sick hen and antibiotics

zookeeper78 · Post by **zookeeper78** » Wed Nov 12, 2008 6:28 pm

Hi everyone. I have a sick zebra hen and am curious about the antibiotics I just bought and if anyone has had any experience with the brand/active ingredient.Due to wanting to start her on something fast I had to go the pet store route instead of ordering something I'd prefer to use online.The store ony had the 8in1 Marvel Aid and Ornacyn-Plus (Mardel/Virbac manufacturer). I bought the Ornacyn because for some reason I just don't trust those 8in1 products. The Ornacyn has erythromycin as the active. Has anyone used this and what were your thoughts on it? I am intending to start her on it in the AM.

Just a little backround on what is going on with her. She has been fluffed up quite a bit and sleepy and sittng low on the perches and also has a slightly messy vent, not too messy but more than normal. She is eating and drinking and spending most of the time on the perches and is only on the bottom when pecking around for food. I should add she is also eating out of the food dishes. At first I thought maybe she was egg-bound but am not so sure of this now as she doesn't seem to be exhibiting the symptoms I have read about for that. Just in case I have been giving crushed egg shells in addition to the cutllebone that is always available and also a small amount of a reptile calcium/D3 supplement ( at work vets had ok'd this same brand for use with some of the birds there on their mealworms/waxworms, otherwise I ever would have tried it but they all do well on it so I gave it a shot). I have also been supplying additional vitamins but so far this does not seem to be helping.

She is also in a cage with her mate and 3 offspring, after a short attempt to separate her I stopped so I wouldn't add any additional stress to her or her cagemates. I have a heat lamp set up and that has been on for a few days now. Obviously her cagemates will also be getting the meds because, well, they are all together. Does anyone think that would not be a good idea? I do not know her age but know she at least 5 yrs old and could be older, so I also don't know if maybe she is just getting...old?

Sorry this is so long, but figure if anyone can offer some tips it would be the people on her. Oh and also for after the antibiotics what would be a good probiotic to offer her them? Thanks in advance for any help/info.

atarasi · Post by **atarasi** » Thu Nov 13, 2008 4:33 pm

This is just me, but I wouldn't medicate her unless you know for sure what is going on with her. I also wouldn't medicate the other birds just for the heck of it. I would not give antibiotics to any of my birds unless an avian vet instructed me to do so.

L in Ontario · Post by **L in Ontario** » Thu Nov 13, 2008 6:36 pm

Yeah, you really don't want to mess with meds if you're not sure what you're doing and especially if most of the birds are fine. I sure would not suggest medicating the well birds and know for sure what's wrong with the 'sick' bird before starting any medication. A vet can tell you best.

dfcauley · Post by **dfcauley** » Thu Nov 13, 2008 7:18 pm

I have antibiotics on hand should I need them, but have never been brave enough to use them. Hope I don't have to.

zookeeper78 · Post by **zookeeper78** » Thu Nov 13, 2008 8:28 pm

Thanks for the tips. I am hesitant about using the antibiotics, but got them in case since she doesn't seem to be improving with the heat, extra calcium and vitamins. And I also really don't want to give the antibiotics to the rest of the family. I may give it another shot to separate her in the morning by trying to bait her into another cage using some egg and eggshells, a couple of her favorites.

I was going to ask the vet at work today her opinion but she was not in. There is an avian vet nearby, but I took a parakeet that I caught on a pasture fence at work to this vet and I felt like it was a huge waste of a trip. I hesitate to bring any of my other birds there after that experience. The vet barely even looked at the bird, just picked it up, weighed it and put it back in the cage and then just preached about bird diets (pellets vs seeds and stuff), didn't even run a fecal or anything. I would think that at least they would've wanted to run a fecal on a bird that has been "lost" flying around outside for who knows how long and eating/drinking who knows what, especially if it was found hanging around a zoo with multitudes of birds in the zoo collection and even more wild birds hanging around for the free easy to get food. But apparently it wasn't to them.

I don't know, hopefully the vet at work will be in tomorrow.....I am quite concerned about her and hope to figure this out soon.

If anyone has any other tips from dealing with birds having similar symptoms I'd love to hear it.

atarasi · Post by **atarasi** » Fri Nov 14, 2008 12:16 am

If I couldn't verify a finche's age, but knew she was at least five years old, I would remove her to a separate hospital cage and keep her comfortable. She may be older than you think and the stress of giving her meds might be just cruel if her time is near.

FeatherHarp · Post by **FeatherHarp** » Fri Nov 14, 2008 9:06 am

zookeeper78...this is an interesting thread because I am currently treating my male Gouldian with some Ornacyn-Plus.

A couple days ago he started having all water droppings and was lethargic....I gave him one day to see if he would recover but he was worse the next day so I separated him from the others and after one day of treatment he is eating better and moving around more but not quite there with strength yet. He had this same problem about a year ago and I treated him with the Ornacyn-Plus then and he made a full recovery. Hopefully he will recover this time as well.

I would like to think the antibiotic is helping but one never knows for sure.

zookeeper78 · Post by **zookeeper78** » Fri Nov 14, 2008 7:46 pm

I did manage to separate her into her own cage this morning, ended up getting to work a few minutes late because of it

. I just hope that being separated from her family doesn't stress her out too much. I'll be keeping an eye on that.

I talked to the vet tech at work since the vet was not in and have decided to try the meds, however I will be monitoring that closely as well and if it seems like they are not helping or there is any decline in her condition I will be stopping. It is good to hear someone else has used the Ornacyn-plus and had good results possibly from the Ornacyn. That helps! I just don't always trust products sold at pet stores, especially when it comes to birds, when I still see things like grit being sold for parrots

. Just to clarify I don't mean grit as in oystershell or other calcium, but grit as in sand, etc.

All in all she doesn't look too bad, still just fluffed, occasionally sleepy looking, slightly droopy wings and a bit heavier breathing than normal. She is eating and drinking very well and her droppings look good as well. I'll just have to wait and see.

FeatherHarp · Post by **FeatherHarp** » Sat Nov 15, 2008 4:50 pm

Sorry to hear she is not better...it is hard to see them being sickly.

zookeeper78 · Post by **zookeeper78** » Sat Nov 15, 2008 6:56 pm

Well I think she may be improving, this morning before I went to work she looked good, was a bit fluffed at first but was also just waking up. After a few minutes seemed quite perky, does look like she misses the family though. Just peeked in when I got home and everyone has gone to sleep for the night.

Featherharp, how is your little guy doing?

FeatherHarp · Post by **FeatherHarp** » Sun Nov 16, 2008 9:31 am

zookeeper78 wrote:Featherharp, how is your little guy doing?

Glad to hear your Zebra is improving!

My Gouldian is better...no watery poops and he is eating better but he is still staying under the heat lamp a lot. This is his last day of antibiotics so I am hoping he will continue to improve and not relapse. Time will tell. At least the other birds seem healthy yet.

jamezyboo21 · Post by **jamezyboo21** » Sun Nov 16, 2008 10:20 pm

Did you little finch ever overcome her illness?

zookeeper78 · Post by **zookeeper78** » Tue Nov 18, 2008 6:22 pm

She is geting there I think. Just put her back in with the family today, she was really missing them. They had a little welcome back veggie, vitamin, probiotic party.

sean · Post by **sean** » Wed Dec 03, 2008 11:04 pm

any updates?

also, are probiotics always administered after a course of antibiotics? i mean, it makes sense. but is it standard procedure?