UPDATE !! Zebra finch/ twisting of head

bobojenday · Post by **bobojenday** » Sun Mar 01, 2009 4:37 pm

Oh boy, it was just a couple months ago my spice finch passed, she was 6 so an older girl. I've been wanting to find another friend for my zebra finch (he's 4) but haven't yet and I think he's been a little depressed lately as he's alone now with my jenday conure.

Today I noticed he's like twisting his head around weird and not his active self. Sitting a little fluffed etc. He is still perching and I put some spray millet on the floor of the cage and he is eating it or at least pecking at it. Besides putting a heat lamp on him and offering millet and his normal Harrisons pellets and water is their anything else. Does anyone know what this twitching or weird moving of the head is or what kind of illness this could signal? I"ve never had any problems with him before otherwise and really thinking the loss of my spice girl stressed him so much he's ill now.

bobojenday · Post by **bobojenday** » Sun Mar 01, 2009 5:42 pm

I'm trying to find info online about this. It's sounding more like a neurological thing. I do allow free flight in the bird room so it's possible he could of flew into something or hurt himself earlier without me knowing.

If anyone has experience this weird head twisting let me know if the bird recovered or not. I"m hoping for the best. Like I said he's eating spray millet but otherwise resting for the most part. He can still fly and perch so I guess that's a good sign

L in Ontario · Post by **L in Ontario** » Sun Mar 01, 2009 5:48 pm

Maybe he's looking for a mate again...?

bobojenday · Post by **bobojenday** » Sun Mar 01, 2009 5:59 pm

L in Ontario wrote:Maybe he's looking for a mate again...?

Most likely he probably was but now he's definitely ill. He's fluffed and not moving around much. I have a bad feeling about this one. Probably be a sad week.

bobojenday · Post by **bobojenday** » Sun Mar 01, 2009 6:22 pm

I also just noticed a bulging looking bald spot on him. Here is the best pic I could get without freaking him out of it. I really don't know what has happened.

[img][img]http://i227.photobucket.com/albums/dd33 ... 301634.jpg[/img][/img]

L in Ontario · Post by **L in Ontario** » Sun Mar 01, 2009 6:24 pm

Do a search on "twirling" and "star gazing". I thought it was only Gouldians that got that condition though.

BirdCrazy · Post by **BirdCrazy** » Sun Mar 01, 2009 6:27 pm

That looks like his crop. It could be impacted and uncomfortable and that is why he is twisting his head around trying to feel comfortable. Do you feed him seed or just pellets besides the millet?

bobojenday · Post by **bobojenday** » Sun Mar 01, 2009 6:45 pm

BirdCrazy wrote:That looks like his crop. It could be impacted and uncomfortable and that is why he is twisting his head around trying to feel comfortable. Do you feed him seed or just pellets besides the millet?

He gets Harrisons pellets, and a cooked seed/fruit mix that he normally doesn't eat, also corn in the mornings. Spray millet I give about once a week normally. He's been on this diet though for a very long time, years. The spray millet is more of a recent thing as I bought some as a treat for him a couple months ago. My conure has been eating the same thing and he's not presently sick or anything.

Do you have any idea what might be going on? And when he does the head twisting thing he normally twists his head to the same side as the bald looking spot. He's looking more sickly by the minute it seems but still perching. I don't think he's going to even make it through the night. I'm in tears right now wondering why we put ourselves through this hell. I don't think i should own pets.

cartel · Post by **cartel** » Sun Mar 01, 2009 7:10 pm

I'm thinking what (Bird Crazy is thinking)Impacted.Does he always get corn and how do you prepare it?

bobojenday · Post by **bobojenday** » Sun Mar 01, 2009 7:17 pm

Yes, both my birds get corn, it's frozen corn and normally aten up right away by my conure.

If this is crop impaction, which it sounds very well may be, what can I do to possibly help him.? I've read a couple drops of mineral oil and massaging it (but even administering this would stress him out horribly) could possibly help. I don't have mineral oil but olive oil?? I don't know but if I don't do anything he's going to die and if I do try to do something maybe I'll have a slight chance of helping him still. I can tell he's not feeling well at all. I want to do what I can for him. Please, any suggestions quickly.

dfcauley · Post by **dfcauley** » Sun Mar 01, 2009 7:44 pm

I am sorry you are going through this. It is very dffficult to watch one suffer. Keep him warm and comfortable. I really don't know what else you could do other than take him to a vet.

akidsgal · Post by **akidsgal** » Sun Mar 01, 2009 9:06 pm

This doesnt really sound like twirling like my Gould has. Although I wouldn't rule it out. First I would consult a vet and see if he may have an ear infection. That would be my first thought. If he spins around on the bottom of the cage it is a neurological thing and he will most likely never come out of it. However he may live for a long time. My Gould has had this for more then a month and is still eating and drinking in low dishes set on the floor of his flight. He does perch on low perches. If he hit his head it could be an issue for a long time as well. This does not mean that he isn't enjoying his like as my Gould now talks to me a bit since the onset of this issue. He does sleep in front of the light and does require a lot more heat. No biggie for me as I am happy to sing and sit her with him.

bobojenday · Post by **bobojenday** » Sun Mar 01, 2009 9:30 pm

I caught him in a towel and felt his crop. It's soft and squishy but still bulging. Maybe sour crop? I massaged it some and a tiny bit of stuff can out of his beak. I think I"m at a loss of what more to do. A vet wouldn't be open to see him till morning and an emergency vet about an hour away, I've never had much luck with. They don't seem to know how to treat avian creatures very well.

I think for now I"ve handled him enough and its time to let him go to sleep in his coconut house. I know he's so uncomfortable right now, hopefully this is over fast enough for him.

B CAMP · Post by **B CAMP** » Sun Mar 01, 2009 10:00 pm

I don't have any answers for you someone said it sounded like impaction in the crop maybe stop the pellets and corn just give the millet maybe some hardboiled eggs mashed up . here is a good link for sick finch's to put in favorites http://www.finchniche.com/f-sick.mgi
good luck

bobojenday · Post by **bobojenday** » Mon Mar 02, 2009 10:08 am

Well good news for now. He's still alive and looking better. During the night I heard little feet on the bottom of the cage hopping around eating spray millet so I put some more down for him.

This morning I no longer see his crop bulging so another good sign. I don't think he's out of the clear yet but he definitely looks a little more perked up and I also here him chatting some. This all seems like good news.

Should I stop the millet right now because he won't touch his pellets as long as there is millet or should I continue it for another day or so to make sure he's getting better as he needs all the calories he can get? I"m a little iffy on giving him corn right now. Any food suggestions for him? I don't want to give him anything that could make his crop irritated or worse again.

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UPDATE !! Zebra finch/ twisting of head

UPDATE !! Zebra finch/ twisting of head

Twirling