep your birdie happy and prepare for a shorter than average lifespan.
So, how do you do this, more so, if you don’t have much experience comforting a dying bird?
Well, in a nutshell, comfort your dying budgie by keeping it calm and providing the right environment, nutrition, and companionship. If your birdie has a mate, let them spend time together, but make sure the healthy bird does not trouble the dying member.
Cuddling a budgie that’s more attached to you also goes a long way.
Keep the lights dim, the temperature optimal, and your budgie fed and hydrated as it gets closer to its demise.
Given this background, I’ve covered a lot more through the length of this post. Please read on.
What Happens When A Budgie is Dying
In my experience, it hasn’t been challenging to tell when my budgie is sick or even dying. They have always been more forward when in discomfort than my other pets, more so my fishies.
While unwell (or about to die), a budgie will spend a lot of time fluffed up, sitting on a perch, and not playing much. The bird may still eat and drink, but the amount will certainly be less than average.
The reduced feeding, combined with the ailment, in turn, makes the bird thin with decreased body weight.
Your bird may start falling more frequently and will be readily agitated. She may even bite when you try to play with her.
In the case of a tumor (quite common in budgies), especially in the abdominal area, the growth may be visible (and apparent to touch) after a while.
Brain growths also affect a bird’s balance and may severely compromise its walking in the last few days.
Some pet birds also get pretty anxious and agitated if you introduce new things in the cage, including toys and other birds.
As well, since most animals have some hierarchical order, with the dominant bird above all others. Should such a member fall ill, it might be vulnerable to attack thus prefer to live alone.
Such birds should be allowed to stay separate until he recovers or sadly passes away. Move him (her) in a small cage and call your vet if he has already suffered injuries.
How Can You Help Your Dying Budgie
There are only so many things you can do to help your budgie if a vet is unable to remedy whatever illness he (she) is ailing from.
The only thing I advise newer owners is to make their budgie’s last days as comfy and calm as possible. Consider her environment, space, warmth, and all that.
A proper diet is also paramount while you keep an eye on how well your birdie is eating. If you notice a loss of appetite, offer him (her) food more frequently than you usually would.
Keep in mind, it might get to a point where you’ll need to give her water and food yourself.
A trick that works perfectly is to let your birdie feed on your hand, then use a syringe to give her (him) water; you only need to be keen on the amount you’re offering.
Because some illnesses, such as tumors, often compromise a budgies mobility, you may want to place her perches lower, plus put her in a small travel cage, so she does not exert herself much.
In case your budgie is still willing and able to live in the cage, remove all obstacles that may hinder her movements, and make sure she is living alone unless there is a mate she is craving to stay with.
Another thing that has proved to be pretty helpful for my budgies is keeping their cage warm because sick birds often have a challenge regulating their body temperature.
In the case of a small setting, you can put a heating pad near the cage to keep her warm. But in a large room, that’s challenging to reach the optimal temperature a heating light or partially covering the cage will work better.
Warm, soft, snuggly blankets also come in handy, especially when handling your birdie. They’ll help keep your budgie both warm and calm.
Dimming the lights or placing their cage away from too much sunlight during the day goes a long way in keeping your birdie calm.
The low light setting helps the sickly budgies believe it’s night allowing her to feel calm, quiet, and restful.
Budgie Too Quiet and Sleepy
Away from knowing whether your budgie is dying or sick, you may also notice some odd behavior that is borderline sickly.
For instance, a bird that is notably quiet and sleepy.
It’s not uncommon for budgies, parrots, and all birds to take a nap every once in a while, even during the day, but if it’s too prolonged, or during hours your birdie is usually active, that may be cause for concern.
Quiet and sleep is pretty often lethargy and usually the first sign of ailment in domestic birds, whether it’s your chicken or parrot. So, if you think the sleep is off the usual pattern, consider taking your bird to the vet.
You might want to do a little more assessment, such as observing your bird’s appetite, demeanor, and stress levels, to be sure you are not overreacting, but remember prompt action is desirable.
As well, understand that to best determine if your bird is unusually quiet or sleepy, you need to have spent a lot of time with him and preferably be the sole carer.
That way, you will know what is normal for your budgie compared to what you’re seeing presently.
Now, from experience, my GCC sleeps the most at night in his night-cage. If he is bored, tired, or cold, he may nap on his perch during the day, but the slumbers don’t last too long, plus he is easily startled by movements and noises around him.
Any sleep more than this will warrant a stop at his vets.
Budgie Sitting at The Bottom of The Cage
A budgie sitting at the bottom of the cage with feathers all puffed up and huddled and having difficulties flying is not a good sign.
Coupled with excess quiet and sleep, all these are indicators of a sick bird that need to see an avian vet as soon as possible.
Howver, if you have mixed-sex budgies, they may be trying to nest or breed, which is more likely if your birdie is not showing any signs of sickness other than sitting at the bottom of the cage.
See, parakeets need a nesting box to breed, but they’ll still do even in the absence of one as long as the settings are ideal for mating.
They will use their feathers to set out an area in the cage for breeding using fallen feathers, which might be why they are sitting at the bottom of the cage.
Another explanation would be they are picking up seeds or scraps of their favorite treat, especially if you are not used to cleaning their cage too often.
That’s all for this post.
See you in the next one.
Happy birding🦜🐦.