my parakeet has developed a habit of vomitting about two ...

Hello. The first thing we must determine for sure is if he is actually vomiting or if he is regurgitating. There is a big difference when we are talking about birds. To determine which it is, I need for you to describe for me exactly what he does.

Is he just sitting there and all of a sudden, up it comes, he spits it out, and/or shakes his head, flinging it around?

Or, does he make a pumping motion with his head and neck, almost as if he is choking or trying to swallow, then it comes up and does he sometimes, or always, swallow it back?

Is he doing this when you are holding him or close to him?

If it comes up and he spits it out, have you noticed any undigested seeds in it?

How old is he?

How long has he been doing this?

Does he have access to any kind of grit or gravel?

Have you seen any change in the appearance of his droppings?

Please tell me about his usual daily diet.

This information will help me give you my best advice for him.

Thanks, Patricia

he makes a pumping motion with his head as if he is choking and does not swallow back, he does it all of a sudden while in his cage. He will exit his cage whin it starts and sits outside of his cage to vomit. there are undigested seeds in a semi-thick fluid. I would say he is about 3yrs. old. He began doing thisa on ocasion about 6 mos. ago, now he does it just about every time after he eats. it stains the feathers on his head and breast. I pat him down with wet paper towels. he has gravel in his cage and his dropping have not changed at all. I notice when I tald to him recently he will raise his tail arch his back and go into what looks like trance. I have had many parakeets over the years and only with a female bird have I seen that behavior. I had one that would do that befor laying eggs. The bird I have now is very active,and friendly. I will say I have notice an increase in appetite, to a point where I only half fill his seed cup. dHe seems to always want to eat,and he about his usual size. no bigger or smaller.

my bird does fling his head around depositing seed all over his cage.

Okay, thanks for the extra information. I was hoping to hear he was only doing the pumping motion, but rarely, if ever, actually brining something up an out. That would be the feeding motions they make trying to feed mates, their young, or sometimes, us because of their bond with us. But, the fact that he is brining up undigested seeds and flinging it out is cause for concern. He is ill and he is going to need a check up from a vet who is competent with birds. It may be that just a quick check of a dropping sample will yield a diagnosis. Their droppings can tell us many things about their health. You need to get the gravel away from him immediately. Parakeets do not need it and if they have access and ingest too much, it can cause impaction any where from their crop, all the way through the digestive system. His crop may be so impacted that he is not able to get his seed further than that and it's coming back up. His increased appetite makes that even more suspect. He is starving because he can't get enough food down. A good vet can clear his crop and, at the same time, tell if the impaction has gone further into his digestive system. But this is serious. You cannot put off getting him in or you will lose him. In case you don't have a vet you trust, I'll give you links that I hope will help with that. Just stay away from the pet stores and don't waste your money on any of their over the counter "junk", no matter what they tell you. If they have any thing that would work, you would not be able to buy it without a prescription and you would definitely not foul the drinking water with it. For now you need to keep him out of drafts, and make sure she does not get chilled. Keep her as near 85F as possible. I hope this helps you and the little guy but if you have any more questions at all, don't hesitate to let me know. I'm also going to give you some other links to help you with proper diet information as well but your priority right now is a vet appointment asap. I'll keep the little guy in my thoughts. Patricia

Click here: Grit, Gravel and your Parakeet / Budgie

Click here: Hepatic Lipidosis

Click here: PetCareLibrary - Tumors in Parakeets (pvy.com)

Click here: Parakeet Medical and Safety Information

Click here: Parakeet Budgie and Keet FAQs and Info

Click here: Toxic and Safe Plants/Trees for Birds - Household Poisons

Click here: Birdsnways - Safe Plants & Trees for pet birds, pet parrots &exotic birds

Click here: - Budgie Nutrition

Click here: Diet: Safe & Toxic Foods

Obesity & Diets (budgies)

Click here: The Basics: Intro to Budgies / Parakeets

Click here: The Budgie and Parakeet Place - Care, Training, Pictures and More

Click here: BUDGIE CARE SHEET

Click here: More Birds Die as a Result of Air Fresheners: That Stinks!!

Click here: Bird Proofing Your Home: Household Hazards for Birds

Click here: Bird Proofing Your Home - Avoid These Pet Bird Hazards

Click here: The Silent Killer, by Joanie Doss

Click here: Parrots - Avian Vets Recommended - Judy Leach's Parrots - macaws, cockatoos, and african greys

Click here: Find your local Avian Veterinarian

Click here: Avian Veterinarians Recommended by Bird Breeders and Owners http://www.birdsnways.com/articles/abvpvets.htm

Click here: World Wide Avian Vet Listing

Click here: BirdsnWays - Avian Veterinarians - Vets - Vet Services for Pet Parrots & Exotic Birds

This one looks like an advertisement for Harrison pellets but they are only sold by vets so it's another good list to check. Click here: Harrison's Bird Foods is a family of certified organic pet bird diets that were formulated to make your bird as he

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i took my bird to the vet and was given baytril/lactulose 1:10 to give him since 1-03-08. my bird has not gotten any better. i can not accept the vets or your answer. my bird has gotten thinner i guess he will probably die.

You don't have to accept my answer. I would prefer that you not accept it if you are not happy and certainly not if you bird does not get better. But I am going to suggest you make positively sure you are dealing with a competent avian vet. If they just put your bird on an antibiotic without running any tests, then apparently they have no idea what is wrong and are just taking "pot shots" at him with antibiotic instead of trying to get to the cause of his problem. That can be a very dangerous approach for the bird, and is not something a good avian vet would do. If you gave the proper dosage, exactly as directed and in exactly the correct amount, and the little guy is not getting better, then it pretty much proves my point. You need a good vet and proper tests and a firm diagnosis. Without that, yes, I'm afraid you will lose the little fella. If the vet ran any tests they should show on your receipt and so should the results. If you want to share that with me, I'll be glad to try to help further if possible. I surely hate to have you lose your little bird, and for the bird to be suffering, all because of a vet who is not experienced enough with birds. Just let me know if you want me to try further. Patricia

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If I've helped, please click the ACCEPT. Even if a deposit was made, I won't get paid until you accept. A bonus is always appreciated and leaving feedback benefits us both.