Aussie Finch Forum

Hope someone can help here. I had a painted finch last week that I found on the ground when I checked my birds late afternoon. I noticed that she had raspy breathing when I listened to her chest but no clicking. Put her in a hot box overnight till I could work out what to do, but she died overnight. Have a day off today and have just found a female gouldian with the same symptoms. Have put her in the hot box and have put some spark in her water but not sure what else to do.
Any suggestions?

treat for air sac mite. it doesn't need to be clicking to be ASM.

Thanks Tiaris, have just done that. We've had some wet, cold and windy weather here in Perth over the last week or so, but there's plenty of sheltered places in my aviary and I leave the cafe blinds dropped down at the roosting end permanently at this time of year. Not sure what else I can do prevention wise.

Next question is how long do I keep her in the hot box? She's looking much better, eating well and starting to look like she's ready for more space but when I checked her chest today it sounds not much better. Thinking of putting her in a cage but leaving her inside as the weather forecast for Perth for the next week is not looking good temperature wise. Forcasted maximums around 16-18 apart from a toasty 22 on Friday. To complicate matters her mate is lonely and eying off one of his uncoloured daughters.

Which ASM treatment did you use?

Avimec (Ivermectin 1000 mcg/ml).

Have now had this hen inside for almost a week.
She's active, looks well and has graduated to a cage, but she still has raspy breathing when I listen to her chest. Any ideas on what to do next?

Sounds like it may have a chest/ lung infection, antibiotics are your next best choice. Some thing like Doxycyline? only available from a vet but i think Vetafarm does a form of this antibiotic. Craig

Could try the Murdoch Uni Vet school, they have been very good when mum has used them.
LML

Thanks both of you for your replies. I have also had good experiences with the avian specialist vets at Wattle Grove which is a bit closer. She now looks great, bouncing around a largish cage and unless I actually listen to her chest you wouldn't know there was anything wrong. Think I'll give her another 48 hours and check her again then.