foul smelling diarrhea-please help

[slwatson]

I'm desperate for some help!

Last night, I noticed my male forbes was sitting on the bottom of the cage...he was hopping around and trying to find seed on the cage bottom. Then he would try to fly back up to his nest (there are at least three eggs he's been sitting on with the hen) and he couldn't make it up. When I caught him, I noticed his bottom had poop smeared and it had an awful smell. I ran some lukewarm water over his bottom to clean him off, put him in a hospital cage with seed, water mixed with probiotics, and some heat. He died this morning

As I was getting ready for work, I noticed my best gouldian hen also has the same foul diarrhea, and she's currently caring for four gouldian babies with the male. I immediately removed her, cleaned everything in the cage and moved her babies to a clean nest, and she's in a hospital cage.

I'm thinking I might have given out a bad batch of egg food or their water went bad. The only thing I currently have on hand is enrotex, nv powder, and probiotics. I don't know what I should get to help my gouldian hen, and anyone else who might show these symptoms. I'm sure I'll need to treat the babies as well. What medications should I order to treat this??? I'm not taking anyone to a vet...I don't have any aviary vets in my area, and I feel competent enough to treat them myself if I just know what to give them. I checked breastbones...it looked like the forbes was losing weight.

Thanks in advance for your help!!!!

[GouldianGuy]

This is horrible I'm sorry to hear it. I hope your treatments help salvage your flock!

[Sally]

I'm not competent to advise on illnesses, but were the Forbes and Gouldian in the same enclosure? Or even right next to each other? If not, I'd assume that it might be something in the food or water. There are so many things that can cause diarrhea in finches, it could be fungal, bacterial, or parasites.

[slwatson]

Sally

Hi Sally...they were not in the same enclosure, but they all got the same egg food. And I had an aunt pass away and a brother-in-law who was bit by a rattlesnake this past weekend, so their water didn't get changed like it should have been. In the gouldian nest, there was lots of light tan colored poop built up on one side where the hen would sit, and it smelled awful. I'm thinking there's a digestive track infection from bad food and/or water, or possibly even mold. I noticed something black in the vitamin mix I used the other day in the egg food, and there's nothing black in that mix. It hasn't affected everyone because they don't all eat the egg food or mess in the water as much as others. Should I give them tetratex or amoxycillin or amoxitex? There's too many to choose from. Helen said to use probiotic, which I have at home, but don't they need something else? I can't get in touch with Colt or Molly

[cindy]

Typically cocci when advanced will smell but to confirm that you need to have several random fecal smears done.

[cindy]

Enrontex is baytril, do not use that on your flock if you have young in the nests,it interferes with cartilage growth

[slwatson]

cindy

Can they get cocci from drinking bad water or eating spoiled food?

[slwatson]

cindy

I don't think it's coccidiosis....I haven't seen any blood in the stool, and it's not green...it's tan colored. Then again...I don't know.

[Sally]

slwatson On the water, it would depend on how long it sat. I have gotten busy many times and forgotten to do fresh water each day with no problems in the flock. I also recently went out of town for 4 days and left the birds with Sparkle in their water and they all did fine. I would lean more toward the egg food. If it is a digestive upset from the egg food, that would not benefit from any kind of antibiotic, but of course, there is no way to be sure without a fecal. That's probably what Helen was thinking when advising the probiotic, as that is supposed to help return the gut to normal.

[slwatson]

Sally

Thanks for the info....I'm just devastated that my male forbes died. He was doing ok, and I'm wondering made him worse from the stress of pulling him out

[cindy]

cindy

Can they get cocci from drinking bad water or eating spoiled food?

the dirty water could pass bacteria, fungal....if bird have parasites or protozoa and poop in the water and others drink it they can become ill from parasites, protozoa....

spoiled food is ecoli...molds

without dropping pictures it is hard to say... there are other issues that can cause discolored droppings.

[cindy]

If the bird that passed was thin, the lower belly sunk in the bird had been sick for a while.

[slwatson]

cindy

Thanks Cindy...I've got the female gouldian in the hospital cage. I've mixed probiotic with water and given her dry seed and heat. I haven't noticed any nasty smells or diarrhea on the bottom of the cage. Her wings were droopy last night but appeared better this morning. I didn't even think about taking pics. I can do that tonight. Her mate is doing great right now....raising two of their own babies, and two babies that another couple tossed on the bottom of their cage. All babies seem healthy, and so does he.

[cindy]

if it is mold or fungal in the old soft food it may also require certain medications depending on how bad it is.... keep on eye on them especially the young.

[monotwine]

Sorry for the loss of your bird.

Sounds like you got a nasty intestinal infection.
Coccidiosis and other stuff can't be ruled out but as you can't go to vet for tests, eliminate common ailment and treat for intestinal bacterial infection. If the birds condition improves after 3 days then you know this is the problem. If not finish a 5 day course of antibiotic to prevent long term resistance build up to antibiotic and then try another ailment.

Sounds terrible but if you can't get conclusive diagnosis it's better to try treat for common problem and save the bird than do nothing and have them die.

As to what to use, try a broad spectrum anti bacterial antibiotic.
Sally my vet has given me Baytril for young birds. It's the best for quick results as it's the one which bacteria have least resistance to. I presume it's longterm use of it which would cause cartilage issues. I could be wrong. I've used it with birds feeding young for chronic bacterial breakout without detrimental affect. But agree it wouldn't be my first choice if the disease is mild and you know what the problem is.