"Why Does My Canary Have
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A heavy accumulation of this scaling may cause irritation to your bird and may even result in difficulty walking.
But while this "scaliness" CAN cause problems, it’s also one of the natural symptoms of aging.
Scaly Feet on Older Canaries.
Older canaries commonly have a heavy build-up of scales and the amount of scales is sometimes used to age canaries. As Dr. Rob Marshall states in Canary Health, the “legs of young birds are cleaner than old birds and quite free of scale”. Some canaries, though, are susceptible to having the calcium salt problem their whole life.
The aging process is not the only reason for scaly feet. Scaly feet could also be an indication of a...
Mite Infestation
These Scaly Mites live in, and feed on, the scales of your canary’s feet and legs. In severe cases these mites will move up to the beak area of the face.
If your bird is relatively young and has scaly feet and legs, it is safe to assume you have a mite problem. Or at least your canary does.
Treating for the Scaly Feet Mite
SCATT is an effective treatment for Scaly Mites and any other parasite that feeds on your bird’s blood. Scatt has a residual effect and one dose is effective for about 3 weeks. This residual effect is great because Scatt is not effective on mite eggs. But as the young mites hatch out and start feeding on your canary they will ingest the Scatt that is remaining in your canary’s system and soon die.
Another effective treatment is S76. Some mites like to hide in the cracks and crevices of your bird’s cage. If you haven’t treated for mites lately you should spray the bird and cage once per week for 4 weeks with this mite spray. S76 is a good product available at LadyGouldianFinch.com and can also be added to your bird’s drinking and bath water.
S76 is good for killing mites that do not feed directly on the bird’s blood or living tissue. Feather mites, for instance, often feed only on dead skin and feather particles.
The mites that come into contact with the spray will die but the spray has no effect on mite eggs. Therefore, you'll spray once per week so that you can kill the mites that have hatched out since the last spraying. After 4 weeks you will have effectively eradicated the pest.
For more on mites see Canary Diseases.
If the scales are caused by a mite problem it will take some time for the excess scaling to subside. But, as I’ve stated in the FREE CanaryTips! Ezine, regardless of what is causing them you can...
Remove the Scales.
*Wash your canary’s feet gently in warm water.
*Mix together 2 Tbs Vaseline and 1 Tbs Campho Phenique and keep in an air tight container. An alternative salve is baby oil, or you can use Vaseline exclusively, but the Campho Phenique will add some healing power to the process.
*Very gently apply this mixture on your bird’s feet and legs every day for 5 or 6 days.
*On about the 6th day the scales will begin to come off.
*If necessary rub the scales off GENTLY. A wash cloth may help to pull the scales away but if they don’t come off easily, let them be. If the scales are pulled off before they’re ready, you can cause bleeding.
There is also a product called Scalex that is useful for treating and removing these scales. You should be able to find it in your local pet store.
Within a week your canary will be foot loose and scale free!
Return from Scaly Feet to the Canary Disease Main Page.
