FINCHforum

I have a female blue back that has been fine till this morning I notices her activing strange. She is hanging out at the bottom of the cage alot and her one eye looks sick for lack of a better word. He head area looks a little scraggly almost like she is molting though she finished it a few weeks ago. I have seen her brushing her beak on side of dishes as if to get something off it. I decided to separate her to a smaller cage and put a warm lamp on her(not a heat lamp as i don't have one). I caught her instantly. Not much of an attempt to get away. Anyone have any ideas.

I don't have 1st hand experience with bird illness, but am replying mainly to bump this up. Possibly air sac mite?

First thing that came to mind was a "one eyed cold", An outward sign that may be seen is a "one eye cold". Other outward, though subtle signs might be beak scratching, sneezing in juveniles and “pinched” triangular eyelids in adults. Infertility, dead in shell and poor breeding results, followed by a slow molt may be the only indication that something is wrong.

Maybe this web link will help:
http://ladygouldian.com/node/183

You might want to call Laraine and ask her what she thinks too.

Hard to know without seeing the gould but I would treat initially with doxycycline and/or one drop of moxidectin (scat 76) on the back of the neck for airsac mite if you cant get to a vet. Hope this helps but a vet is the best bet.

Thanks people but my little blue back has died.

jacrobsmom wrote:I have a female blue back that has been fine till this morning I notices her activing strange. She is hanging out at the bottom of the cage alot and her one eye looks sick for lack of a better word. He head area looks a little scraggly almost like she is molting though she finished it a few weeks ago. I have seen her brushing her beak on side of dishes as if to get something off it. I decided to separate her to a smaller cage and put a warm lamp on her(not a heat lamp as i don't have one). I caught her instantly. Not much of an attempt to get away. Anyone have any ideas.

Sorry to hear, I had the same thing happen to one of mine,you may want to try Ornacycline (from any pet store-- its tetracycline (broad spectrum) for birds added to their water) and definitely get a heating lamp (but make sure the bird can get away from the heat if it gets over heated/dehydrated). I used the hospital cage for 6 days and my bird was back from the dead! He was on the floor, puffy, not afraid of me when I reached in and VERY easy to catch... which is an unfortunate sign. Its hard to say without seeing your female... can you upload a picture?

Sorry to hear your lovely blue back has died. Its hard to help in time when the get ill so quickly.

I had 2 males die in the last 3 weeks. The first was healthy and then was sick for a day and dead the next (he was a new addition to the flock). He had been treated with s76 prior so it was not mites. I put all the birds on a broad spectrum antibiotic hoping to kill off what ever it was. However another male got sick and also died a week later in the same way.

After reading information on the net and comparing it to their symptoms I am now treating the cage for Cranker. I also bought treatment for coccidiosis in case they fall ill after the cranker treatment.

Has anyone had a case of Cranker that has been verified by a vet?

jacrobsmom wrote:Thanks people but my little blue back has died.

so sorry to hear about the baby gould. maybe keep some broad spectrum antibiotis in the fridge for any future problems if needed. Some times however nothing helps. I lost a hand fed canary baby last week and I tried every thing in the book to save him-hand reared him from 3 days until 15 days. he became my best buddy. Unfortunately having birds can be tough. All the best

Has anyone had a case of Cranker that has been verified by a vet?

Just thought I'd post a couple link I came across, maybe they would help:
http://www.greencrossvet.com.au/Pet_Car ... anker.aspx
http://www.pet-informed-veterinary-advi ... h-symptoms
some symptoms to look for:
white or yellow cheesy-looking plaques, ulcers and/or nodules inside of the mouth and throat
reduced appetite
inability to swallow
excessive mucus in the mouth, esophagus and crop
vomiting
dehydration
diarrhea

so sorry for your loss

Was the bird skinny on the breast bone it may have been worms.(Gizzard)
First signs of a sick bird I treat with ,Spark Liquid Concentrate is a blend of body salts and readily absorbed energy in a liquid format for one to two days,In this case I would of treated for worms and coccidia.

So sorry for your loss, since the one eye looked sick and the head looed messy, wiping of the beak it could indicat sinus infection (which is usually bacterial) and possibly conjuctivititis of the eye. The bird with conjuctivitis and a sinus infection will rub it's face and beak on perches due to the irritation and pressure it feels within the eye and sinus.

If that was the issue a broad spectrum antibiotic is recommended like tylosin. I would watch your other birds to see if this happens again and right away start on a course of broad spectrum antibiotic, administer warmth.

If you do not have any meds on hand I recommend calling ladygouldian and ordering a broad spectrum and keep amoxitex on hand.

I know there is a huge push not to deparasite but I would also do a round of Coccicare and Ronex 12% as well as Worm away especially prior to breeding your birds.