# Canary



## gordie (Aug 25, 2014)

Hello can any one tell me what to do one of my canary looks unwell he sleeps a lot and he is puffed up he eats egg food and a bit off seed is there anything that I can give him to make him well again iv got a lot to lern about keeping canarys so can any one help thank you


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## Phoenix24 (Apr 6, 2013)

It would be a good idea for you to join a dedicated canary forum as on there people are more likely to know the ins and outs of specific canary care, especially illness. 

I had a canary I 'rescued' from a pet store. They clearly hadn't noticed that the canary was emaciated and completely lost control over its balance. I did a bit of reading and came across a term 'going light' - where the bird loses weight and body condition for whatever reasons (typically improper nutrition especially during the moult). You should check the bird to see if it is very skinny (if you can easily feel and see the breastbone - it will feel sharp if there is no muscle around it). Hen birds sometimes get egg bound due to lack of calcium in the diet. You should always offer cuttlebone - even if you have to grate it over the seed. Calcium supplements can be bought to put in the water. Check the bird's poo - does it look watery or smell bad? This would be a sign of infection. Is the bird sneezing or wheezing? This would indicate a respiratory problem. A vet would be better qualified to help you with diagnosis.

You should take your bird to a vet if there is no change in 24 hours. Make sure you keep the cage away from draughts, moisten the egg food so the canary is getting water, and perhaps even offer a source of warmth (heat lamps are often suggested, just at one end of the cage though).


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