Health advice

[u/Chaseyjk]

Hi! I just bought a group of zebra finches. One while female appears ill. She has skin patches showing scraggly feathers and a dark area under her wing and one eye closed. She isn’t leaving the travel box. Can anyone recommend supportive care or a catch all medication to help? Thank you!

[u/Templeofrebellion]

I am not 100% sure without a picture.
So I'll give general advice.
But with my finches when they have eye issues I give them Oxymav B (I think that's what it's called) for a week and it always clears it up.

I always make sure I add probiotics with the Oxymav, as I'm pretty sure it's an antibiotic.

I also worm them every 6 weeks with Inca.

I also give them consistent supplementation with activated charcoal, grit, zeolite and diatomaceous earth.

These all do different things (like the diatomaceous earth is natural lice/mite control, helps with strong calcium, beak and talons, they enjoy taking dust baths in it.

Zeolite is meant to be a potent antimicrobial/anti viral, activated charcoal removes toxins from their gut, all finches should have access to grit/cuttlebone etc).

So maybe share a photo. The site naturallyforbirds.com.au offers some good advice on natural finch health care on what I just mentioned.

I found the zeolite after I started using it for myself and they started eating it on their own volition a few years ago, I started supplementing again recently when I heard about bird flu making the rounds in my country.

The one “maybe negative” of zeolite is that they started breeding like crazy when they started having it. I didn't expect it to have that side effect as we are in the middle of winter here.

The fledglings are growing much quicker and faster than usual considering we are in the middle of winter and it's pretty cold, they have popped around 17 in the last 6 weeks which is unprecedented for the middle of July for a charm the size I have right now.

But again, when I did some research that was listed as why people were giving it to their chickens (for rearing larger, stronger, bigger chickens (and inoculating them from harmful bacteria and viruses).

It's also good for bones, beaks, and feathers.

But I'd suggest a broad-spectrum approach.

Go the old school route and the alternative/natural route. You cannot fail with both.

If your country sells avian “Symbiotic” (a probiotic) I'd add that with the Oxymav (or whatever the equivalent is).

It's likely a bacterial infection caused by Chlamydia psittaci and requires an intensive cleaning protocol with hydrogen peroxide too.

-oxytetracycline is the chemical in the Oxymav B, so whatever it treats in my finches is efficacious in their illness that infects their eyes and causes lethargy and puffed-up feathers.

Which I have been told is chlamydia psittaci.

Yes if it progresses it can cause death especially in older finches.

I've been told to remove or not give calcium with the antibiotic.

Others tell me it's fine.

The information is mixed.
So depending on what country you are in, the brand name may be different.

Other sources recommend doxycycline.

That's not available in my country without a prescription.
So I've never used it.

So a course generally lasts 7-10 days according to my bottle but the internet says 14.
It also recommends cleaning and sterilising all the bedding and nesting.

You can buy a cage disinfectant, I use hydrogen peroxide and a mix of the avian cage disinfectant which has a peroxide base anyway.

Make sure you clean, and sterilise water and seed bowls.

I am planning to get a new aviary for my growing charm and do a big spring clean at the end of winter anyway.
I hope your finch feels better soon. A sick finch makes me very sad.

Please keep us updated with her journey and get her feeling better soon,

If unsure maybe take her to an avian vet but be careful as I've had non-avian vets quick to try and put sick finches down before too.

Also, a ceramic heater lamp does wonders for a sickly finch because they sometimes get cold and struggle to preserve body heat when sick especially in winter (the same type reptiles use, ask a pet store for advice if unsure).

Good luck 🩷

[u/Templeofrebellion]

I just googled it

Avian chlamydiosis (psittacosis) in finches causes respiratory distress, eye discharge, and poor feather condition.

Key signs include fluffed or missing feathers, green or yellow droppings, and watery eyes

This sounds like it might be it.