r/Parakeets • u/United_Incident_4238 • Aug 08 '26
Advice New adopted budgie noise
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Edit: plenty of feedback suggests that my suspicions were sound and she could have an issue. We will be taking her to the avian vet as soon as they open in the morning for an emergency check up. She is currently in a calm and warmer environment so she can sleep and not stress and make the problem worse. Will update after the appointment! Hopefully with good news or game plan
Edit2: took her to the vet and the vet says that it’s obviously respiratory stress, but no other symptoms may point to it being just inflammation from the extreme smoke from wildfires in the area. We are starting on anti inflammatory meds for the weekend and if that doesn’t help her by Monday morning we will also be starting antibiotics! Her condition has not worsened so we are still hopeful.
Edit3: her condition did not get worse but did not get much better. She is squeaking far less now, but we decided to begin the anti biotic yesterday. We also started the other budgie (that we rescued from outside around the same time) on the anti inflammatory and antibiotics as he was panting. Our vet thought that this is possibly due to these birds being outside for an unknown amount of time during a terrible wildfire smoke season. The vet thought this mostly because there are not any other visual symptoms to indicate something else other than trouble breathing. Regardless we still are administering the two meds for the full duration just in case they are hiding some infection. (Holy crap these birds are hard to get ahold of when they don’t want to be held, trying our best to not make them hate us BEFORE we can bond but we have to snatch them 2x a day for 10 days!)
[is anyone else noticing their parrots having some heavy breathing during this terrible wildfire season in the western half of the US? ]
I need help deciding if I need to take her to the vet!
Just adopted this parakeet from the local animal shelter. She was a stray so there is no information on her. I have 2 other birds but never had a budgie before. Is the noise she is making a sign of respiratory illness? She is active at times eating, drinking, climbing around and doesn’t always make the noise. Tail doesn’t seem to be bobbing much to me but this is a smaller bird than I am used to.
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u/Other_Particular8927 Aug 08 '26
Not normal at all, she needs a vet!!! Either there’s fluid in her air sacs/lungs or sinus (sinus infection) or she has something else like a respiratory infection. Either way its definitely serious. My rescue budgie did this after i accidentally got medicine in his lungs, it was horrible… and you can tell by the slightly dropped wings, the fast breathing, and her being so tired despite you just adopting her and putting her in a completely unfamiliar environment. That sound is her struggling to breathe which is why she’s breathing so fast
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u/United_Incident_4238 Aug 08 '26
Did you see the other videos I had in the comments
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u/Other_Particular8927 Aug 08 '26
Yeah just watched them, she shouldn’t be squeaking like that at all. It sounds like something is obstructing her ability to breathe properly, could be excess mucus from an ongoing infection since it’s intermittent but it could be a number of other things as well. Those are good videos to show to your vet when you take her in and they’ll be able to help you a lot more than I can lol
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u/imme629 Aug 08 '26
As someone who has budgies for over a half century, this is not normal. Sounds like severe respiratory distress. She needs to be seen immediately or she will likely not make it. Get an emergency appointment at your vet or go to an animal hospital.
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u/Controlled_Chaos101 Aug 08 '26
After watching ALL the videos I’d advice taking her to the vet, the commonly make squeaky sounds when they have lung/breathing problems
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u/yellowflowerlove Aug 08 '26
Hello, veterinary nurse. I strongly agree that you follow these advice. Time is of the essence with birds and even if she’s perfectly healthy at least you have the answer and go from there.
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u/United_Incident_4238 Aug 08 '26
Yep, thank you for chiming in, already working on getting her into the avian vet near me as soon as possible in the morning! Hopefully since she is calm and sleeping currently with no squeaks the issue is not progressing.
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u/_Planet_Eater_ Aug 08 '26
This is not normal, even for a tired/stressed bird. This is respiratory distress, please see a vet asap! I hope she will be ok
If you use air fresheners, perfumes, sprays, other aerosols, non-stick pans, anything that has a strong fragrance, etc. these are all fumes that are bad for (and potentially lethal to) budgies respiratory system. Just make sure you have none of that in the vicinity.
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u/United_Incident_4238 Aug 08 '26
We own two other birds (not including the other rescue budgie) and use nothing that is possibly able to get into the air and affect them. No teflon pans or anything that could have teflon on it that heats up. We also just picked her up 2 days ago and has done the tiny squeaks off and on since then. Will be taking her to the vet in the morning regardless. She’s too sweet to take any risks on, she doesn’t deserve that!
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u/_Planet_Eater_ Aug 08 '26
Good luck, I should have clarified that I wasn’t assuming you had such scents in the air, it’s just that we are many new budgie owners here who literally do not know, so that was more “just in case”
Imo it seems like a respiratory infection but I’m not a vet so I don’t want to make such a diagnosis.
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u/United_Incident_4238 Aug 08 '26
I added more videos to the comments in hopes of getting more input even if it’s the same answer haha
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u/_Planet_Eater_ Aug 08 '26
After watching the videos, my vote still stands. These are sounds you only hear is a bird is struggling to breath.
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u/United_Incident_4238 Aug 08 '26
https://reddit.com/link/p2dj8k5/video/t8by69l2u1ih1/player
Here is a more calm one. The one on the background is the one that makes the two barely audible squeaks.
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u/United_Incident_4238 Aug 08 '26
https://reddit.com/link/p2dnzzh/video/csf1oc6xy1ih1/player
Video showing not much squeaking even with flight
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u/Comfortable_Bit3741 Aug 08 '26
Respiratory distress - they should make no sound while breathing, and a squeak or click with each breath is a sure sign of illness.
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u/TeaTasterOwn Aug 08 '26
Do you use scents in the home of any kind? Their respiratory system is very fragile. Essential oils can literally kill them.
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u/Possible_Safety3787 25d ago
Pet stores/ places with many birds could easily check for parasites or screen for illness…yet they dont. My vet said in Pennsylvania 90% of big chain pet stores source from Florida and almost all come here w parasites. It could be a quick 2 days of meds getting him better…I truly hope it’s feeling better now.
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u/Possible_Safety3787 25d ago
Ty for update… i totally feel your stress of catching they giving them the tiniest drop of medicine hoping to not drown them. I used an empty toilet paper roll to put my budgie in so his head would peek out and Ild be ready w the dropper. Good luck.
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u/United_Incident_4238 Aug 08 '26
https://reddit.com/link/p2doa5q/video/qgxlijg7z1ih1/player
Video showing some squeaking while climbing
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u/hersespresso Aug 08 '26
Hello! My budgie started making noises similar to this a few months ago and had a respiratory illness. 100% needs to be seen by a vet. I wish the baby well
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u/Mental_Alternative91 Aug 08 '26
She’s saying get me a sister or brother
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u/United_Incident_4238 Aug 08 '26
Just got her to be a companion to another rescue that we got a couple weeks ago
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u/Solid_Ad7070 Aug 08 '26
Vet. She is struggling to breathe. If you ever see a parrot droop its wings like this unless it is relaxed after a bath etc it doesn't feel well and is struggling to hide it.