FINCHforum

Hello!

Im new to the forums so HI!

I joined the forums because i need help with my finches.

I currently have 9 zebra finches. 4 pairs and a lone male. Each pair has a 4ft long flight (lone male has 4ft flight to himself).

The lone male is perfectly healthy and one of the hens paired up with a male doesnt appear to have anything wrong either.

(All birds are about 1-2 years old).

The other 7 though are clicking. No other sign of sickness or ill health. No runny poops. Cages are clean and tidy. Washed down weekly with soapy water.

One hen is clicking so much she is drooping her wings and sometimes open beak.

I have treated with scatt. One application and then 2 weeks later another application and im thinking maby again in a couple days so they would have been treated for the 6 week cycle of the mite.

BUT they are STILL clicking! The one hen is the worst out the lot!

I have no idea how to fix it!

Help!

Usually, if it is air sac mites, you will see improvement soon after making the first application of Scatt. Air sac mites have a three-week cycle. Since you have already applied Scatt twice, that should have taken care of the problem, even though normally you would wait 3 weeks before the second application. Sometimes when birds have a particularly heavy infestation, the dead mites can cause a secondary respiratory problem.

There are other causes of clicking such as respiratory infections. Your one hen sounds like she is the worst. Do you have access to an avian vet? If you could get your one hen diagnosed, that would tell you what is wrong with the rest of them. If not, here is a link that may help you figure out what may be wrong with your flock:

https://ladygouldian.com/Respiratory-In ... s-in-Birds

Welcome to the forum, though it is not under the best of circumstances. There's lots of good reading at the Finch Information Center, with articles on diet, housing, health. If you put your general location in your profile, it helps when answering locale-specific questions later on.

Loopy --- Welcome! Though I'm sorry it's under such circumstances.

Clicking doesn't necessarily mean ASM, though it's the most common cause certainly.

Clicking can also result from a respiratory infection and respiratory infections can also arise from the dead air sac mites, which start to degrade before the body can flush them out.

Another thought is that perhaps the treatment wasn't done effectively? An incorrect dosage or if you did your math wrong on the treatment dates -- that could cause problems. You usually see noticeable improvement after the first dose.

At this point, I would likely assume a respiratory infection and treat with antibiotics.

But to be certain, I would do the flashlight test to check for ASM. You take a cotton pad or similar and wet it. Then wipe down the throat/upper chest area of the bird. Use a powerful pen flashlight to illuminate the bird's neck/upper chest area and you'll see the mites if they're present. They're going to look like small black pin-prick sized specks. You can even see them moving.

If one has them, they all do.

Generally, it's easiest to see in females since they have light, uniformly colored feathers in the area. Just makes life a bit easier.

A bacterial infection could also spread, just like ASM.

Another worry would be air sac and respiratory irritation (which causes more mucus production, which can impede breathing). Irritants can include mold, especially from damp hay or wood chips or corn cob pellets. Also smoke, chemicals and aerosols.

ETA -- Overpost on Sally. So what Sally said! LOL

Scatt stays active in the birds system for 21 days (the life cycle of the mites) so there was no need to re-treat in two weeks and certainly not in another 2 days after that one. If the birds have ASM they should improve within 24 hours. I would be concerned about overdosing your birds with scatt if you apply any more.
My guess without looking at your birds would be a respiratory infection if they have no improved and are getting worse.

Loopy Welcome to the forum. I'm sorry your birds are sick. You got really great advice. I can't really add to it except I too wonder if there is a respiratory infection in addition to the Air Sac Mites. Do you have an avian vet you can take the worst bird to to get a diagnosis? I would really keep them warm with a heat lamp. If you can't take her to an avian vet, you can contact Laraine at https://ladygouldian.com/catalog/medications and discuss getting an antibiotic that may be appropriate to treat.