EPILEPSY IN FINCHES
Harold Roth
I HAVE A 7-YEAR OLD FINCH WHO SOMETIMES WHEN SHE PERMITS ME TO HOLD HER
IN MY HAND WILL FREEZE UP AND ACT AS IF SHE IS DEAD. AFTER ONE OR TWO
SECONDS, SHE "WAKES UP". IS THIS NORMAL BEHAVIOR FOR THE BLUE CORDON
FINCH OR EVEN OTHER SMALL BIRDS AS MY MOTHER BELIEVED SHE "ACCIDENTALLY"
BURIED A PARAKEET THAT DID THE SAME THING. OR,IS THIS SOMETHING LEFT
OVER FROM SOME INSTINCT THEY HAVE IN LIVING IN THE WILD WHERE PREDATORS
WON'T TOUCH A "DEAD" PREY? AND, HAS ANY OTHER BIRD OWNER OUT THERE
EXPERIENCED THIS ? SIGN ME,
OWNED BY TILLIE BLUE
WH LAMBDIN
In article <5t7dq0$ihm$1...@newsd-121.bryant.webtv.net>, R81...@webtv.net
(Harold Roth) writes:
>I HAVE A 7-YEAR OLD FINCH WHO SOMETIMES WHEN SHE PERMITS ME TO HOLD HER
>IN MY HAND WILL FREEZE UP AND ACT AS IF SHE IS DEAD. AFTER ONE OR TWO
>SECONDS, SHE "WAKES UP". IS THIS NORMAL BEHAVIOR FOR THE BLUE CORDON
>FINCH OR EVEN OTHER SMALL BIRDS AS MY MOTHER BELIEVED SHE "ACCIDENTALLY"
>BURIED A PARAKEET THAT DID THE SAME THING. OR,IS THIS SOMETHING LEFT
>OVER FROM SOME INSTINCT THEY HAVE IN LIVING IN THE WILD WHERE PREDATORS
I noticed the same thing with every single finch I owned. This only
happened when I had to catch them for a toenail clipping.
Since this only happened when I caught them, i don't believe it is
anything like epilepsy. In my hand the little guy's heart seemed to be
beating 100 miles an hour.
I don't know for sure, but I believe this is caused by fright or stress,
and their heart is beating too fast to distribute oxygen properly. I never
experienced this type of thing in parakeets, love birds, cockatiels, or my
sun conure.
Just a friendly note. Use upper and lower case because some people feel
that messages in capitals are shouting, and some people will flame ya for this.
W.H. (Bill) Lambdin
CricketRAH
>In article <5t7dq0$ihm$1...@newsd-121.bryant.webtv.net>,
>I HAVE A 7-YEAR OLD FINCH WHO SOMETIMES WHEN SHE PERMITS ME TO HOLD HER
>>IN MY HAND WILL FREEZE UP AND ACT AS IF SHE IS DEAD. AFTER ONE OR TWO
>>SECONDS, SHE "WAKES UP". IS THIS NORMAL BEHAVIOR FOR THE BLUE CORDON
>>FINCH
I had a pair of Cordon Bleu finches a few years ago, the Avian vet I
worked for obtained them for me since she breeds parrots. I only had them
a few days when I noticed that they acted all disorientated. They couldn't
hold their balance, so they had trouble eatting and staying on perches.
The vet took them to work to take care of them and called this malady
"Twirling Bird Disorder" She said it was not curable, but it might get
better on its own. Unfortunately it never did, and both my Cordons died
from this neurological disorder. I was absolutely heartbroken as they were
my very favorite finch, other than the Gouldians. I have not attempted to
find anymore, too afraid that this will happen again. Any other finch
owners have such thing happen?
Harold Roth
Dear Bill Lambdin:
Thanks for the advice on the proper form of communicating on the Net. I
appreciate your comments on my finch problem. My
cordon bleu also has a higher heartbeat when she rests in my hand, but
when i pet her, her heart calms down but she still remains quite still
until she "wakes up" or
wriggles in my hand to want to be let go.
By the way, if you know of a good vet in the L.I. area who takes care of
finches, i would appreciate a tip. A lot of vets say they take care of
birds, but at the worst possible moment when you need them, you find
their specialty is not really in that direction .
Harold Roth
Dear Jack Zupan: Please describe a typical dwarf Norwegian Blue finch
and what is the difference between this breed, which I have never hear
of, and the Cordon Bleu, and where does it come from and is it rarer
than the regular Cordon Bleus? Just interested.
Btw, I'm using an ID to let you know that I am not Harold Roth.
Signed,
Owned by TillieBlue
Harold Roth
Dear CricketRAH:
This is the first time I've heard of twirling bird disorder. However, it
might be related to another disorder which fell my straw-
berries (both male and female) in which both birds lost their balance
and could not stand on the perch and stayed on the ground. Soon after,
they puffed up and lost their appetitie (they got "light") and died.
BIRDTALK magazine did an article on this a while back and suggested it
was some sort of viral infection caused by mites. However, the
antibiotics which were prescribed for my birds were worse than the
disease as it soon became apparent they were both allergic to it.
Anyone else out there have any ideas on this subject. Signed, owned
by TillieBlue
WH LAMBDIN
In article <5tg5q2$bd0$1...@newsd-122.bryant.webtv.net>, R81...@webtv.net
(Harold Roth) writes:
>Thanks for the advice on the proper form of communicating on the Net. I
>appreciate your comments on my finch problem. My
Always glad to be of assistance whenever possible.
>By the way, if you know of a good vet in the L.I. area who takes care of
>finches, i would appreciate a tip. A lot of vets say they take care of
Sorry: but I live in the Mid Tennessee area.
One good way to find a good avian vet is to ask breeders in your area for
their recommendation on an avian vet. A Bird Club would be a great second
choice.
W.H. (Bill) Lambdin
Susan Schuck
crick...@aol.com (CricketRAH) writes:
>
> I had a pair of Cordon Bleu finches a few years ago,---I only had them
> a few days when I noticed that they acted all disorientated. They couldn't
> The vet took them to work to take care of them and called this malady
> "Twirling Bird Disorder" She said it was not curable, but it might get
> better on its own. Unfortunately it never did, and both my Cordons died
> anymore, too afraid that this will happen again. Any other finch
> owners have such thing happen?
My vet and I have been struggling for a month to save a gouldian
similarly afflicted. He has encephalitis, which causes him to
have severe seizures followed by temporary paralysis. His vet has
tried vitamin and mineral injections, steriods, and now phenobarbitol.
Nothing is clearly helpful, but Sir Richard Gouldian is still alive,
even if still sick.
I wouldn't let your experience put you off finches. Sir Richard is
the only one of nearly 60 we care for, and we had him for two years
before he fell ill.
APic
Far as I have read, nobody has determined what Twirling Syndrome is or
what it's caused by. I've had this occur in about 10 Gouldians over the
past 10 years or so, some have a very mild case where they just toss their
heads over their backs and others are so severely twisted they can't eat.
I've had 3 euthanized over th e years and sent off for necropsy and so far
have gotten no reason for them to have died...except for one where the
report came back "neurological lesion"- I wanted to know if it was
traumatic, congenital, viral whatever since from the symptoms the bird
certainly had
to have had a neurological (brain type) lesion (something not right).
Right now, I have 3 that are tossing their heads a bit- I've started them
about a month ago on Colloidal Silver and - really- two are so much
improved that I can't even tell they ever had a twirling problem. The hen
still has the same amount of severity.
Actually what you were describing didn't seem like twirling since twirlers
are still able to perch adequately and even fly adequately, except when
they get really severe like the 3 I had euthanized. Maybe somebody knows
more about this....