FINCHforum

Sorry long post Thoughts and opinions are welcome.
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Here is the timeline of what has happened to my poor little guy.

A few weeks ago he was treated with SCATT more as a preventative measure and not because i thought anyone was infected (I didn't write down when)

On Friday he was looking lethargic and fluffed. I put him in a separate cage with some heat, guardian angel, and millet.

He was really perky and had tight feathers the next day...so i thought i was imagining things. He went back in with the other finches.

Yesterday morning he looked really terrible. He was sleeping with his head tucked while the other birds darted around in their morning routine. I caught him easily and put him back in the hospital cage. He felt really light and his keel was pronounced

He ate some millet. HIs poop looked well-formed and regular though.

Last night he seemed to be breathing heavily (but not open beak panting). I treated him with SCATT just in case.

Today, he still hasn't moved much. He is hiding on the perch by the food dish. His vent is now wet and dirty. (I think this is because he has been mostly drinking the guardian angel drink and not eating).

I cleaned off his vent and gave him some liquid antibiotic solution on the edge of his beak w/ a syringe. He drank it up.

I was going to see if he would eat a hand-feeding solution (since he's so thin) and i noticed flecks of black crud on his beak. (dead air sac mites?)

***Is this a good sign? Is it him getting rid of the dead mites?***

***Do you think there may be other viral or bacteria issues, or do you think it's because of the mites that he is doing so poorly (thin, wet vent, lethargic)***

The SCATT is supposed to be a one-time treatment that lasts in their system for 3 weeks (the life cycle of the air sac mite). It then is repeated 3-4 times per year. I would not give the bird any more SCATT, it may be stressing his system at this point. I have not had air sac mites, but you wouldn't think he would have had a heavy infestation (if he had them at all) or you would have noticed.

He is definitely ill, so keep him in the hospital cage, very warm. Your idea of handfeeding may be a good one, since he is losing weight and not interested in eating. Also watch for dehydration, I seem to remember reading that someone put some Pedialyte into the bird's water to add electrolytes. Hopefully someone else with more experience with Gouldians will chime in.

I read about the Pedialyte thing too. You want to buy the clear, unflavored kind.

Sounds like you have a good plan, at this point it could be just about anything based on your description, it's so hard to tell with birds just what is making them sick. If I were in your shoes, the bird would be at the avian vet. If you don't have an avain vet in your area you'll have to limp by with what you've got. Broadspectrum anti-biotics should help if it's bactieral.

If it's airsac mites then you'll have to give the SCATT a little more time to do it's work killing them off. However, if it were airsac mites you should be seeing "coughing" behavior. There is a video on the YouTube website (search for Gouldian and AirSac or Mite), it clearly shows the behavoir of a bird that's been infected with the mites. A single treatment of SCATT in that bird's case cured it.

*Knock on wood* I haven't yet had a sick bird, but I remember when my parents had some sick birds, it too a lot of TLC for them to get better (of course that was the "dark ages" of bird keeping, before we had specific medicines for them).

I wish you lot's of luck!

I found that air sack mite video for you:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LJWsARhbbOE

It shows the Gouldian "coughing" and/or "sneezing".

Great video! Technology can be so helpful. He wasn't coughing like that, but I did hear loud clicking. That is why i retreated w/ SCATT.

Unfortunately he didn't make it. The antibiotics seemed to be working, so I was sad to see the little guy had died during the night. At least he isn't suffering any more...it was probably too little too late.

I'll see if the vet can do a culture to confim that it is bacterial and not something else.

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everyone else is being treated now, just in case. *fingers crossed it was an isolated incident*