Heckle has bloody butt

[mrshorn]

For the Love of God my birds won't cut me some slack! We were working on the Hooligan's cage and I noticed Heckle was picking at her butt. Upon further inspection, she has a bit of a bald spot and a raw vent. She will pick at it momentarily and then go about her business. She will shake and fluff up as if she has taken a bath now and then too. What the heck is going on with my birds?!!!! First I lose Donald after over three weeks of being sick, and now this! What can I do? Can I put Neosporin on her? I have antibiotics, should I give those to her? Should I hospitalize her? I took a picture, gross I know, but maybe someone can identify what is going on. What do you think?

[B CAMP]

Not sure whats going on but I think some heat would be good for her till someone else has a better opinion

[CandoAviary]

Oh My... What in the world. Has she laid any more eggs? Could one of broken and scratched/cut her? Has the bird been in the nest incubating lately? Was there poop stuck to the feathers before this picture? Looks like it is quite irratated. JohnBoy has used colodial silver with success for this kind of thing.
I had an open sore on a canaries foot before and used neomiacin antibiotic ointment. It did not hurt the bird even though the silly things ate the gel off his foot

[cindy]

I did a little reading and your finch may be constipated or has a blockage. Has she passed droppings lately?

[mrshorn]

No, she has not laid more eggs. She has been incubating her dud eggs, and is now out of the nest more often. There is a ton of poop on a daily basis, but one could never be sure who it is from. There was no poop stuck to her before the picture either. I am dumbfounded. She was in her nest 99% of the time when she was sitting her eggs. Could it be like a bed sore?

Candace- Is that a yes on topical antibiotics? Just different than Neosporin? What about Aureomycin in her water? How does one obtain colodial silver?

Cindy- If it is constipation, what do I give her for that?

What do I do? I just lost Donald, one of my huskies has some swelling/infection in her gums, and now Heckle has a problem with her butt. Can my babies just be well?

[CandoAviary]

I am praying for all your babies
I would bet it is a bed/egg sore.
I have seen broody canaries get baldish/rawish looking from sitting too long.
I would imagine if they had some nasty/poop on the egg nest can cause an infection. The antibiotic I used was from my vet for a dog's eye infection. Maybe it was teramyacin?? Gosh, I don't remember. It was not a petroleum base gel...I think maybe neosporin is???? I am not sure as I never use neosporin..... LOL.... some help I am.
I would probably remove the nest and maybe smear a thin amount on the sore. If it continues to get worse , only then would I put the bird on antibiotic.
I think if she would stay off the nest and let the air dry it it would get better. Kind of like diaper rash....does that make sense
Hopefully someone will wake up...my we are night owls...and give you better help.
I can pray some more though.

[L in Ontario]

You certainly are night-owls! If that were my bird, I would put a thin layer of neosporin (or equivalent) on it to try and get it to begin healing and personally, I would put her on antibiotics to prevent/fight possible infection due to it's proximity to urine and faeces. But you have to make the call here and do what you feel is best for her. I hope she gets better soon... and your husky too!

[cindy]

Morning Liz...I was up late because I went to a banquet for my husband. I met him there and came home to be with my daughter. Long drive and couldn't go to sleep right away. Up early with coffee and the dogs, and of course all the chirpping finches!

I read also that once it is healed if you notice them pecking at it more use a little mineral oil around the vent area to lubricate it. I agree with Liz...medicate it to prevent infection.

Candace, you up yet?

[cindy]

No, she has not laid more eggs. She has been incubating her dud eggs, and is now out of the nest more often. There is a ton of poop on a daily basis, but one could never be sure who it is from. There was no poop stuck to her before the picture either. I am dumbfounded. She was in her nest 99% of the time when she was sitting her eggs. Could it be like a bed sore?

Candace- Is that a yes on topical antibiotics? Just different than Neosporin? What about Aureomycin in her water? How does one obtain colodial silver?

Cindy- If it is constipation, what do I give her for that?

What do I do? I just lost Donald, one of my huskies has some swelling/infection in her gums, and now Heckle has a problem with her butt. Can my babies just be well?

Sorry I missed answering this...I guess I was up to late. Try adding a little wheat germ oil to some green or egg food. If she is still having problems after it is healed and you notice she is pecking at her vent area again, rub a little mineral oil to the spot to help lubricate it.

From the picture it looks like a nasty open wound, I agree with everyone either or both oral and topical antibiotics and keep her warm. Hope she feels better soon.

[CandoAviary]

Yep, been up since 7 AM.... I sure don't sleep much these days.... But when I do, I sleep good Menapause? A couple of years ago I slept 8 to 10 hours a day..... now maybe 5 to 6. But sometimes, Hubby and I will take a day and just stay in bed all day (besides a few trips to check the birds and let the dog out) watch movies and nap and snuggle.That evening we will take ourselves out to eat, stuff ourselves, then fall back into bed. Seems like those down days recharge me for a couple of more weeks

Good advice Liz, about the sore being so close to the body openings. Sure wouldn't want infection to spread

[cindy]

Mrs. Horn hope your bird gets better, the poor little thing.

Keep us posted please.

side note!
Candace...I am more in the mode of get up, take care of the dogs and birds and get our youngest out the door to school. Up at 6 usually when my husband is home, even on weekends and days off. We are up hitting the trail and road biking, doing the Lance Armstrong thing!!!!! There is a lot of deer out in the wee hours.

[mrshorn]

Okay, tonight when I get home I will try some Neo and start antibiotics. We checked the interior of the nest last night, and it is spotless. One thing I have to say about the Hooligans vs. all my other birds, they are neat freaks! They have the cleanest cage ever. They eat their seed delicately and don't get it all over the place, they don't poop in their bath water or drinking water, and they sort of designated two areas of the cage as poop spots. Go figure. She had been sitting for such a long time, I would guess that had something to do with it. Shoot, I don't think I have any mineral oil.

As far as the whole night owl thing, I used to be able to stay up until 1am or 2am and still function the next day. Not even close now! I'm 30 and if I stay up past 11pm now, I am worked the next day. Sad but true. I have to get up at 6am to get ready for work and make my animal rounds before I leave the house. God bless my husband, because he has been doing rounds for me lately so I can sleep a little longer.

So Heckle looks like she has just (and I use the word "just" VERY loosely) a sore? It's not some other kind of bizarre finch disease that I have never heard of?

[cindy]

My dear Mrs Horn, you are a youngster. We are 52, We are usually in bed by 10. I stay up sometimes when my husband travels, the remote is mine!!!!

Candace..they make little tiny pills for that condition, menopause yuk! I call them happy pills!

[CandoAviary]

No pills for me thank you... I am a natural kind of gal. At least so far

Lisa,
I think that it is a sore also. I know of no ebola skin eating finch flesh disease..... or anything like that.
Maybe she got irritated from a prick of grass material or something and she just irratated it more by picking at it? Maybe an ingrown feather? I have never seen it before but still guess that it is 'just' a sore.

[mrshorn]

Cindy- That is why I am saying it is sad but true! I don't even have kids yet! It's the 6am business that kills me. I've never been a morning person though. Where is smilie with the loser fingers on the forehead anyway? I could use one of those right now!

Candace- Your guess is as good as mine on how she got it. How serious is it for her to have a sore? Am I going to be burying another finch soon?