FINCHforum

My fife canary been never looked as healthy as any of the others but she ate well and never seemed sick, just a little scruffy. Today i got home and found her in the bottom Corbet of the flight twitching her head to the side every few seconds. She won't eat, won't perch and lays on her side. She fights back when i try to pick her up though. .i don't know what could be wrong. She's on a flight by herself. I have noticed she's had trouble going to the bathroom and twitches a little before she goes. Could toys be the problem? I don't think she's eggbound as she still poops. . I'm not sure what to do. I don't think she'll make it through the night

DanteD716...I'm so sorry to hear about your girl. I would give her liquid calcium by beak, just in case. How's her vent...soiled? I'm thinking a heat lamp too, which I'm sure you already did. The twitching makes me worry...hopefully someone will have better suggestions. Sending you both hugs and prayers.

Twitching is very worrying to me.

I'd say it's very likely she's dying, which is not something I ever like to say.
But that twitching is usually an involuntary convulsion resulting from neurological issues. As the body shuts down, organ systems go offline and stop working. When the kidneys, in particular, stop functioning, toxins build up in the body and those toxins trigger neurological symptoms. It starts with twitching and ultimately goes to seizure then coma, then death. (usually quite quickly through those latter stages -- a matter of minutes or hours at most.)

Usually by the time you see twitching, combined with other symptoms of illness, it's too late. I've never gotten an animal back after twitching started. (Despite rather heroic measures in a couple cases.)

But that said, I never give up hope. Maybe (hopefully!) I'm totally wrong.
I've been surprised many times! Especially with birds, who seem to have an ability to go much closer to the brink than any other type of animal (and survive that trip.)


I'd set her up in a hospital cage (or just leave her as-is if she's alone) I'd give her her favorite foods. A heat lamp. Clear pedialyte or a homemade electrolyte rehydration solution.

If you're seeing anything that could be indicative of an infection, I might try antibiotics.

She's in the same condition, except no twitching. She just sits there. She has a hear lamp. She hasn't eaten though. I'm not sure what is causing this

I gave her a couple drops of human grade calcium, i hoy he to drink a little water and made a pirate of crushed cuttlebone and water and she got some of that. She's perked up a little and is perching. She fights back more so hopefully it's an egg and she'll pass it

DanteD716...that's a good sign, Dante. She sounds like a tuff little girl. I would continue to give her calcium by beak a few times a day and put lots of tempting foods in her cage...fresh egg food, millet spray, chopped veggies, romaine, etc. She might pull through this thing after all. Please keep us posted and good luck

Thanks Ginene. She refuses to eat still so i made a paste out of warm water and zupreem fruit pellets. I managed to get her crop semi full so that extra food should help.

DanteD716
Here is an interesting article on canary diseases. At the bottom are some causes of spasms etc.
http://gentlefist.hubpages.com/hub/All- ... f-a-canary

DanteD716
How is your girl doing?
It's so damn frustrating when there is something very wrong and they obviously can't tell us what it is.

The twitching that you described before, makes me think of something neurological. She didn't hit her head, fly into something like a wall or anything like that, did she?

I hope she pulls through.

~Elana~