FINCHforum

I have been watching my FL Fancy male this past week and have come to the conclusion that he has air sac mites. Bummer. I have ordered Scatt. I will treat the hen with him, although she shows no signs. Disinfect their cage and just see them through it. We have had this pair 7 weeks. I guess he came to us infected. No other bird here shows signs of it. I don't think his case is very bad, in fact he only recently showed any signs of distress.

I want to thank all who contribute and post on this forum. I have learned so much in the few days I have been a member.

I hope your bird recovers quickly.

Do you have other birds near him? I would think air sac mites could spread. Maybe isolate these two from the others until they are confirmed well again.

Lisa wrote:I hope your bird recovers quickly.

Do you have other birds near him? I would think air sac mites could spread. Maybe isolate these two from the others until they are confirmed well again.

Thanks.

They are in our living room. Closest cage is 4 ft away. Other cage is 14 ft away. I don't know how contagious it is. Could find a place for them in the spare bedroom I guess.

What are the symptoms?
I would be hesitant to diagnose it as ASM, as this is not common in zebras. Some of the symptoms of ASM are also symptoms of other illnesses, such as other respiratory infections. If you have an avian vet near you and can afford it, I suggest taking him in, rather than treating with Scatt first, as it might do no good.
I would separate him immediately, to a smaller cage, with a heat lamp to start off. Make sure he has food and water easily accessible. This will help him conserve energy to hopefully fight off the infection.

Are you SURE it is ASM?
As was mentioned zebras normally do not get ASM as gouldians or canarys do. Although I suppose there is nothing to prevent the ASM from going into the zebra also.

I am pretty sure that ASM could get airborne, so if it is ASM, any other bird in the room could also be infected. The cage 4ft away is definitely suspect, the cage 14ft away is a maybe. Depending on how you handle things between cages, the maybe could change to a definite.

Everything I've read and discussed about ASM says they are not air borne and only transfer by direct contact. That doesn't mean they will not go from cage to cage if you switch dishes around. If a bird wipes it's beak on a perch and another bird wipes in the same spot they could also be transferred.
I agree with Nelissa the symptoms of ASM are the same as many different illnesses especially respiratory infections.

Here's a link to a page that explains how to diagnose ASM:
http://www.geocities.com/bjbills1/ASM.html
A diagnosis is made by wetting the feathers on the neck with alcohol and transilluminating the trachea with a bright penlight. This procedure is best performed in a darkened room. With normal vision, the mites can be seen as dark, pinhead size, moving spots in the trachea.

An update on my FF. Yay! He is good to go. He isn't fluffed up, breathing hard, clicking - any of that. He is his normal perky self and he was singing most of yesterday afternoon. The thing is, after a closer look and much consideration, I think he may be a Florida Silver and not a Fancy. It is so hard to judge by pictures on the internet. He has a faint silver color, which is darker in certain light. Doesn't matter, 'cause he is a beautiful bird.

Wonderful news Sandy!
Best of luck

Just on ASM, it is very difficult to transfer cage to cage unless you are using the same perches. It is not airborn and is unlikely to be transmitted in dishes. It may be picked up from beack wiping but I would say it is very unlikely to infect cages so far away. The mite does not survive outside of a bird respitory system very well. In these cases I find that I must resist the temptation to treat all birds when only one is showing symptoms. The treatment for ASM and most other illnesses in birds are very toxic and whilst they are effective they also have a propensity to build up in the liver and kidneys. Most ASM/wormers and coccidiosis treatments have a wide range of tolerance at the time of treatment but may have the ability to build up. I dont like to take the chance. I am very glad that your bird is now well but I would be very judicious in applying medication to other birds without definite diognosis.

kenny66 wrote:Just on ASM, it is very difficult to transfer cage to cage unless you are using the same perches. It is not airborn and is unlikely to be transmitted in dishes. It may be picked up from beack wiping but I would say it is very unlikely to infect cages so far away. The mite does not survive outside of a bird respitory system very well. In these cases I find that I must resist the temptation to treat all birds when only one is showing symptoms. The treatment for ASM and most other illnesses in birds are very toxic and whilst they are effective they also have a propensity to build up in the liver and kidneys. Most ASM/wormers and coccidiosis treatments have a wide range of tolerance at the time of treatment but may have the ability to build up. I dont like to take the chance. I am very glad that your bird is now well but I would be very judicious in applying medication to other birds without definite diognosis.

Thank you for the info. I'm always learning something. I don't plan to treat the other birds. He was the only one showing any signs of something wrong.