FINCHforum

I've had my two strawberry finches over two months now and they've been very healthy but all of a sudden the other day I hear an abnormal fluttering in the cage and I look and see one finch on the bottom of the cage looking dazed. So I thought maybe it lost its balance somehow and fell off the perch but I knew that was unlikely. I tapped on the cage to see if it would respond and when it tried to fly back up it started bumping into the cage walls as if it had no balance and it dropped back to the floor and almost fell on its side and looked really dizzy. Then it started shaking its head and opening its beak and moving its tongue around as if something was stuck in its throat. It tried to hop around but it still looked dazed and was still looking puffed. After a couple of minutes it got better and actually tried to eat and started hopping around the bottom of the cage but when it tried to fly the same thing happened. But after a few minutes it started getting better again and then flew back to perch and this time it flew normally and landed on the perch looking fine. The next day it looked just fine the whole day. Today when I went to bring the cage out of the room the same thing happened. It dropped to the bottom of the cage and looked puff and when it tried to fly it lost its balance and dropped back to the floor and looked even dizzier it actually had to rest its beak on the floor and I thought it was going to die. It sat like that for a few minutes and again gradually it started moving around still puffed. Then a few more minutes and it flew back to the perch and made it just fine then the puffness went away and it started looking normal and flying again and went inside the nest as it's been laying eggs lately. I'm really really baffled by this. What the hell could be the problem here? For a sec I thought maybe it's egg binding. Then I thought maybe it's worms since it kept shaking its head and moving its tongue around as if it were trying to spit something out of it throat. Has any body had the same experience ? Any guesses as to what the problem could be ? Thanks.
One thing I need to add, I'm suspecting the finch that got sick today isn't the same one from the day before yesterday. They both look identical -both might be female- except for one white dot but still very hard to tell apart. So this could be the second finch going thru the same thing. Thanks again.

To me it sounds like a seizure. Not sure though as it would be strange for both of them to have one. It does sound neurological though. Have you changed anything or could they have been exposed to some kind of fumes or something? I hope they are ok!

Thanks for replying, Birdcrazy. I don't think it's fumes because I hardly ever cook and if it were fumes I'd think both would suffer from the same thing at the same time, plus I have another pair of finches that are in the same area and they're just fine. The only thing is I did move the Strawberries to a new plexiglass cage about 5 days ago. There's no paint smell or anything because it's been about 1 1/2 months since I clear coated the cage. But the timing makes me suspecious. The weird thing is that they're 100% normal now when only a couple of hours ago one looked as if it were going to die. I have no clue.

Is the plexiglass a solid piece or is it held together by silicon or anything that the birds can pick at. Maybe they were chewing on the adhesive and the tongue thing is because they can taste it and they flopping about is because it was toxic?

Is the cage wire and Plexiglas,are you sure that the cage hasn't got any glue or sealer smell ?
If its both of them I dont think its a seizure.

I also would say it was neurological if it was just one, but too much of a coincidence for both of them to be having problems. Sounds like a reaction to something toxic--perhaps put them back in another cage for now and see if they have any more problems.

Could it simply be that they flew into the plexiglass when you weren't looking? Maybe literally banged their head and got dizzy? Have you got something on the plexiglass so that they see it, like stickers or something?
Hope they are OK.

Thanks again for all those who replied. The plexiglass is screwed onto the wood frame. So there's absolutely no glue whatsoever. The clear coat I put on the wood was done like more than a month and half ago and the cage was left outside for a few days. It has no smell at all. As for the possiblity that the birds may have flown into the glass and gotten dizzy, I know for a fact that wasn't the case because I'd been watching them since the minute I put them in there. When I first put them in there they hit the glass only a couple of times and after that they never did.They knew exactly where to stop. Besides, I was next to the cage the two times the bird/s started acting weird. What was really baffling was that for about 10 minutes after an episode has started, every time the bird tried to take off it fell to the ground and looked really sick and dizzy and couldn't keep its head up for a few seconds after landing. It's like flying was causing it this for some reason. Then, a few minutes after the bird is on the ground it would start getting better gradually and act normally until it tried to take off again and the same thing would happen all over again. After 3 or 4 times of the same thing, everything goes back to normal and the bird is looking pefect and flying normally and landing and eating. This is really really puzzling. Now, they're acting 100% normal but I don't know if the same thing will happen tomorrow yet again.

Hope they get past what ever the issue is and stay normal. Wish you and yours the best. Heidi

I've never had my birds experience that. I hope they make a complete recovery and don't have it happen again. Good luck and keep us posted.

It still seems like something in the air,maybe they could taste with there tongue,I think theres a lot of bad houshold sprays, good luck

Hi,

If she has been laying eggs she could be egg bound. I had a Plum Head who got egg bound and because the pressure of the egg causes paralysis in the legs they cannot sit on the perch properly. My Plumhead appeared dizzy like yours did as well. She looked fluffed up and sick, then she passed the egg in the nest and was fine. Then the same thing happened the next morning. Some birds get egg bound but overtime are able to pass the egg, so it could be that???

Just another suggestion. Good luck!

Thank you all. It could be egg binding like Finchie said. That was my first thought but I don't see how it would cause a finch to be dizzy or act the way my finches did, but I don't know. Today there were no problems at all and they both looked and acted healthy and they've been sitting in the nest most of the day but it looks like I have two females because the eggs are piling up in the nest -9 so far . I think I'm going to take the nest out until I find a male to trade with one of the females. I thought I had a male and female because one of them used to sing.

I never thought of it being egg binding but Finchie is right. Eggs do press on a nerve in egg binding and can cause that to happen. It is unusual that they both had the same problem but then I guess I would look at what you are providing them to not become egg bound. Even female Strawberries will sing some. Not like the male but they do have a nice little tune. The telltale sign with them in the red that the male has when in breeding condition. Lucky you to have two females! I am sure someone would love to trade you a male. Good luck!!

I missed the whole part about them laying eggs! Yes, maybe it is eggbinding. Maybe add some liquid calcium to their water, offer extra eggshells, make sure they are getting vitamin D3. Wow, 9 eggs! You have got to get a male! Where are you located? Please post it in your profile, that will help anyone who might have a male to trade.

I didn't realize the hens sang either, had not heard my two hens sing (or maybe when they were singing, I assumed it was the male). When I separated my juvie males and females, the females started singing. It is a shorter song than the males, but definitely a little song.