good health

[PATTY BHOY]

  

Viruses

Mycoplasma

Chlamydia

Fungus &Amp; Moulds

Bacteria

Mites

Other-Parasites

Canker

Noxious-Fumes

Anaemia

Other-Causes

 

Viruses

Herpes virus is surprisingly common and characterised by comatose youngsters that die and adults that cough and sneeze with very smelly, ulcerated necrotic throats.

 

Paramyxo virus when correctly vaccinated against, is uncommon but since it gets to all the organ systems of some birds, the lungs can be involved.

 

The more commonly seen and easily recognised symptoms of meningitis, i.e.. somersaulting, neck twisting, lameness, miss pecking food, star gazing and nervousness and perhaps a few individuals with eye troubles will probably be seen.. A history of watery droppings will probably be remembered.

 

Pox virus and the adenovirus thought to be responsible for Young Bird Disease can have a respiratory component.

 

Viruses are not killed by antibiotics.

 

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Mycoplasma

These organisms are present in every pigeon, but are kept under control and not to cause disease, by the birds immune system. This latent carrier state will be triggered into a clinical respiratory disease by respiratory stress, e.g.. mixing, racing, breeding, overcrowding, being deprived of food or water.

 

Mycoplasma are sensitive to a wide range of antibiotics/antibacterials. E.g.. 'Lincospectin', 'Tylan', 'Tiamutin', enrofloxacin, doxycycline, tetracycline,erythromycin.

 

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Chlamydia

Like the mycoplasma, these organisms are carried by most pigeons, just waiting for stress factors to trigger an attack, and are killed and controlled by a long course of the correct antibiotic(upto 21 days of a tetracycline).

 

Symptoms of chlamydiosis (ornithosis) often include sporadic cases of 'greasy wattles', 'one-eyed cold' and death in youngsters from loose droppings. There will be coughing and sneezing when listened for carefully. Ornithosis is a common cause of lack of performance and is often not noticed.

 

Diagnosis must rely on growing the organism in embryonated chicken eggs, identifying the organism's antigen using fluorescent antibody staining or using the P.C.R.(polymerase chain reaction) test on impression smears of the conjunctiva, pooled droppings or internal organs to look for the chlamydial cell protein antigen. These techniques are not within the capability of the normal commercial laboratory.

 

Various antibiotics have been used against chlamydia, with mixed success, and it is generally accepted within professional circles that chlamydia respond best to tetracycline antibiotics.eg. 'Ornicure', 'Aureomycin', 'Terramycin'. The Belgians use a combination of chlortetracycline with 'Tylan' and trimethoprim, erythromycin, amoxycillin and enrofloxacin have all been tried with, in my experience, less success than the tetracyclines.

 

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Fungus & Moulds

Fungus and moulds spread by airborne spores. These spores are about everywhere. Just try leaving a damp piece of sliced bread in the loft overnight and observe the hairy mould growth in the morning.

 

The mould of Aspergillus fumigatus lives in mouldy hay and straw and represents a very serious health risk for both pigeons and humans. The inhalation of fungal spores is prevented by the wearing of a mask. Such a mask avoids the inhalation of the chlamydia responsible for ornithosis and the pigeon bloom particles responsible for Pigeon Fanciers Lung.Deposited droppings, under floor slats, that are damp, are a prime site for mould growth and also attract rodents.

 

Moulds and fungi are best prevented by ensuring food and bedding is kept dry and is of the best quality, and ventilation is adequate to maintain a clean fresh smell within the loft. Moulds and fungi are treated with fungicide antimycotics, which are available from the chemist, upon production of a prescription, written by a vet. A suitable preparation is 'Nystan Oral Suspension' which I use at the rate of ½ ml.,(50,000 i.u.) by mouth, twice daily.(a yellow cherry-mint flavoured sticky suspension).

 

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Bacteria

There are numerous species of bacteria that have a predilection for respiratory tissue and many more that will colonise the respiratory tract, as secondary invaders that complicate a primary infection elsewhere in the body. Examples include Streptococcus bovis, pasteurella, haemophilus, bordetella, salmonella, Escherichia coli, staphylococci and many others.

 

Bacteria respond to the correct antibiotic (perhaps determined by sensitivity tests done in a lab.) or a broad spectrum antibiotic.

 

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Mites

These have been recorded in the nose and are responsible for watery discharges and explosive sneezing. Harper F.D. has recorded an increased incidence in the East Midlands.

 

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Other Parasites

The incidence of gape worm (a tracheal worm) is so low in racing pigeons as not to be considered. Air sac mites are unlikely to be met with but a dose of ivermectin would eliminate any possibility of mites in any area of the bird, e.g.. feathers, skin, nose or air sacs. All parasitic infections will reduce a bird's vitality and make it lack endurance, thus causing it to 'puff and pant' easily.

 

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Canker

Trichomonas lives in the throat and down the oesophagus into the crop but it can erode the throat and invade the windpipe and lungs.

 

Trichomonad organisms are the commonest disease producing parasite in pigeons (apart from perhaps capillarian worms) and will be found in any throat swab, whether or not the trichomonad is the whole cause of the trouble. Canker treatment is very routine these days.

 

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Noxious Fumes

Ammonia vapour is extremely irritant for the delicate lungs and air sacs and will easily cause damage. Ammonia is given off by decomposing droppings, and will easily be appreciated on entering the loft and is easily solved by attention to hygiene and ventilation.

 

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Anaemia

A bird that is anaemic (lacks blood) cannot carry enough oxygen to the tissues and so breathes faster than normal. The usual causes of anaemia in racing pigeons are rat-bait poisoning, liver disease or massive capillaria infection.

 

Treatment involves providing the raw materials to manufacture blood, i.e.. iron, copper, Vitamin B12, water and taking care of any precipitating factors, e.g.. rats, worms. An iron tonic e.g.. 'Parrish's' Food, 'Collovet' will be of great assistance in restoring a primary deficiency anaemia.

 

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Other Causes

Lack of fitness, too much body fat has already been mentioned. Various poisons e.g.. warfarin, slug bait (metaldehyde), various seeds and berries may cause breathlessness and panting in the latter stages of life! High atmospheric temperature will cause birds to pant, if there is not enough water to cool their respiratory tracts down!

 

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Answer 2.

What is the cause of loose droppings. That's a big question. Are you ready for a big answer?

A loose dropping reflects too much liquid in the dropping. This can either be inflammatory fluid reflecting an infection or internal irritation e.g.. Salmonella, coccidiosis, virus, poison, chemical, normal body fluid that should have been absorbed but hasn't been, due to an inflamed gut wall, or a kidney problem, damaging the mechanism that is responsible for 'urine' production. e.g.. P.M.V. infection.

 

Since the treatment of loose droppings will vary with the cause, it is most wise to get an accurate diagnosis of the cause, since the treatment for the different causes will differ considerably and result in wasting hope, time and money on what might prove to be a completely inappropriate and therefore useless treatment. E.g.. it is no good worming a bird that has coccidiosis, using antibiotics if there is a yeast overgrowth, using a normal broad spectrum antibiotic if you have systemic salmonellosis, expecting viral infections to respond adequately to antibiotics, using antibiotics on a hexamita infection.

 

The control of contagious gut disease depends on loft hygiene, which means frequent scraping out plus adequate disinfection. Domestic bleach kills most microbes, but can leave unpleasant smells and irritant puddles, but the use of a burner is particularly effective at penetrating cracks and destroying encysted large ascarid eggs. Effective routine treatment is obviously a good method of reducing environmental challenge.

 

I shall briefly go through the possible causes of loose droppings and hope you don't get too despondent or confused by such a long list!

 

See my conclusion

 

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Viruses

Protozoa

Coccidia

Trichomonads

Hexamitosis

Bacteria

Salmonella Typhimurium Var

Other Bacteria

Yeast

Excess Salt

Poisons

Drugs

Worms

Diet

Internal Obstruction

Nervousness

 

Viruses

Birds suffering with a viral enteritis tend to have watery and therefore very copious droppings reflecting kidney damage e.g.. P.M.V. that is often the real problem. Fluid replacement is essential e.g.. electrolyte, glucose-saline, and probiotics are helpful.

 

Probiotics are readily available to the fancier, often in combination with electrolytes, e.g.. 'Prolyte' pigeon health. 'Gemthepax', 'Enterodex', 'Proguard', 'Magic', 'Strike', 'Enteroguard', 'Progem Plus' are well known products. A natural probiotic is live yoghurt, given at the rate of a teaspoon (5ml) by mouth twice a day for 2-3 days. Live yoghurt tends to settle to the bottom of the drinker if mixed with water, requiring constant stirring or mixing before feeding time. When put over the corn, it will tend to air dry and thus no longer be living.

 

Various other herbs e.g.. garlic, Aloe vera, natural green foods help stabilise gut function e.g.. lettuce, chickweed, dandelion, cabbage, whilst absorbents e.g.. chalk, clay, soil, isogel, long-chain natural sugars e.g.. honey have been used successfully.

 

The spasmolytic 'Imodium' has been used for pigeons with diarrhoea, but I have no knowledge of a suitable regime or doseage.

 

The preparations mentioned above are useful for any condition causing an abnormality in gut function. Antibiotics are of use only to control bacteria, e.g.. Escherichia coli, Salmonella, which might be either a primary or secondary problem.

 

Viruses that may be involved include P.M.V., corona virus, circo virus, adeno virus, rota virus and herpes virus.

 

Young Bird Disease is generally regarded as an immune deficiency state caused by an adeno virus that allows secondary infections to flare up and cause disease. The disease usually starts with a mould infection in the crop resulting with vomiting and then proceeds to an Escherichia coli problem causing loose droppings. Other secondary infections can flare up, being responsible for a variety of symptoms and apparently effective treatments. E.g.. respiratory disease, ornithosis, salmonellosis, hexamitosis, coccidiosis, canker, herpes virus, pasteurellosis etc.

 

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Protozoa

These are one celled organisms, regarded as almost inevitable in pigeons, as they are so common, and as true parasites. There are three varieties encountered in racing pigeons.

 

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Coccidia

The classic cause of 'going light' with often green, foul smelling droppings. It causes lack in performance in adults, chronic debilitation in adults, failure to thrive, loss of weight and slimy green droppings in youngsters.

 

The disease is simply diagnosed by counting the oocysts in a dropping sample. The absolute count e.g. 200-40,000 is of less significance than the change, from last time, in the absolute numbers. There is considerable debate as to what numbers represent a level of infection that warrants treatment. The count must not be considered in isolation from the demeanour and vitality of the bird. A count of 20,000 is generally regarded as the level of significance for treatment.

 

The disease is readily treated with sulphur drugs from a vet, e.g.. sulphadimidine, 'Coxi Plus' and also by non P.O.M. products from pharmacies e.g.. 'Amprol', 'Appertex','Coxoid'.

 

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Trichomonads

The flagellate protozoan that is the cause of crop and throat canker. A common cause of ill thriving, huddled youngsters with loose droppings and can be associated with abnormal droppings in old birds.(light green)

 

Readily diagnosed by seeing the motile protozoans in crop swabs, or by noticing the cankerous lumps in the back of the mouth. Canker is present in most pigeons and easily prevented by strict drinking water hygiene and strategic medication using a 'flagellicide', e.g.. dimetridazole, metronidazole, 'Spartrix'.

 

Bowel trichomonas can occur without any evidence of crop canker and the organisms appear larger and are seen as single organisms which move very actively unlike the crop infection where the trichomonads are usually seen in groups of fish-heads, where the movement is less active.

 

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Hexamitosis

This can be regarded as 'canker' at the back end, since the highly motile hexamita protozoans are seen as 'torpedoes' or 'tadpoles' in a fresh dropping sample and are about 1/3 the size of a trichomonad, which is not an entirely back end parasite. The disease mainly affects youngsters within 2 months of weaning and predominates in summer. It is widespread and should be included in everybody's differential diagnosis of loose droppings in young pigeons. Unlike the Young Bird Disease, which usually starts with vomiting or regurgitation of the crop contents, vomiting is not a feature of hexamitosis.

 

Treatment with metronidazole, ¼ tablet of 'flagyl' for 4 days, 3 weeks on dimetridazole, or 14 days on 'Ridsol' has been successful in reducing the numbers of hexamita. Like canker, a flagellicide, is necessary to eliminate this motile protozoan. Because of it's widespread nature, hexamitosis is easily spread amongst the birds.

 

The motile protozoa of canker and hexamita do not survive in the post when being posted to a lab. Since they easily dry out and become unrecognisable, nor do they float like worm eggs and coccidia in flotation fluid prior to examination under the microscope. They are best picked up on a damp 'cotton bud' and examined immediately under the microscope, after squeezing the liquid out of the cotton bud. The hexamita and trichomonas organisms are directly contagious since, unlike coccidia and worms, they are not passed in the droppings as an egg or oocyst that needs to mature on the floor before it is contagious.

 

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Bacteria

Bacteria live in every gut and only become of significance when there are too many of them or if the strain of the bacteria is particularly pathogenic. (nasty, disease causing). The pathogenicity, virulence and therefore clinical significance of the bug will depend to a great extent upon the competence of the birds defending immune system. This competence is a reflection of the birds general health, age, diet and in no small part it's genetics and breeding.

 

Gut bacteria are kept in better balance by feeding regularly and evenly so that there is a constant and regular movement of food along the gut and a particular bug (e.g.. E.coli) is not allowed to predominate. Effort must be made to keep some food in the crop. A pigeon is a nibbler, eating little and often, and it's guts function better with this 'natural' regime.

 

Resistance to disease is under genetic control and should be selected for in breeding programs behind athletic stamina and homing ability. The incidence of Escherichia coli infection as a secondary problem to e.g.. Young Bird Disease is well recognised and the use of antibiotics to eliminate this bacterium at a certain stage in the disease is beneficial. There are many antibiotics capable of killing E.coli in the lab. But I find the use of Sanofi's, 70gm. sachet of erythromycin soluble, at the rate of 1 heaped teaspoonful (7gm.) to each gallon of drinking water, both effective and economical to use on about 100 pigeons for 10+ days. (100 birds drink less than 1 gallon a day, a pigeon drinks upto 50ml. per day, thus 100 drink upto 5 litres or nearly a gallon per day.) 'Erythrocin Soluble', being an antibiotic, is of course a P.O.M. product and only available from a veterinary surgeon who has the animals under his care, i.e.. he has examined a bird. In the USA erythromycin is marketed quite openly as 'Gallimycin'.

 

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Salmonella typhimurium var

The other, enteric bacterium, commonly found in pigeons is Salmonella typhimurium var. Copenhagen and this bacterium is found in the vast majority of racing pigeons, always ready to exploit a weakness in the birds immunity to cause the clinical disease of loose green droppings, smelly and often bubbly due to gas production by the bacteria, and the classic symptoms of paratyphoid :- lameness, death with diarrhoea, dead in shell eggs, infertility, nervous symptoms and possibly blindness.(like P.M.V.).

 

Salmonella can be picked up from any warm blooded animal e.g.. dogs, cats, calves, pigs, sheep, and humans but the main risk is from rodents, stray pigeons and other racing pigeons. Treatment has to be aimed at removing the carrier state and this involves using an antibiotic that can penetrate all the places that the salmonella like to colonise (e.g.. blood brain barrier, joints, ovaries, eyes) and is out of reach from many broad spectrum antibiotics.

 

Enrofloxacin, marketed as various forms of 'Baytril', fulfills these criteria. 'Baytril' is available as a 2.5% Calf Solution, a 2.5%, 5%, 10% injection, a 10% solution, 15mg., 50mg. and 150mg. tablets and is used in the licensed species at a rate of 10mg. per kilogram of body weight. I have had remarkable success by using 1ml. per pint of drinking water of the 2.5% calf solution and 1 x 15mg. tablet per day. Since the average racing pigeon weighs about ½ kg. this dose rate is a bit too much, and serves to demonstrate how safe and free from toxic side effects 'Baytril' is. 'Baytril' drinking water should be replaced daily.

 

'Baytril' is the latest broad spectrum antibiotic that has activity against enteric bacteria and mycoplasma. It must be used responsibly to prevent the development of cross species bacterial resistance and render it ineffectual against salmonella, for which it has, at present, a uniqueness of activity. The misuse of the early tetracyclines (e.g.. 'Terramycin, 'Aureomycin') quickly led to a reputation of their ineffectiveness which could be put entirely down to their fashionabe misuse. Resistance to 'Emtryl', from 'the give them a days worth when they come back from a race' brigade suffered a similar fate. Salmonella typhimurium is NOT associated with any significant disease in humans, apart from perhaps a persistent loose stool syndrome.

 

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Other Bacteria

Streptococcus bovis can be associated with green slimy diarrhoea. Enterobacter (vibriosis), Klebsiella, Erysipelas, clostridium, are all possible gut pathogens, although very rare compared to Escherichia coli and Salmonella.

 

The identification of a bacterial infection, or more commonly, a bacterial overgrowth eg. with E.coli is the job of a commercial laboratory. Often it will be noted that there are too many bacteria present, reflecting an unnatural imbalance, the actual identification of the individual bacteria being largely irrelevant. An overgrowth can be corrected by killing the bacteria with antibiotics followed by reseeding the gut with probiotic or live yoghurt. A Salmonella infection is notoriously hard to identify by culture in the laboratory and it is generally accepted that three cultures are needed before one can say that there is or isn't Salmonella present. There is more chance of demonstrating a Salmonella infection if an affected joint or liver culture is taken. (this would have to be done at post mortem).

 

The identification of the bacteria involved in loose droppings requires further laboratory work, and therefore expense, and is only of academic interest, especially if obvious clinical signs are there to suggest which bacterium might be involved.eg. lameness, nervousness, star gazing, in a P.M.V. vaccinated bird suggests Salmonellosis. The chlamydial organism, that is the cause of ornithosis, can cause deaths and wasting with a green mucoid dropping in youngsters prior to weaning.

 

Bacteria and protozoa are killed in the drinking water with the use of a portable (drinkable) disinfectant.eg. Condy's crystals (pottasium permanganate), 'Virkon' and bleach.( 1'Milton' tablet per gallon, or a teaspoonful of 40% household bleach per gallon.) Salmonella is a difficult bug to kill with disinfectant, so after a thorough scraping it is best to use the blow lamp.

 

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Yeasts

Yeasts are larger than bacteria and have an ovoid shape. They often are branching to take on the typical 'bunnies ears' appearance. There is always a basal level of yeast in a birds droppings but there may well be too many following a course of antibiotics, which upset the normal healthy balance of 'friendly' bacteria, that inhabit the gut. The use of a brewers yeast, vitamin supplement will obviously fill the gut with yeasts, without reflecting a problem.

 

Yeasts are killed and eliminated by using a fungicide antibiotic, e.g.. 'Nystan Suspension'. 'Nystan' is a P.O.M. product and so is only obtainable from a vet (possibly on a written prescription) after he has examined a bird (and thus has it 'under his care'). I find that the dose of 1/2ml. by mouth (50,000i.u.) twice daily is adequate and very safe.

 

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Excess Salt

This causes the birds to be thirsty, drink too much water and therefore pass a watery dropping. Such events may occur when water is restricted and is common when the adults are feeding largish youngsters.

 

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Poisons

There are numerous poisons which might get eaten or drunk by pigeons e.g.. creosote, neat disinfectant, diesel oil, mosses and these cause so much inflammation in the intestines that inflammatory fluid is passed, water resorption is impaired or kidney damage occurs, resulting in a watery dropping.

 

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Drugs

Corticosteroid drugs cause an excessive thirst. Sulphonamides can result in kidney damage and should never be use when water is in short supply.

 

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Worms

Worms are easily distinguished down the microscope as large roundworms, capillaria (hair worms) or strongyles (ornithostrongylus quadriradiatus). Tapeworms are generally visible to the naked eye, stuck around the vent or undulating in the droppings. Worms when in great numbers e.g.. capillaria causing bloody, loose droppings, tend to cause a bulky slimy dropping due to the increased amount of mucous being produced by the irritated bowel. Once identified worms are easily eliminated with a single dose of wormer. Eg. levamisole ('Spartakon'), 'Biozine', 'Panacur', 'Eqvalan', cambendazole ('Ascapilla').

 

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Diet

Wet feeding will cause a loose dropping but is easily avoided by using electrolyte instead of plain water. A sudden change in the diet, will cause a while before there is the return to a normal dropping. This is the same with most animals and their diet. In pigeons it might be seen when reducing the high fibre barley ration in favour of a high protein growers ration. Feeding highly coloured food e.g.. cabbage, nasturtium, broccoli, spinach, carrots, lettuce, chickweed, dandelions will also influence the appearance of the droppings. Green food actually contains nitrates which have an anti-bacterial action as well as many vitamins. Food must always be of the highest quality and care must be taken that it is not contaminated with rat or mouse droppings or urine.

 

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Internal Obstruction

Since the pigeon has no gall bladder in which to store bile there is a constant outflowing of the green bile into the gut. If there is an obstruction in the intestine so that food can't pass along, there is nothing to dilute the bile, and so a greenish watery dropping will be seen. Such intestinal obstructions would include crop stasis, a period of starvation ( perhaps the bird is not eating because it's ill) a tumour that causes a physical obstruction or a foreign body in the gizzard that stops it contracting and passing the food along. e.g.. a roofing nail, a mass of large ascarids (before or after a worm kill), a massive tapeworm burden.

 

If there is no food passing along the gut, due to an obstruction, then the bulk or brown part of the dropping will be reduced and a watery green dropping will be seen since there is no obstruction to the biliary flow. A grossly inflamed bowel will be hyperactive and move the bile along too quickly (as with diarrhoea) e.g.. a Salmonella, E. coli, capillaria infection, so that there is both inflammatory fluid present in the droppings and poor resorption of fluid. It normally takes about an hour for food that is eaten to get digested and be voided at the vent. If the gut is hyperactive there will be loose droppings and probably undigested, whole grains in the droppings.

 

The pigeon dropping is made up of:

 

The solid, usually brown, remains of the corn.

Watery urine that has come through the kidneys. Excess water in the droppings often reflects kidney disease and is seen classically in early paramyxo disease. Diabetes causes excessive thirst and consequently watery droppings but is most unusual in pigeons and never contagious.

A solid white lump of urates, which have also come via the kidneys. The deposition of urate crystals in joints and on the major organs is seen, rarely, in gout and reflects a hereditary inability to metabolise proteins and can be fatal.

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Nervousness

Normal droppings passed first thing in the morning or when the bird is frightened or upset are often loose. On return from a race or a 'stay away' when abnormal or irregular food has been eaten (or not eaten) there will be less residuum in the bowel than normal, and so the liquid urine will make the droppings watery.

 

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Conclusion

Never restrict fluid intake of a bird with loose droppings in the misguided attempt to dry the birds up. It will only make the dehydration worse!

Try to maintain the healthy normal balance of bugs in the gut by the judicious use of probiotics or live yoghurt.

Get a diagnosis of the problem.

An overgrowth of E. coli is often the problem especially in older (non-squab) birds.

Worms are always about, even in spotless lofts, in any age of pigeon.

Think about which birds are affected and any problem that they might have in common with each other.

The likely infectious, contagious problems are Escherichia coli in all ages and hexamita in weaners in the summer.

Give green foods at all times.

Breed from birds that have shown resistance to disease in their history.

Restrict the use of antibiotics to when there is a distinct need for them. When used responsibly they can be life savers. When used without guidance or adherence to sound pharmacological principles they can be toxic, dangerous and encourage the development of microbe resistance.

Remove the possibility of Paramyxovirus being the cause of watery droppings and kidney damage. Vaccinate them!

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