| AIR SAC MITES |
| PROTOZOAL INFECTIONS |
| WORMS |
| GOOD ANIMAL HUSBANDRY PRACTICES |
| Before I go on to explain some of these potential problems, I must reiterate how important it is to keep your cages as clean as possible. Many of the below issues can be avoided if cages, food & watering devices, perches and other accessories are cleaned daily. As always, if you suspect your bird is sick, take it to an Avian Veterinarian for diagnosis before medicating! |
| Air sac mites are tiny internal parasites that invade the air sacs and trachea of the bird. They are opportunistic and typically only surface when the birds immune system is lowered. In addition to causing respiratory issues and anemia, an infestation can lower the immune system further allowing other issues to arise. Because they will reside dormant in the posterior air sacs of dormant birds until their immune system is lowered, it is preferable to be proactive in their treatment. In severe cases, air sac mites will clog the airway making it difficult for the bird to breathe. An infected bird may breathe "open beaked" and may have the telltale "clicking" or gurgling sound, much like it is continuously cracking seed. It may have a frothy discharge around it's beak and nostrils. Birds with air sac mites may also "tail bob". When treated pro-actively, air sac mites are not usually a problem. However, if your bird shows signs of an infestation and this parasite is not eliminated early, treatment can actually kill your bird. As the insecticide works, it kills large numbers of mites that can totally block the airway. In the past, Ivermectin - which was created to treat livestock - was the medication of choice, but now a much safer solution for birds is Scatt (Moxidectin in an oil-based, topical treatment form) or simply water soluble Moxidectin which may be added to the drinking water. If your birds have not been over-medicated so that the mites have not built up immunity, it will typically take a single one-drop treatment of Scatt to eliminate the mites, though occasionally more than one dose may be required. We recommend quarterly proactive treatment only. NOTE: Not all symptoms of air sac mites are actually caused by air sac mites! The symptoms may often be confused with bacterial infections, respiratory infections, or even obesity. Be sure to check with your Veterinarian before making any treatment decisions! |
| WORD OF CAUTION: It has been my experience that bleach and hot water do not necessarily kill protozoa eggs or oocysts which are shed when your bird eliminates. Keeping cage papers clean will help to keep your birds from picking at droppings while they are on the cage floor. Protozoal infections are spread through infected bird droppings and occasionally backwash in watering devices or when parents are feeding chicks. Proper hygiene is the only way to avoid these diseases. |
Most common types of Protozoal infections:
Symptoms of protozoa infections can include tail bobbing, sitting fluffed, green droppings, bright yellow (from watery and light yellow to solid, large, and mustard colored) droppings, undigested seed in droppings, "going light", and vomiting. However, there are also those lovely poops we breeders refer to as "popcorn poop". The droppings look just like a popped corn kernel. Sometimes droppings can look completely normal, so it is important to be sure to have a fecal smear performed by a professional. Protozoal infections can cause many types of problems in your birds. If left untreated, they can cause liver and kidney damage, poor condition, lack of appetite, and death. Mutation colored Goulds are often more susceptible to protozoal infections due to potentially weaker genes. I use Ronex, Ronivet or Ronivet-S for all of the infections mentioned above except for Coccidiosis. The above photos show the two different forms of Coccidia typically found in Gouldian finches. The first photo (from a Gouldian cock) shows the C. Isospora strain and is seen much less often that the C. Eimeria strain in the other two photos (second photo; Gouldian hen, third photo; Gouldian cock). Most birds harbor a few coccidia in their systems. As long as it does not get out of control, this is completely normal and doesn't usually affect the health of the bird. Because coccidia is another opportunistic bug, it usually only becomes a problem when the birds immune system is compromised, but is often seen during times of high heat and humidity and is often accompanied by Candida. Coccidiosis infections may be prevented (but not cured) with coccidiostats. Treatment options used here include Trimethoprim/Sulfa or Sulfa AVS for Coccidia, Salmonella, and E.coli. Baycox, which is no longer readily available, was once the best cure for coccidia. Enrofloxin is now usually prescribed. Your Veterinarian may have newer choices to stop and prevent coccidiosis, so always ask before treating! |
There are several types of worms your birds may become infested with. The following are the most commonly found:
Worms are not generally found in finches that do not eat live insects or are housed in indoor cages or aviaries unless an infected bird has been introduced. However, I have experienced roundworms in my birds and my client's birds when they've eaten seed that has had insect hosts in it. Worms require an intermediary host such as fleas, ants, house flies, flour moths or any of their young. These hosts may carry worm eggs, and once ingested, the eggs within that eaten host hatch and infect the bird. Unfortunately, most Veterinarians do not believe birds get worms. Unless they are an Avian specialist (and even if they are!), they may never see samples with worms or eggs in them. Because of the high metabolism of finches and other small birds, pathogens are not always passed in every sample. It is very important your Vet check at least 3 samples per day (preferably from morning, noon, and night) over the course of three days (for a total of 9 samples) to be relatively certain your birds do not harbor worms. Some worms physically attach themselves to the lining of the alimentary canal (some only in the intestines, others from beak to vent), while others merely float around in the alimentary canal blocking nutrient absorption and causing the birds immune system to lower. This causes a myriad of symptoms including, diarrhea, black stringy poop, fluffing, "going light", poor feather quality, breeding issues, and anemia - though there are many other potential symptoms of worms. In the case of tapeworms, you may find "pieces" or "segments" of the worms in the bird's droppings or hanging from the vent, but you probably won't know that your bird has worms without checking the droppings for eggs under a microscope. Tapeworms are a rare occurrence in finches unless housed outdoors where they have access to a dirt floor. However, roundworms and their many subspecies are more often seen and are not typically visible to the naked eye in a dropping sample. Eggs typically hatch in 7-10 days, so follow up treatments are advisable. Seed that has been infested with insects can also be a source of worms. No bugs in your seed you say? Guess again! It doesn't matter how clean you think your seed is or where you get it - all seed has the potential to carry insect hosts - so it is important to pro-actively treat for worms unless you are able to run your own fecal exams or take your birds to an Avian Veterinarian regularly. Worm eggs are NOT affected by worming medication, heat, bleach or severe cold. The outer shell of the worm egg is extremely hard and protects the contents from these treatments. The only way to rid the birds of worms is to treat pro-actively, then follow up in 7-10 days from the first day of treatment to avoid any eggs that were left in the system from hatching and the worms from procreating. After years of crushing seed to find the hosts, I have found that insect content in the seed is typically driven by the weather where the seed was grown. I have found more evidence of insects and noticed more worm infestations in the birds when the growing season had been very dry. Keep in mind that most seed has been grown two seasons or more ago and is then stored for packaging - you may not be able to know for sure how long the seed has been stored. But the important thing to remember is that many insects burrow into the seed while it is developing - much like a Mexican Jumping Bean - and stay inside the seed until it is eaten or the fully formed insect emerges! While not all seed is infected, it is always wise to have droppings checked by a professional at least once per year to detect a potential infestation! When adding new birds to your flock, it is advisable to always run them through a quarantine procedure that includes de-worming. |
| I cannot express strongly enough how important it is to keep your cages and accessories clean. So many of the health issues we see with our Goulds come from poor animal husbandry practices! Keep in mind that a "little" dirt is okay. It helps the birds to build up immunities to certain bacteria and even some parasites such as coccidia. However, it is always better to change your cages regularly and clean all cage accessories with hot soapy water and/or bleach. Clean cages make for healthy birds, so please, save yourself heartache and keep your bird's cage clean, dry, and not overly crowded!!! |
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| Internal Parasites |
| Okay, so I admit I have a warped sense of humor...but I just LOVE THIS CARTOON!!! I found it somewhere along my journeys, but have no idea where - credit should be given where credit is due! If I could only find it again, I'd be sure to thank the author... |
C. Eimeria @ 400x + 5x zoom
C. Eimeria @ 400x
C. Isospora @ 400x + 3x zoom
| ATOXOPLASMOSIS |
| "Atoxoplasmosis is a parasitic disease primarily of passerine birds, especially Canaries [and} Finches... It is caused by species of the coccidian protozoan Atoxoplasma, a host-specific parasite. Atoxoplasma serini, the species found in canaries, is not infectious to Gouldians; likewise, the species infecting Gouldians is non-infectious to [Canaries]... The parasite is transmitted via the fecal-oral route and not by mites as was formerly thought when it was known as Lankesterella. Parasitism may cause rapid and fatal disease in fledgling birds..." Please see entire journal article, "An Overview of Atoxoplasmosis in Birds" by K. Leigh Sheridan, DVM and Kenneth S. Latimer, DVM, PhD http://www.vet.uga.edu/vpp/clerk/Sheridan/index.php |
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| FOR THE FUN OF IT... |
| ***Atoxoplasmosis looks very much like heterophils in the blood. |
| Additional photos of worms and eggs. Notice in both egg photos, you can actually see the worm forming. |