Joe Posted March 11, 2012 Report Share Posted March 11, 2012 Hey everyone, I have a canary that is fluffed up and not looking too well. I do not know what the cause of this is. I want to treat her and all my other birds as I haven't medicated them for ages and I also don't want to take the chance that some of the others might have caught whatever the canary has. We have following medications - Trichozole tablets (broad spectrum antibiotic), Baycox (for coccidea), Cydecton (for worms and intestinal parasites), PVM powder (calcium deficiency), garlic, probiotic yoghurt, and apple cider vinegar. I have read that it is not advised to medicate the water or food as different birds eat and drink different amounts of food (e.g. Turquoisines [Neophema pulchella] originate from hot parts of Australia and have evolved to not need as much water so they don't drink much, so if I medicated the water they wouldn't get the right amount of medication as they don't drink a lot). Also putting drops of drench on the back of the neck isn't advised either as it gets absorbed by the bird's body fat and is then useless. I have tried to medicate the water in the past and I removed the main water supply for 12hrs and then gave them a small container with the medicated water which they barely drunk, which pretty much backs up what I have read. Also the canaries started bathing in it after it had been there for a couple of days! So I want to medicate them orally via a syringe and use the tablets. Here is a list of the livestock: - Chinese Painted Quail (pair) - Turtle/Barbary/Ringneck Doves (pair) - Chaffinches (pair) - Turquoisines (pair) - Goldfinch (one male) - Canaries (one female three males) Basically I want to know what medications are best to use, and how much I need per bird. This is what my dad uses for his pigeons (he does medicate the food and water but they eat and drink it all within a specific time frame and so it works effectively and there is little to no wastage and they all get the correct amount of medication): Trichozole tablets - 1/2 per bird Baycox - 3ml per litre (48hrs) Cydecton - 5ml per litre (48hrs) Garlic - Curshed, 4 cloves per litre for 1 week Probiotic yoghurt - in water for 12 hrs Apple cider vinegar - 5ml per litre for 3 days Like I've said, I can't medicate the aviary bird's water and will have to catch them all and do it orally. Any help on dosage and what to use would be greatly appreciated Thanks, Joe Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stephanie Posted March 11, 2012 Report Share Posted March 11, 2012 I don't have a clue but i'm wondering if it might be easier for people if the list was like: Quail Dove Finch Turq Canary Just saying. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Joe Posted March 11, 2012 Author Report Share Posted March 11, 2012 Edited :thup: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
livingart Posted March 11, 2012 Report Share Posted March 11, 2012 I have a canary that is fluffed up and not looking too well. isolate the canary, hard to treat whole aviary and make sure each bird gets right dose canary could be air sac mite or age damp weather can get them too you need to ascertain what is wrong before treating Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hamstar99 Posted March 11, 2012 Report Share Posted March 11, 2012 I know you were told not to but for lice and mites on our canarys we used 1 drop on the back of the neck as needed. Literally one drop. cheers. Make sure they are warm and have good shelter out of draughts too. They can be pretty susceptible to the cold and changes in conditions. But im sure you already know this. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
livingart Posted March 11, 2012 Report Share Posted March 11, 2012 +1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Joe Posted March 11, 2012 Author Report Share Posted March 11, 2012 Cheers guys thanks for you input I know you were told not to but for lice and mites on our canarys we used 1 drop on the back of the neck as needed. Literally one drop. cheers. Make sure they are warm and have good shelter out of draughts too. They can be pretty susceptible to the cold and changes in conditions. But im sure you already know this. I actually think it might be mites - the symptoms look very similar to a canary I had ages ago that had air sac mites. Will the Cydecton be fine for mites? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hamstar99 Posted March 11, 2012 Report Share Posted March 11, 2012 Yes i think so. But I would probably try sprays and dusts first personally unless you have quite a bad infestation of them. We did kill a bird once by accidentally skirting it and overdosing it. If it is mites your aviary will probably need a good clean out. Its not just the bird that will need treating. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
livingart Posted March 11, 2012 Report Share Posted March 11, 2012 i have used ivermectin in the past it was a while ago though Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
repto Posted March 11, 2012 Report Share Posted March 11, 2012 too much and your hair will fallout. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
livingart Posted March 11, 2012 Report Share Posted March 11, 2012 :rotf: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
alanmin4304 Posted March 11, 2012 Report Share Posted March 11, 2012 Too late? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Joe Posted March 14, 2012 Author Report Share Posted March 14, 2012 Yep too late Found her dead yesterday moring. I looked at her body and I actually don't think it was mites, as mites nibble at the feathers around the face (from past experience) and none of the feathers had been nibbled. Maybe it was worms or something internal? If I was to medicate them orally with the Cydectin, should I make a 50/50 mix of water and Cydectin, and give each bird one drop of the solution? Or should I use the tablets? Thanks. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
repto Posted March 14, 2012 Report Share Posted March 14, 2012 canaries are nice enough birds but seems the thing they do best is to fall off their perch for no good reason?gouldians are alot hardier imo? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Joe Posted March 14, 2012 Author Report Share Posted March 14, 2012 No canaries are generally very hardy. More like the other way around - gouldians require special care and have to be kept above 20c all year round and are more likely to drop dead than canaries. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
livingart Posted March 14, 2012 Report Share Posted March 14, 2012 never had a prob with my gouldians even in winter so long as i kept the wind off them Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
repto Posted March 14, 2012 Report Share Posted March 14, 2012 No canaries are generally very hardy. More like the other way around - gouldians require special care and have to be kept above 20c all year round and are more likely to drop dead than canaries. my experience is the exact opposite??also the canneries were always leaving nests of babies at the drop of a hat or hatching them out and not feeding them.gouldians just keep the seed up and they rear their young no probs. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Joe Posted March 14, 2012 Author Report Share Posted March 14, 2012 I have been told by a couple of people who have lots of experience with keeping birds that they found gouldians more difficult to care for than canaries, and these are people who have bred birds for many years. Other people's experience with gouldians may be different, and I could only go by what I had already been told as I have never kept them myself. The fact that you guys have found them easy to care for and have had success with them is great to hear, as I have always considered keeping them but have been put off by what I've been told (and also by the cost of the birds themselves) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
repto Posted March 14, 2012 Report Share Posted March 14, 2012 they should be well within your reach nowdays?I bought 10 youngsters last year for $20 each?just have to be patient and wait for them to colour up.even the white breasts are coming down now.Shop around from now on as the youngsters come available. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Joe Posted March 14, 2012 Author Report Share Posted March 14, 2012 You're kidding? The lowest price I've heard of them being sold for is $90 per pair. Also are the different mutations/morphs priced differently? I would just be interested in the normal red headed morph - I don't like any of mutations at all. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jennifer Posted March 14, 2012 Report Share Posted March 14, 2012 Joe, you can tell that a canary has air sac mites because they fail to vocalise. Feather mites are as you say. A bird that is fluffed up continuously is on its last legs. It could be any number of things causing the problem. A good safe treatment for ectoparasites is by dipping their bare legs in Frontline spray (not the top spot treatment), then repeat again in 10 days. In my experience, Gouldians are not at all like tropical Australian grass finches. They are tropical but they will aclimatise to cooler temperatures and breed readily as long as they have sufficient closed-in shelter. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Joe Posted March 15, 2012 Author Report Share Posted March 15, 2012 Thanks Jennifer, great help I am aware of how air sac mites cause them not to vocalize, but I was also told that they come out at night and nibble at the feathers around the face. However I didn't notice any of this with the bird. Also they are all moulting at the moment. Could this be a contributing factor to whatever killed it? If I was to medicate them orally with the Cydectin, should I make a 50/50 mix of water and Cydectin, and give each bird one drop of the solution? Or should I use the tablets? Thoughts on this please guys... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
repto Posted March 15, 2012 Report Share Posted March 15, 2012 you need to go to an avian vet and tell them what you are wanting to treat.They will give you the apropriate medication at the correct dillution for the species to be treated.Animal drenchs are just that and accordingly stronger on a body weight average for the animal concerned,sheep drench is weaker than cattle strength etc etc.My vet has experience using some of these for what is really not what the products have been made for.there are some big does and don`ts that only comes with hard won experience.i get a dilution of ivomec and instructions for further dilution for each species,usually based on an average bodyweight. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
repto Posted March 17, 2012 Report Share Posted March 17, 2012 http://www.trademe.co.nz/pets-animals/birds/birds/other/auction-458603534.htm check these out joe.apart from being on the wrong side of the ditch?? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Joe Posted March 17, 2012 Author Report Share Posted March 17, 2012 Cool I won't be getting any more new birds yet as I'm trying to breed some fish and I want to focus on my fish projects, but afterwards I might consider getting some more birds. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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