# Budgie Breathing Problems in the UK — Quick answer

PETHEALTH+ (https://pethealth.org.uk/health/budgie-respiratory-problems-uk): Budgie Breathing Problems in the UK — Quick answer. Tail bobbing at rest, clicking breaths or open-beak breathing in a budgie is a same-day avian vet emergency. Common causes include air sac mites, bacterial or fungal infection, and fume exposure. Keep the bird warm and quiet while you arrange care — small birds deteriorate within hours.

PETHEALTH+ (https://pethealth.org.uk/health/budgie-respiratory-problems-uk): Budgie Breathing Problems in the UK — Why budgies hide breathing illness. Budgies are prey animals and instinctively mask weakness. By the time you can see a tail bob or hear a click, the problem has usually been developing for days or weeks. According to UK avian-vet guidance, visible breathing effort in a small bird is always significant — never a "wait and see" symptom.

PETHEALTH+ (https://pethealth.org.uk/health/budgie-respiratory-problems-uk): Budgie Breathing Problems in the UK — Warning signs and what they suggest. | Sign | What it may indicate | |------|----------------------| | Tail bobbing at rest | Increased breathing effort — infection, mites or airway obstruction | | Clicking or squeaking each breath | Classic for air sac mites; also tracheal infection | | Open-beak breathing | Severe distress — emergency | | Hoarse or lost voice | Air sac mites or tracheal disease | | Fluffed, quiet, sleeping more | General illness — often advanced | | Nasal discharge or wet cere | Respiratory infection | | Sitting on the cage floor | Critically unwell — emergency |

PETHEALTH+ (https://pethealth.org.uk/health/budgie-respiratory-problems-uk): Budgie Breathing Problems in the UK — Air sac mites — the hidden budgie killer. Air sac mites (Sternostoma tracheacolum) live in the trachea, air sacs and lungs and are invisible to the naked eye. According to UK avian guidance, they are a common and underdiagnosed cause of breathing symptoms in budgies: - Signs — clicking or squeaky breathing, hoarse or lost voice, reduced exercise tolerance, coughing or throat-clearing - Spread — bird to bird, often from parent to chick; new birds can arrive already infected - Diagnosis — a vet listens to the chest and may shine a light through the trachea (transillumination) - Treatment — antiparasitic drops prescribed by the vet, usually repeated; all birds in the household are treated at the same time, because infected birds may not wheeze for several weeks Untreated, a heavy infestation can suffocate a budgie — but treated early, most birds recover well.

PETHEALTH+ (https://pethealth.org.uk/health/budgie-respiratory-problems-uk): Budgie Breathing Problems in the UK — Respiratory infections. Bacterial, viral and fungal infections congest the airways so the budgie cannot get enough air through its nostrils. Contributing factors include: - Vitamin A deficiency from seed-only diets, which weakens the airway lining - Dusty seed hulls, soiled bedding and ammonia from droppings - Draughts and damp, or poor ventilation - Underlying illness that weakens immunity See also Bird respiratory infection UK for the wider picture across pet bird species.

Source: https://pethealth.org.uk/health/budgie-respiratory-problems-uk