Yellow Urine/Poop

[Narumi]

Hi, all. I'm new to using forums, so I'm sorry if this is in the wrong place. I'm desperate for advice as my birds' poop is liquid-y.

I have two male parakeets who are both approx. 2-3 years old. In the last few days, I've noticed that there has been watery yellow liquid (urine? poop?) in the bottom of their cage. Their cage is very tall and they sit on the top perch, so that could account for the big splash pattern of the poop. But I'm extremely worried about the yellow in their waste. I have no avian vets near me and none of the vets I've reached out to "feel comfortable" seeing birds (as one clinic put it). I'm a fairly new bird owner and thought I was doing the right thing by giving my boys Kaytee FortiDiet Egg-Cite birdseed... However, I'm just a giant moron who didn't realize that budgies shouldn't just have seeds. I'm scared to death because what I've read online about the issues they're having seems likely to stem from liver problems due to too much seed. I have a rush-delivery on some ZuPreem Natural Pellet food coming in in a few days, but I'm so afraid for my boys. Aside from the poop, they're acting completely normal: playful, very affectionate with each other, eating, talking, etc. They look and behave exactly the same as always, but sometimes just yellow liquid drops from them (no poop).

Additional Notes (in case it helps): I have tried numerous times to get them to eat fruits & vegetables since I got them, but they won't touch them. Also, the temperature is starting to rise where I live (around 84-90F most days), if that has anything to do with it. I try to clean the cage at least every other day and I do a deep clean every Saturday. The darker yellow parts in the photos are where several droppings of poop land on top of one another.

Is there anything more I can do to help them? Does anyone have any thoughts on their feces/urine? I feel terrible for causing this and I don't want them punished anymore for my stupidity.

 

[Scorpi0]

That egg cite seed mix doesnt look bad. It actually looks like it has pellets mixed in? I did notice yellow coloring in the ingredients. Is it possible your birds have been picking out and eating mostly the pellets?
Do they have access to fresh water? 90° is on the hot side. My birds will definitely start overheating if I let them get that hot. Im assuming your birds arent in direct sunlight, right?
Try feeding them wet romaine lettuce leaves. To get some more water into their system. They might just be dehydrated from the heat.

 

[Narumi]

That egg cite seed mix doesnt look bad. It actually looks like it has pellets mixed in? I did notice yellow coloring in the ingredients. Is it possible your birds have been picking out and eating mostly the pellets?
Do they have access to fresh water? 90° is on the hot side. My birds will definitely start overheating if I let them get that hot. Im assuming your birds arent in direct sunlight, right?
Try feeding them wet romaine lettuce leaves. To get some more water into their system. They might just be dehydrated from the heat.

Thank you for the advice!

A little update: I was able to determine that only one of my birds is having this issue and he seems to be a little less talkative than normal, but is still active and eating. I also noticed that they didn't seem super keen on eating the birdseed in their bowl. So, out of curiosity, I opened another bag (same kind, same brand) and replaced the birdseed... They both started to devour it like they were starving. Since switching to the new bag, my budgie is still having yellow in his poop, but they are no longer completely liquid. Is there any chance that the bag could have been bad? I'm not sure why my other budgie wouldn't be effected, though...

I've been worried about dehydration since they normally don't drink that much anyway, so I'm so glad you mentioned trying the romaine lettuce! I'll give it a shot (will fresh spinach work if I can't find the lettuce?). Also, I do see little pellet-looking pieces in the Egg-Cite, but I've never personally seen them eat them, just the seed portions. They might be eating some, but I just haven't noticed it.

Thank you so much for your advice!! This has helped set my mind at ease a bit.

 

[Mizzely]

I didn't think it has pellets but I could be wrong.

Now, seeds are not bad - just we don't want their whole diet being seeds. If they are only eating that food, overtime that can cause issues.

Onto to the poop. Those all look kinda dry. What does it look like wet? As the droppings dry, the color in the feces will seep into the urine, which gives us an inaccurate picture of what's going on.

I would be ensuring they get enough water.

 

[Narumi]

I didn't think it has pellets but I could be wrong.

Now, seeds are not bad - just we don't want their whole diet being seeds. If they are only eating that food, overtime that can cause issues.

Onto to the poop. Those all look kinda dry. What does it look like wet? As the droppings dry, the color in the feces will seep into the urine, which gives us an inaccurate picture of what's going on.

I would be ensuring they get enough water.



View attachment 445045 View attachment 445046

Thank you for your reply!!

I just changed out the paper in the bottom after I made my reply to Scorpi0. However, when I went to take a picture of the fresh droppings to send to you, suddenly the droppings are back to liquid... I've been checking on him frequently throughout the night and all of his droppings had been mostly solid (still yellow, of course). I've been using the paper to keep track of any changes and now I'm worried because it's back to liquid. : (

He drank some water last night around 9 p.m. and I am going to give him some wet lettuce as soon as I can go to the store.

Thank you so much for your advice!

 

[Mizzely]

Oh yes that's definitely very yellow! I see why you're concerned!

 

[Narumi]

Oh yes that's definitely very yellow! I see why you're concerned!

Do you think there's any hope of helping him? I've tried everywhere I can think of and tomorrow was the earliest I could get the pellets. I don't know if I should stop letting them eat the birdseed until the pellets come in because they have refused anything else I've offered (i.e., bananas, apples) and I can only hope they'll try the lettuce or spinach.

 

[Mizzely]

Nutritional things take time; I would be surprised if a 2-3 year old budgie has liver issues due to seeds. And if it is that, pellets won't fix it in a day (if they would fix it at all).

I wouldn't remove food if that is all they will eat.

Have you tried giving them soaked seeds or sprouts? That gives more nutrition than dry seeds and will also help hydrate them

 

[Narumi]

I was wondering if I could give him soaked seeds, but I couldn't find a definitive answer online. I will try that ASAP!! I did get him to drink a bit of water by filling their bird bath, but I think the seeds will work much better.

Is it possible that dehydration alone can cause this? I'm not seeing any signs of infection (i.e., odd behavior, runny nose, weight loss), but these are my first birds and I obviously need to educate myself much more. Thank you again for all of your replies; I seriously appreciate you taking the time to help this poor baby and I'm sorry for the barrage of questions.

 

[Narumi]

Update: I've finally located an avian vet. Going to call in the morning to see if they can see both birds and if they will work with the funds I have. After further research and observation, I'm feeling that the issue could be bacterial. At this point, I'm not sure if there's anything they can do or will do within my budget, but the least I can do is try. The pellets came a day early and they are willingly eating/drinking them so long as a few seeds are sprinkled in.

PSA to all new bird owners: Don't make my mistakes. Keep your little birds on a varied diet and not just seeds. Always keep a close eye on their droppings for any signs of abnormalities. Thank you again to everyone who generously gave advice.

 

[Mizzely]

Keep us updated!

 

[Narumi]

Update 2: Just got back from the avian vet with Teba. Unfortunately, she feels like his symptoms are indicative of a tumor... There's a slight chance that it could be liver-related, but she doesn't think it's likely. He'll be going back for x-rays to see what exactly they're working with, but until then, I'll just have to keep an eye out for any other issues. If it comes to it, I'll opt to let him go peacefully... For the time being, Komali (my other budgie) and I will make sure he's happy and loved.

 

[Mizzely]

Aww I'm sorry the news isn't better! Hope the X-ray helps give you a clear treatment plan!