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Video Is our new family member ill?

Pyrrhonic

Checking out the neighborhood
Joined
4/22/22
Messages
2
Real Name
Adam
Hi! A few days ago we brought home a new family member, and, being inexperienced bird parents, we’re concerned that Chuck’s behaviour is indicative of something wrong.

He has been bobbing his tail almost without pause — it looks like he’s trying to poop, or like he’s doing kegels or something. At the same time, he’s making very, very subtle vocalizations which, I’m worried, might actually be laboured breathing.

I’ve taken a video that I’d really appreciate getting some eyes on and some opinions about.

Here
 

.........

Jogging around the block
Joined
6/13/21
Messages
703
Hi! A few days ago we brought home a new family member, and, being inexperienced bird parents, we’re concerned that Chuck’s behaviour is indicative of something wrong.

He has been bobbing his tail almost without pause — it looks like he’s trying to poop, or like he’s doing kegels or something. At the same time, he’s making very, very subtle vocalizations which, I’m worried, might actually be laboured breathing.

I’ve taken a video that I’d really appreciate getting some eyes on and some opinions about.

Here
Yes, that is quite concerning to me. I'd consider that laboured breathing with the way he's opening his mouth and his tail bobs at the same time. He also wipes his beak on the perch, does he do that often? It's pretty normal as an every now and then thing, but excessively can be a symptom of something wrong. And the way he's puffed up can also be a sign of something wrong. But he is also active, when it's an infection of some sort they will usually be quite lethargic which he isn't.
I'm not a vet, but I would suspect Air Sac mites. You could take him to an avian vet and they can diagnose him and give you treatment, or Scatt is a well known treatment you can buy.
 

Rædwalda

Strolling the yard
Joined
5/24/21
Messages
105
I can hear the laboured breathing, and I do think that it's Air-Sac Mites, beak clicking can be another symptom so listen out for that. It's certainly not vocalisations you are hearing, but a wheezing from irritation in his breathing.

I would treat him ASAP. I went with S76 for my Canaries which is an in-water treatment, but I would recommend using Scatt as recommended by Screech.

The problem is the Air-sac mites can leave behind a respiratory infection also which wont be cured by the treatment, so I would say you want to be fairly quick.

Really you need to be getting him to a vet, as we could be wrong here, but if this was my bird and I have no other option, I would definitely treat him for mites.

BTW sounds like you have a second male canary in the room which is singing?
 

Pyrrhonic

Checking out the neighborhood
Joined
4/22/22
Messages
2
Real Name
Adam
Thank you so, so much for your input, everyone! We will get some of that Scatt you mentioned. How is it administered?

Chuck seems to be doing a lot better, but, like you advised, we won’t wait on this.

Unfortunately, a vet visit is probably not in the cards — the couple vets we’ve checked with in the area said they don’t usually treat small birds; and to be blunt, I’m not sure if we could afford it, in any case.

We WILL follow your advice, as I’ve said, but is it possible that it was a stress reaction? Because he seems much more comfortable now.

(The other bird you heard was YouTube :pwe’re trying to teach “him” to sing:p )
 
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Jogging around the block
Joined
6/13/21
Messages
703
How is it administered?
I think on the directions it says to put a drop of it on the skin, either way you should be able to find that out on the label.
is it possible that it was a stress reaction
Birds can 'pant' when they are stressed (open mouth breathing), but I haven't noticed tail bobbing going with it. The other symptoms he has I haven't heard of being related to stress.
 
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