If you have a budgie and you have seen your budgie vomiting, you are probably justifiably concerned by the event, and wondering what you should do to prevent this from happening again.
Vomiting in a bird can be quite serious, but sometimes it is difficult to tell the difference between this and regurgitation (which is commoner and less concerning), so it’s important to look closely at what is going on and try to identify the cause. Don’t ignore vomiting, as it is often an indication that something is wrong with your bird.
Your budgie throwing up food may not be a pleasant thing to witness or deal with, but as a responsible owner, it’s important to find out what the matter is.
Vomiting is usually a sign of illness, and you might need to take your bird to see a vet, depending on how serious the issue seems to be. Don’t dismiss vomiting.
Being vigilant about what you feed to your bird and what your bird has access to if it is allowed to fly free should reduce the risk of it vomiting, but it’s still key to look out for this issue and respond if necessary.
While budgie vomit might be a pretty unpleasant occurrence, it is an indication that your bird is sick and needs care.
What Is The Difference Between Budgie Vomiting And Budgie Regurgitation?
Budgie vomiting and regurgitation are quite different things, occur for different reasons, and should provoke very different responses – even though both of them involve the bird bringing food that it has consumed back up and depositing it in front of you.
Budgie regurgitation is a common behavior and most budgies will do this for their owners, for mates, or for objects that they particularly like as a sign of affection and care.
It might look similar to vomiting, but regurgitated food is only ever partially digested and should still be pretty recognizable, whereas vomited food will usually be more digested and may have a foamy texture.
There is a fine line between the two, but vomit will generally look mushier and more liquid than regurgitation, and often, the bird will behave differently when it brings the food back up.
A bird that is regurgitating will be calm and quite controlled, usually resulting in a neat pile of food. By contrast, vomiting is usually messy, violent, and will get food all over the place as the bird often flicks its head from side to side.
While it can be challenging to tell the difference sometimes, it’s crucial that you try to do so, because a budgie that has vomited all over the place is often in need of care, while a budgie that has regurgitated will be fine and is probably just feeling particularly affectionate.
Pay attention to the bird and its mood, as well as how the food looks.
What Causes A Budgie To Vomit?
Vomiting can be caused by a number of different issues, but it is commonly due to moldy food, viral infections, parasites, bacterial or fungal infections, diseases such as kidney or liver disease, or diabetes, or septicemia.
Vomiting may also be caused by sudden changes in diet, a badly balanced diet, a gastrointestinal problem, a nutrient deficiency, or accidental poisoning through the bird ingesting something it should not eat.
If your budgie vomits, you should immediately start checking for the cause. If your budgie is able to fly freely around your home, check whether it may have eaten something that could have made it sick, such as soap or a toxic plant.
If you have recently switched its food, this could also be a cause, especially if you made the switch suddenly.
Because there are so many potential causes, it can be difficult to diagnose the issue, and if there is not an immediately obvious cause (such as an ingested toxic substance), you should consider taking your bird to a vet who can help.
Birds will often not show signs of illness until they are very poorly, so don’t wait too long before doing this if you don’t know what has made your budgie vomit.
How To Treat Your Budgie When Vomiting!
If your budgie is vomiting, you should not attempt home remedies, but should instead seek help from a vet.
Anything you give to your budgie could worsen the issue and make the bird sicker, especially if you don’t know what caused it to vomit in the first place, so veterinary advice will be crucial.
Book an appointment with a vet as soon as you can, because vomiting could be a sign of a serious issue.
Some stomach problems may be treatable with apple cider vinegar, which can help to balance out gut issues and restore good bacteria to the digestive system.
If your budgie has been vomiting but now seems fine and is eating, drinking, and pooping as normal, you may wish to give it a little apple cider vinegar and see how it fares over the next few hours. If it gets worse, take it to a vet as soon as possible.
When your budgie has vomited, it’s important to try and keep its stress levels down while you organize to see a vet, so keep it warm and place it in a small cage, preferably with a cover on three sides to minimize distractions.
Call your vet and get some input on the bird’s condition, and make an appointment so that they can check your feathered friend over and find out what’s wrong.
Conclusion
Although budgies frequently regurgitate food, a budgie vomiting is a very different issue, and it should ring alarm bells for you, as it is a sign that something is wrong within the budgie’s digestive system. If this happens, check whether your budgie could have eaten anything dangerous, and consider making an urgent vet’s appointment, especially if the bird appears lethargic or unwell. Often, vomiting is a sign of some disease or infection, so swift medical care may be needed to restore it to health.
