Please help! swollen stomach/vent on gouldians.

[Emma]

Hi,

I have 2 gouldian males how has became swollen on the lower stomach/vent. Its almost the size of a gouldian egg and i am really worried now! They are a little tired, ( they start moult now ) but singing and act normal besides of that. Eat normal as i can se. i first se this about 2 weeks ago, but now its worse. The vent is totaly dry, not wet or dirty but the drops are totally wet sometimes ore its a greenish drop with a white thin cover on it, like a sock on it.
I think one of them was a bit cold on his feet to! I dont know what to do! We have no birdvets here either.
I took some photos, it was not easy, but maybe better than nothing.

I am really worried and dont know where to start!

I have Ronex 12%, quick gel, iverlux, scatt, S76, 4 in 1 powder and worm away available at home..

Please help!

[Emma]

Here is more pictures...

[DanteD716]

My uncle had a zebra with the same thing! I believe they are feather cysts, but yours look like fat?? Hold on, I will try finding the old post

[DanteD716]

http://finchforum.com/viewtopic.php?f=4 ... ch#p190480

[Emma]

Thanks Dante! But this one is the exakt same on 2 birds.. Therefore i am really worried, maybe its a infection? If it was on one bird i also guess it was a tumor ore a cyst.

[cindy]

Emma, have you used the wormaway on them?

[DanteD716]

Also, how long have they had this, and how long did it take to form?

[nixity]

Emma this just looks like fat to me.. this doesn't take on the same appearance as I would expect a cyst or tumor.
If you palpate it, is it soft all over? If it is, it's definitely fat.

A cyst or tumor will usually take on a solid "mass" texture, and cysts generally feel like it rolls around under the skin; tumors sometimes, but not always.

If you push back their breast feathers I suspect you might see some fat deposits there, too.
What size cage are they currently housed in and what is their diet?
My recommendation would be to give them as much flight room as possible, and whatever cage they're in, move their food source as close to the bottom as possible without being under branches, this way they have to exert more energy flying down and then flying back up to get to their food.

Also, if you're giving them any sort of high protein or high fat supplements stop.

Give them a low protein/low fat dry seed.
If it was me I would probably start out with a maintenance/resting type formula and gradually convert them into an austere diet - which you could achieve by simply feeding them a 50/50 mixture of Jap and Proso Millet.

You want to start to work to get the fat off them ASAP because not only can it cause liver damage and failure but it can also result in problems with fertility if they try to breed while they're this over weight.

[cindy]

Tiffany, can the fatty deposits in over weight birds also be seen in the underside, in the vent area?

[nixity]

Yep - USUALLY if they have it there, they also have it on the breast area, it's like.. the really super fat birds that start to deposit the fat in the vent area.

Sometimes though it will deposit here first and then start to deposit in the breast, but I feel like every time I've seen it on the vent (ask Misty about Moose!!! LOL) it's also on the breast.

This could be why the birds seem so tired..
Their eyes look bright and healthy to me.. so I really just think they need to go on a diet ;)

[cindy]

Thank you for your insight....I will message Misty about MOOSE! Can only imagine how that name came about!!

[CandoAviary]

I also have notice older birds seem to deposit the fat in this area easier... like a sagging pooch When it is yellow in color it is normally fat .. if infection the color under the skin is red to bluish... to even black in severe cases.

[Emma]

Emma, have you used the wormaway on them?

No, i havent. i was unsure what to do. So i think i better ask before i do anything.

shall i use it? And if so, shall i only use it on the 2 birds ore on everyone?

[Emma]

Also, how long have they had this, and how long did it take to form?

I am not exact shure, but about 2 weeks. I have not change their diet either then give them more spray millet. There is 4 other males in the cage, but i cant se anything like this on them.

[Emma]

Emma this just looks like fat to me.. this doesn't take on the same appearance as I would expect a cyst or tumor.
If you palpate it, is it soft all over? If it is, it's definitely fat.

A cyst or tumor will usually take on a solid "mass" texture, and cysts generally feel like it rolls around under the skin; tumors sometimes, but not always.

If you push back their breast feathers I suspect you might see some fat deposits there, too.
What size cage are they currently housed in and what is their diet?
My recommendation would be to give them as much flight room as possible, and whatever cage they're in, move their food source as close to the bottom as possible without being under branches, this way they have to exert more energy flying down and then flying back up to get to their food.

Also, if you're giving them any sort of high protein or high fat supplements stop.

Give them a low protein/low fat dry seed.
If it was me I would probably start out with a maintenance/resting type formula and gradually convert them into an austere diet - which you could achieve by simply feeding them a 50/50 mixture of Jap and Proso Millet.

You want to start to work to get the fat off them ASAP because not only can it cause liver damage and failure but it can also result in problems with fertility if they try to breed while they're this over weight.

I will check this as soon as i am back home from work ( Here the time is 9 in the morning now ). I was afraid to touch it, dont want to hurt them, but i will check!

I hav actually mooved them to a smaller cage because they was so mean to the babies when i moved them to the big cage from breedingcage. Maybe they really are fat!

Thanks fore the diet tips, i will read this a little bit better then i got home!