Help! Ground-bound Zebra-Finch...

Re: Help! Ground-bound Zebra-Finch...

Miriam Lodewyks — Wed, 07 Aug 2013 21:23:11 GMT

Wow, Marie, what an superbly useful bit of information! I'd give you more stars if I could! Not sure if I have the time/skill-set/facilities for the faecal test, but will look into it. Bird is still alive, and I think it's a male (so does the owner). I hope to re-examine it tomorrow and will take the time to follow your guidelines. Fingers crossed....

Re: Help! Ground-bound Zebra-Finch...

Bob Russell — Wed, 07 Aug 2013 13:26:19 GMT

What a brilliant summary of how to examine a bird systematically!

I have copied it to my computer. I already expect to do these things but great to have such a succinct guide!

Many thanks!!!

Re: Help! Ground-bound Zebra-Finch...

Marie Kubiak — Wed, 07 Aug 2013 09:12:15 GMT

Hi,

males have barring and stripes on the neck and chests, and deeper red beaks (not as useful for sexing though if both birds are the same sex preventing comparison, and hopeless with some of the colour mutations!).

There is no nice blanket treatment - it could be an neuro issue, orthopaedic problem, cardiac, respiratory, metabolic derangement... It may be worth referring on if the owner is keen as they are really tough cases to deal with and try and die quickly. If the owner isn't keen then do as much as you can to narrow down the long list of differentials:

Clinical exam:

Hands off assessment of response to stimuli, respiration at rest, ability to see/navigate, assess faeces in cage (should be white urate, brown faeces and small amount of clear urine). A coracoid, scapular or clavicular fracture typically leads to a wing hanging lower on the affected side so should be obvious.

Catch up in a small piece of paper towel to avoid greasing/damaging the feathers and restrain gently as for a budgie cupped in one hand with head between second and third finger. Don't compress the chest!

look for discharge around nares, external ears (blow behind beak commisures to part feathers and show tympanum)

Palpate keel to assess body condition. Pectoral muscles should be convex and only the tip of the keel blade should be palpable

look at the ventral body below the keel and damp the feathers to see better - this can be really informative. Extension of the liver much beyond the keel indicates hepatomegaly. Haemorrhages may be seen, any dark discoloured viscera are significant. Palpate for eggs/fluid.

Auscultate with a paediatric stethoscope, the heart will just be a buzz but respiratory noises may be audible

Assess feather quality, beak and nails, skin, feather abnormalities can indicate viral aetiologies, foot distortions can indicate viral infections, osteomyelitis, gout and, rarely, parasitic infections

Diagnotics:

The simplest test is a faecal analysis - low stress to you and the bird and helps rule in/out GI and some systemic issues. I do a fresh faecal smear to look for protozoa and Macrorhabdus (a distinctive elongate yeast), then dry that smear for diffquik staining. Also do a faecal flotation with a saturated salt solution to look for nematodes/coccidia. Any coccidia, moderate/high nematode levels (any capillaria) and high/monotypic bacterial populations indicate a potential problem.

Hopefully at this stage you have ruled out lots! And have some abnormalities on clinical exam to help decide which organ system is affected and be able to target medical treatment, or guide further specific diagnostics.

If not... Next least invasive step is GA and Xray to look for specific organ changes, assess spine and look at bone density and try and identify other lesions.

Marie

Re: Help! Ground-bound Zebra-Finch...

Miriam Lodewyks — Wed, 07 Aug 2013 07:34:01 GMT

Thanks Marie, It's one of 2 birds kept in a house cage. Other is fine at the moment. No new birds and these two been together 5 years. Sex unknown. Any "blanket-treatments" you can suggest? As I said, I've never even seen one of these before and work in a "furry animal" clinic, so access to specialist drugs limited.

Re: Help! Ground-bound Zebra-Finch...

An On MRCVS — Tue, 06 Aug 2013 23:16:19 GMT

You could always X-ray it it may have a fractured coracoid. An X-ray would also give you an idea re hepatomegaly or other.

Re: Help! Ground-bound Zebra-Finch...

Marie Kubiak — Tue, 06 Aug 2013 20:45:29 GMT

They are nice :) But not always fulfilling patients!

What is the management? Group size? Any others affected? Male or female? Diet? Exposure to other birds either indirectly/directly? Last time a new bird came into the home? Body condition? Any other abnormalities on exam? Wing feathers complete and normal? Any coelomic distension/palpable or transcutaneously visible liver lesions? Much of the diagnosis has to be done from clinical exam and history as diagnostics are limited heavily by size.

It sounds fairly non-specific symptoms of a weak bird, glean as much info from the owner as you can regarding flock history and care. Photos of environment and individual would be useful - feel free to email them to me or post on here if you have access to pics.

I would look at supporting it as an initial first aid measure - these rapidly crash if deprived of food for more than a few hours and if it can feed itself then provide shallow food and water bowls on the floor and provide low perches to minimise ongoing feather damage from being grounded.

Marie