Compacted droppings

[Hamster Girl]

When I got home today, I went to look at my birds and noted one perched on the "ground" of her cage, which has three perches within.

I poked my hand in and expected her to flutter to one of them, the most she did was shuffle over. When I grabbed ahold of her, she didn't struggle (and granted I got her used to handling for fair - but I thought a bird in the dark would struggle if something touched/grabbed it?)

So I brought her into the house for better lighting and found she had a wad of droppings that had compacted into the fluffy feathers right before the bottom of her vent. So I got some scissors and did a quick series of cuts to free her vent, and then submerged her rear in lukewarm water and rubbed until 95% of the crusties left on the outlying feathers was gone.

 

Now aside from a (probably) irritated (red) bum, do any of you recognize your birds ever having gotten droppings so bound up in the feathers that they blocked off the vent?

My mom said she'd noted it the day before, but I had no idea of it until this evening...

 

As of now, she perked up, and gifted us with a fresh dropping once we released her into a temporary cage. Do any of you think she'll be okay now that she's been "cleaned" up around her vent?

[Merlin]

Would imagine she will be okay if she is not too old,try some barley say at 10% of their regular feed,make sure to keep an eye on her healthwise.

[Hamster Girl]

Thanks Merlin, will see how she improves with barley.

 

She isn't old as of yet - barely over a year. I think exactly a year and one month.