FINCHforum

So originally my male Zebra finch (Beep) had a friend/mate he bonded with. I got both of them together from the same place. I brought them home, and Beep seemed fine but the female puffed up a lot. I thought nothing of it, just stress maybe. I left them alone, only to change the water, seed, egg food, and veggie cup. After a week it started to get a little worse. I noticed her sneeze a couple times, and still fluffed up. She seemed normal, and active just puffy and sneezed whenever i came to observe her for a while. Her droppings were kinda wet, but no dirty vent. I went back to Petsmart (Where i got them) and asked what was wrong. They said "Oh she seems like she is getting sick." They said they were going to take her to the vet at Purdue University to get her looked at, and possibly cured of whatever. Then they are going to bring her back to Petsmart and treat her some more, and make sure she is fine. Then they are planning to call me and let me know when i can buy her back. Did i make the right decision, and what is this mysterious disease. (Contagious or not) Beep doesn't seem to puff up like she did. He's a active boy. He loves to build nests. However the female stayed at the millet a lot and pecked at it, while puffed up. For the most part though she did hide whatever she had, she was active that's why i had no clue. Thanks. Please answer if i did the right thing, and if i should buy her back.

I am surprised PetSmart is really going to treat her, as that costs them money. She probably picked up an infection, but whether it's protozoan, fungal or bacterial is hard to say. If you kept her, I'd have treated her with a combination of Amoxitex and Ronex 12% for 7 days and followed by Probiotics.

If they really treat her and she gets better, then you could buy her back, but make sure whatever she had was not contagious. It's hard to send them back, but you still need to consider the health of your other finches, so you know you did the right thing for the other ones. She may or may not get better.

I hope you hear she recovers!

Thanks so much. I really hope she does too! Beep my male Zebra, beeps all day in hope of finding her. I feel really bad. Ever since i took her back he has been a little depressed. I put a mirror in his cage and he sings to himself, but i would of got him a friend like a society finch but Petsmart told me it wasn't a good idea..

I'm glad they told you not put a Society with him, as zebras can be very aggressive, toward their own and other species. Will PetSmart let you know what the vet tells them? I hope so. Keep us posted.

I'm not sure, as i heard sometimes Petsmart tends to lie about things.. My mom told me i should go in and see her and make sure she looks normal before i get her back.

Sometimes the pet shops really do treat the sick animals. Years back, I bought a 4 dollar pet rat who immediately came down with respiratory infection, and they took him back and treated him for weeks until he was better, then allowed me to buy him back again.

Societies&Zebras -- I worked at PetSm@rt and I can confirm that they tend to lie about things. They generally only treat when it's profitable to do so (though I'm sure there are exceptions. Perhaps there's a store manager out there who genuinely loves animals and sees a value beyond their dollar value. That's possible.)

I have a writeup that explains what typically happens when pets are returned to the store:
http://wp.me/p4JWrl-7D

This situation sounds a bit off to me, as PetSm@rt typically has a vet on retainer. I've never heard of them sending them off site to a specialist, as is typically why you go to a veterinary school.
Veterinary school clinics tend to be extremely expensive, with all the best specialists, making them pricier than most any other animal hospital. But I speak from my experience with Tufts, which is one of the top veterinary schools in the country. Perhaps it's different with smaller vet schools. But you mentioned Purdue, which is a great school. (Though I don't know how their vet school ranks.)

My best guess is that they may have an agreement with the veterinary school to supply sick animals to vet school students for free or low-cost care. That's possible.

Your chances of actually getting her back are pretty remote, I'd say, because the chances of her actually getting treated are fairly remote. It's pretty likely she'll be euthanized, especially if she has something contagious.

If you could do it again, I'd discuss the possibility of treating yourself and getting reimbursed for the meds or seeking treatment from their approved vet, who would then bill them. They typically allow this if you use their recommended vet (often, they'll have an account with the vet, who bills PetSm@rt directly. Lots of humane groups do this too.)

Personally, I would have just treated her at home.
It's a good excuse to get a few of those essential meds. It's always good to have those essential medications on-hand -- antibiotics, ronex, S76 and dewormer. It's just part of bird ownership. They get sick, even with the best care, so you need to be prepared with the right meds when that happens.

Since you did bring her back, I'd keep calling to check up on her. If you hold them credible, I think it increases her chances of survival and actually getting treated. If they don't think anyone cares, there's a better chance they'll just euthanize.

MIa makes some good points, although it is sad to say. PetSmart usually has Banfield vet on site. For finches, they send them out to an avian vet, if they really send them I'm not sure. Avian vets cost a lot of money and for a $20 dollar finch, it is not cost effective. I agree, keep bugging them daily about her status. If they finally relent and tell you she is gone or was sent back to the breeder, than she is probably dead. If they promised you they would give her back, I'd think they are giving you a new zebra. They probably assume you would not be able to tell the difference. Either way, you could take the new finch or go through a local breeder to get one you know will be healthy.
Sorry you've had to go through this, but it is a learning experience.

Societies&Zebras
Call them every day and keep asking about her, so that they know you're interested in how she's doing. Then hope for the best.