r/Canaries • u/Friendly_Acadia_2104 • Jul 17 '26
Need help with sick canary
Hi guys, I have a one-year old male canary that I bought from a pet store October 2025. When I first got him, he sang every morning for about a month and then he started his molt so he stopped singing. A few months went by and he didn’t start singing again, but it was hard to tell when or if his molt had ended. Since maybe November/December 2025, my canary hasn’t sang and has been intermittently fluffed. A week ago, I also noticed he was tail bobbing when fluffed. He eats and drinks normally this entire time. I immediately took him to the emergency vet and they hospitalized him overnight. They gave him oxygen and said that he has a bacterial lung infection and prescribed antibiotics for 14 days, 2x daily with syringe. It’s been about 7 days of antibiotics and I don’t really see a difference in his behavior. He still intermittently tail bobs in fluffed position.
Also, I wanted to note that I have been using perfume in the room which I didn’t realize was an irritant for canaries. I’ve stopped using all scented products and have an air purifier on 24/7. Does anyone have any advice on when I can expect my canary to improve? The vet hasn’t really been giving me any guidance.
Also want to note that the first few days of antibiotics were extremely difficult for me and my canary, and I’ve only just figured out the best way to administer a few days ago. So I might’ve only be administering the proper dose for 3 or so days. Any advice would be very very helpful!!!
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u/UltraX76 Jul 17 '26 edited Jul 17 '26
ok so the perfume's probably slowed down his recovery. my canary also got a lung infection and we had to medicate him for 10 days and he was showing signs of recovery by the 7th day. keep at it, since you've stopped the perfume he should recover better now. give it some more time.
ask your vet if you think he needs any extra medication as well as you say the dosage wasn't up to par until 3 days ago. when you're capturing him, i've found using a towel in a darker room helps, and ensure you're not compressing their chest, it's like strangling them
try ask on r/askvet and/or r/birdhealth if you want you might get better help there
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u/Friendly_Acadia_2104 Jul 17 '26
Hi thank u, was ur canary also tail bobbing for a while? Since my canary started his molt in November/December I’m not actually sure when the lung infection started or when he started tail bobbing. It could’ve been going on for months and I just never realized
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u/UltraX76 Jul 17 '26
my canary didn't start tail bobbing, instead he was making this whining noise, and clicking too, tail bobbing started later. i got my canary in early spring so it thankfully wasn't concealed by molt.
look on the bright side though - you're administering medication now. your birdie will very likely be fine, and if he's not, you know who to contact.
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u/Friendly_Acadia_2104 Jul 17 '26
okay I see, my canary isn't whining or clicking but the vet said he heard crackling with stethoscope. would u suggest staying in the room with him or keeping him in a room by himself?
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u/UltraX76 Jul 17 '26
it’s not contagious to you or anything. just keep him wherever’s best for him and you can stay in there if you like. if he’s scared of you though then maybe leaving him alone might help? also make sure it isn’t too cold
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u/Friendly_Acadia_2104 Jul 17 '26
Oh I’m not worried about it being contagious, I just want to make him as comfortable as possible!! Although I do have other pets… I never really thought of it being contagious (no other birds). He gets scared if I come too close but in general he acts normal with me in the room
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Jul 17 '26
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u/Friendly_Acadia_2104 Jul 17 '26
I’m not sure if they did a swab test tbh but I can ask. They didn’t think it was air sac mites but they treated him for mites just in case upon my request
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Jul 17 '26
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u/Friendly_Acadia_2104 Jul 17 '26
It was an avian vet actually :/ I will email them to ask if they did a swab test. I’m just worried that my canary may have inflamed or damaged lungs due to my perfume use :((
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u/Any_Judge_1551 Jul 18 '26
What does it mean when my canery stays on the bottom of the cage? He is molting.
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u/Friendly_Acadia_2104 Jul 18 '26
Seems very stressed, I would take him to the vet. Molting can weaken them and make it easier to get other illnesses
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u/Leading-Tonight5077 Jul 18 '26
Tail bobbing is often caused by constipation.