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Flight issues
Posted: Sun Oct 06, 2019 11:09 am
by tarma
Two of our finches have developed cataracts and started flying like helicopters. By helicopters, I mean their wings make lots of noise like helicopters and they tend to hover before finding (or not finding) their perch. Two weeks ago, we treated everybirdy with S76 and soon after Amoxidex. We saw a marked improvement in their ability to find perches after the Amoxidex but they still fly like helicopters.
Does anyone have insight into this behavior? I'm afraid that it is exhausting because it take the helicopters 2 to 3 times as long to fly the same distance as our finches without this issue.
We do not know their ages as we adopted them from a shelter who didn't know their ages.
Re: Flight issues
Posted: Sun Oct 06, 2019 1:52 pm
by Dave
I don't think you have to worry about the birds exhausting themselves. In fact, I think the extra exercise will benefit them.
I've not seen cataracts in finches. Are the eyes cloudy? Can it be caused by anything other than old age?
Re: Flight issues
Posted: Sun Oct 06, 2019 2:45 pm
by Fraza
I’ve seen a few finches do this I don’t think it’s anything to worry about I used to like it when I got a finch that flew like this and sometimes it would pass to the chicks
Re: Flight issues
Posted: Mon Oct 07, 2019 2:05 pm
by tarma
Dave wrote:
I don't think you have to worry about the birds exhausting themselves. In fact, I think the extra exercise will benefit them.
I've not seen cataracts in finches. Are the eyes cloudy? Can it be caused by anything other than old age?
Yes, their eyes are cloudy. What else could it be? I read that older finches get cataracts and just assumed that was it but if you have any other information I am open to hearing it.
We started to assume they were going blind/ had poor sight becuase of the whit spots and they started having trouble finding perches.
Re: Flight issues
Posted: Mon Oct 07, 2019 2:51 pm
by Icearstorm
tarma
Do you use UV-B lights? Those can cause cataracts. Otherwise I'm not sure why it would be so sudden, unless there was some disease that caused it.
Re: Flight issues
Posted: Tue Oct 08, 2019 9:56 am
by tarma
We do not. We have large windows. However, the shelter we got them from ~6 months ago may have since they were in an inner room in the shelter. Within a month of adopting them we saw our first cataract and now we have two others who also have cataracts, one with in both eyes and one with only 1 cataract.
Anyways, glad not to have to worry about this issue. And good info about the UV-B lights. Will remember that.