Heavy Breathing Budgie

My pet budgie breathes very heavily at times, and seems very unhappy. When this happens he just lies at the bottom of the cage, but at other times he is perfectly happy, and seems in the best of health. What could be wrong? (Mike Shrigley - Florida)

These problems are not uncommon to cage birds. Firstly, it is very important that these birds have a fresh supply of fresh air (does this concur with when he seems happy?). However, be careful to maintain warmth and the air should not be too dry or dusty.

Cigarette smoke or aerosol fumes may affect the cleanliness of the air. Central heating can produce a very dry atmosphere in a room and a bowl of water present in the room can prevent this. Alternatively, your pet may be picking up respiratory viruses from time to time which would make him depressed as well as ill.

Should your bird seem ill for longer than 24 hours it may be worth contacting your vet. Because pet birds can go downhill very quickly when ill it is advisable not to delay potential treatment for very long.