If you have recently decided to raise zebra finches as pets then you may be interested in knowing about zebra finch diseases, and what signs you should be on the lookout for in your birds.
Finch health can sometimes be hard to determine because birds will naturally try to hide any signs of weakness, and to them a finch illness would be a sign of weakness.
The first thing you need to know about the health of these birds, and how to spot illness in them, is that you must observe your birds.
Watch your birds and learn their behavior patterns, their feeding patterns, how much water they take in every day, and how they interact with the other animals.
Often the first sign of illness in a cage is when a bird starts to display abnormal behavior patterns, like they have a change in diet, or a change in how they behave.
The second thing you really need to know is that you need to get a second cage to use as a hospital cage.
When one of your pets becomes ill you will want to quarantine it from the others until it is better.
This will slow the spreading of disease, and it will keep the healthier pets from picking on the sick one.
If you notice that your pet seems to be sitting more still than normal, or appears that is moping you are probably observing a sick animal.
Normal behavior for these animals is to be moving unless they are sleeping, sick ones sit still, and will often keep their eyes about half-shut even when they are awake.
Pay attention to the air holes located on the beak, frequently these will look wet, or even dirty when the animal is feeling under the weather.
Place any bird that displays any symptoms of being ill into the hospital cage until you determine what is wrong.
Once the sick creature has been secluded watch for other symptoms to determine if this is something you can handle, or if you need to take it to the vet.
If your patient seems to make faint clicking noises when it breathes you are more than likely dealing with air-sac mites.
Pick your animal up and hold it close to your ears and listen for the sounds of the clicking, or for gasping when it tries to breathe.
This is a serious disease and you have to treat it quickly with medication called Iverlux.
If the animal is severely infected the treatment will not be beneficial, but when the condition is caught early you may be able to save the creature.
This is why it is so important to know the basic behavior patterns of your individual pets, and to remove them as soon as they display behaviors that appear unusual.
Your observance and quick reactions to potential illness in the cage will be the very best tool you have against finch diseases in your cage.