http://www.racingpigeondigest.com/archives/featured_articles/100
Respiratory infection - The most common cause of respiratory infection in pigeons is Chlamydia. To see if birds are infected a fancier can send a drop of blood and/or some cells collected from the eyelid or throat. This may sound difficult but in fact it is really easy. A Chlamydia test kit contains only 3 things - a needle, a fine strip of blotting type paper and a small clip lock plastic test tube. The bird is pricked with the needle at the end of the toe at the base of the claw. When a drop of blood oozes to the skin surface it is wiped off with the paper and the paper is then put into the test tube and the lid clipped closed. This test tube with the paper inside is then mailed to the vet. In the early stages of infection, Chlamydia is found in the membranes lining the throat and eyelid while later in the infection it appears in the blood. This means that if the fancier wants to be particularly thorough he can wipe the paper over the roof of the bird's mouth or place it between the eyeball and eyelid and let the bird blink a few times before putting the drop of blood on the paper. Once the paper is submitted to the vet with a few cells and blood on it this can be incredibly accurately checked for Chlamydia. (the Chlamydia DNA is checked for using a test called a PCR)
Doing this test means that if the birds are, for example, sneezing, reluctant to fly or panting after moderate exercise - signs that may or may not be due to respiratory infection - enables the fanciers to know whether his birds have a respiratory infection or not and will or will not benefit from a course of antibiotics. This test has the big advantage that other diseases in particular Circo and Herpes viruses can also be tested for off the same sample particularly in young birds.
Doing these tests takes the guess work out of treating your birds. Fanciers often call saying their friends said their problem could be this or that while another friend said he should try a particular treatment. Following up on these guesses or trying these suggestions rarely works and just wastes time. Even if the birds appear to improve, what caused the problem is not really known and if you don't know what caused it, you don't know what to do to stop it occurring again. These days there are no excuses for not doing accurate tests on your birds.
Submitting droppings, a canker pouch and a Chlamydia test through the mail to your vet enables him to test your birds for the common diseases and make real suggestions to improve their health. Fanciers should include the cost of several such health profiles throughout the racing season as part of the inherent cost of keeping a race team healthy and in race form throughout the season.
