July 16, 1997
© Ron Castaner
birds@magg.net
There are several things
to remember before we continue. Antibiotics should never
be used as a periodic, preventative drug. People confuse
their use with vitamin and nutritional supplements, which
should be used regularly. Frequent unnecessary use of an
antibiotic in a bird, tends to seek out strains of
bacteria which are resistant to the drug, this renders it
useless in a real disease outbreak. Critically ill birds
may need fluid, therapy and tube feeding. This is the
best way to administer the drugs. For the best results
they need to be given several times a day in the mouth or
tube feeding. In treating certain highly resistant
bacteria and in the critically ill bird injectable drugs
are used for fast acting results. Other considerations
are made in the choice of an antibiotic. Certain drugs
can have side effects on the liver or kidneys. The
metabolic rate of a bird is much higher than mammals,
this usually means drugs administered are rapidly
eliminated from the body.
Therefore, this requires
frequent dosages to provide maximum therapeutic success.
Treatment should always be at a continuous high level for
a least seven days. The practice of three days on and two
days off, as far a I am concerned, has no beneficial
effect of any kind. Antibiotics and other drugs can be
life saving in emergency situations, but are only part of
the solution. Eliminating the problem is more important.
To control diseases by introducing good management
practice is the best way. Ninety percent of the problem
is from contaminated water, food, and dirty cages.
Let me explain bacteria to
you. Bacterial disease is the most common problem in
aviculture. A great number of bacteria reside in the
intestinal tracts of healthy birds. These healthy birds
have frequent opportunities to ingest the bacteria
through normal handling, feeding dishes, air, and water.
Most of the bacteria cause disease in birds when certain
factors are present, for instance, environmental stress,
poor sanitation, inadequate nutrition, bad air
circulation. The bird with lowered resistance allows the
bacteria to enter the blood stream, after gaining a hold
in the gastrointestinal tract, the bacteria can cause
respiratory disease, hepatitis, or septicemia (blood
borne body wide infection). To choose the best drug, a
culture and antibiotic sensitivity test is run. Samples
are taken from the nose, mouth, vent, fresh droppings, or
autopsy tissue.
To avoid all of these
problems in the first place, the best thing to do is keep
the birds area clean, supply them with vitamins and
mineral supplements, clean water and clean air. Another
thing that is so important, do not bring in more than one
or two new birds at a time, and please quarantine the new
birds for at least 30 days. It does not matter from whom
you buy or trade with, for the best interest of all your
birds keep them separate from the new ones for at least
thirty days. Keep the bottom of the cage clean, and do
not keep too many birds in one cage.
Give them fresh vegetables
and fruit, if they are not use to eating these, put in
few societies and they will show them how to eat it.
Introduce the fresh fruit
and vegetables when the birds are young so they will have
a better chance to fight any disease and will respond to
treatment quicker. A strong and healthy bird will bounce
back faster if and when they get sick.
Now, with all that said
and done, let me continue with problems I have personally
dealt with and treated in finches. Not always
successfully, but I am proud to say that I have had a few
miracles.
DIARRHEA:
Furoxone, Kaolin, Pectin: one drop in the mouth twice a
day for five days. Cases with excessive fluid loss will
require fluids such as: electrolytes, Gatorade, or fluids
by injections. Lactobacillus, acidophilus, plain yogurt
will help in restoring a natural balance of bacteria. The
antibiotic can also kill beneficial bacteria normally
found in the gut, so you have to put some back into their
system for a better chance of recovery.
GIARDIA: A
protozoan parasite causing large and widespread losses.
Chronic illness and nestling mortality. Is a chunky
diarrhea and gradual weight loss. Antibiotics do not
generally help, treatment with DIMETRIDAZOLE (EMTRYL) is
fairly effective. The best way to administer the
medication (EMTRYL), is by mixing it with your hand
feeding formula and using a crop needle every twelve
hours for five days. To me this drug has saved more
finches than any other drug available, I truly believe in
this drug.
ASPERGILLOSIS:
This is a fungal disease and to me is the most deadly to
finches. A dusty, damp environment, or exposure to moldy
food, or old nesting material may increase the birds
chances of catching this disease. Fruit and vegetables,
and eggs left it the cage for one or two days uneaten
should be removed immediately. You can actually see the
mold growing. You maybe familiar with bread and cheese
that has grown moldy, this is exactly what the birds are
exposed to and are ingesting. Remove any uneaten food the
same day, do not wait till the next day just to keep from
wasting food. This could prove a deadly practice.
NYSTATIN, AMPHOTERICIN B, KETOCONAZOLE, may help,
relapses can occur, so do not overcrowd the birds. Giving
good nutrition, and a clean environment is the most
important tool to fighting this killer. ASPERGILLOSIS
will effect the lungs and air sacs. Also, birds with long
term problems of the lower respiratory tract infections
may have aspergillosis. An autopsy of an infected bird
found areas of green mold clearly apparent. The bottom
line is: ALL AVIARIES SHOULD BE KEPT CLEAN OF ANY AND ALL
DAMP ORGANIC MATTER!!!!!
SCALY FACE, LEGS,
AND AIR SAC MITES: Effect the entire respiratory
tract, most frequently in canaries and lady gouldian
finches. All stages of the mites are found within the
respiratory tissues. In mild infections birds usually
asymptomatic. In heavy infection, audible high pitch
noises, clicking, tail bobbing, and open mouth breathing
are noted. Symptoms are accelerated by excessive handling
and other types of related stress.
Mortality is very high, so
please, every bird you get, treat it with IVERMECTIN
PROPYLENE GLYCOL. This IS NOT the Ivermectin you find in
the farm store with the picture of a cow on the front of
the bottle. This requires a special dilution and if given
to a bird full strength or even an improperly diluted
amount could cause death. Only the Ivermectin available
for birds on the back of the newsletter is the correct
formula for birds and can be given right from the bottle,
also used on the feet and legs. And you people that use
other methods, such as olive oil, Vaseline, butter and
many others I have heard of, every veterinarian book I
have read states that Ivermectin is the best, and it is
not that expensive so please use it. This a double
application treatment. After the first application repeat
in twelve days, because the first time you are killing
the mites but not the eggs. The second application you
are killing the mites that hatch from the eggs. Do this
twice a year and you will not have any problem. Canaries
also have to be done about every six months. Here in
Florida, you might have to do it every four months like I
do. Every bird that comes into your aviary should be
treated with Ivermectin. I cannot stress this enough....
CONJUNCTIVITIS: This
is the most common eye problem in finches and other
birds. it begins with swelling and closure of the
eyelids. The conjunctiva may become swollen and protrude
from under the eyelids. Pus may collect at the corner of
the eye. If the pus is not cleansed away, the eyelids
will stick together. The bird may constantly rub the eye
and face area on the perches. This problem is mostly
caused by irritation, wind, dust, eye worms, tumor or
foreign matter. Also, infection from other parts of the
body, such as the respiratory tract or the sinuses. I
have used an ophthalmological suspension made by Rugby
that contains Neomycin and Polymyxin B Sulfate, and
Dexamethasone for swelling. I have also used Terramycin
or Erythromycin. Make sure that anything you use in the
eye is OPHTHALMIC Base for the eye. I give them one drop
twice a day for seven days and I also add Doxycycline in
the water for seven days for any infection. In addition,
I have used Tylan Injections, you can also use
decongestant eye drops. They may not work as well, but
you can try, if the infection is not too bad, it may
work. Make sure to isolate the bird if you have eye worms
around the outside of the eye.
You can try Ivermectin,
take a Q-tip and very carefully go around the outside of
the eye. The bird will loose some feathers, do this twice
in ten days. it frequently takes quite awhile for the
feathers to grow back, but at least he is alive and doing
better. This is the last measure you will take, when eye
problems occur, please take care of it quickly, as there
is no time to waste the eye area is very sensitive and
the bird could develop other serious problems.
STARGAZING:
Bird is constantly throwing their head back, sleeps with
his head between his legs and his beak touching the
perch; he goes around in a circle if you try to catch
him, always looks at the ceiling, turns his head around
in a circle and looks up. If you find any one or all of
these symptoms, or a combination of any, please try
VITAMIN B-12 COMPLEX. One drop in the mouth for five days
and six drops in eight ounces of water for thirty days. A
person brought me several gouldians with several of the
above mentioned symptoms and I was able to cure them with
the vitamin B-12 complex. So please, if you have any
birds doing this, try it for yourself and see how well it
works. Let me know how well it works for you or if you
have any questions contact the board members and they
will know how to get in touch with me. I would really
like to hear from you as I keep notes of what other folks
have found or tried. I have spent many years reading and
studying this problem and would like to share with others
and maybe learn something new.
Another very important
reason to give vitamin B-12 complex to your birds is that
the B-12 complex is responsible for growth of the nervous
system. If a bird does not get enough B-12 complex the
complications are weakness, slight paralysis of the toes
and legs. He could hang on the perch rather than sitting
on it. In more advanced cases, refusal of food, diarrhea,
and obvious disturbance of the neck, and the head is put
way back, the phenomenon is called STARGAZING or the
FLAMINGO EFFECT.
Vitamins are needed in
very small amounts, but are essential for normal
development, growth, and maintenance of good health.
During periods of added stress, such as, molting,
reproduction, illness, and antibiotic therapy, the
requirements are even higher. As I stated before, birds
have a rapid metabolism and this coupled with their
selective eating habits make vitamin supplementation
essential. If the bird is vitamin deficient you will see
improvement in a week to two weeks.
RESPIRATORY
INFECTIONS: I have successfully used BAYATRIL
(enrofloxacin). it is available in three different
strengths and also in an injectable.
It works well for
respiratory infections, gram negative and gram positive
bacteria. it works very fast, within two hours after
dosing and maintained for eight to twelve hours. I used
one tablet of 5.6 mg. to 1 cc of water mixed well and
administer two drops in mouth twice a day for five days.
if you do not know the problem or cause, you might try
for four or five days. Discontinue if you do not see any
improvement in seven days consult someone with more
experience or see your vet.
All medicines mentioned or
used have been recommended by a veterinarian or medical
doctor, and were used without any harmful effects.
In closing, I would like
to let you know that if I can be of any help to anyone
please feel free to get in touch with me. I’ll do my
best to help anyone I can. We can only learn from one
another and it can only be of benefit to our little
friends. To each and everyone of you I wish great success
and good luck with your fine feathered little friends.
WRITTEN SPECIALLY FOR THE
“AVIARY & CAGE BIRD SOCIETY OF SOUTH
FLORIDA”
BY: RON CASTANER
ALL RIGHTS RESERVED