sick bird/undigested seed

[eclipticaus]

Hi all,
Thanks for taking the time to answer my question. Currently I have two Gouldian finches. This is my first time with Gouldians. Previously I raised Zebra Finches.

The problem started when I brought home my finches, a male and a female. The first female I got from the breeder was sluggish from the start and quickly evidenced signs of illness (sitting fluffed up in the cage, low energy). I added a heat source but within days her breathing became labored and phlegm was dripping from her beak/nostril. About five days after I purchased this bird she died. The male evidenced no signs of illness.

The breeder was out of females but was expecting a new shipment of birds. A few weeks later he offered me a replacement female. When I came to pick her up (she had arrived the previous night) I noticed he had already put the new birds in with his flock without quarantining them which surprised me.

The day after i brought the bird home she started acting lethargic like the previous female. I thought maybe it was just stress from having been shipped. I added a heating element. She got progressively worse over the next couple of weeks. She slept most of the day at the bottom of the cage, only returning to the perch to sleep at night. Her droppings were normal. After a couple of weeks her symptoms got worse. Her breathing became labored and I thought I detected clicking noises. Thinking she had air sac mites I bought some medication and started treatment.

By the next day she was even worse and she looked like she was straining to expel something. So now I am thinking maybe she is eggbound. When I examined her her vent was blocked by something hard. I took her to the vet and the vet helped her to pass a large mound of what turned out to be undigested seeds.

$180 later I still don't know what is wrong with the bird. The vet sent me home with saline water, morphine and antibiotics but had no idea what the problem was. After my bird arrived back home she expelled some more undigested seeds.

I am reading on the internet (including someof these threads) that the undigested seeds could be from a parasitic infection and that the vet should have taken a stool smear. Also her droppings are a whitish green and I don't have enough experience yet with these birds to know if this is normal. I assume so. Has anyone else had a bird with these symptoms? Suggestions? Could it be parasites? Bacterial infection? Stress? I am so frustrated with my experience and don't want to have another bird die.

Best,
Dawn

[nixity]

I certainly hope you don't intend to ever get birds from this individual again

Undigested seed is generally a sign of something wrong in the upper digestive tract; so it could mean parasites (gizzard worms), protozoan (Trich) or it could be a fungal infection such as Candida or Avian Gastric Yeast.

Not sure if a fecal smear would be more beneficial than doing a crop swap or crop culture if the vet could do that - you might get more answers this way. But if the only option is a fecal then this would be worth it to find out what's wrong.

[DanteD716]

Welcome to the forum Dawn, your girl sounds very sick, I am sorry I cannot be of any help. Maybe you can try a round of cocci care?

I say never buy from this breeder again, I hope she gets better. Is she eating and drinking? You are doing good with the heat source.

Also if you have not already, maybe you should treat both birds for ASM and cocci.

[eclipticaus]

Thanks for your great suggestions and for the welcome!

I am so confused about what to do. The vet has already started her on a course of antibiotics but it doesn't sound like an antibiotic will touch any of these things as none of them are bacterial, right?

Does anyone know how long it would take to get the results back from a crop swab?

Should I stop the antibiotics and try treating for those other organisms? Should I continue treatment with the antibiotics and also treat for those other things? It seems like a lot for the bird and yet I feel like aggressive treatment is warranted at this point.

I also contacted Laraine at Laraine's Lady Gouldians as so many on the board seem to swear by her.

Thanks again!

[eclipticaus]

And also I will definitely not be buying from this guy again. He is on Las Palmas Ave in Sacramento btw.

[DanteD716]

Thanks for warning us about him. Has the antibiotics helped at all?? I would finish this round of antibiotics and see what Larraine suggests, she is a life saver. In the mean time make sure your girl is eating and drinking.

In the meantime, start preventitives on your male before he falls sick, have you treated him for anything yet?

[funnyfeathers]

The seed can be a result of an upset gi floura. You can try giving some benebac (bird specific) and see if that helps.

[dan78]

Dawn not being able to see what's happened with your girl, I would suggest to continue the antibiotic treatment as the vet suggested. The vet maybe worried about an infection after removing the lump so I say better to be safe than sorry. As for treatments for this condition well it could be a few problems as tiffany has stated.