FINCHforum

We recently got a young female zebra, keeping her quarantined in a separate cage.

She seemed OK first though somewhat puffy. Though she would fly out to eat and drink, sometimes frequently, she has never been nearly as active. I kept her in a warm room to try to help any potential illness. Now I see she has not been active recently, and she is just staying in her nest which is one of those coconut top and bottom with tassels, which she can nestle down in. I just picked the nest up with her in it and she didn't even budge which would be unheard for any other zebras I have who are normally rockets around the cage. She needs some help.

Two questions:

1. What should I do for basic treatment? I've read the board and it seems to be:

- heat lamp - where do you get one? hardware store or is it specialized?
- vitamins in the water - where can I get this?
- egg shells or is this just for egg binding?
- check her poop by using paper towel- will do
- water near by
- what else?

2. Do you think birds get depressed from being isolated which could contribute to her just sitting in the nest? Perhaps just coincident with the onset of an illness, but she seemed to be better at first but then after being isolated from other nearby birds, she seemed to get more and more quiet. I couldn't help but consider whether isolating her was affecting her, I guess, feeling of security, and whether it is contributing to her behavior. Or she's just ill. Either way, I'll treat her as if she has an illness.

Thanks for your help.

I think that being alone is stressful, since they are social birds. Is she eating? Maybe some special snacks like egg food? Is she egg bound? Since she is a new bird, it would be real hard to guess at what's she's been exposed to. Sorry she's sick.

Thanks for your response.

She is eating both some seed and lettuce, and flew around a little bit to do that today. She then perched for a few minutes tucking her head into her wing before flying back to rest in the nest.

I noted her tail is bobbing just a little bit.

We've had her almost a month now so I didn't think she could have eggs.

Sorry to hear your girl isn't feeling well!

Keeping her warm and well-fed are two of the most important things you can do for her. As far as a heat lamp, I just bought a normal gooseneck lamp at target, and got a reptile heat bulb from the pet store. Set the lamp close so that she can get warm under it, but be sure that part of the cage is not under the lamp so she can move if she's too warm.

Egg food and stress diet food are good choices, and whatever fresh foods she'll eat. Unfortunately, I don't know enough about meds to say if there's anything that would be helpful. If you do use any, be careful if they are water soluble that she actually drinks the water. Some birds will avoid the water dish if it tastes different.

Maybe something like a recording of other birds would help if she's lonely. Or even birds close enough for her to hear or see without risking contagion. In case you don't already know, it's a good idea to save her for the last bird to care for, that way you won't spread anything yourself to the other cages.

Good luck! Hope she starts feeling better soon!

Just a little suggestion to those that are looking for heatlamps at a lesser cost. I just bought a red spotlight, costs under 5 dollars, plugs into a gooseneck lamp no problem, and I find it much easier to concentrate the heat to one end of the perch so that the sickly bird can have an easier time to get away from it when he wants to.

I would not put a nest in a quarantine cage.
The nest might be triggering her to lay eggs.