Mr. Meepin - Having Weird Poop. Is he sick?

[cindy]

cindy They are on this regular seed:

http://www.walmart.com/ip/8In1-Premium- ... b/10318459

I just did the whole toothpick thing (felt like I was in science class )

I found a seed or two, but I'm not 100% that they are from the poop. One bit looks like it (no shell, looks partially digested but not sure), the other looked thrown in.

It just looks really grainy, but maybe that's how it's supposed to be.

Are you giving any type of grit, mineral grit?

[finchlover24]

cindy No, I'm not giving any grit. I read online that finches don't need grit so I didn't give it. Should I be giving it?

[cindy]

not the gravel but the mineral grit like crushed oyster shell, Higgins makes a mineral grit that is blue

[finchlover24]

cindy My dad has some downstairs but we've never given it to them. Should I start giving it to Meepin? He's never had it and the birds downstairs don't eat it either.. If Cooper's poop is fine then should I give it to her too?

[cindy]

I would not add anything just yet... sent off some of your picturs to someone.

[cindy]

in your belly picture she noticed "The bird has good weight, but check out the puffy intestines and where the red is starting in the center of the loop"

She believes it is a gram negative bacteria which can be treated with Tri Sulfa... http://www.glamgouldians.com/product-tr ... fa.php.php

you can mix up your Tri sulfa and add Ronex 12% to it http://www.glamgouldians.com/product-ronex-es.php

both are fine to mix together.... the ronex is to knock back any giardia or cochlosoma. Tri sulfa also treats coccidia. You can treat both birds so you do not need to separate them.

after treatment follow this up with probiotics (glamgouldians sells this also) it will restore the good gut flora that the trisulfa (antibiotic) may destroy.

Again this is a guess based on the droppings and the visual on the belly.... a vet can do fecal smears to give a better picture of what is going on in the birds' systems.

[finchlover24]

cindy Oh lord... could I have caused this? Was it something they ate? Their diets? Their cages are always cleaned and they get new water every day..

What kind of gram negative bacteria? Is it deadly? Is it something that can be transmitted to humans/dogs or is it just the birds that get it (it mentions parasites, e coli, and salmonella)? Wow.. at least we have an idea of what's going on. We don't have a vet around here. I hope the medication comes fast enough. Thank you so much for helping me with this.

Which probiotic do you recommend?

http://www.glamgouldians.com/product-probiotics_mb.php

or

http://www.glamgouldians.com/product-avibios.php

[cindy]

http://www.birdsnways.com/wisdom/ww37eiv.htm discussed gram positive and gram negative.

[cindy]

she also mentioned getting medistatin (shop around for the best price...it is administered to the side of the beak (best way to dose with it). She said to keep this on hand, often birds with a gram negative may have some sort of fungal issue as well. to the beak is best since it looses potency when exposed to light for a long time.

For not try the tri sulfa and ronex and let us now after about 4 days on the mix if you see marked improvement.

[finchlover24]

cindy I have medistatin (powdered) from the last baby that we had who got sick. Unfortunately the medication didn't make it in time but we have kept in on hand.

Do I give the medistatin with the tri sulfa and ronex? Can their diets remain the same (I'll be adding Lafeber's Finch Granules to their diet on Monday once the tub arrives.. is that still a good idea?)

[cindy]

I would do the tri sulfa and Ronex together.... not sure about dosing the medistatin at the same time... will check on that. Medistatin is: mix 1/4 tsp with 4 mls of water and give the bird a drop to the base of the beak. This is the best way to give it.

Diet... I would honestly get them a better seed mix... that is kind of generic for hookbills and finches. Try Higgins Vita Seed for finches...along with the lafebers.

[finchlover24]

cindy Is this good?

http://glamgouldians.com/product-higgins-vitafinch.php

[cindy]

cindy Oh lord... could I have caused this? Was it something they ate? Their diets? Their cages are always cleaned and they get new water every day..

What kind of gram negative bacteria? Is it deadly? Is it something that can be transmitted to humans/dogs or is it just the birds that get it (it mentions parasites, e coli, and salmonella)? Wow.. at least we have an idea of what's going on. We don't have a vet around here. I hope the medication comes fast enough. Thank you so much for helping me with this.

I doubt highly it was anything you did... let's not assume the worse. Whatever caused this the meds should help. sometimes birds come to you carrying things, with good care they are able to hold it off until they can longer do so. The bird has really good body weight so that is good and will work in the bird's favor.

You mentioned that you had baby birds that passed, was it from this pair?

Which probiotic do you recommend?

http://www.glamgouldians.com/product-probiotics_mb.php

or

http://www.glamgouldians.com/product-avibios.php I use this one

[cindy]

cindy Is this good?

http://glamgouldians.com/product-higgins-vitafinch.php

yes but you can get this at some pet stores.

[finchlover24]

cindy It was Meepin's brother/sister.. had a very slow crop that wouldn't drain and we thought it was fungal. We ordered Medistatin but it didn't arrive in time. It was the baby in this forum post:
http://www.finchforum.com/viewtopic.php?f=4&t=32712