5 year old Canary looks sick

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Littlewings
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Posts: 14
Joined: 21 Aug 2021, 18:25
Location: New Zealand

Went to feed my birds this evening and found my yellow Canary male puffed up on the floor. Knew something was wrong because they all perk up when I come in the room. Went to try catch him, was in deep sleep so he didn't notice, let him go to see if he could fly and he fluttered a little but crashed onto the floor and wasn't able to get up off his side. He is 5 years old, could this be just him passing from old age?
I felt his keel bone and he isn't too skinny, his flight feathers are a little tattered but not a lot, no obvious injuries. Looked fine this morning. Didn't show any interest in the millet spray I offered him. He's on the same food as he has been for months.
I'm preparing a hospital tank right now and going to begin supportive care.
Do you guys have any ideas of what could be wrong with him and how I can hopefully treat him?
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Littlewings
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Posts: 14
Joined: 21 Aug 2021, 18:25
Location: New Zealand

Sadly the little guy passed this evening. I think it was aspiration which was my fault, i tried to put a very minute amount of maple syrup on his tongue as I have heard some people do with sick birds because they absorb it through their tongue, so there is no aspiration risk. I must have done it wrong, or too much, because a couple seconds after he was twisting his head around and died in my hands.. Or maybe it was the stress of handling.. I'm not sure but I think or hope it was a quick death. He wouldn't eat on his own and was having trouble breathing. He was extremely weak, I'm not sure he would have made it even if I left him alone. Before I had birds, I never thought I could become so attached to one little bird. RIP little guy.
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finchbreeder
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Joined: 27 Jun 2009, 20:00
Location: Midwest of West. Aust. Coast
Location: Midwest of West.Aust.Coast

Sorry for your loss. People think it takes a mamal like a dog or cat for us to get attached to them. But then you start noticing that it happens with feathered friends too.
LML
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