My budgie has a lump

Question
I have a budgie, he is almost 8yrs old. He got mites a few months ago which we treated, however where the feathers were missing he has a lump (on the left side of his belly)and the feathers haven't grown back. I took him to the vet who said because the lump is large and he is old they wouldn't try to operate as he wouldn't take it. They gave me some cream to put on the lump and some liquid anti-biotics to inject into his mouth, My question really is, will this help? When I hold him to give him the anti-biotics and cream he crys and shakes and starts panting, I feel that this is more stressful to him than doing nothing, I don't know what to do, he is chirpy and happy so shall I just leave him be and let nature take it's course? Or carry on with the treatment.

Answer
Hi, Jo,

Your vet is probably right about operating on your bird.  I had a keet who required surgery and the bird didn't survive the anesthetic.  

I don't know if the meds will help or not.  I don't know what the diagnosis is, nor the types of meds your bird is on, and I'm not an avian vet.  Perhaps it's the way you are trying to administer the meds to your bird.  If your bird is panting, you are probably holding the bird too long and the bird is getting too warm from your body temperature and his together.  A bird's body temperature is about 102-104 degrees F, coupled with your body temp of 98.6.  If you are holding the bird too long, the bird will get too hot, in addition to being under stress.  In addition, birds don't have diaphrams like we do.  When they breathe, they have to be able to push their chests/lungs in and out (up and down) in order to breathe.  Both the excessive heat and being held around the body may be causing the problems when administering the meds.  

Try giving the meds as quickly as possible so you can put the bird down quickly.  The best way for your bird to get the amount of med it needs is to give the med by mouth, however, if this causes too much stress on your bird, there are other ways to give meds.  I would need to know what type of diet your bird is on and what kind of medicine it is (name and consistency....thin or thick liquid).  Can you apply the cream without holding your bird in your hand?  In other words, if you can at least keep your bird from being able to flap its wings by placing one hand over the back/wings of your bird while your bird stands on its own, you can apply the cream with a Q-tip.  Otherwise, I'd give the antibiotic first, then put the bird down for a while, then apply the cream later.

If your bird is on a soft food diet, mix the antibiotic in the soft food mix for your bird to eat.  If on an all-seed diet (poor diet for a bird), put the amount of seed your bird will eat in one sitting in a small baggie.  Put one dosage of the antibiotic in the bag, close the bag, and shake the seed/med in the baggie until the liquid med coats the seed.  Then put the seed in the bird's seed dish.  This will eliminate the need to hold your bird, but your bird may not get the maximum dosage he needs.  You'd have to do this same thing for each dosage of med your bird requires.  Sometimes a keet will more readily accept spray millet (and spray millet is more nutritional than regular seed).  In this case, you'd have to strip the spray millet off the stem, place in a baggie, and do the same as with seed.

I wish you and your bird the best.

Chrys