Snow has air sac mites

[crimson]

Snow is my pretty little white canary. the past few days she's been a bit 'off'
typical symptoms, a little puffy, a little sleepy.

what seemed odd is that she was laying on top of my canary box a few days ago.....yesterday she seems pretty good....eating, flying around, not sleepy.
with no definitive signs I just have to keep a watchful eye.

this morning, she was still laying on the canary box, while all my other birds are flying around....I stood there watching her....hearing that miserable clicking sound.....know I know what's ailing her....air sac mites.

Sarah and I will treat the entire aviary, I'll separate her into another cage with a heat lamp, by tomorrow she'll be better.
I LOVE Ivermectin, it's what the vets use to treat mites, any mites.

this ALWAYS gets me MAD.

I never had air sac mites in my aviary, until I purchased an infected gouldian finch last year.
He looked fine, nice smooth feathers, active....you never would have guessed he was a carrier.

at the first sign of symptoms I treat them, I don't like to treat every 3 months like your suppose to....I hate medicating my birds, if I don't have to, I don't.

here are 2 photos of air sac mites, this was taken by Evan,I had a necropsy done from the excellent advice I received from some members on here!

this is from the infected gouldian finch, I only had him maybe a month, then he just gave up.....within hours he was dead...no signs, no symptoms, nothing.
I've NEVER seen a bird go down hill so quickly. that is what is so scarey about these little bu&^ers.....every bird can show no signs or subtle signs until it's too late.

 

[Kalidasa]

Omg, those things are HIDEOUS!! I hate to think of those things inside any bird. Good thing you caught it in time. Is the clicking sound coming when they breathe? Like a click every breath or what?

 

[Allee]

That's really awful and scary. I'm sorry you're dealing with this.

 

[JennyB]

Oh my gosh, how terrible!!! I'm learning so much from this site, however, it's usually from someone else's bad experience! Hoping your little one recovers quickly, and thank you for sharing! I treat my 1200 lb. horses with Ivermectin... can't imagine how tiny the dose for a canary must be!

Sincerely, Jenny

 

[crimson]

I kind of figured it would gross you guys out.....sorry.

I totally agree it IS hideous, but we don't realize what internal issues go on INSIDE our birds that make them ill. we only see the external symptoms.

had it not been for THIS forum, who gave me excellent advice last year, I would have LOST ALL my birds, and possibly infected my bigger birds.... they can contract them as well.

we caught all but two, Sarah and I got so tired of trying to catch them, we will hook up with the remaining two later for treatment.