Health

Dr. Rob: Trying to edit this question unsuccessfully. Somewhere in your material or book, I think I read that when the gouldians rub their beaks on the perches, this indicates airsac mites. Is this always the case? My pair of gouldians came from a good breeder and were treated with Scatt as a preventive measure.

I was wondering.......with this fuss about bird flu all over the world, are canaries and gouldian finches susceptible to the virus? If they are, what can I do to prevent it? Second.....by what time after hatching are male canaries supposed to start singing? And do all males sing the same or are there those that sing better than others?

Hello Dr Rob. My female Gouldian is ill. About 10 days ago I suddenly found her on the bottom of the cage where she appeared to be gasping and in great distress. ? why. She had just laid an egg the day before. Moreover she had laid 3 eggs several weeks back which she did not incubate. I was afraid she was egg bound and rushed her to the vet.

Hello, my gouldian finch kept on rubbing her eyes. I apply some eye drops (for humans) to it. The Gouldian finch seems to feel better. Is there any medicine I can apply to the bird? What can I do to heal the bird?

Hey. I'm about to buy a new canary but had some worries. It looked like a Norwich canary but its stance was a bit shaky. My friend suggested it was sick but then it started to sing, and sing a lot. We asked the storekeeper and he said it was his best singer, however the idea of it being sick stuck in my mind, so could it be that a sick canary can sing?? And what are the signs of sickness?

My two finches are currently being treated with Flagyl as prescribed by our vet. (today is day 4 - already much improved condition of these little guys) during the course of their illness, they lost some weight and feathers. What can I do to help along their recovery?

My YH LB YB has a small red lump at the base of her beak...just at her throat. Sometimes it looks like it has dried blood on it and sometimes it is just pink. It is a bout the size of a pin head. What could this be and what should I do about it?

I have a single canary (approximately 32 grams in weight) with scaly leg mite (Knemidokoptes pilae) and suspected air sac mites. I would like to treat him with S76 in his drinking water, because handling him stresses both me and the bird. Your book, Canary Health, does not give instructions for treating a single bird in this fashion. May I do so, and at what precise dosage?

Just a few questions about canaries. I have a canary that has this pimple that oozes a white substance coming out of his underside. Can you tell me what it is and what i can do about it? Second....

Dear Dr Rob, I have three gouldian finches. 2 males and 1 female. One male is breathing heavy with his beak open. He also sounds like he is sneezing. His head looks like it has not been groomed by him for some time. By this I mean the feathers have the crust on them that comes out when they are grown. I live in a small town and do not have a local vet who will look at my birds.