FINCHforum

Hi everyone,

One of the zebra finches in my outdoor aviary been sleeping most of the time for the last couple of days and looking weightless "obviously sick". So I decided to enter the aviary, catch it and move it inside to a small covered cage. But the thing is, when I put it in the cage and looking closely I noticed the tip of one of the wings is injured (i can see dark red color under the feather). So now i'm suspecting infection plus the breast bone is sharper than usual which also sugests the bird been losing weight.
Any sugestions please. Thank you.

It looks like it may have a bit of dried blood on the tip. I would not do anything other than the small cage with a heatlamp like you've done already. Adding a pinch of NV Powder or Vitalize or Guardian Angel to the drinking water would be good too. Keep the food and water on the floor of the hosp cage so he doesn't have to exert himself too much to get it.

L in Ontario wrote:It looks like it may have a bit of dried blood on the tip. I would not do anything other than the small cage with a heatlamp like you've done already. Adding a pinch of NV Powder or Vitalize or Guardian Angel to the drinking water would be good too. Keep the food and water on the floor of the hosp cage so he doesn't have to exert himself too much to get it.

Thank you very much for your reply.
I will go to the market and see if these brands are available here.
Do you think electrolyte solutions for babies will do?

That would not hurt either but these would be a little more beneficial. Also put some spray millet on the floor of the hosp cage to encourage him to eat. Typically spray millet to a finch is like candy to a child.

L in Ontario wrote:That would not hurt either but these would be a little more beneficial. Also put some spray millet on the floor of the hosp cage to encourage him to eat. Typically spray millet to a finch is like candy to a child.

Hi again,

The bird is silent most of the time but when it's calling the voice
sounds deep and not as usual. Could the wing injury be non related to the sickness just a coincidence.

That's really hard to guess at. Is he eating and drinking as normal? Is he sitting close to the heatlamp?

L in Ontario wrote:That's really hard to guess at. Is he eating and drinking as normal? Is he sitting close to the heatlamp?

Yes, eating and drinking then sleeping. And thank God not yet lethargic . I have tetracycline at hand and I'm thinking about starting a five days course. What do you think?