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help please balding zebra skin darkening
Posted: Sat Apr 19, 2008 9:00 am
by mumzy moo
SATURDAY 19/4please help i am very worried about my pied zebra hen. a few weeks ago she laid 2 eggs, these proved to be infertile and were removed. since that time she has been losing feathers from her tail area around the vent and now its spreading down past her legs and up to the chest. her skin looks much darker than it should be, an almost burgundy like colour. its becoming growth like. no feathers are returning either. she's been bouncing when she breathes sometimes and has her mouth open a lot. she has impaired balance also. she has been eating and drinking and seems to be using grit more than usual. she hasn't laid again bu then the cock keeps looking at her underside and giving it a miss!! he seems fine other than that. i thought she might be egg bound at first so i've tried all remedies to fix that. i've used the mite treatment and heat pads. i'm running out of options.
SUNDAY20/4 SHE'S LOST MORE FEATHERS AND I FOUND HER SAT ON THE FLOOR OF THE CAGE THIS P.M.
Posted: Wed Apr 23, 2008 3:18 am
by jamezyboo21
ughhh, im sorry no one here was able to help you with this ordeal. How is she doing now was she able to get better?
Posted: Wed Apr 23, 2008 4:42 am
by williep
Mumzy moo, sorry to hear about your bird not doing well.
Your best and immediate option is to remove her to a hospital cage and place a heat lamp on the cage. The last thing you should be considering now is for her to lay more eggs, you need to take care of her first. Being separated from other birds will also allow her time to heal and keep other birds from harassing her.
I've noticed a gouldian hen of mine also eating a lot of grit when she was looking under the weather, 2 days later she was dead. I'm not saying it was the grit but in the short term I would limit the amount of grit intake.
Also give a vitamin supplement and stress reducer for a couple of days.
Good luck and keep us posted
thank you for your concern
Posted: Fri Apr 25, 2008 6:58 pm
by mumzy moo
they say no news is good news as in my delayed response...to williep & jamezyboo...your concern is hugely appreciated and warmly received.!
Mitzie is still alive!! for now at least. she doesn't seem to have worsened. i'm using an ordinary lamp at the moment until my friend drops in his heat lamp and Mitzie is sat at the front of the cage keeping warm.
i don't have a hospital cage but just tonight while browsing the net i spotted a home made version using a seed tray so i'm gonna give it a whirl first thing tomorrow.
grit/nesting material removed already..Thanks
she's still eating and drinking although not as much as usual. the bald area hasn't increased and some feathers are returning but it still looks sparse. encouragingly, what initially appeared to be swollen and growth like where her feathers had gone, now doesn't look so swollen.
i've noticed now however, that she has been getting faeces stuck to the few newly emerging feathers around her bum which is yellow (unusual for her) and quite hard. i've been loosening it by gently placing her rear end in luke warm water and gently wiping it away ,which she appears to be grateful for, then sitting with her on my knee with a heat pad thats wrapped in kitchen roll underneath her.
i really can't believe she's lasted so long. 
coz i know how quickly such little birds can progress from looking ill to death. i hope and pray that her hangin on in there means she's gonna pull through.
i'll keep you posted.
Posted: Mon Apr 28, 2008 3:26 pm
by mumzy moo
my mitzie has sadly died 
she died in my hands on saturday night
poor racy seems to have known it was on the cards. i'll be keeping a close eye on him in case whatever the cause of mitzie's death was contagious
Posted: Tue Apr 29, 2008 9:02 am
by Sally
So sorry for your loss. You certainly tried to save her, but sometimes we just can't--doesn't make it any easier, though.
Posted: Tue Apr 29, 2008 7:43 pm
by mumzy moo
thank you for your response sally.
when i joined the forum recently, i read the kind words that other members posted to those that had sadly lost a cherished little bird and knew, that should it be the case that i too would suffer such a loss, then some comfort would be received from good people like yourself. natasha x
Posted: Tue Apr 29, 2008 7:48 pm
by JBHerps
I'm so sorry. RIP.
Posted: Tue Apr 29, 2008 7:54 pm
by mumzy moo
Bless you, thanks JBHerps. that means a lot Natashax
Posted: Wed Apr 30, 2008 2:27 am
by jamezyboo21
Dang, i was praying that she would heal up and be all better. orry for your loss.
Posted: Mon May 05, 2008 1:34 am
by williep
Mumzy moo, it is never easy to loose any of your birds, especially after you've taken such good care of her. You can find comfort in knowing that you've done everything in your power to save her.