My galah is spitting out white foam

[Justmercedes]

She just started doing this, and opening her beak wide, looks as though she's trying to cough. I have had her for six months, she's just started going outside and walking around on my lawn. never done this before.

[liz]

She might have something stuck in her throut. Get her to the Vet.

[Justmercedes]

Thanks Liz - no vets in the area know anything about parrots. I've contacted her breeder for advice but he hasn't got back to me yet. So worried, though she's stopped spitting and coughing, just sitting and needing to be petted. Have turned the heater up to keep her warm - can you think of anything else I can do?

[Wolf]

Do you have anyone there that can assist you? I agree with Liz that it sounds like there may be something caught in her throat. This means that someone must hold the bird totally immobile while someone else looks down her throat with a light and remove the obstruction if there is one. The danger of doing this is puncturing her throat, which is also the major risk as long as there is something caught in there. At the very least you need someone with experience or a vet to do this and to prescribe an antibiotic once the obstruction is safely removed.

[JaydeParrot]

If absolutely no vet can be found, I have prevented my bird from swallowing something potentially dangerous by placing my mouth around it's beak and breathing in sharply (pause regularly to allow the bird to breathe properly). I'm sure there'll be many negative/skeptical posts about this idea, but in defence it's got to be safer than putting your hand in the bird's mouth and potentially pushing the obstruction further towards the throat.

[Wolf]

You would not do any good trying to reach an obstruction with your fingers you would need to use forceps to get in to it and manipulate it to remove it without puncturing anything. So with no vet available your method is worth a shot . In my opinion the birds welfare is the issue and not someone's approval so again if it might help then given the circumstances it is worth an attempt.

[Justmercedes]

Thank you all for your help. Matilda has settled down again, is eating normally and apart from being very quiet, seems to have got rid of whatever it was in her throat. I'm still trying to find a vet who knows anything about birds - the breeder thinks she may be about to lay an egg, and that's the reason she's lethargic. Every day I learn more about her.

[Justmercedes]

Just to update - I noticed she was turning something around in her beak, and took it from her - a small piece of white plastic with glue on the back, that looks awfully like the finish on my kitchen furniture. There's a patch missing where she likes to perch on top of the cupboard. I hope she's OK now. Thanks again for your suggestions - it was so good to have a forum to ask, made me feel less alone.

[Wolf]

You may want to compare the size of the piece that you have against the spot on the cabinet to see if you have all of it. Hopefully, you do.

[Pajarita]

I am glad she seems fine but you need to find an emergency clinic that treats birds. This is not something that is 'recommended', it's a necessity. People can tell you do this or do that but, in truth, if there were an obstruction, there is nothing you can do without special instruments. And birds that are going to lay an egg don't foam at the beak so I don't know where the breeder got that idea from...