What's wrong with my lavender waxbill?

[dayhiker]

thanks for all the advise...i'll look for a vet here..- antibiotics; calcium gluconate.

i just checked her and the swollen area has gone down. she seems to be resting again. warm towels around her cage for humidity coming. warm compresses again in a little while.

[finchmix22]

Good job! The other member said he'll check and get back with me, so hopefully, he knows of an avian vet nearby.

[Sally]

You can use a human grade calcium in an emergency only. You normally want to use bird-specific calcium supplements, but in an emergency, you may have to go with whatever you can get your hands on. Kenny66 gives instructions for doing this in this thread:

http://www.finchforum.com/viewtopic.php ... m&start=75

I found it difficult to find liquid human calcium even at a pharmacy. The only thing I could find was a child's version, which was flavored, but I had run out of my bird calcium, so I went for it. It didn't seem to bother the bird.

[Sally]

I found this website that might help you find an avian vet. If you do decide to go to an avian vet, you might want to ask them if they have experience with finches.

http://www.inyourarea.net/local2/21210/

[Sally]

I'm going to merge this topic with the other one about this bird, if for no other reason than to keep the answers all in one place.

[finchmix22]

Sally, thanks for that link!

[Ursula]

Where are you located in GA? Where's Coastal Empire?

I have an avian vet in North metro atlanta, at Loving Hands. They might know of somebody near you if that's too far away for you.

[Sally]

I believe that's in the Savannah area.

[dayhiker]

hi guys, just an update...

picked up the calcium gluconate from the pharmacy, our pharmacist called the vet that she knows and was instructed on how to give the calcium (either as supplement-mix with water, or to treat - about 0.02ml or about a drop or two directly to the bird); also got exact handfeeding fmla to mix with eggfood for the gouldians (another topic).

saw Betsy more alert and sipping some of the electrolyte water on her nest. feathers arent as ruffled, wings are not droopy.

picked her up and applied warm compresses to the area. also gave her a couple of drops of calcium followed by 0.5 ml of the electrolyte water to wash it down. she took it like a champ (minus a couple of head shakes).
some swelling on her lower abdomen but nothing hard. noted some poop on the moist warm paper towel.

back to the cage she went, she stayed by the lamp but i see her now drinking more frequently ...one more warm compress application tonight to the belly...fingers crossed she'll feel better in the morning...

thanks for all your support and well wishes.

[dayhiker]

and yes, i am in the savannah area, quite a trip from Atlanta, about 4 hrs or so...

[dayhiker]

and the calcium cost me only $10 per ounce. i still have some calcium that i can pick up at the local pharmacy.

[Ursula]

I'm glad your bird is better!

[dayhiker]

Betsy seems better, and i've done her last compress for the day. she's been drinking the electrolyte solution on her own and shaking her head when i try to feed her. resistance is good...will provide an update in the morning.

[finchmix22]

Great! She must be feeling better. Yeah!!

[debbie276]

Wonderful news!