Finch Eye Disease

[Maggie-NC]

Picked up a little finch this morning with finch eye disease. We were running some errands and had just left home when Lewis said he thought he saw a bird sitting in the middle of our side of the road. Went back and sure enough there he was. Several cars, including ours, had gone right over him.

We came back home and got him set up in a carrier and I put BNP antibiotic in his eye and we hydrated him and left again. When we came back home I took part of the Exact I mixed for LD and thickened it up and that little fellow was gobbling it off Lewis' finger. Right now, he can't see at all but he knew what the food was. We had given him some seed earlier but with the thickened Exact he will get the nutrition from that plus fluids and won't be stressed as much as forcing his beak open which is tough to do for an adult finch.

Keeping fingers crossed.

If you've never seen this disease, here is a picture.

[mr squeaks]

OUCH, Maggie! Poor thing! I sure hope h/she makes it!

HUGS AND WARM HEALING THOUGHTS!

I know you will keep us updated. Thank goodness he's in your hands!

[TAWhatley]

I'm sure glad you and Lewis spotted the finch, Maggie. Finch eye disease is some nasty stuff, but I know you have experience with it and have the protocol down pat! Here's hoping for a successful treatment and happy ending.

Terry

[Trees Gray]

Hi Maggie,

Poor little thing.

It sure hurts my eyes to look at the eye and how much that must bother the little finch.

I'm glad he is in your care. I bet he feels better already.

[Maggie-NC]

Terry, you had given me the exact protocol a few months back and we're following it although I have to get Tylosin from the vet tomorrow since I don't have any.

This is an amazing little bird. I am not 100% sure it is a house finch like I originally thought because it is shelling its seeds and most of the house finches I've had ate them whole. It may be a purple finch. (I think they are different?)

Even tho she can't see she has just about eaten non-stop since about 3 hours after we got her. We scattered them all over the bottom of the carrier hoping that if she stepped on them she'd know what they are. She has been very good too and only started getting restless about the time they go to roost. She solved that by perching on her tiny water container which has a fat lip she can stand on. It's only about 3/4" high. She was able to drink also.

Still have fingers crossed but we are feeling better about her.

[george simon]

MAGGIE, Cornell University has been tracking the spread of this disease for a number of years and may have some information on treating it so here the web site www.birds.cornell.edu/hofi They also give a e-mail housefinch@cornell.edu I hope that they may help you with advice on the treatment,if infact its treatable. GEORGE

[Maggie-NC]

George, thank you for the link and info. I have always been told it was treatable. I think we caught this little guy at just the right time.

[george simon]

MAGGIE, Just went back to check the picture that you posted as near as I can tell it looks like a hen and there for does not have much in the way of the red that the males have GEORGE

[TerriB]

Wow, it's hard to imagine trying to treat such a tiny bird!!! I know she is in excellent hands. Two thumbs up for noticing and picking her up!

[Maggie-NC]

This little fellow is such a sweetheart. Course, I'm partial to finches (seems like I say that about all varieties ). Wanted to post this picture of her because it shows what a little fighter she is. We opened the cage this morning to change her paper/seed/water and out she flew - onto the sink, stove, hood vent, floor, just everwhere until I caught her. We put a perch in the box for her and in no time she had found it and this picture shows her sitting on it.

I don't know how she does it but even tho one eye is still closed and when we put the salve in both of them she can't see at all, she still manages to eat and drink and even found the perch.

We've run into a problem getting the right meds - the vet is ordering the Mylosin and it should be in today so we'll get her started on that.

[naturegirl]

I thought when they reached the stage of blindness that their eye sight doesn't come back or am I wrong? I know here in Michigan I was told from other rehabbers that they won't treat birds for that here as they say the meds are so expensive. Poor Baby feel bad for the little guy.

Cindy

[TAWhatley]

That's one amazing little finch, Maggie. I'm glad it's so spunky.

Terry

[Maggie-NC]

Hi Cindy, I know I read something on the web that mentioned these birds would get the disease again if released but I can't remember where I saw it. Up until I read that I had always been told they could be released. We have had several that we treated and released but have no way of knowing if they had a relapse.

My philosophy is that you treat them and give them a chance. I can't see putting them down if you don't have real evidence to go by. Seems to me you'd have to have a bonafide survey that would mark the birds you released to know for sure they're the same ones.

Vet called me and it will be Monday before the Tylosin is in. You mentioned cost and I checked Global's catalog and the Tylosin is about $24 for 100 gr and the tetracycline salve is about $12. Both meds will go a long way. Having spent much more than that on some meds, those prices are not bad at all.

[naturegirl]

I agree with you so much on this topic. I treated a Crested Pigeon in Australia when I was there in 2000 and it wasn't expensive at all, and it did make a full recovery. Cornell Labratories on the web has alot of info about this disease and also did the survey in 2004 for them. The little American Gold Finch around here has also been getting it but no wheres around the amount as the little Red house finch. I hope he/she makes it ok and once again you are a God send for helping this little guy. Just please make sure you wash your hands very good after handling it as it is very contagous to humans, it is just pink eye is all.

Cindy