conure

Question
QUESTION: I have a 6 year old conure that suddenly has trouble balancing. He cannot stand on one leg and flips over his perch, he is wobbly. Cannot stand on one leg to hold food with the other to eat. However, the bird is talkative and is eating straight from his dish by holding on to the cage bar with both feet. I am concerned. Do you have an idea with what is wrong?

ANSWER: That is a clear sign that something is wrong with him and he needs to go to an avian vet RIGHT AWAY. Not tomorrow, not next week. NOW! Explain to the receptionist what the situation is and demand an appointment TODAY. Most avian vets will be "booked" for a while but if you're persistent, they will "find" room for you. They leave emergency time open each day, but you have to work at getting that spot because they don't want to waste it on non-emergencies.
This can be either a neurological problem in which it is EXTREMELY serious, or can be a dislocated tendon or other physical problems which are also very serious. Birds will try to act as normal as possible until they're really on the edge of death because in the wild, any animal acting sick will be eaten right away. Good luck with him! I hope everything is ok!

---------- FOLLOW-UP ----------

QUESTION: Carol I live in a remote place, Cabo San Lucas, Mexico. There are no avian vets here or nearby any other suggestions?

Answer
Well, I'm not a vet, but you can try to call one in your area. Usually they'll have a suggestion. The one thing I do know about a bird not being able to perch is that it can be caused by smoking in the house. Does anyone in your family smoke? If so, the person needs to STOP smoking inside because this severely damages the bird's lungs. When the bird can't breathe well, the muscles will not be as strong, and therefore will not be able to perch correctly. I've seen this happen many times, and is the only thing that could possibly be fixed without a vet. I still would call an avian vet. They'll give you advice for free over the phone, and sometimes even a prescription if they can pinpoint the cause. Good luck!