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                       HEALTH                                                                          

http://www.pigeon-lung.co.uk/  British Pigeon Medical Research

http://comanco.com/understa.htm        understanding paramyxovirus

http://comanco.com/ecoli.htm          ecoli & racing pigeons       by Dr. Cathy Hooper

http://comanco.com/newpage13.htm    pictorial guide to the microscope

http://home2.planetinternet.be/rice1/indexdeseases.htm      adenovirus   dr. c gyselbrecht.

Pigeon Breeder's Lung

About 10% of fanciers develop this disease, which is really an allergy to proteins found in feathers, and in intestinal cells that are shed normally in droppings.   Inhalation of dusts containing these proteins can sensitize your lungs and eventually may cause a reaction that brings on illness.  Such illness is characterized by chills and fever that develop several hours after exposure to these proteins.  The two outstanding signs in humans are shortness of breath and cough, after exposure to loft dust.  Note that the onset of signs is usually several hours after you have been in aloft.  Lung damage can be progressive over time, and some fanciers have to give up the sport because of the severe damage that has occurred over a period of time.  As a precaution, all of us should wear a mask when cleaning particularly dusty lofts, and even when the dust is minimal, care should be taken.   Those who have such a problem have to be especially careful, and wear a good protective mask any time they enter a loft.  Re-design of the loft may have to be considered to prevent a buildup and swirling of dust when birds fly while you are in the loft.  You may have to use a vacuum cleaner routinely to prevent dusty conditions.   Some fanciers have even installed electrical fans to circulate the air and to extract dust before it settles.  Wire-mesh sections of floor along the front of the loft may allow for improved circulation and for dust to escape rather than settling on the standard type of floor.  If you develop shortness of breath and coughing combined with chills and fever several hours after you enter a loft, you may well have pigeon breeder's lung, especially if you have a history of these signs on a repeated basis after you have been in a loft.  To be on the safe side, see your family doctor and arrange for a referral to see a respiratory specialist.  Be sure to tell your doctor and the specialist about your association with pigeons, and the onset of a sign several hours after exposure.  If you aren't sure about your problem, but are suspicious that you could have this lung problem, begin to wear a suitable mask when you enter your loft.   In any case, see your doctor as soon as possible so that a diagnostic examination of your lungs can be done.

Article on Bleach in Drinking Water

In March 1985 a personal friend of mine, Mr. Ralph Bevan, in an interview with Mr. Ralph V. Forbes for the Racing Pigeon Facts International, wrote one of the best aids to good form according to Ralph is the proper use of bleach in the water.  Some years ago Ralph experimented with it in the drinking water and the bath water.  He noticed his birds feathering became silkier as the days went by.  He added 3 drops of bleach to a gallon of drinking water and 1 capful of bleach to a 5 gallons of bath water.   Further to this study in the late '90's, Dr. David Marx also used bleach in his bird's drinking water everyday.  His dosage is 1 teaspoon per gallon of water.   He feels that it makes the droppings of the birds very acidic, therefore the birds are less likely to pick up any diseases such as Cocci or Canker.  He stresses NOT to use anything else when using bleach and only use bleach with no additives.  If you must give vitamins or medication of any type just stop the bleach until you have finished the vitamins or medication then you can start the bleach again.   

                                              VETERINARY      CORNER

These are 2 questions posed to Dr. D. Palmer. 

The 2 answers are pertaining to pigeons.

Q....  Two of my pigeons lost the power to use their legs.   Apart from this, the birds looked healthy and had warm feet. One of them also trailed a wing what can be done?

A...   Our reader does not say what age, sex or stage of the life cycle these affected birds are at so I am going to tell you about the most likely condition, for it This condition is hypocalcaemia or a lowering of the level of calcium in the blood. the condition in pigeons is more chronic and whilst preventable is not as dramatically or quickly cured.  Calcium levels in the bloodstream are closely maintained at a certain level by the interplay of mobilizing reserves from the bones and the diet, the action of various hormones against the depletion brought about by eggshell production and crop milk production. Calcium is needed for muscles and nerves to function normally. If the blood calcium  level falls drastically, the leg muscles fail to work the bird cannot support its own weight  In hens the symptoms are usually seen after the first egg is laid and gets worse after the second egg. Some times a rest will allow the internal hormone system to mobilize calcium stored within the bird. However to help, injections of calcium or adequate supplies of vitamin s D and Calcium by mouth (grit) will help give them an easily available source of calcium, magnesium, and multivitamin supplementation ( vitamin D ) or sunlight.

Q   what is the significance of green droppings? I had it in some of my young birds last season and I don't want it again.

A   the study of animal droppings is a very exact and fascinating science. An abnormality in the droppings clearly indicate that the bird's bowels or kidney function has altered when the bowel is  inflamed or irritated by infection e.g. salmonella bacteria, adenovirus, coccidial protozoan, capillarial worm infection it reacts like any other insulted organ- it produces inflammatory fluids and fails to function normally there are other factors that can disturb normal bowel function - change of diet, lack of water intake, irritant ingestion of foreign material i.e. poison; change in feeding routine, excess water intake e.g. during rainy weather; stress due to basketing, racing, changing routine, squirrel attack.

a pool of water plus a white dollop usually suggests a virus infection e.g. adenovirus, paramyxovirus, herpes virus, or ornithosis.  

green diarrhea: since the bird has no gall bladder the bile juices which are basically green, trickle down the bile duct and in to the bowels continuously and if a bird is deprived of food it will still continue to produce bile which, since there is no food to dilute it, it passes out as green droppings. A green dropping is often passed when a bird returns from a race, since they have not stopped off for a snack. Capillaria (hair worms) are a very common cause of green or bloody droppings.

bloody diarrhea: certain infections cause such severe inflammation of the bowel that the blood oozes into the bowel contents not just inflammatory fluid. this blood passes out in the droppings (hair worm ) infections well known in this context.certain bacteria may initiate bloody diarrhea e.g. escherichia coli. 'yellow liver disease' the dropping may be green but not watery, 'y.l.d' is a cause of weight loss, lack of ability to train or race normally.

green bubbly diarrhea: .this is a classic description of salmonellosis ( paratyphoid ) although a bubbly green mess is not exclusive to salmonellosis nor is salmonella infection forced to produce such an appearance.remember that diarrhea is a symptom not a disease. here is a list of possible causes of diarrhea- I may have missed some. paramyovirus, adenovirus, herpes, rota, circovirus, hexamita, trichomonas, coccidiosis, candida, e.coli, salmonella, stretoloccus, pseudomonas, chlamydia (ornithosis), worms and poison.

the above two Q & A are from  the British homing world by David Palmer B.V.Sc. M.R.C.V.S.

                                                                                                                                       

CCW-THE FANCIER'S TRILOGY

 

Trichomoniasis (Canker)

Many birds carry the parasites responsible for Canker.  The Trichomonads are single celled parasites characterised by whisker like protrusions from the cell body which they use for movement.  The exudate from a fresh crop swab is the best specimen to use to see Trichomonads.  It is said that up to 80% of adult pigeons harbour Trichomonads in their crops without causing significant disease.  However, they will pass these on to youngsters in the nest via crop milk and when feeding grain to youngsters.

Symptoms:  Listless unwell birds, particularly young birds; excessive thirst; diarrhea; weight loss and failure to thrive in youngsters; caseous white or pale yellow plaques in or around the mucosa of the mouth and upper airway.   They cause difficulty in swallowing grain.

Complications:  Whilst it is said that up to 80% of birds may carry the parasites, they are undoubtedly better off without any of them and when seen, it is wise to treat.  Furthermore, their presence in the crop will encourage their spread to youngsters who do not have the same degree of resistance to disease that parent birds do and will therefore be more likely to succumb to the disease.  Canker can develop in to a generalized organ form of the disease where the parasite invades vital body organs destroying them and thus inevitably threatening the life of the young bird.   Youngsters may also develop an umbilical form of the disease where their umbilical cord area is infected in the nest and this can lead more quickly to the dangerous organ form.

Treatments:  There are a range of treatments available and veterinary surgeons are happy to advise on treatment options which might include "off license" treatments like Emtryl.  However this advise may cost.  There are though very adequate "over the counter" treatments produced by ethical pharmaceutical companies, which are available and these include:  Dimetridazole (Harkanker) and Carnidazole (Spartrix).  One very important aspect regarding routine prophylaxis against Canker, is that treatment should be commenced after the hen has laid out, as many Canker treatments can have side effects which include egg laying problems.

 

Coccidiosis (Going Light)

Coccidiosis is a disease caused by a single celled parasite known as Eimeria, which attaches and infests the delicate cells lining the gut wall.  Such infestation by Cocci prevents the bird from absorbing the nutrients from its feed and prevents the gut wall from reabsorbing water as it should, resulting in diarrhea.  Coccidial infestation increases with stress and can result in serious disease where the bird becomes very poorly as a result of its inability to absorb nutrients, the significant loss of water and mineral salts in diarrhea and invasion of opportunistic infections due to the birds poor immune response.  It is reported that almost all pigeons carry some degree of Coccidial infection.

Symptoms:  Listless unwell looking birds, diarrhea, wet slimely droppings; weight loss; failure to thrive in youngsters; mostly affects young birds; old birds are thought to gain immunity with age.

Spread:  Oocysts (Coccidia eggs for want of a better description), are extremely resilient and may lay dormant in soil or droppings for some considerable time.  Scrupulous loft hygiene is important in the control of disease outbreaks.  The link of outbreaks to stress is also important and the minimization of stress to youngsters is therefore an important consideration.  Regular and scrupulous loft hygiene;  medicated floor dressings; disinfectants; blow torch (CAREFULLY!); prophylactic or target treatments.

Treatments:  Like Canker, the vet is your best source of advise for treating outbreaks of Coccidiosis, as he has more in his therapeutic armory (drug treatments), that he can call on.  For routine prophylaxis-Amprolium (Coxoid); Clazuril (Appertex) are available over the counter.  It is wise to treat prior to breeding if you have no access to microscopy.

Helminthiasis (Parasitic Worm)

Worm infestations in pigeons are common, yet many fanciers deny their presence in their lofts.  Like any parasite, worms rely on their host for sustenance and growth.   Any worm burden is a bad one, in that even in low volumes the worm parasite is depriving it host.  Racing or show birds cannot possibly perform to their best potential if carrying a worm burden.  Similarly, breeding birds may pass on worms to their youngsters in the nest via contaminated feed.  There are four main parasitic worms affecting pigeons; tapeworms (not very common); roundworms; hairworms and gapeworm (not very common).

Symptoms:  Weight loss; failure to thrive in youngsters; anemia; emaciation; diarrhea; stunted growth in youngsters; listless unwell looking birds; dull plumage; impaired performance.

Treatments:  Tapeworms are rare and where they do occur the vet will prescribe a specific wormer for use against tapeworms.  Routine prophylaxis against hairworm and roundworm is widely practiced.  Hairworm is considered to be the most common worm infestation in pigeons.  There are a variety of wormers available "over the counter" to fanciers and these include:  Piperazine (Biozine) for roundworms; Levamisole (Spartakon); Fenbentyl (Panacur) and Avicas.  These are all licensed for use in pigeons.  Veterinary surgeons have a wider therapeutic armory and can provide access to other worming agents like Ivermectin, which has the additional advantage of controlling Ectoparasites as well as worms.

the above articles

Getting into a Routine----Articles -  by Jim Flood

The Moult: do not worm your pigeon when they are in a heavy moult as some of the ingredients will deform the birds feathers. Do give them plenty of oil seed and protein as they need it for forming good strong feathers and finish there moult properly

REFERENCE CHART FOR PIGEON DISEASES AND THEIR SYPTOMS

  IF YOU FIND YOUR BIRDS SICK OR ILL, TAKE THEM TO A VET. IF NO VET IS AVAILABLE THEN THIS CHART MAY BE OF USE. THIS CHART IS NOT A SUBTITUTE FOR THE SERVICE AND ADVICE OF A VET, NOR IS IT TO BE CONSTRUED AS SUCH.

          COMPILED BY MICHAEL REINKE

DISEASES           SALMONELLOSIS/COCCIDIOSIS      POX   TWISTED HEAD   WORMS

SYMPTOMS                PARATYPHOID                                      PARAMYXO

BROWN/GREEN DIAHRREA         YES                          POSSIBLE          NO              YES                     POSSIBLE

SMELLY DROPPINGS                YES                                NO                 NO               YES                         NO  

PULPY DROPPINGS                   YES                                NO                 NO                NO                      POSSIBLE

SOFT DROPPINGS                      NO                                YES                NO                 NO                     POSSIBLE

WATERY DROPPINGS                NO                                YES                 NO              VERY                   POSSIBLE

GOING LIGHT                            YES                               YES                 NO                YES                          YES

SWELLING JOINTS               ADVANCED                       NO                  NO                YES                           NO

HARD BREATHING                POSSIBLE                          NO                  NO                 NO                    POSSIBLE

LOSS OF BALANCE             ADVANCED                    POSSIBLE          NO            POSSIBLE            EX. CASES

SCABBY GROTH AROUND

MOUTH,EYES,SKIN,TOES.        NO                                  NO                YES                  NO                           NO

 

.FRIENDLY BACTERIA AIDS DIGESTION

Most people do not realize that some bacteria are essential to good health.  In fact there are populations of them existing in every human digestive tract.  Friendly bacteria keep the unfriendly ones in check and this balance is responsible for a number of activities.  did you know that friendly bacteria inhibit yeast overgrowth, enhance immune functions, inhibit salmonella, E.coli and other unfriendly bacteria, improve lactose tolerance, reduce cholesterol levels in the blood, and aid in defense against allergies?  Good bowel movements also depend on friendly bacteria to prevent putrefaction and move stools out in a well formed and timely manner, without strain or pain. 

Friendly bacteria diminish in numbers due to infections, use of antibiotics or poor dietary habits.  In days gone by, traditional foods included many live, friendly cultures of bacteria and this was a supplement to the imbalances caused by daily living.  Our modern diet does little to encourage a return to balance.

Probiotics are friendly bacteria that have been made available in capsules and are used for prevention of problems.  Like lush, green grass, friendly bacteria do not rebalance overnight and must be seeded regularly to get the best benefit.  For fast paced lifestyles, probiotics offer a realistic way of maintaining a healthy balance of friendly bacteria.  An international authority on natural health, offers a line of probiotics called "Udo's Choice" providing six blends for different uses.