What is wrong with this finch?

[finchbob]

Female zebra finch, about 6-7 weeks old, she has been in with 2 males who were from same litter.

She looks like she's constipated, like she's trying really hard to go toilet, her back end is low down and her head is drooping down toward the floor, occasionally she'll go back to a normal position but it looks very odd. Often her eyes are closing and shes lethargic.

I checked her vent area and strangely there was seed literally stuck all around it, I had to remove it with tweezers, put her back in the cage and it immediately looked like she was trying to push something out again.

It couldn't be egg binding at 6-7 weeks old could it?

[finchbob]

Took a picture:

10 hours this bird looked perfectly healthy, 6-7 weeks old. Now she looks like she's keeled over but she's still alive and doesn't want to move from this position.

[cindy]

I would remove her (only if weaned) and add a heat lamp above her for warmth. If she is not weaned drape the cage and add a heat lamp so she can still be fed by the parents. Keep the cage at about 85 degrees.

Make sure she has a water and food in a low dish she can get to and add a little wheat germ oil to her seed.

You didn't say if she was eating and drinking, is she able to do so?

[lovemyfinch]

Such a pretty little thing, I sure hope that you are able to figure out what is wrong and help her out.

[finchbob]

I would remove her (only if weaned) and add a heat lamp above her for warmth. If she is not weaned drape the cage and add a heat lamp so she can still be fed by the parents. Keep the cage at about 85 degrees.

Make sure she has a water and food in a low dish she can get to and add a little wheat germ oil to her seed.

You didn't say if she was eating and drinking, is she able to do so?

She doesn't seem to move from that face down position atall. At first she did but not anymore.

[cindy]

Did you put heat on her? Keep her warm. use a small hospital cage, cover the sides to keep the heat in.

[nixity]

Feel her breast bone - is her keel sharp/protruding?
If so, my guess is she is suffering from failure to thrive and is on her last leg

[Sally]

The FIC says Zebras can become sexually mature as early as 3 months, but she is only halfway to that age, I can't believe it could be eggbinding. Was she eating and drinking on her own, fully weaned?

[finchbob]

The FIC says Zebras can become sexually mature as early as 3 months, but she is only halfway to that age, I can't believe it could be eggbinding. Was she eating and drinking on her own, fully weaned?

Yes they've been away from their parents for 13-14 days and doing fine until this point.

[finchbob]

She died over night, head curled down toward her body.

[poohbear]

That was one poorly bird...that's birdkeeping for you,sad but true.Any bird curling up on the floor like that is not going to make it.....Shame.

[HoangQuan]

sorry for your loss
Will you try to find out what caused that? To prevent it from happenning again.

[lovemyfinch]

So sorry for your loss.

[Domenic]

Looking at that picture I wasn't expecting any good news. I'm so sorry about this, she was a gorgeous bird too.

[cindy]

Very sorry for your loss. She was a pretty little finch. Hope you figure out what happened to cause this.