Hello. I'll sure try my best to help your little girl. I need to get a bit more information from you though.
Is she a lone bird or does she have a cage mate/s?
Are you sure it is a female?
When you say "raw" skin do you mean just naked spots or is the skin looking irritated, red, dry, scaly, any indication of bleeding past or present?
Has there been any change in the appearance of her droppings, any changes in behavior or vocalizations?
Please tell me all about her usually diet.
Thanks, Patricia
Okay, thanks for the extra information. It definitely helps. I'm going to have a little trouble being as precise as I'd like to be since I'm not sure exactly what kind of Canary you have. Generally the "German" canarys are the Roller Canarys. They are also sometimes referred to as Red Factor canarys. If that's what you have, one of the reasons they are so popular is their song. The males are usually the better singers but the females are certainly capable of it. If yours never has done any singing, it makes me wonder if you maybe have some other type. That can have a big bearing on the life span you can expect, with proper care and diet. Many canary types can live into their 20's, which you make yours not at all and old bird. However, the German Rollers life span is closer to 10 years so yours could be at least consider as just past middle age. The one thing I can tell you for sure is you can't believe half, if that, of what a pet store employee will tell you. Partly because they say what they think you want to hear and mostly because they want to make a sale, no matter what. Also, it's extremely rare for a pet store employee to have any real bird knowledge at all. Not about care, nor diet nor much of anything else. Here is a link to information about the Rollers that you may find helpful in determining if that's truly what you have and with other Canary issues. Click here: Birds » Songbirds » Canary - German Roller Main Page Some of the high points of the information is as follows. The best temperature range for a German Roller Canary is 50 to 70 degrees Fahrenheit. Although they need lots of natural daylight, it is essential that your German Roller Canary be allowed ten to 12 hours of dark time, or sleeping time, in a quiet setting. German Roller Canaries will do well in a cage of about two feet by 15 inches by 15 inches in dimension. The cage bottom should be covered in sand and the birds should have a cuttlebone available on which to dull their beaks. German Roller Canaries will need clean, fresh water available to them at all times and they may be fed a standard diet of canary seed mix. This should be supplemented daily with fresh green food, bits of fruit like apple or orange, or even corn on the cob. Male German Roller Canaries tend to sing much more nicely than female canaries. Males can be territorial, however, and should not be kept together in the same cage. Another issue could be bathing habits. If the bird does not get an opportunity to bathe several times a week, she could be suffering from lack of humidity. Also, if there are diet changes needed, you will want to work on that as proper diet also has a big impact on overall skin and feather conditions. Notice that information about the amount of darkness and undisturbed sleep time that is needed. Any bird from small canary to large Macaw, who does not get enough sleep becomes a cranky, out of sorts, stressed (which can lead to plucking) and even an ill bird. It's good that you are not seeing so far, any symptoms of an ill bird. Just keep a close eye on the appearance of the droppings, any sitting with feathers fluffed, sitting on the cage floor rather than a perch and any change in normal behavior. Also be careful with the cat situation. No matter how well them may seem to get along, it's still a predator/prey relationship and you never know when that may surface. If any of the cat's saliva ever comes in contact with her, she is in grave danger. Cats have a bacteria in their saliva that will be fatal to a bird. If it gets on her feathers, she will be in danger of ingesting it as soon as she preens. If it should get into an open wound, you have very little time to get her to a competent Avian vet to save her. For now, I'm going to suggest you improve her bathing habits, work on any diet additions or changes that are needed and stay alert for those symptoms. If you see even one of them, do not delay getting her to a vet. All birds have a very strong instinct to mask their symptoms because it is a critical survival skill in the wild which holds over to our pet birds. By the time we see a symptom, it's because they are too ill or too weak to keep up the pretense. I'm going to give you links for help in locating a proper vet, in case you don't already know of one who's avian experience and expertise can be relied on. I hope this will be helpful for you but if you have any more questions, just let me know. I'll sure do my best for you. Patricia
Click here: Parrots - Avian Vets Recommended - Judy Leach's Parrots - macaws, cockatoos, and african greys
Click here: Find local animal hospitals and emergency animal clinics - PETS 911
Click here: Avian Veterinarians Recommended by Bird Breeders and Owners http://www.birdsnways.com/articles/abvpvets.htm
Click here: Avian Vet List
Click here: BirdsnWays - Avian Veterinarians - Vets - Vet Services for Pet Parrots & Exotic Birds
This one looks like an advertisement for Harrison pellets but they are only sold by vets so it's another good list to check. Click here: Harrison's Bird Foods is a family of certified organic pet bird diets that were formulated to make your bird as he
Another thing to check on is to make sure she is not being exposed to any of these household toxic products. If anything gets on her feathers, that could account for over zealous preening and even the plucking of the feathers.
Click here: More Birds Die as a Result of Air Fresheners: That Stinks!!
Click here: Alerts Dangers and Toxins for Pet Birds Parrots
Click here: Bird; Birds: Safe, Toxic Trees, Woods. Safe Tree Wood. Poisonous. Parrots.
Click here: Toxic and Safe Plants/Trees for Birds - Household Poisons
Click here: Bird Proofing Your Home - Avoid These Pet Bird Hazards
Parrot C&onsultant
Published author, free lance bird behaviorist, adviser to the parrots at Sarasota Jungle Gardens.