Why is my male canary's belly swollen after diarrhea? Is it serious?

Thanks for reaching out about Chubaka. Fluffed feathers indicate illness, as he is trying to keep himself warm by trapping more air, thereby increasing his insulation. Head bobbing and swollen neck could be an obstructed crop and nausea, or ruptured air sac and difficulty breathing. A veterinary visit is recommended, sooner the better as smaller birds have less energy reserves and decline quickly. Good luck.

Pepper should be physically examined by your veterinarian or a vet experienced in treating birds. Possibilities include parasites, liver disease or infection. Supportive care may be indicated until he recovers.Keep him warm and as stress free as possible until he sees the vet. If possible, have him examined today.

Thanks for your question about Hazlet, and thank you for the photos - they are very helpful. You are correct in that Hazlet is more fluffed than a normal canary should be. You are also correct that this can be a sign of illness (it is part of what we call the "sick bird posture" - this also includes sitting low on the perches or sitting on the ground, closing the eyes, tucking the head, faster breathing). It can also be a sign of stress, or being cold as well. I would recommend that you evaluate where the cage is located - is it near a window, near an outside wall, or near a door? Is the temperature in your house 70F or below - if so, I would recommend increasing the temperature. Now that it has been two days since you posted (I apologize for the delay, by the way), if this has continued and the temperatures and cage location are appropriate, it may be time for a veterinary visit. Often it can take a few days for a bird to get comfortable in their new environment, but if it is still going on now, I would recommend taking him in to see a veterinarian. They can perform a physical examination, and depending on the findings, may have treatment recommendations for you. They can also evaluate the husbandry/care/diet for Hazlet and may make recommendations that are tailored to you and to him. I hope that gives you a place to start, and thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach.

As you already eluded to, getting a vet visit for evaluation is recommended. Until you can do that, the best you can do is supportive care at home. Unfortunately, we can not recommend any medications, as your vet will need to do that once she is seen. Things you can do are to make sure she has a well heated environment of around 30C so she doesn’t need to waste energy on keeping herself warm. You can also put her in a cage with low perches (or no perches) and easily accessed food and water sources. With her enlarged belly, your vet will also want to rule out a potential egg on the visit, which may be done with a physical exam alone, or radiographs (x-rays) may also be needed. I hope that gives you a place to start!

Thanks for reaching out. Continue to keep clean with a warm compress. A veterinary visit is recommended to assess and provide a diagnostics and treatment plan. If a female, egg binding should be considered. Clumped stool in either sex could be due to liver, renal, intestinal and or infectious diseases. A veterinary visit is recommend to assist in a diagnostic/treatment plan. Providing supplemental heat in the 80-85 F range will give some comfort but is not a treatment. Good luck.

Thanks for reaching out about Cherry and including a photo. A swollen abdomen can be an indication of egg binding, fluid accumulation or an enlarged organ. Egg binding for 9 days would be very serious. Veterinary attention is extremely important and a visit needs to be examined as soon as possible. Providing supplemental heat can give some comfort but is not a treatment. Good luck.

Thanks for reaching out about Bebe. Increased respiratory rate is an indication of breathing difficulty. This could be an infections, trachea obstruction (air sac mites, inhaled particles), toxic insult, enlarged abdominal organs (spleen, liver) and others. Providing heat support can give some aid but is not a treatment. A veterinary visit should be considered to assess and provide a diagnostic/treatment plan. Good luck.