Finch Eye Disease

[Lady Tarheel]

Just want to give everyone a "heads up" about Finch Eye Disease. We are beginning to see this eye disease in some of our yard sparrows and finches. It causes their eyes to get infected and get completely sealed over with matter to the point they can't see to eat and die of starvation.

We found one sparrow dead last week, one dead this morning and caught one sparrow with one eye closed completely with the other beginning to close. Have brought it in the house and used BNP eye ointment. The only problem is, that by the time you are able to catch them, their situation is very grave. Hopefully, we can pull this little guy through.

They will usually feed in little flocks so if you can watch them closely you can pick out the ones that are having difficulty eating and hopefully catch them.

Maggie

[Trees Gray]

Oh, I'm so sorry to hear about the Finch Eye disease, sounds like it spreads like "pink eye", but more lethal.

Have you tried the Sovereign Silver colloidal silver drops? That is one I have great success with, with eye infections.

I sure hope the little guy makes it. Are you able to catch them on their blind side? ...or are they physically so weak, it is easier? I can't imagine trying to catch a sparrow.

[TAWhatley]

Hi Maggie,

The finch conjunctivitis is really nasty stuff. I had a couple of cases last year that were truly horrific. I got a good protocol from the WLREHAB list .. will locate that and post it in case you are interested.

Terry

[TAWhatley]

Hi again Maggie,

Here's a brief protocol .. seems the Tylosin / Terramycin combination is the key to treating this. The protocol is from the WLREHAB list.

Terry

We got in 15 cases in the summer, early fall - 11 of them were able to
be released. They were treated with Terramycin eye ointment for the
first several days, and were given Tylosin. Initially, they were
tubed TID with Tylosin water for the first 3 days, and were given
Mazuri Parrot chow soaked with Tylosin to eat, along with their seeds,
and a bowl of Tylosin/vitamin water for drinking. Immediate response
to the treatment. The ones that either died or had to be euthanized
had other injuries from cat attacks, and it was those injuries that
prevented release, not the conjunctivitis.

[Lady Tarheel]

Treesa, sometimes you can be really fast and catch them on their blind side but more often than not you can only get them when they are too weak to fly far. That's what happened this am when hubby got this one.

This stuff is truly bad. Their little eyes get closed so tight they can't see anything. When hubby found this one he was trying to get under some plastic to hide, so their survival instinct is still going strong. Feeding them is the real challenge. I have not force fed him yet - still trying to see if he will eat on his own and I believe I have caught him eating at least 2 times today.

Terry, thank you for the info. I also found the same info in an article that came out in "Wildlife Rehabilitation Today" which gives similar protocol (Summer 1996 edition) but my vet has always said that the BNP ointment should do the trick, and it has in the past, but I want to talk to her about what you posted. The article I have also said you should give them the water soluble Terramycin for at least 14 days after the 5 day ointment period so I'm wondering if I could get the Terramycin and put it in the outdoor bird bath.

Will keep you posted.

Maggie

[Pidgey]

Originally Posted by Lady Tarheel

...so I'm wondering if I could get the Terramycin and put it in the outdoor bird bath.

Lady Tarheel,

I wouldn't do that because you cannot control the dosages that all the birds that drink there would be getting. They may occasionally drink other places and that could very likely begin to generate resistant strains in your wild population of goodness-knows-what.

Pidgey

[Lady Tarheel]

Pidgey, thank you for the good advice. It makes sense so I won't pursue that anymore. Just wish I could do something because this disease kills so many of the small birds every year before you can get them.

I do want to stress to everyone that if you get a bird with this disease, please keep it totally isolated and sterilize or throw away anything that comes in contact with the bird. It is highly contagious to other birds. It seems to primarily target the smaller birds like finches and sparrows but other birds like woodpeckers. blue jays etc. have caught it. If caught early enough it is treatable but as I mentioned earlier they are so hard to catch that by the time you do they don't stand much chance.

Maggie

[Reti]

Thanks for the info, Maggie and Terry.
Hope this little one makes it.
Reti

[sdreamcatcher@g]

Quote:
Originally Posted by Lady Tarheel
...so I'm wondering if I could get the Terramycin and put it in the outdoor bird bath.


is there anyway the medicine can be added to the food? or maybe an immune systen supplement like echinacea or IP-6 can be tried?

i seem to remember the best way to is prevention, by keeping feeders very clean. thats why so many get infected, all gathering at one place to feed.

food luck with your new little arrival; i hope he makes it!!

[Reti]

I don't know if this has been mentioned, but you could add a few drops of ACV in their water. I've also read that you can spray thie food with ACV. That will keep their environment acidic enough to prevent the development of any bugs and it evertainly won't harm.

Reti

[naturegirl]

I was involvedin the house finch conjunctivitis survey year before last and I found at least 12 in my area alone. It is a very sad disease but unless the U.S. starts to treat these little guys their numbers will drop. Please be very careful if you are touching these birds to wash your hands very well. It is pink eye for humans. In Australia the wildlife rehabbers treat for it there but in Michigan we are told to put them down if they have it which I would like to see that change because with the right meds it can be cured. My husband and I cured a Top notch pigeon in South Australia 5 years ago with salve @ 2 times a day for 10 days. In the end she could see again and set free. Good Luck

[christina11]

i have lots of wild fiches in my back yard in canda but iv never seen finch eye desise here thank god i feed my wild frinds every day