Odd Budgie Problem

[Nerien]

Six weeks ago my budgie Lily had a prolapse. By some miracle I managed to fix it, and she has survived. She is now living alone in a Visions Large (single) cage in a bedroom, because if I put her back into the big budgie flight, her "boyfriend" will take right back up with her, and it will probably happen again.

I was going to pull another bird from the flight to live with her, one of the quiet ones who does not have a best buddy. But then I noticed her bottom being stained yellow, (Lily is an albino, pure white), and her face also. Thought she might be sick, with the prolapse she went a round of antibiotics, but maybe that threw things off balance. So I waited.

Her bottom is now widely stained yellow to dark green. Her face remains stained. The poops in the bottom of the cage, however, look normal--white & black/dk green, with wet spot around them. THEN we figured out, Lily is bored silly in there alone, hearing the others down the hallway. Everytime I go in there, she's hanging upside down from the top of the cage. Have not found the right toy to keep her busy, she sleeps on the swing, but all day long, she hangs upside down from the top. She's pooping on herself! Because she's always upside down, she's messing herself, then when preening, she's staining her face. I'm 99% sure this is why she's a mess.

She shows no signs of being sick, she chirps loudly when I go down to talk with her, not fluffed, not sick or weak looking. Have put a water bath in, she will not go down and use it. Am going to try misting her, but need someone to help me put a towel behind the cage to protect the wall.

Any ideas on what to do? I don't want to risk infecting another bird if this is not just upside down pooping. With some furniture rearrangement, I can turn the Visions Large Single into a double high, I have another cage. Regular toys are just not interesting her, so I thought perhaps, with the bigger cage, make her a jungle-gym like bigger hookbills use. Previously, when we had one budgie in a private cage because of injury, but had the cage next to everyone else in the big flight, the isolated bird just clung to the side of their cage nearest the big one, begging to get back in, is why we kept her down the hallway, as far away as possible. Lily is not hand-tamed, and after all the prolapse treatment, has made it very clear what she thinks of my hands getting anywhere near her, so I don't think that will ever be an option.

If I could get this bird to stay right side up so I can see if her backside cleans up on its own, then I could give her a friend. I just don't quite know what to do with her. My beautiful white bird is a lonely, icky mess.

[Ginene]

Awww...poor Lily. I hope it is just upside-down pooping, like you suspect. Does she enjoy her bath like our finches do??? My parakeets did...but I know every bird is different. I would try the more fun set up and see if it helps. Hopefully a parakeet expert will have a better idea of what this is. Good luck Ruth.

[cindy]

Normal budgie droppings are generally small and tight, far different from finches.

I personally have noticed if some of mine get green to days in a row it is looser than usual, I try to alternate it.

Do you feed veggies like those that contain a lot of moisture like leafy greens, if so how often?

When she is perched any tail bobbing?

Is the stain the same color on her face as it is on her bottom?

[Nerien]

No tail bobbing, no open mouth, no puffy feathers, nothing looks wrong with her except the staining. Her face is pretty much the same color as her bottom, only lighter. Her feathers are smooth and tight and shiny and beautiful. Since she is so shiny white, it really shows.

Her poops in the cage bottom look just like normal budgie poops.

Ashamed to say that lately no one has been getting much in the way of greens or extras. Been very stressful stuff going on, as well as my bad arm flared up so bad sometimes I just sit, not getting up or doing anything, because I don't want to move or it will hurt worse. Arm is backing off some, and I just need to get my act together re: the rest of the situations. Was putting some dandelion greens in when I had fresh, she ignored them in favor of hanging upside down and chirping at anyone passing by the doorway or going in to talk to her.

She will not go down and use a bath. I do keep putting them in there, hoping.

[cindy]

I am wondering if she has some sort of infection, based on the fact that she had prolapse and organ as exposed to air for a bit, even though you placed it back in.

[Nerien]

I am wondering if she has some sort of infection, based on the fact that she had prolapse and organ as exposed to air for a bit, even though you placed it back in.

I treated her with antibiotic, Ornacycline (tetracycline for birds) by Sentry AV, for about 10 days afterwards. It's what was immediately available locally.

The discoloration goes all the way out to the end of her tailfeathers, and up around to the top side of her rump/back/tailfeathers, because she's upside down all the time. Little screwball, thinks she's a bat.

I wonder if the antibiotic screwed up her natural balance, and that's what the trouble is. But after six weeks of this, shouldn't she be very sick or dead already?

Starting to think I should catch her and wash her in the sink under the faucet, get a good look at things and see what's happening for sure, but with only one good, reliable hand right now, and an unwilling, biting, fighting bird, I'm pretty sure it's a bad idea for me to try.

[Finnie]

Sometimes when my budgies are bath deprived, they will go nuts rubbing themselves on their greens, if the greens are even slightly wet. So I got to thinking as I read that Lily only likes to hang at the top of her cage, maybe you could use a clothes pin and clip a wet leaf or two to the top of the cage.

Maybe that might perk her interest to play with it, and maybe she will get a bath in the process.

Of course, since you said she hasn't been getting much fresh veggies lately, you'll want to watch to make sure she doesn't gorge herself on the greens too much. Maybe take it away if she eats her food, instead of playing with it.

[Nerien]

She's had a bath down the bottom, but won't leave the roof to go down and use it. Don't think she was ever much of a bather before, in the big cage with the others, nor an avid mister, either. Maybe wet lettuce hanging from the top will interest her, tho. Good idea, worth a try.

Wonder what other "upside down" toys I can come up with to help her boredom, since she seems to like being Batbird now. Tho I need her to stop hanging upside down, so I can tell whether she's got an actual problem or not.

[Finnie]

It just occurred to me, that if she had an actual problem, she would probably be sitting fluffed up somewhere, so maybe hanging upside down is a sign of strength and agility.

I know a gal who used to have a "bat bird" that wouldn't come down either. I'll shoot her off an email and ask if that bird pooped all over herself. Interestingly, now that I remember, it was also a white albino!

Did you give her any probiotics following the antibiotics? That can help restore the normal gut flora. It's even good for healthy birds on an occasional basis, so it can't hurt, and might help.

[cindy]

The hanging upside down is typical budgie...most of mine do it in play....they usually hang off the top or the sides upside down usually to get a better view of things. Sounds like she is acting normal. She may be soiling herself and not able to control it as well as a non prolapse budgies due to all she went through.

I would watch her closely, she can still create eggs (infertile) and try to pass them, creating more of an issue for her.

[Ginene]

Nerien
What Cindy says makes perfect sense . This is probably due to the healed prolapse. She has probably lost some control of her bowels...poor little girl. Maybe being up-side-down helps relieve pressure she may still feel from the prolapse???

Did you give her any probiotics following the antibiotics? That can help restore the normal gut flora. It's even good for healthy birds on an occasional basis, so it can't hurt, and might help.

Finnie has a great idea, Ruth...I just purchased an avian probiotic from glamgouldians.com. Its made by Morning Bird and costs $11.20 for 3 ounces. There's a minimum order of $20 on this site, but there's TONS of fantastic stuff to purchase and really good prices.

[cindy]

She may also hear the other budgies and is hanging upside down (totally normal) to get a better look and is excited!! I walk into the bird room and look to see some of mine on perches and some are hanging upside down chatting with the ones next door who are hanging on the sides of the cage.

[Finnie]

I know a gal who used to have a "bat bird" that wouldn't come down either. I'll shoot her off an email and ask if that bird pooped all over herself.

She said her bird would come down to eat, and must have turned upright long enough to poop, because it didn't ever get poop stuck on itself. Oh well, I had hoped if other upside down birds got poop all over themselves it would let you know it was normal.