FINCHforum

Hi.
This is my orange mask lady gouldian cock bird.Please help me in diagnosing why he keep jerking his head.
Few days back he stopped singing then itching too much and plucking feathers around neck and making clicking noise like sneezing,i did some research on internet and found that he might have air sac mite.Then i went for Ivermectin topical treatment for 5 days.Now he is not making any clicking noise but he is continously jerking his head while resting and i noticed moderate weight loss too.
Please advice what should i do now because i am unable to find out the reason of his condition.
Thanks in advance.....

I have shared a video link so u can see his condition to diagnose and advice.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N83SVrW1Yb0

I have little experience with air sac mites, but it could be that your bird had a large number of air sac mites in its system. As the mites die off, they can cause a blockage. Your bird may be trying to get rid of the dead mites. Air sac mites are contagious, did you treat your entire flock?

@yzees1 I am going to move this post to the Health section, so it might be seen by more members.

yzees1.....just watched the video

He is definitely sick

How long have you had him..where did you buy him petshop or breeder..

How long have you had gouldians

Are your birds indoors

First thing you need to do is give your birds a heat lamp.....the bird in the back was also showing symptoms

Next you need to see a vet asap

Anything in the nests?.....if not remove all nests

I'm sorry to say this but I think both of your birds are sick, the hen is also showing symptoms... My first guess is that they have mites and because you mentioned that you already treated topically with Ivermectin, the male's respiratory system is possibly clogged with dead mites and he is trying to remove them. I think you're dealing with a severe mites infection and I would act accordingly and take out the nests, spray the cage and treat immediately both birds with AIL (Avian Insect Liquidator).
I would urgently start the Ivermectin treatment on the hen also and continue on the male for a couple of more days .Usually, due to the severe mites infections, finches develop respiratory infections so this should be (after the Ivermectin treatment) treated with an antibiotic. Of course, if you can take them to a vet, that's the first choice...
I hope you'll manage and the birds will recover fast...
Keep us posted with the progress...

You already treated for air sac mites so I think maybe it is something else. The AIL (Avian Insect Liquidator) would be good for external mites like feather and red mites but do nothing for ASM.
If you can look into their mouth, look for white or yellow lumps in the mouth and/or throat, it may be canker. Are their droppings abnormal in any way?
http://www.friskyfinches.com/cankerinfections.htm

good luck

sally....thanks for moving post for health section..and i hv only one pair of gouldian and yeah i treated him with ivermectin topically for 5 days.... now i m giving him Enrofloxacin along with multi vitamin in water......and spraying Cypermethrine in cage on daily basis......but i dont know why he is still jerking his head and itching plus his feathers are falling as he is in moulting...

dutch.....
I bought him from a petshop.
I am having gouldians from 6 months.
I removed the nest today on your advice.
Here in Karachi there is no professional Avian vet.
All i am treating him on the basis of self study on internet.

thenootz

Here where i live,there is no professional avian vet..
yup i will treat male for couples of days more ..and start the treatment on female bird too.
AIL is not available here but i am spraying Cypermethrine on cage and bird regularly...
And today after long time i listned voice of my cock bird.
Hope he will be fine soon. !!!

debbie276
i havent noticed the dropping yet...now i wil place white paper on the floor to notice the droppings...

@dutch....yes my birds are indoor...i keep them in my room...to avoid the extreme climate effect on them...

Agreed with the others that the other bird looks unwell too.

I would definitely treat both, as parasites aren't selective.

Also agreed that he could be simply trying to clear away the dead mites. The massive die off can cause problems in this regard. There's not much you can do except to provide supportive care and ensure that you cleanse the cage thoroughly.

It's also possible this head motion is the result of the ivermectin.
Some animals are more sensitive to ivermectin than others --- it is a toxin, remember --- and they can develop tics as a result. The tics typically last for a few days.
Head-related tics are most common in birds (whereas other animals react with different tics. For instance, cats tend to do a leg flicking action.

So indeed, I would treat them both (along with anyone else, even in a different cage. Mites are super contagious). And I would cleanse the environment both now and again after the follow-up treatment.

You could always look for air sac mites and either confirm or rule them out 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.