Is Your Bird Sick? 55 Avian Illnesses Every Bird Owner Should Know

Here's a comprehensive table listing 55 finch illnesses, including their symptoms and general treatment options:

Disease/Condition	Symptoms	Treatment/Notes
Respiratory Mycoplasmosis	Sneezing, nasal discharge, swollen eyes	Antibiotics (e.g., doxycycline)
Avian Pox	Warts, lesions on unfeathered skin, mouth	Supportive care, vaccination if available
Egg Binding	Lethargy, straining, swollen abdomen	Calcium, warmth, veterinary intervention
Vitamin A Deficiency	Poor feathering, respiratory issues	Vitamin A supplementation, diet correction
Candidiasis (Yeast infection)	Regurgitation, diarrhea, crop swelling	Antifungal medication (nystatin)
Coccidiosis	Diarrhea, weight loss, lethargy	Corid (amprolium), supportive care
Worm infestations	Weight loss, diarrhea, dull feathers	Dewormers (fenbendazole, piperazine)
External Mites	Feather plucking, itching	Ivermectin, topical treatments
Lice	Feather damage, itching	Ivermectin or lice powder
Bacterial Salmonellosis	Diarrhea, lethargy	Antibiotics (enrofloxacin)
Polyomavirus	Sudden death, feather abnormalities	No cure, supportive care
Psittacosis (Ornithosis)	Respiratory signs, lethargy	Antibiotics (doxycycline)
Aspergillosis	Labored breathing, nasal discharge	Antifungal therapy, supportive care
Clostridial Disease	Diarrhea, lethargy	Antibiotics, supportive care
Fatty Liver Disease	Weakness, poor feathering	Diet correction, reduce fats
Beak and Feather Disease	Feather loss, beak deformities	No cure, supportive care
Marek’s Disease	Tumors, paralysis	No treatment, culling advisable
Tuberculosis	Chronic weight loss, lethargy	Antibiotics, culling recommended
Lead Poisoning	Weakness, tremors	Chelation therapy
Heavy Metal Toxicity	Neurological signs	Remove source, chelation
Bumblefoot	Swollen foot, abscess	Antibiotics, surgical removal
Crop Impaction	Swelling, regurgitation	Warmth, crop massage, surgery if severe
Diarrhea (Various causes)	Loose stool, dehydration	Supportive care, treat underlying cause
Cloacal Prolapse	Visible tissue	Veterinary emergency, surgical repair
Neurological Disorders	Head tilt, tremors	Supportive care, diagnose cause
Crohn’s Disease	Diarrhea, weight loss	Supportive, no cure
Anemia	Weakness, pale comb	Iron supplements, doxycycline if parasitic
Liver Disease	Swollen abdomen, lethargy	Supportive care, diet correction
Kidney Disease	Drinking excessively, lethargy	Supportive, diet management
Infectious Laryngotracheitis	Coughing, nasal discharge	Supportive care, quarantine
Polyuria (excess urination)	Increased water intake	Treat underlying disease
Hypocalcemia	Twitching, seizures	Calcium supplements
Aspergillosis	Breathing difficulty	Antifungal medication
Sinusitis	Swollen, swollen sinuses	Antibiotics, decongestants
Nutritional deficiencies	Weakness, poor feathering	Diet improvement, supplements
Stress-induced illness	Lethargy, feather plucking	Reduce stressors, improve environment
Hantavirus (rare)	Fever, lethargy	Supportive care, quarantine
Thickening of the trachea	Breathing difficulty	Supportive, no cure
Clostridium perfringens infection	Diarrhea, lethargy	Antibiotics, supportive care
Hemorrhagic Syndrome	Sudden death, bleeding	Supportive, quarantine
Mycotoxicosis (fungal toxin)	Neurological signs	Remove contaminated feed, detoxify
Calcium deficiency	Egg binding, weak bones	Calcium supplements, diet correction
Avian Gastric Yeast	Regurgitation, poor digestion	Antifungal medications
Trichomoniasis	Yellowish lesions in mouth	Metronidazole
Rotavirus (rare)	Diarrhea, dehydration	Supportive care
Cryptosporidiosis	Diarrhea, weight loss	Supportive care, isolate
Lymphocytic Choriomeningitis (rare)	Neurological signs	Supportive, quarantine
Hemoparasites (e.g., Plasmodium)	Anemia, weakness	Antimalarial drugs
Vitamin E deficiency	Weakness, neurological signs	Supplementation
White Muscle Disease	Muscle weakness	Selenium and vitamin E supplements
Toxicity from plants/chemicals	Vomiting, weakness	Remove toxin, supportive care
Fungal skin infections	Skin lesions, itching	Antifungal creams or systemic drugs
Mucosal Proliferative Disease	Oral lesions, swelling	Supportive, no definitive cure
Respiratory allergy	Sneezing, nasal discharge	Remove allergens, supportive care
Chlamydiosis (another term for Psittacosis)	Respiratory signs, lethargy	Doxycycline, quarantine

Important Notes

• Always consult an avian veterinarian for accurate diagnosis and treatment.

• Many diseases require specific medications, proper dosing, and supportive care.

• Early detection and treatment improve prognosis.

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