Why is this keet's belly so dirty? Should I be concerned?

[champignon]

Hi all,

I'm a pretty new guinea keeper and this is my first time posting here. I have six 8-day old keets. A few of them had some mild pasty butt the first couple of days I had them, but that seems to have cleared up.

Last night and this morning, this one keet has had the issue shown in the photos (taken before and after cleaning this morning).

This doesn't seem the same as the earlier pasty butt since the poop isn't so much crusted on/around the vent, but on the keet's tummy. Last night I thought maybe it just decided to take a nap in some poop. But it looked the same again this morning, and a second accidental poop-nap seemed to be an unlikely explanation.

The other 5 keets are all clean and fluffy, and it doesn't look like they are half bald on their bellies. I'm changing their paper towel bedding 2 or 3 times a day, but of course they have pooped all over it within 30 minutes.

Should I be doing something else besides cleaning this little one off twice a day? Thanks!

 

[3 Sparrows Farm]

Wow that's weird, the bird might have some disease or sickness, I would immediately separate him and give him poultry antibiotics (found at a local feed store, I use this one with yellow powder, it normally clears up whatever is going on)

 

[champignon]

Thanks. I will go pick up some antibiotics in a bit.

I move the keets into a lined cardboard box while I'm cleaning their brooder. (This is also my chance to make sure I've checked/cleaned each one's butt, etc.) I've noticed the one that's left alone when the others have been moved always freaks out.

If I separate this one, is it going to eventually settle down about being alone? *steels self for hearing hours of alarm calling from lonely keet*

 

[champignon]

UGH, Tractor Supply didn't have anything labeled antibiotics for poultry. I got Corid, because that sounded familiar to me as something given to birds, and I verified there was dosage info on this site.

NOW I realize Corid's an anti-protozoan, not an antibiotic. Is there something specific I should look for, maybe online with rush shipping?

Will it hurt to give (liquid) Corid in the water in the meantime?

Help?!

Also, the separated keet has been separated for hours and is STILL warning calling. It's breaking my heart...

 

[3 Sparrows Farm]

I don't think it will hurt but don't give to much, stick to the antibiotics if you can and I know it bothers you to have the keet calling but it's a matter of risking your whole keet group or having that one lonely. The antibiotic brand is Terra Vet 10, I think I got it at Cal-Ranch.

 

[R2elk]

If I separate this one, is it going to eventually settle down about being alone? *steels self for hearing hours of alarm calling from lonely keet*

Try to pick out one of the others that it seems to get along with for companionship.

 

[3 Sparrows Farm]

ya that will work it

 

[champignon]

Just following up on the outcome of this.

I ended up putting this little one back in with the other keets since it was so stressed out. I started (and finished) a round of Corid in their water. Since there was white foamy stuff on the vent that reminded me of some pics I was seeing of vent gleet, I also began applying antifungal Clotrimazole cream (from CVS) twice a day.

None of the other keets got sick. This one slowly got better. It was smaller than the other keets at the time, but it has now caught up with the others and I can no longer tell it apart from the other 5 coral blue keets.