Pigeon Heath
Pigeon Diseases & Medications

 Prevention is the up most importance to have a healthy flock. Clean water, food and Loft. Bleaching the water dishes, Quarantine new birds three weeks or more and avoid over crowding. All go a long way to help maintain a healthy team.  

Pigeon Diseases & Medications

Pigeon Vitamin & Supplements

Pigeon External Parasites

Pigeon internal Parasites

Cause It is spread by contacts between pigeons, such as billing, mating and feeding young. The organism will live for some time in water or in damp locations.

Symptoms  A swelling in throat and cheesy growth in the mouth are certain signs of canker.

Cure All forms of canker can be treated if found early. Many different types of medicine are available for curing canker. Ridzol Soluble Powder For flock treatment, Ronidazole Tablets for individual treatment.

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Coccidiosis Coccidiosis, a protozoan disease, is an infection of the intestines.

Cause Most prevalent under conditions of poor nutrition, poor sanitation, or after stresses. Can be spread by a pigeon eating droppings. make sure that feed is free from droppings. 

 Symptoms, The principal cause of going light. In adult birds, an acute infection is shown clinically by a pale pallor of the inside of the mouth. The appetite diminishes slowly, while thirst increases. In early stages, the the droppings are loose and take on a greenish color.   

Cure Steps should be taken to see that all vessels containing food, grit, and water are kept thoroughly covered and their contents completely protected from droppings and contaminating feet. With the stopping of the further eating of the oocysts, the life cycle is broken and new generations prevented. Nidrakok (Rohnfried) contains Amprolium suitable as drinking water treatment for the disease.

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Cause Infection occurs when largo numbers of E. Coli gain access to the bloodstream from respiratory tract or intestine.

 Symptoms Signs are nonspecific and vary with age. Chicks may die in the nest. adults birds lose weight and their droppings become very loose slimy.   

Cure Keeping clean loft and rodent population under control. Treat with general Antibiotics such as Aureomycin.

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Cause infection of the eye caused by injury, or foreran  matter in the eye causing infection of the eye.

SymptomsFirst symptom is watery eye. This discharge later thickens, the feathers around the eye may become matted together with a yellow fluid.   

Cure Terramycin Opthalmic Ointment applied daily to the eye will usually clear up the infection with a few days.

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Cause The disease can be spread by a number of different means, but the highest form of contamination is water and droppings. Wild birds, and rodents are all carriers of Paratyphoid.

Symptoms Symptoms in adult pigeons may very. Swollen joints, fluid filled lumps, swelling in the legs and limping are all signs of the disease.

Cure Once you are sure that a bird has contracted Paratyphoid, kill or isolate it. Then treat your entire flock with any of the following medications: Enroflaxyn Tablets, Tetracycline Amoxycillinum Tablets. Use of salmonella vaccine proven to be effective prevention.

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Cause Most common source of infection is through bloodsucking parasites, such as mosquito, mites.

Symptoms Small blisters appear around eyes or on the face and body. These enlarge, latter become festered, then scab over.  

Cure Once a pigeon has had pox and recovered it is immune for life. The best preventive is vaccination. Pigeon pox vaccine is inexpensive and easy to administer.

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Cause Disease can spread from Contaminated feed, water, Direct or indirect contact.

Symptoms symptoms include extreme watery droppings, loss of appetite, Loss of coordination, in Latter stages twisted neck and paralysis of the wings. High loss of birds. Click here to see a video of some of the symptoms of PMV 

Cure No cure just prevention with vaccination. Maine Biological oil adjuvant PMV-1 vaccine.

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Cause  Pigeons are most commonly infected by the pigeon fly. 

Symptoms Symptoms hard to determine, birds may show signs of reduced performance and their plumage may become dull.

Cure Curing Pigeon Malaria is very difficult. Prevention is the best cure. Control Pigeon fly in the loft and on the birds with dips and powdered insecticides. 

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Cause  Upper reportorial bacterial infection. Poor ventilation control dampness and over crowding.

Symptoms Watery eyes mucous in the throat and rattling lungs. Birds may gasp for air.

Cure good ventilation controlling dampness and over crowding. Aureomycin concentrate soluble

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Cause Bird' s eating food that is wet, moldy, sour or contaminated. Dirty drinking water is another source of trouble.

Symptoms Pigeon will drink large amounts of water because of nausea. Vomiting of sour water and grain.

  Cure  Sour crop is a easily  treated. Hold the bird with the head pointing down and push gently from the bottom of the crop upwards, forcing the stale water out of the crop. Fill the crop with baking soda or charcoal. Hold feeding for 24 hrs. 

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Cause worm eggs are passed in droppings and by birds eating Slugs ,Earthworms and pill bugs can get worms. 

Symptoms Roundworm Most common found in pigeons. Worm lives in the intestine and feeds on digested food. Pigeons may become sluggish. Tapeworm Lives in the Small intestine. Pigeon may become sluggish. Insects are a common carrier. Hairworm anther common pigeon parasite. Heavily infested pigeons have diarrhea and sluggish, loose interest in feeding and drinking. Gapeworms Pigeons eating earthworms is one way a pigeon can get gapeworms. Gape worms can cause breathing problems. 

Cure Keeping a clean loft and a preventive program of deworming at least every six months.

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Vitamin A  Promotes growth in young animals and helps with immunity from diseases. A deficiency will diminish fertility in pigeons and cause improper development of the pigeons eggs. 

Source Vitamin A is found in Green Peas, Yellow Maize, Carrots, Green Vegetables and Cod liver oil.

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Vitamin B1 Pigeons need B1 to convert carbohydrates into glycogen for storage in the liver. B1 helps with appetite and healthy nervous, digestive systems. Vitamin B1 also promotes build the skeleton. 

Source B1 is found in Wheat, Green Peas, Brown Rice.

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Vitamin B2 Essential for the metabolism of proteins, Carbohydrates, and fats. It is necessary for adequate functioning of the nervous system and the proper development of the embryo.

Source B2 is found in the same foods as B1. Wheat, Green Peas, Brown Rice. Adequate amounts contained in most cereals and legumes.

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Vitamin B6 & B10 Vitamin B6 (Pyridoxine) regulates metabolism of the nerves and liver. It is also important for growth. B10 (Folic Acid) Prevents anemia. pigeons deficient have leg cramps and tier quickly. 

Source B6 occur in all kinds of grains, yeast and bran.

B10 found in grains, yeast

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Vitamin B12 This vitamin is very important. This is the only vitamin that contains the metal cobalt. B12 is essential for formation of red blood cells. It is necessary for development of eggs and for growth in the first few weeks in a pigeons life.

Source B12 is of animal origin and is not found in normal pigeon food. However it is contained in chick rearing food and in black dirt.

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Vitamin C Vitamin C helps produce antibodies to fight pathogenic organisms. It works in relationship with vitamin A.

Source Pigeons produce vitamin C in the liver. Vitamin C is not required in their food. Deficiency in the vitamin A will diminish the production of vitamin C.

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Vitamin D Vitamin D assist in taking calcium and phosphorus from the intestines and into the blood stream, where they can be used for building the skeleton. deficiency of d will promote a deficiency of these two minerals. Vitamin D helps balance the ratio of calcium and phosphorous. 

Source The pigeons body produces vitamin D from ultraviolet rays from sun light. Supplement diet with cod liver oil. Another source that contains D is barley. Supplements also can be used.

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Vitamin E Called the fertility vitamin. Deficiency in this vitamin will render both sexes infertile.

Source The germ of cereal grain and legumes are rich in vitamin E. green peas, wheat, maize.

Vitamin K Necessary for regulation of blood clotting. Deficiency will slow coagulation.

Source adequate green in the diet will prevent any deficiency.

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Long Louse Found on feathers of the whole body. they feed on feather scuff and cause little damage.

Cure Dipping and dusting the loft and the birds with pesticides.

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Small Louse Do not like light and are found on the underside of the body feathers. They eat feather scurf and cause prickling and burning irritation.

Cure Dipping and dusting the loft and the birds with pesticides.

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Feather Quill Mite Found on the feathers shaft of the flight feathers. Causes much irritation. They appear as small black specks on the sides of the feathers shafts.

Cure Dipping and dusting the loft and the birds with pesticides.

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Itch Mite These mites cause feathers to fall out. They burrow through the feathers shaft into the follicle. If feathers have a swollen root, It is probably Itch Mite. The feather shaft swells and then the feather is shed. Small pale spots appear on the under side of the feathers on the breast, wings, back and neck.

Cure Dipping and dusting the loft and the birds with pesticides.

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Red Mite  These mites will note be found on the pigeon when examine it. The Red Mite hides in small cracks and crannies during the day. They come out at night to feed on the blood of the pigeon. The mite causes irritation and damage through blood sucking.

Cure Dipping and dusting the loft and the birds with pesticides.

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