Conference 7.286::pet_birds

    What is deworming a bird???              mary

    re .1
    
    Well, looks like birds can get worms (hooks, rounds, tape, etc.) just
    like the family dog or cat.  If you get BirdTalk, look at your last
    issue.  This can be deadly as worms can completely block the digestive
    track and cause kidney and liver damage.
    
    De-worming a bird is just like de-worming a dog.  Give injection or
    oral meds for a few days that kill the worms.  Worms are passed out and
    hopefully you end up with a cleaner, healthier bird.
    
    Jeanne
    

    Birds get intestinal parasites too (our furry friends are known for
    them).  It is often a problem with imported African grey parrots, 
    for instance.  I know of an aviary that had to worm a dozen of these
    big guys....better them than me ;')
    
    As with most medications, the worming can be done by injection of
    the anti-parasite drug by a qualified avian vet or vet technician.
    It is also practice to give such medicines orally or in the drinking
    water, but as was discussed in another note earlier last year, the
    injection method, although the most gruesome sounding, is the most
    quick and effective.
    
    There are topical (on the skin, feet, or cere) parasites as well
    as intestinal ones that also can be treated by an injection of 
    Ivermectin or given orally.  I helped a friend give a tiny dose
    of this medicine to a canary once.  
    
    
    Linda

    Jeanne,
    
         I would think that pet birds could get worms; we regularly worm
    our chickens and turkeys once or twice a year.  Of course they're
    exposed to the outdoors, where they can pick up worms easier, but it
    certainly isn't out of the realm of possibility for pet birds to get
    them either.
    
         FWIW symptoms of worms in chickens/turkeys are:  weight-loss,
    unthriftiness (dirty/ruffled feathers, looking depressed); sometimes
    the bird will eat like crazy, othertimes it won't eat much.  Can't tell
    you about stools, as we have too many in an enclosure to keep track of
    each one.
    
    					- Andrea

    Well, as life would have it, the worming did not go entirely well. 
    Taco did fine and his stools are looking much better but Sunny is a
    wreck!  
    
    Her stools turned bright green (including what should be white) and I
    found her at the bottom of her cage on Monday morning.  I went right to
    the vet with her and prognosis is not good.  She is on antibiotics for
    psitacosis and we will just have to wait and see.  She did climb back
    on to her perch and has been there all day Tuesday. She is not eating
    much and she just looks awful.  
    
    I'm putting every one (birds that is) on treatment for psitacosis
    whether they have it or not.  We also did a test, stool from each bird,
    but results could take 3 to 4 weeks.   The vet thinks Sunny reacted so
    poorly to the worming because of liver problems which is a sign of
    psitacosis.  
    
    Ain't life grand!
    
    Jeanne
    

    After a solid week of fighting for her life, Sunny died on Sunday
    morning.  Poor thing wanted so much to live and really tried her best
    but she obviously was too sick to recover.
    
    I am having her necropsied so I will know exactly what she died from. 
    The vet feels she may have had liver damage (and was living on the
    edge).  The worming medication obviously pushed her over.   I should
    have the results in a day or two.  
    
    I will not go through the sad details of her last week other than to
    say it was very emotional for me as I feel I let her down.  Considering
    her symptoms at the end, this really looks like psittacosis.  I wish I
    had taken this illness more seriously and not assumed that since my
    birds looked good that they could not have had this desease.
    
    I urge all of you out there to have your birds tested.  Statistically
    speaking, 30% of pet birds have psittacosis.  The test is easy and only
    costs around $20.00.  Treatment is easy and prognosis for birds not
    showing sings of illness is good.  The longer a bird has psittacosis,
    the more damage is done to the liver which sometimes cannot be reversed
    as is probably the case with Sunny.  
    
    I assure you, testing and preventative treatment has got to be easier
    than loosing a beloved pet.  I wish I had been smarter and not had to learn
    this lesson at the expense of my Sunny.  
    
    Jeanne
                                 

    Dear Jeanne,
    
    I am so sad as I read your note about Sunny.  This seems to be a time
    of loss for many of us in the notes file.  My thoughts are with you.
    
    Linda