Sick Gouldians - Need Help Please

[KarenB]

I'm at a loss. I noticed my male Gouldian hadn't been singing, and then over the weekend I heard him trying, and he couldn't really get any sound out. It was more of a whisper. Then I noticed both of them, the male and the female, just sitting on the perch with their eyes closed. They are still sitting upright, and they are not what I would consider puffed up at all, or squatting, but they are bobbing a little bit as they stand there.

Thinking it might be air sac mites, I started them on the Iverlux, which has worked well for me before, when I first acquired my finches last year. At the same time I started them on Amoxitex, just in case it was some sort of respiratory infection. Tonight I got home and they seemed maybe a tad worse than yesterday. I have been administering the Iverlux to the neck, so I've been having to catch them every day for treatment. The Amoxitex has been in their tube waterer, and I removed all other sources of water from their flight. Tonight I gave the Amoxitex directly with a crop tube. This is Day 3 of treatment.

This is what they are both acting like. As I type this, the male is eating from the millet spray, and he seems a tad better than the hen.



What else could I be doing for them? I don't have any other meds at the moment.

All their poops look normal, there are no wet vents. I think they are undergoing some molting, and in fact the feathers on the male's head look a bit thin, to where I think it looks like thinning so you can see the scalp underneath. They share this flight with a male red-throated parrot finch, and he seems fine.

Any ideas what could be going on? I change their water twice a day or more. They haven't come in contact with anything new. I'm just clueless why they would be getting ill.

[MiaCarter]

Hmmm....
Hard to say.
The gouldian in your pic doesn't look too sick. His eyes seem closed, but he's not puffed and seems to be standing up vs. hunkering down.

I'd keep treating with the meds, just in case it's an infection or ASM. It's good to treat periodically for ASM if it's possible you had any exposures, as that can be devastating for gouldians. And the antibiotics help because sometimes they develop secondary infections as the mites are getting flushed out.

The moulting may also be a factor. That's also rather stressful and it could stress their body just enough for an opportunistic illness to take hold.

I'd give them some electrolytes and I'd do a heat lamp too (I always do this during moulting anyways, since they get thin spots and staying warm is more challenging.)

If they're in with another bird, I'd treat him too. ASM is quite contagious among birds who are in the same environment. So there's a good chance he has it too.

[KarenB]

Yes, I have been treating the parrot finch, as well.

Heat lamp plugged in and aimed at a perch so they can use it....or not.

[finchmix22]

I agree, sounds like ASM and/or respiratory infection. I'd keep doing what you're doing, but maybe put the Ivermectin on the thigh under the feathers. The hen may be struggling because the mites are dying and she has trouble breathing. I hope the recover and your other finches do not get sick as well.

[lovezebs]

KarenB
Good grief. I hope its nothing too serious. Is it moulting time where you are at? I can never figure out their moulting time around here. I know my Luciano (canary) moulted in the Spring and into Summer. The young Goulds moulted in the Spring. The rest, well... darn it, it seems like there is always someone moulting somewhere.
I noticed that Mirrim (my older female seems to be moulting as well) Seemed to have started after she got romantic with Jaxom, and laid some eggs. Her feathers look like last year's hairdo, and as you describe, feathering around the head seems a little thin and patchy.

I hope your guys come around soon, and that it is only the moult.