New Finch Died in Quarantine - Now What?

[flyover]

After much debate, I got a society finch from Petsmart to be a companion to my recently "widowed" society in my mixed flight.

The bird was fine for a week, but then one night I checked on him and found him sitting in his food dish, and the next morning he was dead. There was some tar-like stool in his food dish. Up until that point, his poop was normal and so was his behavior.

I soaked all the dishes in bleach and washed then in the dishwasher, and also soaked all the wooden perches in a bleach-soap mix.

What is the best means of sterilizing the quarantine cage? Soaking it the best I can in the bathtub in a bleach-soap mix? It's 18"x30"x18".

I have never had a bird die in quarantine, nor have I ever gotten one from a pet shop. (Always from a breeder.)

This was a week ago. This weekend I was hoping to go to a bird fair and try again, as I have a lone society and a lone diamond dove that I would like companions for. But I am wary of exposure to an illness. Moreover, I only have that one room for quarantining because of my cats.

Advice on sterilizing the cage? The room? Bringing home a new bird?

[Sally]

You can sterilize the cage by spraying it with a dilute bleach solution, I think 10% is enough. You can also wash it with anything before sterilizing it. Once the cage and all accessories are clean, I think you should be OK. Petsmart has a 2-week return policy, did you contact them to tell them the bird had died?

[delray]

flyover that's a good thing that he was in quarantine! Very important. It will save the life of your birds!

[flyover]

Sally - I did not contact Petsmart. I know I should have, but I have been busy with work. Moreover, I am not sure anyone over the age of 19 works at my Petsmart, and other than getting my twenty bucks back, I'm not sure it would have accomplished anything, though I guess I could have found out if their other Societies were okay. I think I was feeling very frustrated.

I have had a run of bad bird luck lately, and I was hoping to turn it around and make my one Society less lonesome. Sally, you replied to my thread about my recent Society problem. (The remaining Society looks fine now!)

http://www.finchforum.com/viewtopic.php?f=4&t=35325

I will spray down the cage and the surfaces of the bathroom which I use for quarantining. Still haven't made up my mind about trying for a new bird from the fair. I'll probably go, though:

http://www.stpaulbirdfair.com/birdfairs.html

Yes, delray - I suppose there is a sunny side. I am glad I always quarantine. It has never been an issue for me before, but this serves as a reminder that it's absolutely necessary.