sick finch

[christine]

Hi, i lost my female star finch the other day, now my male is eating but sitting on bottom of cage.They were a mated pair but were young and their eggs were not fertilized yet.I fed them the best foods. Im baffled as to why the female died and now the male seems to be going as well. Could it be some kind of virus.Im heartbroken.

[B CAMP]

Are you giving him any extra heat like a lamp at one end of cage ,what are some other symptons

[L in Ontario]

Hi Christine, I'm so sorry for your loss - it's never easy.

Can you tell us their diet and cage location? How long have you had them?

[Sally]

So sorry for your loss. You have gotten some good advice already, to put a heat lamp on him. Does his poop look normal?

[christine]

I have had them for 11/2 yrs purchased them young. I fed regular finch seed with alternating eggfood dried , insect meal, palm oil once in awile, miracle meal, all bought from reputable finch sites like healhy bird, lettuce once a week.They seemed so happy, the female would lay an occasional egg but not fertilized.There were no eggs in nest when she died. The male will eat from seed dish then go sit on bottom of cage. When i went home at lunch i knew something was wrong as he was sitting on his perch all puffed up, i know thats not a good sign.The room their in is not cold.

[christine]

His poop looks normal , thank you to all who responded to my post

[L in Ontario]

Sounds like the diet is very good with fresh water every day. I have to agree with Bill and Sally - give him a heatlamp at one end of a perch so he can use it or be away from it as needed.

Do you have any NV Powder or Guardian Angel on hand? I'd give him a little of either one.

[sammyj]

I am so sorry to hear about your bird.

Birdie Bird was the same way for a few weeks lately when it was really gloomy out. He was always puffed up, slept a lot, would be at the bottom of the cage. I was told to look to see if his tail was pulsating and if I could see his chest moving as these are symptoms of a respiratory disease. I was also told to put a heat lamp near his cage or the vet said even a blanket over half the cage and a normal lamp next to it.

I know that my mom's canaries passed away that way. The female just passed away and not long after the male did as well. I am guessing that it is from a broken heart. Are there other birds around him? I'm truly not a knowledgeable bird person but I look at it as if we lost our mate, wouldn't we get depressed?

I hope that he gets better soon!

[christine]

Yes i have guardian angel, i will give that to him. I was also thinking maybe a broken heart, but a few yrs ago i lost a strawberry male and the female lasted 4 yrs after his death.I have noticed his tail was pulsating.I havent got a heat lamp maybe a heating pad would work?

[L in Ontario]

Heating pad may work - don't see why not or a regular light/lamp would do well too. Yes, by all means give him some GA to help. I don't think a broken heart would kill a finch (I just don't believe those sort of feelings in a finch - not as strong as we humans).

Will you get him another female?

Good luck and please keep us posted on how he's doing.

[christine]

thank you everyone , i will take all this great advice and hopefully he makes it through the night.I dont know if i will get him another female yet , well see if he pulls through first.

[sammyj]

I also bought some vitamins to put in my birds water and that really seemed to help too. I would put heat around him somehow and maybe put on some bird music for him? Poor thing! Let us know how he is in the morning. Do you have a vet that could look at him? I thought that it would be expensive but it was only 30 dollars and it was the best 30 dollars that I probably spent.

[sammyj]

How is your finch? Is he doing better?

[christine]

thank you for asking hes fine , chirping and jumping around his cage.Hes eating well, it must have been the heating pad i put around his cage on one side for a few days. Also ive been giving him guardian angel.I stopped giving him insects.I have beak appetit but i really dont think that could have caused him to be sick, but im not sure.I have always given them the insects. It seems so strange he went that way after the female died.

[franny]

So glad he's doing OK. It sounds like he may just have been stressed at the lost of his mate. I hope you'll be getting him another friend now.