FINCHforum

Hi,

I take care of a 12 finch aviary at our nursing home. One of our Society Finches isn't well. Her feathers are very fluffed up, her tail is almost perpendicular to her body, she is breathing fast and her vent looks "messy". I did see her eating today. I called the Aviary company where we got the finches and he just told me to remove her from the aviary and put her in a smaller cage. I have not been able to capture her yet. I am just the caretaker here, I have never been able to "catch" one of the finches. If she is still this way tomorrow we may have to make a fortified effort to capture her. In the meanwhile, what do you think could be wrong with her? I am sorry that I don't know much about finch health. I take very good care of the little guys, but am very deficient in Finch Health knowledge.

If this is a hen, I always suspect egg binding. If you can catch her and place her in a smaller cage, put a heat lamp on one end of the cage. Heat lamps can be as simple as a gooseneck desk lamp with a 60w bulb. The important thing is that the lamp is only aimed at one end of the cage, so the bird can get away from the heat if needed.

I also give a drop or two of liquid calcium directly to the beak. I doubt that you have any on hand, but human liquid calcium (calcium glutonate) can be used in a pinch.

Will the aviary company send someone by to check on/treat her?

Captured our bird. Going to take her to avian vet today. I know the stress of leaving the facility may be really hard on her but I just can't sit here and do nothing.

Took our birdie to the avian vet today. Vet thinks she has pneumonia or an air-sac issue. She said the abdomen felt taunt and she did an xray looking for eggs but found none. Said she did have rather large hepatic shadow, but I don't really know what that means other than the liver may be enlarged. Birdie is staying at the vet hospital tonight for antibiotics, she's in an incubator and may receive oxygen and sub-Q fluids.