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I took Mickey, our 8 yo male budgie to the vet today as he's been very lethargic, sleeps all the time, fluffed up, watery poops, very quiet but he's still eating like a little piggy, especially millet spray. The vet sold me some Harrison's pellet food, I can't see him liking it but I'm trying it. He told me that he might have some liver trouble and he's on antibiotics. Anyways, he noticed the gravel in the bottom of the cage and in the feed dish and told me that birds don't need it, that it can cause them to become impacted. My gut tells me he is out to lunch on this, as our bird LOVES gravel. Is he right? (not trying to be a smarty pants here but I've owned bugies ever since I was a child and I've always given them gravel..I was very surprised to hear him say that.

I pulled this excerpt from Dr Wissman's site:

Grit is Not Required By the Normal, Healthy Psittacine or Passerine Bird

Grit, usually defined as a granular, dense, insoluble mineral material (generally granite or quartz), is required for birds that consume whole, intact seeds. Examples of some birds requiring grit are pigeons, doves, free-ranging gallinaceous species (Red Junglefowl, Common Turkey, Helmeted Guinea Fowl, Domestic Fowl, quail, megapodes, pheasants, grouse, and more) and ostriches. Notice that parrots, canaries and finches aren't on the list. The smaller psittacines (budgies, cockatiels, lovebirds and parrotlets) may overeat grit when they aren't feeling well, and this may result in an impaction of the gizzard. Psittacines and passerines will get all the minerals they need from a balanced diet...

Copyright © 2006 Margaret A. Wissman, D.V.M., D.A.B.V.P.
All Rights Reserved
ExoticPetVet.net
www.exoticpetvet.net

No, they don't need gravel. I hope you are still giving him some of what ever feed (seed/pellet) he is used to. You can't pull all old food, put the new in and expect them to eat it. They will look like they are eating, but really are searching dish for their old food.
Good luck, hoping your budgie is OK!

Thanks for the website, i'll try taking his gravel away..you learn something new everyday!
No, I didn't take away his other seeds, just mixed some of the new stuff in with it and he also has millet spray in his cage right now. I sure hope he gets better!

Especially if a budgie is not feeling well he will not eat the "different" food. Wait til he recovers from his illness and then grind the harrison's up & sprinkle on their food.My vet said the same thing about grit that it will cause impaction. I remember as the kid using grit in the parakeet cages. Then again, my parakeets never lived long in those days.Sad but true.

[quote="bostonbudgie"]My vet said the same thing about grit that it will cause impaction. I remember as the kid using grit in the parakeet cages. Then again, my parakeets never lived long in those days.Sad but true.[/quote]

My vet also said the same and it was tough to change to newspaper at the bottom of the cage (doesn't look nearly as smart as sandpaper and grit!), but I'm used to that now.

Boo has liver and kidney problems - he hasn't been too well since having psittacosis about 2 years ago now. I give him a drop of Milk Thistle, and a drop of Lactulose in his drinking water (for his liver), as well as Probiotics to put back the good bacteria in his gut from the antibiotics. I was also advised to give him a little Evening Primrose Oil for his kidneys (he's already on medication - Allopurinol - which I have to administer by syringe every morning).

A lot has changed in our understanding of looking after birds in recent years - the grit factor being one. Boo won't touch pellets so he gets good quality seed (Trill - recomended by the vet). He also has cooked brown rice, lentils, sprouted beans and seeds, grated carrot, broccoli, parsley, tomatoes (not so much coz of his kidneys - excessive uric acid), a myriad of different fruits, some cottage cheese (not too much). Cottage cheese is low in lactic acid which birds cannot digest - so they shouldn't have much of other dairy products. He's also on a low protein diet (kidneys) so he doesn't get so much in the form of lentils or cottage cheese. I mix the Evening Primrose oil in his evening 'wet' meal formed of varients of the above. He's always eaten this type of food and he is 10.5 years old. Our budgies have always lived to about 11 or 12.

I was told by a breeder not to give birds millet spray - if you soak it in water, you can see all the bugs and stuff float to the surface. She said it might even have been where Boo got the psittacosis from????? Dunno, but have never fed it to Boo again. He has too many other things to eat!!!!

Hope Mickey makes a good recovery!

Wow!!! That's an awesome set up you have there!!!! I can imagine that your budgies are all EXTREMELY happy! Makes my one cage for Boo look a bit sad!!!! I only have the one coz I thought he'd be more of a buddy to me (selfish I know!). Do you find that they like each other better than you or is that a fallacy? Are those pics of the Grand Canyon in the background?