Why Is My Canary Inactive With a Swollen Ventrum?
The symptoms of diarrhea and egg binding in canaries are extremely similar.
Why Is My Canary Acting Weird?
"My female canary usually doesn't allow me to hold her in my palm; she used to fly here and there but never allow me to take her in my palm, even to touch her. But now she is inactive, and her feather seems like when she sleeps. She still can fly, but not like before. She is still eating, but the feathers near her cloaca are dirty. I did give her a very small amount of banana yesterday, which I think might be the cause of her diarrhea." —Nano
Dried fecal matter and a swollen ventrum in a canary.
Diarrhea vs. Egg-Binding in Canaries
The banana most likely did not cause diarrhea in your canary, but it isn't impossible. Banana is very sweet, and if a pet eats too much, it can cause loose stools. A small amount like you gave should be fine as long as she has other foods available.
The swelling seen in the ventrum could be fecal matter, or she could be egg-bound with an egg that she cannot pass.
Symptoms of Diarrhea in Canaries
- depression
- straining
- tail bobbing
- vomiting
- sitting on the bottom of the cage when no longer able to perch
Symptoms of Egg Binding in Canaries
- depression (standing on the perch and not jumping around much, feathers fluffed up)
- straining
- tail bobbing
- vomiting
- sitting on the bottom of the cage when no longer able to perch
- swelling near the cloaca
As you can see, the things that we look for when a bird comes in for diarrhea are very similar to egg binding. The way to tell them apart is by doing a physical exam and looking for a bound egg or doing a fecal exam to look for parasites.
Take Your Bird to an Avian Vet
You need to take your bird so that she can be examined by your local avian veterinarian. If she is egg-bound, case studies show that most of them can be successfully passed with a little help. (1) Your bird will be fine later.
If you do not have a veterinarian willing to examine your bird or cannot take her in, at least take a fecal sample in to have it examined for parasites. The most common causes of death in canaries are coccidiosis—a protozoan infection—and the yeast infection megabacteriosis. (2) There are various alternatives to treat a sick canary at home, but before you try these alternatives, you should try to find out what is wrong.
Sources
(1) Abou-Zahr T, Carrasco DC, Jones SL, George Dutton TA. Percloacal Ovocentesis in the Treatment of Avian Egg Binding: Review of 20 Cases. J Avian Med Surg. 2019 Sep 9;33(3):251-257. doi: 10.1647/2018-376. PMID: 31893620. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/31893620/
(2) Marlier D, Leroy C, Sturbois M, Delleur V, Poulipoulis A, Vindevogel H. Increasing incidence of megabacteriosis in canaries (Serinus canarius domesticus). Vet J. 2006 Nov;172(3):549-52. doi: 10.1016/j.tvjl.2005.07.006. Epub 2005 Sep 2. PMID: 16140025. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/16140025/
This article is not meant to substitute for diagnosis, prognosis, treatment, prescription, or formal and individualized advice from your veterinarian. Animals exhibiting signs and symptoms of distress should be seen by a veterinarian immediately.
© 2023 Mark dos Anjos, DVM
