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cyankee2gurl wrote:... And he hasn't gone to the bathroom at all...

That's the most alarming part. Could be a blockage, which can be fatal too quickly. Do you have an emergency clinic with an avian vet on duty tonight? Do you have an avian vet? If not and you need help finding one, tell us what larger town you're closest to.

Paca

So, are you asking if you should take him to the vet tomorrow? YES, as early as possible, please. I hope he does well overnight.

Paca

I might be an overprotective Mom after losing Diego, but I don't take any chances. The cost of taking your baby to the vet is a small price to pay for the peace of mind, knowing that he is ok. Please let us know how it goes. Good luck tonight!

Awww, I hope he is ok------I am from Mass too, pittsfield

From my own experience, anytime they act like that there is something wrong. Glad to hear you're taking him to the vet. Birds are very different from say, cats or dogs. When they start showing visible signs of illness they typically have reached a crucial point and need to be seen right away. Please let us know how it goes!!

probably a bacterial or yeast infection. Make sure you tell the vet the bird's diet. Keep us posted.
I am from MA as well (note; name bostonbudgie)

Just wanted to say Hope you're baby is ok.

Did you vet give you advise on what to feed and how to do the drops? They should have given you some instructions....

I had to give my cockatiel some drops and she opened her mouth when I pushed it towards her, but she also shook afterwards and a lot of it came out.

you need to wrap the bird in a towel securely, hold his head and put the meds on (his) left side gently. Your vet/assistant should have shown you how to do this. call him ASAP

I had to give my tiel drops for a long time, to treat liver disease. The vet should have shown you how to administer the drops. If you don't go far enough down with the dropper, the bird can aspirate the fluid which will make it come out of the nose and will make him/her sneeze.

BostonBudgie gave some good advice as far as wrapping the bird in a towel, etc. You do want to make sure you hold the head steady so the bird can not shake it out. Good luck!!

FWIW, my vet holds the birds neck between the first and 2nd fingers, head point out, and body in the palm of the hand. That way, if you have a bird that tends to bite, they can't get to "meaty" parts of the fingers / hand. When I've had to medicate my kids, I used a 3/10 cc. insulin syringe, after pulling the needle off with pliers. Point the tip to their right side of the throat, making sure the tongue is not blocking the throat. GENTLY (very gently) squirt the contents of the meds in. Make sure you do not squeeze the birds chest / abdomen where they can't breathe, or after you squirt, the bird will inhale and suck the contents down the windpipe. It does take some practice, and I recommend you have your vet show you how to do it. If a towel works for you, that's great, but the quicker the action, the less stressful on the bird.

cheers!

Sam

Only on the bird's left side (not yours!) because that's where his esophagus is. Otherwise you're just shooting liquid either into his choanal slit in the roof of his mouth - which leads to his nares - or into his trachea, which could aspirate him and give him pneumonia.

Also give very tiny bits at a time so you can make sure it all gets down.

I'd be willing to bet that your vet gave you metronidazole flagyl for the stomach upset. If that's true, it tastes horrible, so expect some resistance after a while. One thing you can do is mix it with a bit of baby food applesauce and draw that up in the syringe. It's more stuff to administer, but for birds who refuse to take the flagyl anymore, it's often the only way to get them to accept it.