Causes of coccidiosis in pigeons
After deciding to have pigeons or to breed them, you need to find out the basic rules for caring for them and preventing disease, because these birds are carriers of many diseases. You need to know what symptoms can be harbingers of the disease. To still understand how you can help your pet, you need to know what you are struggling with. The most common disease is coccidiosis in pigeons.
Coccidiosis in pigeons
Possible Symptoms
To protect your pet, you need to constantly carry out prophylaxis, preferably 2 weeks before autumn and 2 weeks before spring. It is during these seasons that the peak of the exacerbation of the disease falls. Symptoms and treatment are very closely related components, because at the first symptoms in a pigeon, treatment should be immediately carried out so that the disease does not flow into a severe form.
Often, this ailment overpowers those birds that spend the night on bedding of straw and sand, and, of course, eat poor and low-quality food. Veterinarians say that you can immediately understand that a pigeon is sick, and have identified several main signs of coccidiosis:
- complete loss of appetite;
- fatigue;
- signs of apathy (no matter what they do to her, she will not care, no aggressive actions);
- severe upset.
What is this disease?
Coccidiosis - Escherichia coli, which could get into the body through poor-quality and unclean food for birds, it causes intestinal invasion. They say that with age, pigeons develop immunity to the disease and can easily tolerate it. But the chicks and young animals are at risk, since their body has not yet built a blockade against this ailment, respectively, the winged ones cannot fight back or overcome coccidiosis.
The bacillus begins to develop as soon as it enters the body. In the digestive system, the bacterium develops within 6-8 days, then leaves with the droppings and thus infects other members of the pack. Often, the ailment prevails in pigeons aged from 2 weeks to 2 months. It is when the child flies out of the nest that there is a great risk of becoming infected. Veterinarians remind that even after the pigeon has coped with the disease, it is the carrier of the disease for another 6-9 months.
If you keep such a specimen together with healthy birds, there is 80% that healthy pigeons will get sick, so the bird should be planted immediately and started to heal. The common symptoms of the disease can be different for all birds. Everything will depend on how many months or years old the bird is, at what stage the disease is and how strong the immune system is and the possible predisposition of the bird to the disease. It is necessary to treat a pigeon only with those drugs prescribed by the veterinarian and only in the dosage that was in the prescription.
Treatment in birds
Treatment of coccidiosis in pigeons occurs in different ways, everything will depend on the stage of the disease. If, nevertheless, experts diagnosed and confirmed coccidiosis, then you need to start treating the bird right away, because in no case can you start the disease. First, you should be good at observing the behavior of the bird.If, for example, she flies a little, does not touch food and always sits with an extended neck, these are the first signs of coccidiosis.
Taking the bird to a veterinarian's appointment is extremely important, because self-medication can kill the bird, and, possibly, the whole flock, if the relatives later also become infected. Only an experienced veterinarian will be able to get ahead of what kind of disease it is, at what stage and with what medications it should be treated. Do not delay, you need to take the pigeon immediately to the doctor's office at the first symptoms, because only a professional can provide qualified assistance and prescribe the necessary medications that will be able to help the pigeon overcome the disease and build immunity. This disease spreads very quickly and can infect the entire tribe in a matter of days.
Often, various drugs are used against the disease.
- There are drugs that have already established themselves as the most effective, so very often veterinarians prescribe a certain of them. Drugs are always prescribed together with a complex of vitamins, since many drugs have a bad effect on the digestive tract and microflora.
- Also, trivitamin and, of course, fish oil can be connected to the treatment. Often, such medicines are given no more than 2-3 days, but only a doctor should prescribe the dosage.
The symptoms and treatment of coccidiosis in pigeons are closely related. Thanks to the symptoms that have already appeared, it is possible to understand what stage the pigeon is, to prescribe the correct treatment and the correct dosage.
How can you be saved from this ailment
Since the disease is contagious, a pigeon can catch coccidiosis from another bird, so you should carefully monitor who the bird is in contact with. The bottom line is that at first the ailment can be latent, then the pigeon will behave as before, showing no signs of illness. It is advisable not to let pigeons go for walks when it is cold and humid, because such weather leads to a weakening of the bird's immunity, and it is precisely such environmental conditions that are heaven for coccidiosis. There have been cases when a client bought a bird already infected without even knowing it.
- Remember to stress the bird as little as possible. This can be done if it is decided to transfer the bird or to plant the winged ones from each other. Adaptation in birds is poor, so it is better to leave everything in its place.
- In order for the bird to feel good and to be healthy, it is necessary to maintain proper and high-quality nutrition. Feed must be of premium quality and not soggy. You should only buy the product from those sellers whom you trust.
- To keep the birds from getting used, change the food menu regularly. The main thing is to give the pigeons the necessary vitamins and minerals, regardless of the season and the weather outside the window, and the water in the drinkers should always be boiled and clean.
- The feed, before sprinkling the bird, should be sorted out and cleaned of debris and dirt.
Disease prevention
In order for this never to happen, you need to look after and watch your birds. First, if, nevertheless, the diagnosis of coccidiosis was confirmed in pigeons, the infected individuals must be immediately and urgently removed. Pigeons should be placed in a separate room for at least 6-9 months, because even after recovery, the pet will be a carrier of the disease for several months. The main thing is to adhere to the order and rules of hygiene: clean it once a week, as well as disinfect the pigeon house. It is advisable to wash all the dishes, equipment, drinkers and so on every day, and the water generally needs to be changed every 4-6 hours, since if the disease gets into it, the whole flock will become infected.
Among other things, it is important to change the litter and soil. The stick can penetrate the ground, multiply there and eventually infect everyone. If there is cement in the dovecote, it must be constantly washed and disinfected. They also say that it must be pierced and disinfected. After handling, it is important to thoroughly wash your hands, equipment and work clothes, especially shoes.General cleaning should be carried out once a week, but disinfection - 2 times.
Very often, most diseases appear where it is dirty, damp and humid, so it is advisable to regularly process the room and everything that is in it. There must be good ventilation in the dovecote. If you decide to have pigeons, then remember: they must be shown to the veterinarian at least once every six months. Also, the symptoms and treatment of coccidiosis in pigeons depends on the severity of the situation. It is better to see a specialist, rather than self-medicate.