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People began breeding Canary Diseases more than 500 years ago. Over all this time, a lot of knowledge has accumulated about these amazing birds. Breeders have learned to organize ideal conditions for their pets so that life in a cage does not cause them any discomfort, they always remain healthy and delight their owners with melodious trills.
Credit: FM Brown
The main aspects affecting the health of canaries include:
- cleanliness in the place of detention;
- quality of food and water;
- balanced diet;
- walking in clean air with access to sunlight.
- correct diet.
- Despite many years of experience of generations, birds are still susceptible to aggressive environmental influences, viruses, bacteria, and parasites. And no matter how ideal the maintenance and care may be, canary diseases are common problems that breeders face.
The main symptoms indicating canary disease are:
- The bird begins to fluff up, pout, and shake its tail.
- State – apathetic, sleepy (constant desire to hide in a dark corner).
- The eyes become cloudy.
- Stop singing.
- Breathing becomes intermittent and hoarse.
- The finch may sneeze and cough.
- Constipation or diarrhea (watery, foamy droppings) appears.
Credit: Sarah Scoop
Eye Canary Diseases
| Conjunctivitis (inflammation of the conjunctiva of the eyeball). | • Bacterial damage (often occurs due to vitamin A deficiency); • Poor living conditions (drafts, smoke, chemical fumes). | • Redness and swelling of the area around the eyes; • Lacrimation, photophobia; • The bird often rubs its head against poles and rods. | Locally – antibiotics, calomel, baths with black tea, cauterization with iodine. Lack of treatment leads to complete blindness. |
| Inflammation of the lacrimal glands | Untreated conjunctivitis. | Blocked tear ducts, redness. | Locally – antibacterial ointments. When nodular abscesses form, surgical intervention is required. |
Respiratory System Canary Diseases
| Pneumonia and bronchopneumonia (inflammation of the lungs and pulmonary vesicles). | • Bacteria. • Keeping in damp, cold rooms. • Drinking with very cold water. • Prolonged exposure to drafts. | • Lack of appetite; • Cough; • Hoarseness; • Drowsiness; • Oppression; • Difficulty breathing; • Increased body temperature. | • Antibiotic therapy (as prescribed by a doctor). |
| Laryngotracheitis | The causes are the same as for pneumonia. | Cough, hoarseness. | Lubricating the larynx with sunflower oil, giving the oil inside. |
| Rhinitis, catarrh of the upper respiratory tract | The causes are the same as for pneumonia. | • If the nasal passages are affected – discharge from the nostrils.• Rapid breathing. • Sneezing. | • Rinsing the nose and eyes.• Drinking a solution of chamomile, dill and honey. • Inhalations with chamomile and eucalyptus. |
| Cold | The causes are the same as for pneumonia. | Cough, rapid breathing, corneal turbidity, rhinitis. | Increased heating, infrared irradiation, drinking warm infusions with antibiotics. |
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Skin And Feather Canary Diseases
| Shedding | A natural Canary Diseases biological process of plumage replacement that occurs once a year. Lasts about 2-4 months. First, the feathers on the wings and tail are renewed, and then they gradually fall out on the back, chest, and finally on the head. | Main signs: • Lethargy; • Drowsiness; • Dishevelment; • Decreased Canary Diseases physical activity. In some cases, it occurs with low-grade fever against a background of decreased appetite. | No specific treatment is required. Owners should disturb the birds as little as possible and also enrich their diet with vitamin and mineral supplements, fruits, vegetables, and herbs. If molting is too long or untimely, you should show your feathered pet to a veterinarian. |
| Baldness | Parasites (pereaters – mallophagosis) | • Destruction of feather bulbs; • Damage to feathers; • Large bald spots (more on the neck and back). | • Isolation of the pet in a new cage.• Disinfection of old housing with equipment. • Treatment of affected areas with an alcohol solution of salicylic acid. |
| • Excessive nesting. • Decreased sexual function, hormonal imbalance. • Mating of a crested pair (female and male). | Feather loss on the head and back of the head. | No specific treatment is required. The birds’ diet is improved and the reproduction process is controlled. | |
| Abnormal feather growth (feather cyst) | • Deficiency of minerals and vitamins in the diet; • Non-compliance with temperature and humidity. | Formation of cysts under the skin (feathers cannot break through the skin, resulting in the formation of subcutaneous abscesses). | • Surgical opening of cysts; • Treatment of wounds after opening with antibiotics. • Correction of diet. |
| Weak feather disease | • Sulfur deficiency; • Prolonged physical activity during flights. | The ends of the feathers are split. | Addition of sulfur to feed (1 g of sulfur per 1 kg of grain mixture). |
| Shock molt (sudden loss of feathers). | Fear, stress, strong excitement. | • Shedding tail feathers or small coverts in extreme situations. • Decreased body temperature. | Ensuring rest, improving diet. |
| Permanent shedding | Keeping birds in rooms with high air temperatures. | As with normal molting, but can begin at any time of the year. | Microclimate control, providing the pet with comfortable living conditions. |
| Delayed molt | Improper feeding of birds. | • Feathers are dull and brittle; • Shedding continues continuously. | Introduction of multivitamins, calcium, daily bathing. |
| Chronic folliculitis | Congenital lesions of the feather follicles of the coccygeal area. | The feathers on the tail and tailbone are short, deformed, and multiple papillae are formed. | There is no cure. |
| Gamasid mites (red bird mites) | Failure to comply with sanitary standards with the subsequent entry of red bird mites (gamas parasites) into the cage. | Severe itching caused by mites sucking blood from the skin of birds. | Placing river sand and ash in a cage, processing the home with equipment. |
| Cannibalism | Eating feathers plucked from bleeding wounds. | If birds often eat bloody feathers, they can get used to such food and attack each other. | Isolate birds with bleeding wounds in single cages until complete recovery, preventing fights between birds. |
Canary Diseases of the gastrointestinal tract
| Metabolic disorders that cause insatiable hunger. | • Incorrect feeding;• Poor living conditions; • Heredity. | Increased appetite against the background of general weight loss. | If increasing the caloric content of food does not help, there is no treatment. The outcome is fatal. |
| Colitis | • Thinning of the intestinal walls; • Nodules in the liver. | Diarrhea, refusal to eat, chills, weakness. | Enteroseptol orally under the supervision of a physician. A medicinal mixture is also used. |
| Obesity | • Unbalanced diet; • Inactivity. | Lethargy, low activity, difficulty breathing. Visually visible fat deposits on the abdomen. | Low fat diet, frequent walking and bathing. If left untreated, it leads to liver cirrhosis and decreased reproductive functions. |
| Food intoxication | Eating low-quality feed. | Thirst, cramps, diarrhea, drooping wings, depression. | Washing the goiter. |
| Diarrhea | • Unbalanced feeding or spoiled food – brown or green liquid feces. • As a symptom of an infectious pathology – calcareous diarrhea – white, mucous, thread-like. | Liquid frequent bowel movements, loss of appetite, lethargy. | Only a doctor can determine the cause of liquid droppings. During treatment, fruits, vegetables, greens, and roughage are excluded from the diet. Therapy includes giving rice water, chamomile infusion, sorbents, phthalazole, and when microbial flora is added, antibiotics. |
| Constipation | Obesity, worms, unbalanced diet. | The canary often squats, shakes its tail, and pokes its beak in the anus. There are no bowel movements for a long time. | • Eliminating the cause of constipation – changing the diet, anthelmintics; • Adding flaxseed oil to the diet. |
| Hepatosis, hepatitis | Imbalance of diet, introduction of large amounts of egg feed into food. | Stiffness, swelling, or darkening of the upper abdomen. | Review of nutrition, exclusion of egg foods. |
Infectious diseases
| Smallpox | Borreliota avium virus | Lethargy, lack of appetite, rashes all over the body, bloody diarrhea, vomiting, white coating on the mucous membranes, fever, convulsions, paralysis of the paws. | There is no treatment |
| Parrot disease (ornithosis, psittacosis) | Chlamydia | Swelling of the eyes, mucous discharge from the cloaca, paralysis, convulsions, refusal to eat. | Antibiotic therapy. |
| Salmonellosis, paratyphoid | Salmonella | Dishevelment, severe diarrhea, joint swelling. | Antibiotic therapy. |
| Escherichiosis | Colibacteria | Diarrhea, loss of appetite, apathy. | Antibiotic therapy. |
| Trichomoniasis | Flagellated Trichomonella | Inflammation of the oral mucosa, yellow plaque, difficulty breathing, weight loss, shortness of breath. | Antibiotics, antifungal and antiprotozoal agents. |
| Tuberculosis | Koch sticks | Hoarseness, difficulty breathing, refusal to eat, weight loss, protrusion of the chest, diarrhea (if the digestive tract is affected). | Fortified nutrition, immunostimulants. Due to complications of the disease, the bird usually dies. |
| Atypical avian plague | Plague virus | Diarrhea, mucus discharge from the nose and eyes, paralysis. | There is no treatment; the bird dies from suffocation caused by paralysis. |
| Newcastle disease | Newcastle virus | Refusal to eat, fever, shortness of breath, eye inflammation, watery feces. | There is no treatment. Death occurs as a result of paralysis – the canary circles around its axis and falls dead on its back. For prevention purposes, a vaccine is administered – “NC-Vaccine”, although it does not provide a complete guarantee against the disease. |
| Diphtheria | Corynebacteria | Lethargy, hoarseness, coughing, yellow discharge from the nose. | Treating the nostrils with antibiotics, rinsing the mouth with iodine solutions, antibiotics. |
Credit: Johnston & Jeff
Parasitic Canary Diseases
| “Calcareous foot” (knemidocoptic mange, scabies). | Scabies parasites (mites). | Horny growths, scabs on the feet and claws of birds, constant itching. | Spraying paws with anti-scabies. |
| Helminthiasis | Roundworms, whipworms, tapeworms, coccidia. | Weakness, lethargy, weight loss, increased or decreased appetite, digestive disorders, diarrhea or constipation, poor plumage, dry skin. | • From roundworms and tapeworms – phenothiazine and piperazine; • Coccidin, sulfonamides, and aprolium act on coccidia. • Whipworms – cannot be treated (there are no drugs that act on this type of worms). |
| Pediculosis (lice) | Lice | Itching, dishevelment. | Bathing procedures in dry river sand with wood ash. |
| Tracheal mite | Tracheal mite | Coughing, sneezing, breathing problems, frequent regurgitation, refusal to eat. | Use of ivermectin-containing products. |
Goiter pathologies
| Inflammation | Eating moldy foods is a consequence of food intoxication. | Swelling of the goiter, the appearance of mucus in it, loose stools, belching. | Fasting for 9 hours, followed by lemon water, rice broth; locally – cleansing the goiter of mucus, washing it with antiseptics. |
| Blockage | Vitamin and mineral deficiency, physical blockage of objects. | Severe swelling of the goiter, up to complete obstruction. | • Cleansing, rinsing; • For chronic blockage – surgery, antibiotics, hormones. |
| Inflammation of the nose | Hypothermia Canary Diseases | Discharge of mucus from the nose. | Rinsing the nasal cavity with an isotonic solution. |
Physical damage
| Injuries (fractures of limbs or wings, lacerations, wounds to the skin of the body). | Violations of conditions of detention (hits against cage bars, collisions with window glass or mirror). | • Loss of consciousness; • Bleeding wound; • Damage to the beak; • Closed or open fractures; • Blistered skin from the inside. | • Disinfection of wounds with antiseptics;• Stopping bleeding with hemostatic agents; • Splinting; • Antibiotics for infection. Surgical intervention (if necessary). |
Avitaminosis
Vitamin deficiency is a pathological condition caused by a deficiency of vitamins in the body. The main reason for the development is an imbalance in the diet and the use of low-quality feed. With a chronic deficiency of one or another vitamin, normal metabolism is disrupted and the bird quite often dies. But it is worth remembering that excessive administration of vitamin-mineral premixes is just as dangerous as their lack. Each owner must feed canaries in accordance with established standards with exclusively high-quality food suitable specifically for this type of bird.
| D | Development of rickets, ruffled hair, curvature of bones, retardation of growth and development. | Fish oil, exposure to sunlight, greens. |
| A | Disturbance of the mucous membrane of the digestive tract, lungs, development of chronic rhinitis, decreased reproductive function, eye diseases. | Fish oil, carrots. |
| WITH | Immunity decreases, the bird gets sick more often. | Black currant. |
| E | Dishevelment, unkempt appearance, lethargy, poor coordination of movements, atypical tremors in the body, growth retardation, muscle dystrophy. | Sprouted wheat grain. |
| IN | Decreased appetite, weakness, convulsions, throwing the head back, exhaustion, paralysis of the legs. Impaired growth and development, atypical molting, unfertilized eggs. | Dry yeast. |
Coping with vitamin deficiency in the early stages is quite simple – you just need to enrich your pet’s diet with herbs, vegetables, fruits, additionally introduce vitamin and mineral supplements, control the bathing regime and exposure to the sun.
Loss of voice
Melodic trills are the calling card of canary finches. It is because of their singing abilities that many breeders choose these feathered pets. Therefore, loss of voice for canaries is a huge problem, both for the birds and their owners.
The main reasons for the loss of voice abilities:
- Cold;
- Avitaminosis;
- Infections (tuberculosis, diphtheria);
- Poor living conditions.
Loss of voice along with hoarseness usually indicates inflammatory processes in the respiratory system. Treatment is based on excluding the underlying cause of the disease.
Disease development and treatment
Even if there are obvious symptoms of the disease, it is unacceptable to self-medicate your feathered pet. Only a doctor can diagnose the disease, make an accurate diagnosis and prescribe adequate therapy for the bird. First aid is suggested only in cases where there is no doubt about the diagnosis or emergency assistance is needed without delay.
| “Emergency” cases requiring immediate care | |
| Rapid breathing | • Isolation in a separate cage; • Increase in air temperature to +30C. |
| Bleeding | Apply pressure to the bleeding site with a swab soaked in hydrogen peroxide. |
| Injury | Apply coolant or ice cube to the injury site/ |
| Food intoxication, stool disorder | • Give the canary strong black tea to drink. • For detoxification, introduce 3-4 drops of flaxseed decoction into the oral cavity. |
| Eye injuries | If a foreign body gets in, rinse the eye with a solution of furacillin. |
| Burns | • Treatment of the burn with a spray based on dexpanthenol; • Chamomile tea is given for pain relief. |
| Convulsions | Light acupressure back massage. |
| Wounds, abrasions, scratches. | Treatment with antiseptics. |
| Fractures | Applying tight bandages, tight bandaging. |
| Egg getting stuck during laying | Move the female to a warm room, drip vegetable oil into the oviduct, lubricate the cloaca with oil, and perform a stroking massage of the abdomen. |
| Egg cracking in the cloaca | Serious injury requiring immediate specialist attention. |
| Swelling of the paw under the name ring | Quickly transport the bird to the clinic to remove the leg ring. |
| Swelling of the skin | Apply refrigerant or ice cubes. |
| Concussion | Provide the bird with complete rest. |
Canaries are almost ideal pets that will lift everyone’s spirits with their trills. But, alas, they, like all living beings, can get sick. You can prevent the suffering of pretty birds and protect them from complications of various diseases if you create comfortable living conditions for them and organize a balanced diet.
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