how to test for salmonella

[DJ]

can anyone tell me me if a swab/droppings test will reveal salmonella? im asking cos im having trouble with mice at the moment and im told that they (mice) can cause salmonella  

                                          debbie

[Guest IB]

Not sure that it is included as part of the usual droppings test. You would need to specify 'test for salmonella'. Not even sure how it would be done, but ELISA seems probable, you've maybe seen it on TV, 'tray full of rows of holes' with lab technician dropping samples in each 'hole'. Sample changes colour dependant upon what antibody the sample activates. So maybes a lab test at around £30?

[Guest Owen]

Samples of blood and droppings have to be sent to a lab. You do this through a Vet. The samples have to be cultured.

If it were me I would take a different approach altogether. First get rid of the mice and make sure that they stay got rid of. Deep clean your loft to eliminate all possible bacteria. Treat all your birds with Baytril for 10 days in clean drinkers. Follow the Baytril with a good multivitamine for five days. After treatment with Baytril make really sure you supply plenty of clean grit and a selection of minerals, especially clay blocks.

Vaccinate your birds with a live pigeon vaccine.

I think you will find that my way of doing it will be effective and cheaper. By the way, I would not normally recommend Baytril to be used with birds but on this occasion I think it is the only thing that will give you garanteed result.

I hope this will help you

Owen

[DJ]

thanks for replies i.b and owen   ive been using eradibait mice poison around the loft as its not poisonous to other animals and that seems to have done the trick (for the moment at least) my next door neighbour has a bird table which she keeps topped up with seed,bread,food scraps etc,all the time and alot of it ends up on the floor which encourages the mice   i will send off for a swab/droppings test anyway and see what that reveals,if anything?  i thought i read somewhere that amoxicillin is used to treat salmonella? does anyone know if it does?  ive got plenty of amoxicillin so if it does treat salmonella that would be great otherwise i will consider using the baytril,im a bit wary though as ive heard bad things said about it :-/ (baytril)  anyway thanks again for your help  any more advice would be appreciated from people who have treated for salmonella or used baytill

                                                                                                       debbie

[Guest Owen]

Debbie

if you have amoxicillin, it will do nicely. Treat your birds for ten days. Follow that with multi vits and probiotics for at least five days.

You can get live catch traps that will catch multiple mice these days. The best bait is chocolate or/and peanut butter. Those mice have to go. The one good thing to come out of this, is the fact that you do not have rats yet. The presence of the mice is a good indicator of that. But(and it is a big but), it is only a matter of time before they turn up. Best to be prepared now. I find the best defence is Fen Traps contained inside a tunnel for safety. They love peanut butter and to a slightly lesser extent chocolate. Best of luck.

Owen

[pigeonpete]

sorry to hear of your problem, i also suffered from mice problems nearly 3 years ago, and i did have paratyphoid, not sure 100% where the infection came from. found out through blood tests, my only real option was to cull as birds may not show syptoms but will always be carriers! was gutted as i had only just started up! i honestly dont think the birds will be any good even if you you do treat, but please please get rid of the mice and consult a good avian vet, my local vet  admitted he did nt know anything about pigeons! good luck. and things always work out for the best in the end ;-)

[Guest IB]

I too have traps set for mice, tunnel-run type, but I sited them within the loft in places where the birds can't get at them , but mice can. I also have ultrasonic deterrants inside and outside the loft, and of course, I've small-mesh over all loft openings. Worked up until now.

 

But the one thing I would not do is put baited traps outside. I think these are an open invitation to visitors. Make your premises food-source free, and tell the neighbour birds can't see or feed at night, so bring the feeder indoors, and clean up any spill, because they'll not want night visitors either.

 

100% for test for peace of mind; 100% against blind antibiotic treatment - if the birds don't have it, chances are blind treatment will compromise their ability to fight it should they be unfortunate enough to meet it in the future. And remember, there's gazillions of mice out there yet no big salmonella epidemic even amongst poultry, so chances of contracting it from that source seem pretty slim. Your most likely source is from another bird. So be wary of winged visitors, including the garden variety - although salmonella seems to be on the decrease in those populations too.

[DJ]

thanks again guys for all your help/advice   i going to buy some humane mice traps today even though my neighbour is adamant that we dont have a mice problem so we are setting them up on the floor under her bird table tonite   i will keep you all posted and thanks again        debbie

[OLDYELLOW]

thanks again guys for all your help/advice   i going to buy some humane mice traps today even though my neighbour is adamant that we dont have a mice problem so we are setting them up on the floor under her bird table tonite   i will keep you all posted and thanks again        debbie

 

drop of peanut butter in it rodents love peanuts