Finch holds one eye shut part of the time

[Anne73]

I have a finch that holds it one eye lid shut = just part of the time. It is a healthy and active bird though. I wonder if it was from some sort of injury before I got it, lazy eye, etc. Would this be something that might be inherited by any offspring though?

[finchmix22]

I have had finches do the same, but they had a respiratory infection. If this is not an injury, I would treat with Amoxitex in the water for 7 days and then follow with Probiotics to rebalance the intestinal tract after taking antibiotics. Keep an eye on it for changes in activity, eating and sleeping. If you think it may be sick, also put a heat lamp near one side of the cage to help the bird stay warm.

[Jodi]

Hi! When I got my pair of RCCBs, I noticed the male doing this. He would also occasionally rub that eye on a branch/perch. Since it was a Saturday, I wasn't able to call my vet (not avian vet) for medicine or antibiotics. I ran to the health food store and pick up colloidal silver (it's diluted with water). I tried to catch Ezra to apply a drop on his eye with no luck. So I diluted a dropper full of the colloidal silver in a 2 ounce bottle of water and misted him making sure to get his eye. I also put a few drops in his water. Sunday morning he didn't close that eye as much. I misted him again. By Monday morning his eye looked normal.

I read about colloidal silver here: http://www.ladygouldianfinch.com/product_ssilver.php. They didn't have that brand in the health food store so I just brought what they had, Wellness.

[finchmix22]

Deborah this might be a dumb question, but im not shure if I know what Probiotic for birds are when Ive had a sick bird I always given them the medication or antibiotic needed for example Spectovet but Ive never follow up with probiotics because I wasnt aware (or really didnt even know about it) that it would help... What Probiotics do you recomend I keep on hand for next time?

You can buy Probiotics (the name of the product) at ladygouldian.com and some other birds sites. The probiotic usually follows a treatment of antibiotics to restore the gut flora in the finches. As happens to us, if we take an antibiotic, it kills the good and bad bacteria. People usually can eat yogurt or use a cream to counter the overmedication caused by antibiotics, but finches need a little help to restore their body's balance.