Bebop the unmoulted gouldian looking ill

[Babs _Owner]

Okay, been a busy work week, so tonight at lights out I go to refill food-water and check everyone out (as I do nightly)

Bebop my 4 month old juvenile gouldian, has not eaten, is fluffed up. I stopped the iodine and calcium drops, and instead gave her mashed eggs with shells (which she ravaged yeterday). She has had multivitamin drops with vitaman D for the last few days

Today it seems she has eaten almost nothing, she looks puffed up and stressed. I have a black-light heat lamp on half of the cage. She is sitting the the threshold where the light is.

Over the past few days prior, she has laid into the cuttlebone like a starving hyena suddenly, hogged down on eggs w/ shells ate millet (seed untouched)

Is this the start of a molt. Do they sometimes look this miserable? This is not my usual Bebop-dap bop bop. Do they sometimes lose their appetite for a day or two? Shes like 3 times her normal size in fluffing up for over 4 hours now.

[Kelly]

oh gosh I hope it's nothing bad

[Babs _Owner]

Kelly

Im hoping so as well, Ive never been through a gouldian molt and I am just clueless here.

She is obviously in distress, and being that she is going through a delayed molt (as I've read), I have NO idea what to give her now.

I cannot believe I found her seed dish untouched today and usually she is so slim and "beboping around".

Maybe this is normal in a start of a delayed molt? Shes housed alone because she is quite aggressive with the societies. Loneliness? Molting?

Ill have to check my instinct on this. Shes pest free, and I can throw a society in there to keep her company tonight if I have to. Gawd so tired from work and checking on her.

[Kelly]

Babs

Maybe this is normal in a start of a delayed molt? Shes housed alone because she is quite aggressive with the societies. Loneliness? Molting?

Would that be a good idea if she is aggressive towards them?

[Babs _Owner]

Kelly

Im just throwing around some ideas. I dont know what to do for her right now. I'll spend some time watching her tomorrow and see if she can give me clues on what she needs.

She has the old society finch flight cage to herself, so hopefully I can toss in some lovin' from one or two of my society boys and she can get some comfort for whatever is ailing her.

Society finches are like finch therapists I think ;) I tried to do that with offering her one society in the beginning when I was quarantining her (it didnt work), but maybe now after shes heard their songs for a while she may be more receptive.

Possibly its her way of saying "Im lonely". But Im new to gouldians and I still speak society finch language, so I will have to troubleshoot this one.

[lovezebs]

Babs

Gouldians don't really cuddle together like Societies, unless they've been raised by Socies.

I'm not sure what's going on with your girl...
Some youngsters have more of a struggle with their first molt than others, not sure why.

I lost Patch, (the only Gouldian I have ever lost) a while ago, who never molted properly, and was never quite right, no matter what I did. Her brother, Junior, molted early and without a hitch into a beautiful adult.

When I got Mirrim (as an unmolted juvenile), she went through a terrible first molt. I almost lost her, but she pulled through in the end.

I got Jaxom around the same time (again as an unmolted juvie) and he breezed through his first molt.

All my others, have molted without any problems whatsoever.

So that gives you an idea, how different Individuals react differently to their first molt, even though they have the exact same diet and the same conditions.

I would continue to offer warmth, and a good diet, and hope for the best. Be very careful with drafts and fluctuating temperatures.
I really hope she's feeling better tomorrow.

[kyle]

Babs. Sorry to hear that. With the babies i had last year all but one have compleated their molt. They didn't have any real noticeable behavior changes. They were active, ate well and sang intermittently all day. The behavior you describe wouldn't be normal molting. It would of course make her more susceptible to illness during a molt but something else is going on there. It would be nice for you to have all your gouldian babies feeling well as they are still new and this journey has just started for you. I hope this turns around and she perks up!

[debbie276]

Is she losing weight? Does the keel bone feel sharp? What do her droppings look like?
Definitely keep adding the extra heat and high protein foods like egg till you can assess what is wrong. Doesn't sound like a normal molt to me.

good luck

[Kelly]

Babs

How is she this morning?

[Babs _Owner]

lovezebs Kelly debbie276 kyle

I just woke up and shes sleeping in the sunlight. Heat lamp is on the other side of the 32" wide cage It's 930 am here.
Shes still very puffed up and shivering. Only thing I changed was I gave her boiled egg and stopped the calcium and iodine drops that I did 3x a week in her water.

House is temperature regulated @ 71 degrees. No drafts.

Im not very comfortable trying to catch her now in this stressed state. I may attempt it in the evening when its dark.

Im going to take a moment to wake up and then go in there and try and examine her droppings and such.

[Babs _Owner]

debbie276 lovezebs

Right on que she pooped a good one for me as I was looking around her cage.

Her poop is tinged greenish and wet.

I've started her on Triple C antibiotics in her water and removed her bath water.

Directions said to remove calcium sources while on the Triple C treatment, so I removed her cuttlebone as well.

I guess now just hope for the best.

[lovezebs]

Babs

I'm keeping my fingers crossed for you little girl. I really hope she comes around and bounces back.

It is odd, that she's staying away from the heat, although sun light might be the best thing for her.

Please let me know how she's doing.

[lovezebs]

Babs

What are Tripple C antibiotics? I'm not familiar with this product.

[Babs _Owner]

lovezebs

Its called Vetafarm Triple C . Heres the link

http://www.thebirdcottage.com/s-triplec.asp

Thanks honey, she was fine in the morning, then by evening a different bird. But alas, it can happen fast. I think I have had her 3 weeks?

I bought this stuff a few months ago just in case such a problem would arise. 1st time I have had to use it.

[lovezebs]

Babs

Hi Babs.

Is there any improvement ? Is she eating, drinking ? Moving around ?

Thanks for the site. Will have to do a read on this outfit and their products.