Cardinal might have Conjunctivitis

[cardinalMom]

Good Morning,

It has been a long time since I checked in here. Our cardinal Amadeus has been thriving since we welcomed him in February.

However I noticed today that he has a small bump under one of his eyes. I am not sure if he could have accidently hit himself or if he has an infection.

We will try to get ahold of a vet if it doesn't get better. Since everything is closed in Germany on a Sunday I would like to ask for your advice. If we had to get a medication tomorrow what might it be? Could it be another issue that has caused the eye bump?

Amadeus is otherwise fine :red:

 

[LaManuka]

I'm so sorry to hear Amadeus has bumped his eye somehow! Is there any discharge or sign that it is irritating or bothering him? In any event, you are definitely wise to have it checked out by a vet, as it could be a number of different things and not easily diagnosed remotely.

My Lilly the lorikeet had what turned out to be a teeny tiny ulcer on her lower eyelid only a few weeks ago. I noticed a very slight discolouration or shadow on the outside of her lower lid, and the next day the ulcer developed so off we went to the vet. Turned out she had somehow scratched or poked herself in the eye and had a tiny splodge (technical term ) of blood on the inside of the eyelid, while the ulcer had developed on the outside. Thankfully it did not get infected and the vet prescribed an anti-inflammatory medication to be administered twice daily for a week and she made a full recovery. I still don't know how she managed to hurt her eye, she is just my little "problem child"!

I hope everything turns out for the best for Amadeus, keep us updated won't you?

 

[cardinalMom]

Thank you very much for your best wishes. I will certainly keep the forum updated. I have done a little bit of research and it could also be: Mycoplasmosis which is an infection of the eye.

Amadeus' actual eye looks unaffected but directly underneath is swollen---almost like he got punched. He's behaving normally eating seeds and apples but this new development really bothers me. He's our Ruby.

Today we are going to clean his cage top to bottom in hopes that if it is a bacterial infection avoid a second illness.

 

[LaManuka]

Yes it does sound like something that will need professional intervention. Your vet will also prescribe an antibiotic if there is any infection, as the bacteria that causes infection in the conjunctiva can spread to the respiratory system. I hope you will be able to get him to the vet on Monday

 

[cardinalMom]

I will post pictures shortly...

 

[cardinalMom]

I am having the hardest time uploading photos here. Therefore I made a Pinterest board for Amadeus:

https://pin.it/1S9xItQ

Thank you so much for your help.

 

[SailBoat]

The area around the eyes can be effected by so many different causes that I would not recommend any medication as doing so could make it worst.

The likelihood of this being inflammation is high, but as you state, he could have bumped the area causing inflammation. That said, any number of infections could also be at work here.

When it comes to eyes, as stated above, your Avian Professional is your best direction.

 

[Scott]

Welcome back, glad to know Amadeus has thrived in your aviary. Sorry to see his eye inflammation, hopefully a skilled vet will accurately diagnose and easily treat. Please keep us updated next week!

 

[Laurasea]

I can't tell well enough in the pictures. But your baby does look sick in the picture. A sinus infection can cause swelling by the eye.
Often a diet low in vitamin A can kead to these kinds of things. Firs he eat veggies?, dried peppers, or fresh peppers have a lit if vitamin A
Hopefully the vet can help. Sorry you little one has an issue

 

[cardinalMom]

Thank you everyone for the support and well wishes. My husband is going to consult a vetrinarian today. It might be a bit difficult to find one because many vets here will not consult birds and even fewer will consult a wild songbird.

Amadeus is eating and enjoying life like normal as far as we can tell.

His diet consists of regular bird feed (he refuses to eat the black seeds found in the special 'Cardinal Mix' from England ) Apples, cucumbers and many earthworms from our garden.

Is there something that we are missing?

My husband and I have noticed something new about his behaviour: he seems very tame, he even hopped on my husband's arm yesterday for a few seconds when he DH was cleaning his aviary. My husband also thinks he Amadeus was overall less hyper when he cage was being cleaned.

He usually sleeps in a pool ball shape on top of his birdhouse, now he is sleeping in his food dish (which acts as a roof.)

About Amadeus' eye: there is nothing coming out of it. He looks like he got into a fight The affected eye is partially open from time to time. His feathers are clean and he has no other wounds or afflictions. Someone mentioned that sitting with ruffled feathers is an indication of possible illness---he does like to sun himself in such a way but could it be something else?

One other possibility: Amadeus lives outdoors in an aviary, here in the west of Germany we still have mosquitos and a new rash of ladybugs. Could this be a reaction to an insect bite? Amadeus had a great summer eating various wasps and flies.

Is there something I am missing?

Thank you so much, please keep our Ruby in your positive thoughts

 

[Scott]

Good luck with the search for qualified veterinarian. It is possible a skilled vet can diagnose and begin treatment based on apparent symptoms. As long as Amadeus appears stable and comfortable, beginning with less invasive treatment and scaling upwards as needed may be best.

The changes in behavior to more sedate and tolerant can be result of socialization and familiarity, hopefully not illness. As you likely are aware, birds as creatures of prey conceal health issues as long as possible. Fluffed feathers can be indication of sickness, though you'd have to be keenly aware of this as new behavior rather than normal sunning himself.

My hunch is birds evolved to eating insects would be largely immune to bites/stings unless from invasive species. Mosquitos and lady bugs are likely a staple diet of cardinals worldwide.

Deep respect for hosting an unusual friend, looking forward to good news about Amadeus!

 

[Noahs_Birds]

When my birds have had an ailment of any sort, if its a sore eye or a scratch, I use a product called Chlorsig which you can normally just get over the counter at the Pharmacy

Either way, Vets always best, they always know what to do

 

[cardinalMom]

Hello everyone,

I would like to update. Amadeus saw a vetrinarian yesterday and he does have Conjunctivitis. The vet was able to drain some of the fluid that had gathered under his eye and prescribed antibiotic eyedrops twice a day over a ten day period.

Our vetrinarian also believes that he is a bit too thin. We have increased his fruit, vegetable and earthworm diet. We have also ordered suet bird feeder balls which we think he will enjoy.

Amadeus is already looking much better. He's been eating all day, hopping about and his feathers are 'smooth' again. It's not so fun to grab him and administer the drops but luckily my husband is better than I at that.

Thank you so much for your advice and support. When I get the time I would like to post more pictures of my ruby.

 

[Scott]

Fantastic update, glad Amadeus is on the mend!! Hope he heals swiftly and gains a bit of weight. Looking forward to pics when you have time.

 

[LaManuka]

Thank you for the wonderful update! Great news you were able to get effective treatment for your precious little Ruby, and I hope he makes a full and speedy recovery

Looking forward to those baby photos!!