sick parakeet

I'm seeing a different behavior in my parakeet today.  I've had the pair for 4 yrs.  Petey is rather quiet and is sleeping alot.  He is usually very active and vocal.  He is still eating and drinking but even when resting his feathers are ruffled.  His stools may be a little loose but not diarrhea.  I live in a smaller town and the vets are not as familiar with birds as I would like.  They have gotten better since I have a very active cockatiel but I know if i call about Petey they won't know what to do. Thanks for any advice anyone might have.  

  

[ireneo]

An avian vet is always the best. In this case they could at least check a stool sample for parasites, do some blood work to check levels. If they aren't familiar with bird norms, they can look it up. And if he needs medication, there's an excellent book called Exotic Animal Formulary. I use it quite often at work. They're used to dosing mammals but birds require different dosing methods. All the things you've mentioned point to a rather sick bird. Please don't wait.