Question for Canary Expert about scaly leg

[Laura & Baby Emily]

I am in the wrong "catagory" but I wanted to ask an expert a question please.

I bought a canary that I think has scaly leg virus. What should I do to help him heal. There is like white/pale yellow crusts on his feet.

I gave him apple tree branch perches, and he is now eating a healthy diet. And I offered him a luke-warm bath in Calomine tea because I read that was soothing for his feet. And I have been rubbing petrolumn-jelly on his feet (because I read that smothers the mites.) And I bought him an anti-mite protection item that you hang outside the cage.

Please tell me what I should do now. Already I have been noticing improvements. But please tell me what I am doing right, what I am doing wrong, and what more I can do.

Thank-you so much
Laura

[angelwingsaviary]

I am not any official expert, but I am a finch breeder, and have experience with canaries, as well.

Scally skin can be the result of a few things:

-Right before molting, birds show signs of scaly skin and beak, which is perfectly normal. It's the skin cells regenerating. It will be fine right after molt.

-The more serious one is the scaly mite. It developes anywhere skin is exposed, like around the beak, head, legs, and such. It is fairely simple to treat. Any type of mite medicine would work on it. The best result can be achieved with a solution called "S76". You put 2.5 ml in 1 liter of water and feed them as the only source of water. You also need to give them a bath dish with the same solution. If they refuse to bathe, just catch them and dip them in that water. Repeat in 2 weeks, since the eggs will hatch again in 2 weeks. Repeat the 2 sets every 3 months. Mite treatment should be a routine for you, throughout the year.

-In case of developing a cough right after treatment, which means the presence and treatment of air sac mite, follow up with antibiotic. (When mites fall off the lung tissues, it will leave a scar that can be infected.)

Most finches, are always in danger of mites, specially air sac mite. This routine will help with all mites and external parasites.

Best of luck!

[angelwingsaviary]

I forgot to add:

Throw away the hanging mite prevention. The fume causes liver damage in small birds. Clean the cage with diluted bleach water. (With the birds in it. Just don't spray bleach on the birds.)

Soak all the nests and dishes in bleach water and rinse thoroghly. It should be fine. You don't need constant poison fume around your birds. If you follow up the S76 routine, you will never have mite problems again.

[Monica]

My only advice would have been avian vet check if it's not helping, and to toss the mite protector as those don't really work, and many people buy them anyway thinking it will keep away mites when they don't, even if the people don't have mites in the area anyway...

You can post your questions in the normal 'Ask the Experts' area, and people there can answer your questions more thoroughly, so please, if you don't have any questions about birds that you have that have experts about them (i.e. parrotlet, eclectus, grey, cockatoo etc), please just ask in the normal 'Ask the Experts' section.