What Are The Symptoms Of A Budgie Having A Stroke?

Budgies, more commonly known as parakeets, make great family pets, and they can have a substantial life span of up to 10 to 12 years with proper attention and care. But like all pets, these little, colorful birds can face health problems, and it's important to be able to recognize the signs when your budgie is unwell so you can get it treated. For instance, how can you tell if your budgie is having a stroke?

According to PetMD, strokes aren't a super-common budgie ailment, though they can happen, especially as budgies get older. In response to a question about strokes in parakeets on JustAnswer, certified avian specialist August Abbott explained, "As unusual as it may sound, when a bird loses its balance or seems to have the symptoms of a stroke, it could be the result of an internal problem."

Your poor budgie may appear to be partially paralyzed, limping, unable to balance, or breathing with difficulty or an open mouth. These may be similar to the symptoms of stroke in hamsters or other pets, but they differ somewhat from the signs and symptoms of a heart attack in pet birds. As Abbott clarified, however, common stroke symptoms may actually be signs of other health problems when it comes to your budgie.

If your pet budgie is exhibiting stroke-like symptoms, it very well may be a completely different health issue. More common illnesses in budgies include tumors, fatty liver disease, injuries, goiters, and foot disorders. A growth on your budgie's tiny body, whether it's a tumor or a goiter, could absolutely cause balance issues or limping. A skeletal injury could do the same, as well as account for heavy, open-mouth breathing.

Liver disease, which is fairly common in pet birds like budgies, causes symptoms like fluffed feathers (though this can also be a sign of a parakeet molting), a decrease in food consumption, or general depression at first. Later symptoms include breathing problems, swollen abdomens, and more. According to Dr. Gregory Rich and Dr. Rick Axelson at VCA Animal Hospitals, it's often difficult to diagnose a budgie's issue based on symptoms alone because so many different diseases present in similar ways, so it's imperative to get your sick bird to a vet as soon as you notice that something isn't quite right.

While waiting for your parakeet to seen by their vet, there are a few things you can do to make it comfortable if it's showing signs of illness. First, you don't want to handle your budgie too much — this can cause it unnecessary stress. Second, it's a good idea to provide some warmth and humidity for your suffering pet bird. To do this, you can place a towel over your bird's cage and then drape a heating pad set to low over the towel. The ideal temperature you want their environment to reach is between 80 and 85 degrees.

Third, a budgie who is sick is likely to stop eating, so it's vital to provide it all of its favorite foods in an accessible way. This means putting it on the cage floor if it's not able to perch or even hand-feeding it if necessary. These are all temporary measures to take just to keep your budgie comfortable before it can be seen by a professional.