Canaries: Their Care and Management 19 



RESPIRATORY TROUBLES. 



The fact that canaries are injured by cold drafts can not be 

 too strongly emphasized, and it may be said that a large proportion 

 of their common ailments come from such exposure. In many cases 

 exposure is followed by congestion in the intestinal region, and 

 death ensues in a very short time. In ordinary colds there is diffi- 

 culty in breathing and some liquid discharge from the nose. Fre- 

 quently this is accompanied by coughing. A bird thus affected 

 should be kept in a warm room free from all drafts and protected 

 from irritating dust, vapor, or tobacco smoke. The symptoms are 

 increased as the cold progresses and becomes acute, and the bird sits 

 with feathers puffed out, seeming really ill. Breathing is difficult 

 and rapid. If there is enough catarrhal secretion partly to block 

 the respiratory passages a slight bluish tint is noticed beneath the 

 transparent sheath of the bill. As a remedy, place in the drinking 

 cup 1 ounce of water to which have been added 20 drops of sirup of 

 torn, 10 of sweet spirits of niter, and 10 of glycerin. 



Pneumonia in cage birds often follows exposure and is nearly 

 always fatal. The symptoms, rapid and difficult breathing with 

 little catarrhal discharge, appear suddenly. The bird becomes very 

 weak at once and usually dies in from two to seven days. Little can 

 be done beyond sheltering the bird, as noted above, and providing 

 an easily assimilated food, as egg food and bread moistened in milk. 



Asthma is a chronic affection, in which there is difficulty in ex- 

 piration of air in breathing. In severe cases a contraction of the 

 abdominal muscles is evident in forcing the air from the lungs. 

 Asthma is more in evidence at night, and often birds apparently 

 free from it during the day will wheeze when at rest. There is prac- 

 tically nothing that can be done for it. Sometimes a semblance of 

 asthma is caused by indigestion from overeating. Fanciers consider 

 asthma hereditary and do not recommend birds so affected for breed- 

 ing purposes. 



INTESTINAL COMPLAINTS. 



Intestinal troubles in canaries arise in most cases from the food 

 or water supply and are avoided by cleanliness and proper care. 

 Dirty water cups with foul water, decayed or soured fresh or soft 

 foods, or a poor seed supply lead inevitably to trouble. Should the 

 canary contract diarrhea, remove all green and soft foods from the 

 cage for a time and give only the normal seed supply. As a remedy, 

 add a small quantity of Epsom salts to the drinking water for a day. 

 If there is no improvement, feed the bird a bit of moist bread, with 

 the surface covered lightly with bismuth (subnitrate), or place an 

 ounce of water in the drinking cup, to which have been added three 

 or four drops of tincture of opium. For constipation, the addition 

 of lettuce, apple, chickweed, or other green food to the regular menu 

 is usually sufficient; if not, a pinch of Epsom salts may be added 

 to the drinking water. The quantity of the purgative should be 

 enough to impart a faintly saline taste to the solution. Castor oil 

 is not a good corrective remedy for small birds. 



