Gouldian hen with Gout???

[G8love4finches]

This is one of my Gouldian hens.....This will be the third time she has had this foot get red and swollen.....She is growing back her face feathers as well....I have posted previous pictures of her and have been dealing with this problem since last November....This is the original thread:

http://www.finchforum.com/viewtopic.php ... =+hurt+hen

This is a photo from today:



This was in December 2010:



This was in November 2010 (the original problem I treated with antibiotics and for mites)



Could this be gout?...I remove her and put her in the hospital cage with heat, then treat her with Iverlux and antibiotics....It seems to come back and looks very painful....She sits and put very little weight on it...Any help would be appreciated....I feel so helpless when I can't fix what is wrong with her

[cindy]

Anitbiotics will not do much for gout since it involves the kidneys....this explains it pretty well. One of my female BCheeks gets this. I found that a steady supply of Herb Salad and dark leafy greens helps...it flares up when she gets to much protein like dried eggfoods and boiled egg. I keep a close eye on her when she is raising young....I put a dish of herbs out for her, it does help.

http://www.avianweb.com/gout.html

[monotwine]

Shame she does look very sorry for herself.
Have you had a vet confirm it is gout? If so you can treat it for what it is, but make sure you know what any underlying causes are. It will help solve it in the longrun and manage it longterm.

[debbie276]

She sure does look sore!
Besides high protein (over 20-25%) other causes of gout are too much calcium, too much D3, too many oily seeds or too low Vitamin A. The use of an antibiotic gentamycin and antibiotics related to it can cause kidney damage if the dose is too high or for too long. Also sulfa drugs can cause similar problems.
First thing I would do is a lower protein diet, no higher then 15% and re-evaluate any and all vitamins and calcium supplements your giving her. Try to increase the fiber and plenty of fresh water.
Best of luck, keep us updated.