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From: sbishop@desire.wright.edu
Newsgroups: rec.birds
Subject: Re: Indoor, Canary with asthma
Message-ID: <1991Mar13.095949.2842@desire.wright.edu>
Date: 13 Mar 91 14:59:49 GMT
References: <1991Mar6.190428.2757@desire.wright.edu> <9398@cognos.UUCP>
Followup-To: rec.birds
Organization: University Computing Services, Wright State University
Lines: 30

In article <9398@cognos.UUCP>, stewartw@cognos.UUCP (Stewart Winter) writes:
> In article <1991Mar6.190428.2757@desire.wright.edu> sbishop@desire.wright.edu writes:
>>I have a canary hen that suffers from asthma.  (Something the bird and I have
>>in common!)  Is this a permanent condition with birds, i.e., once they get it
>>they always have it?  Also, is this bird still breedable?  She is a red factor
>>and I would like to get some babies from her.  I have been doing obvious things
>>for her like keeping the cage as clean and dust free as possible but are there
>>any medications I should try?  None of the vets around here have a clue what to
>>do with birds....
> 
>    I guess I would be inclined to find out what causes the breathing
> difficulties.  Is she reacting to: pollens (a seasonal problem), dust
> in the air (from other birds - cockatoos often a cause of breathing
> problems in other birds), cigarette smoke, kitchen cooking fumes, etc.
> Birds do have remarkable sensitive respritory systems which could be
> affected by something which really doesn't bother you.
> 
> If she is reacting seasonally (ie pollens or some such thing), I think
> you might be better off not breeding her.  Otherwise, I don't see any
> reason not too.
> 
>   Stewart

It seems her problem is year 'round.  She also had a bad problem of pulling
feathers and putting them in her water dish, but I moved her to a bigger
cage with another hen and she seems to be doing better.  She wants to nest
all the time, will sit for weeks in her nest if allowed but doesn't lay eggs.
I've decided not to breed her unless she gets better.  I hope she recovers
since she is my only red factor hen.  Canaries are hard to handle and much
more fragile than parakeets.