# Old Age Symptoms or???



## kippermom (Jan 11, 2006)

I have only had pijis (32 of them) and doves (an even dozen) for a couple years and have lost just one, seemingly from old age as it was the oldest when I got them and had no other symptoms, distress or obvious signs of illness....that was about 6 months ago and everyone has been healthy since. Then yesterday morning a piji that normally flies and stays on higher perches was on the aviary floor, a bit puffed...may have come down for a bite or for a drink so I did not panic. Then today when I was scraping the floor he was there again and did not take off very far but just fluttered out of the way. I have a couple birds for whom this would be normal, but not this one. So I caught him and checked everything I know to look for. Feathers, vent, crop, wings, legs, throat, weight etc..all seemed normal. I watched him a bit, he stayed on the floor but I saw him eat and drink. Since he was a rescue and is unbanded I do not know his age. What else can I look for and what are the symptoms of simple old age, organs shutting down etc.? (The loft is due for worm treatment tomorrow anyway so I will proceed with that...) What else strikes just one bird? (no new additions for several months, no exposure to anything else...) Thoughts?


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## Charis (Feb 11, 2007)

The best thing to do, would be to remove that pigeon and put him in a cage separate from the others so you can watch him. Separated, you can tell if he is eating, pooping and what the poops look like.
Sounds to me like he's sick.


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## Pidgey (May 20, 2005)

They can die one-by-one or en masse with many diseases including Paratyphoid. It's kinda' hard to tell by that alone.

Pidgey


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## kippermom (Jan 11, 2006)

We surmise this bird is a female...named Taffy...she is now in the house in a small cage with food and water and heat. Still the only symptom is "puffed" and, uncharacteristically, on the floor and easy to trap. She flapped and slapped when I picked her up. Now I am just waiting for her to settle in and then I can check on her eating, drinking and poops more accurately...no other birds have symptoms yet. When I caught her I also checked for any swelling or lump at the vent as I have never had an egg bound hen either...nothing. It is a puzzlement, but she is definately not acting normal for her.


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## Charis (Feb 11, 2007)

How long since she laid her last egg and does she have calcium source available?


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## John_D (Jan 24, 2002)

Do you have access to an avian vet? They may not be able to come up with a diagnosis, true, but you never know.

We have certainly had the odd bird here and there who perked up after being wormed.


John


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## Maggie-NC (Jun 22, 2005)

kippermom, I'm with John about the worming. Sometimes, they can act "off" when they have worms.


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## kippermom (Jan 11, 2006)

I took her out before the loft was wormed so I will do her individually if it will not be a "blow" to an already compromised system...by the way, her poop looks normal and her crop is full...still using heat, quiet and isolation. I do not know how long since her last egg. They are in a communal environment, we just trade real for wooden and my piji-partner does it half the time. If she is till puffed Monday, I will take her to the vet.


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## Charis (Feb 11, 2007)

Sounds good.


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## kippermom (Jan 11, 2006)

She's eating, drinking, pooping (normal), seems alert, no outward signs other than the "change from normal" in her aviary conduct...wormed her tonight, left her in a dark, quiet room with heat source for the night. We'll see if there is any change in the AM.


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## kippermom (Jan 11, 2006)

Another 48 hours later and no change...seems to be eating and drinking...poops are best described as black/brown "yarn-like" squiggle of 1 to 1 1/2 length, in a puddle of pale, pale yellow, almost white pudding consistency yuck...(Yuck=Technical/medical term!) Yesterday she did seem to pass one of those really big poops...but since then she's had 3 or 4 normal size, color consistency. I keep a white wash cloth under her in the nest bowl so I can monitor her poops accurately! No other symptoms and no other birds in the loft from where I removed her appear off in any way...if she does not develop anything more, how long should I keep her separated from the rest? How soon would an illness manifest itself? What else might cause the change in behavior I saw that I should watch for? She is in a small cage right now so there is no way to know whether, in the large aviary, she would still uncharacteristically stay on the floor or whether she is "better" in that regard. Also, becasue I am keeping her in a warm room, she is not puffed up much except when it is time to settle in for the night when they always seem a little "puffy". So, if she stays with me in the house without developing any symptoms, when do I put her back in the main loft? Thoughts? Can birds just get a little constipation or tummy ache or cold or other "thing" that gets them under the weather for a few days and then they recover on their own without developing serious symptoms or problems (sort of like people?)?


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## Charis (Feb 11, 2007)

Any up-dates on this bird?


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## kippermom (Jan 11, 2006)

Yes, sadly, the bird died on the way to the vet last Thursday. I was leaving town for the weekend and had to ask my tenant who helps with the birds to take the bird to the vet for me and he called while I was on the road to say that it had just died. I just got back tonight and spent some time in the loft, cleaning etc. and watching the birds. They all seem alright but I will watch them closely and lay in a supply of meds from Jedds...this was my fault. Because there were no specific symptoms I waited until it was too late. Still not certain of the cause of death...likely coccidiosis as best as I can determine from your descriptions...but all the rest still appear healthy. This is only the second death in two years and I know i will lose birds periodically. All living things die. But it sure sucks when you feel like you could or should have done more.


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## Reti (Jul 20, 2003)

I am so sorry. 

Reti


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## Skyeking (Jan 17, 2003)

I'm SO sorry to hear the bird died.


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## Margarret (May 3, 2007)

I am so sorry to hear that your little hen died. It is really hard to tell sometimes as the symptoms are so vague. You did exactly what I would have done, separate from others, heat, and observe.

May she RIP and fly free now.

Margaret


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## Charis (Feb 11, 2007)

I'm sorry.


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## kippermom (Jan 11, 2006)

thanks all..the good to come out of this is that I will now lay in a supply of generic meds from Jedds that I have not had need of until now so that I will be ready when and if the next bird gets sick. I have been very lucky..but luck will not save a sick bird!


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## Charis (Feb 11, 2007)

Another thing to keep in mind is this... when a bird is visibly ill to your eye, it is really ill. In the wild sick birds, pretend they are ok for as long as they can, so as to not be targeted by a predator.


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## kippermom (Jan 11, 2006)

Lesson learned...I have already ordered preventative meds and then a multi vitamin to follow from Petmed via Jedds...the next time I see a bird at all out of sorts, I'm on it and am now also on a regimin of affirmative prevention instead of just wait and see and hope for the best. Too much can go too far too fast in a large community of birds! Thanks.


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