Drug resistant Canker

[Guest]

Trichomonas is becoming resistant

 

 

Trichomoniasis is an old disease which was described for the first time in 1878 by Rivolta in Italy. The diseases caused by a parasite which possesses four flagella, a protozoan known as Trichomonas gallinae. Eighty per cent of adult pigeons are carriers of this parasite in their upper digestive tract, frequently without presenting any major symptoms. The parasite may be seen with the aid of a microscope in the saliva of carriers Affected adult pigeons often present minor symptoms: a lack of form, an inflamed throat covered with mucus, shortened exercise flights. A severe form of the disease is most often seen in young pigeons.

Transmission generally occurs directly from beak to beak during the feeding of the young, and minor injuries to the mucous membranes of the mouth may provide the entry route for the parasite.

 

It then invades the entire organism and causes a severe illness which is sometimes fatal. This is characterised by abscesses in the liver, the major blood vessels and at the base of the heart. In this last instance the young pigeon suffers from difficulty in breathing which is independent of the lungs, in spite of the apparent presence of a respiratory infection. This difficulty in breathing is sometimes caused simply by the mechanical compression of the trachea by large abscesses in the oesophagus or the crop.

Trichomoniasis is often part of a complex infection.

Lesions caused by pigeon pox or herpes generally have

complications caused by trichomonas, which take advantage of

the viral lesion as their gateway to enter the circulation.

At times bacterial infections also occur, which greatly aggravate the clinical presentation. But trichomonas is also able to cause small ulcers on the mucous membranes of the crop, and thus to open its own gateways; some strains of trichomonas do so more easily than others, and these are more aggressive.

 

Inequality of pigeons in the face of trichomoniasis

 

Not all pigeons are equal in the face of trichomoniasis.

1. The age of the pigeon

The younger the pigeon is, the lower its resistance to this parasitic disease.

In fact a pigeon is capable of developing sound resistance to this parasite. Tests of vaccines on pigeons have shown that vaccinated birds had become resistant to the serious form of the disease, although they remained carriers of trichomonas in the crop. The first immunisation tests we carried out on pigeons recently produced the same result.

2. The different strains of trichomonas

The pathogenic (disease-causing) potential of different strains is variable. This was confirmed by research carried out in the Avian Clinic of the Faculty of Veterinary Medicine at Liege University on thirty-one strains originating from different lofts.

Seven strains out of the thirty-one studied destroyed in 72 hours more than 60% of a cellular mat of fibroblasts from chicken embryos. Thirteen strains were of low pathogenic potential (less than 20% of the mat destroyed). while the eleven others were of average pathogenic potential (between 20% and 60% of the mat destroyed).

Trichomonas is becoming resistant

From 1990 failures of treatment with nitro-imidazoles were reported in the Netherlands by Lumeij and Zwijnenberg. The dosage of ronidazole currently used is twice that established in 1975 by Hauser in a study of the treatment of 16,000 pigeons. Generally the observed resistance is flot specific to a product but is also shown to one or several others (Benazet and Guillaume, 1971; Franssen and Lumeij, 1992). Therefore once a resistant strain has appeared in a loft there is no point in treating repeatedly with different imidazoles. But each situation is individual and should be studied in conjunction with your vet.

Evaluation of the resistance

The study we carried out consisted principally of measuring the minimum concentration of ronidazole required to kill the trichomonas,

in the laboratory, for trichomonas strains originating from various lofts, in order to see whether there was a relationship between the results obtained and the nature of the treatments carried out by the fancier.

The results of the study show clearly that eight strains had become resistant to the normal dosage of ronidazole used for treatment.

It follows that certain pigeons from the lofts where the strains were studied are carriers of a very resistant strain which it is impossible to eradicate with the usual treatment. Even more serious is the fact that 45% of the strains studied were close to the level of resistance to ronidazole and therefore risk becoming resistant in the near future. The study also showed that there is a relationship between the frequency of treatments carried out by the fancier and the reduction of sensitivity to ronidazole.

Let us treat our pigeons efficiently

Treatment is performed by means of the oral administration of imidazoles derivatives such as aminonitrothiazol, metronidazole, dimetronidazole, nimorazole, carnidazole and, especially, ronidazole, which is certainly one of the most effective, and one of the least toxic, products. Nonetheless these products are included in annex IV (prohibited substances) of the European regulations and, for public health reasons, their use must therefore be strictly reserved for racing pigeons.

lnghelbrecht and his colleagues demonstrated that effective treatment with dimetridazole in tablet form (one tablet per pigeon per day) required a duration of at least three days. In addition, care should be taken when administering a single dose in tablet form, since ifs effectiveness is influenced by the pigeons feeding status. When it has not eaten, the tablet is digested rapidly and the persistence of the active principle is lower, which reduces its curative effect (Baert and colleagues, 1990). Some writers consider that this method of single dose treatment could play a part in the development of the phenomenon of resistance, as a result of an incomplete curative action (Franssen and Lumeij, 1992).

Treatment repeated every three weeks, as is advised by certain fanciers, which is often carried out with low doses and over excessively short periods of time (one or two days), has certainly assisted the development of this situation.

To sum up, many pigeon fanciers must change their habits and suppress their desire to give preventative medication. A course of treatment for trichomoniasis must last for at least five to seven days and be of a sufficient dosage. This treatment must be reserved primarily for pigeons which show symptoms or which have poor sporting performance. In order to encourage immunisation (resistance to the disease) in the pigeons, simply

being a carrier of trichomonas should no longer be automatically associated with systematic treatment, except during the incubation period, in order to prevent infection of the squabs, which are more sensitive than adult pigeons.

Blind booster treatments for a day or two after returning from a race should no longer be practised if we wish to avoid increasing the resistance to trichomonas to imidazoles, which would make the treatment of this parasitic disease more problematical.

 

[snowy]

some fanciers never treat unless pigeons actually get a bad dose, as they say pre treating puts a strain on their immune system this making them more prone

[ribble]

what do you mean by pre treating.

[Guest]

what do you mean by pre treating.

 

 

Some advise giving preventative treatment for canker, cocci and worms: basically medicating healthy pigeons. On the canker front, this practice has created superstrains of thrichomonas which neither the pigeon nor medication can shift.

[snowy]

why treat if your birds are healthy?

only treat if they become ill?

 

[Silverdale Lofts]

snowy how do you know they are healthy?

[jimmy white]

WHY NOT GET THERE DROPPINGS TESTED AND EVEN A SWAB TAKEN , AS THERES TYPES CANKER THAT CAN BE DETECTED IN THEIR DROPPINGS OTHER TYPES FROM SWABS, IF THERES NOTHING WRONG WITH THEM ITS STILL A LOT CHEAPER THAN TREATING THEM FOR EVERYTHING

[Guest]

While I agree with your last post, Jimmy, I'm starting to wonder if there is a 'cart before the horse' thing about all of this.

 

If the birds are well looked after, look and behave healthy, then there would appear to be no reason to take any further action. If something was wrong, like a bird off colour, droppings all over the place, not exercising - yes, then take steps to find out what's afoot.

 

 

And I'm also skeptical about us playing at being scientists and doing our own swabs and dropping tests. Two questions spring to mind:

 

(1) 20+ canker organisms. Not all dangerous. How can you tell which is which?

 

(2) Cocci oocysts and worm eggs. Either produced inside the bird or passed naturally after the bird ate them. How can you tell which way they came to be 'in' there?

 

Lastly, I'm concerned on what could be taken as 'scare tactics': How do you know they are healthy?  Unless you stick a camera up the bird's jacksi, and get a good look at what's going on in there, AND in the heart, blood vessels, liver, lungs, kidneys, muscles etc., you'll not answer that for definite. Its the hard work put into a hygienic environment PLUS looking after the birds as best you can that gurantees that they will be healthy ... not something out of a bottle.

[snowy]

snowy how do you know they are healthy?

 

they all seem healthy, none dropped off their perches yet (shouldnt have said that lol)

i keep a very close eye on my birds & i know i could tell if one is a bit off or not,  my birds are very tame & i handle them at least every other day, & while handling them i examine them all over check throat, feathers, eyes, nostrills, etc,

[carl]

Yes snowy but you cant see inside of them.

 

Bruno didnt you say before that you dont win much,not being funny here but maybe you should treat them and see the differance.

[Guest]

Yes snowy but you cant see inside of them.

 

Bruno didnt you say before that you dont win much,not being funny here but maybe you should treat them and see the differance.

 

The reason the birds haven't been winning is mostly MY fault and nothing to do with them not being healthy. On my last youngbird race in 2005, I was sitting with 9 out of 10 while the fed had less than 50% returns. Reasons are poor race preparation / bad planning on my part ... will be a lot different this year, of that you can be certain.

 

Your advice reminds me of an article I read in the Gazette a couple of years ago on a Belgian fancier who used dope on his birds to get them to win. Long-and-short of it was when the practice was outlawed, his birds won nuffink. It took him 5 years to discover the reason his birds weren't winning was down to 'simple' ventilation problems - problems that doping the birds had masked. He got that sorted and his birds began scoring well again. Medication does the same, it just masks the problem and props up birds that shouldn't be there in the first place. And if you are clued up on misuse of medicines then you will realise that these birds are also a danger to their owners and other pigeons as possible carriers of superstrains of antibiotic resistant microbes. Remember, many of the microbes that cause illness in them cause illness in you too. So its down to a strict hygeine regime.  

 

I'm confident I will win, and without bottles.

[Silverdale Lofts]

Snowy a few years ago my birds were exercising well round the lofts going off ranging for 1 hour no problems then a week later i got 2 ybs coming back after 10 minutes landing on the house they would do this after every exercise so i put them in a basket and took them to get tested by brian green.i watched the screen he tested the droppings all clear then he took a swab test down the throat theres your problem he said canker on the screen was this little bug spinning like mad i took the birds home and treated and had no problems that year. What i did do was go out and buy a microscope and i now test my own droppings.The scottish fanciers might know this fancier who topped the scottish national a few times in one season Mel Bell he sent me some droppings to test is birds were not right i teseted them told him what was wrong and what to get from vet that season he topped the scottish sections all the top fanciers treat when there the birds have been held over lot of fanciers treat for canker once maybe twice a month to win races they have to be healthy ask my friend he won 35 firsts this year.

[carl]

Bruno your forgetting one thing,your birds might be healthy and in good condition,your loft may be 100% in the hygiene department, BUT when you place them in the baskets with other birds that are not healthy,then what happens,your birds will fail big time,theres no way they can be super resistant towards these diseases.Im only a novice myself but know to win races birds need to be super healthy.Having a strict hygeine regime is not enough.I have never misused any medication,

 

only fix something that needs fixing

 

just my opinion mate

[snowy]

Snowy a few years ago my birds were exercising well round the lofts going off ranging for 1 hour no problems then a week later i got 2 ybs coming back after 10 minutes landing on the house they would do this after every exercise so i put them in a basket and took them to get tested by brian green.i watched the screen he tested the droppings all clear then he took a swab test down the throat theres your problem he said canker on the screen was this little bug spinning like mad i took the birds home and treated and had no problems that year. What i did do was go out and buy a microscope and i now test my own droppings.The scottish fanciers might know this fancier who topped the scottish national a few times in one season Mel Bell he sent me some droppings to test is birds were not right i teseted them told him what was wrong and what to get from vet that season he topped the scottish sections all the top fanciers treat when there the birds have been held over lot of fanciers treat for canker once maybe twice a month to win races they have to be healthy ask my friend he won 35 firsts this year.

 

if my birds didnt seem right also,

i would then test my birds too,

but untill that happens i will carry on & let the birds own immune system fight anything that comes their way,

do u go to the doctors & get the flu jab?  even when u dont have the flu?

i dont & never get the flu,

natural evening primrose ,codliver oil, all natural things i take & not very often ill

 

[snowy]

Yes snowy but you cant see inside of them.

 

Bruno didnt you say before that you dont win much,not being funny here but maybe you should treat them and see the differance.

 

cant see inside myself too,

i could be riddled with disease, but while i feel ok & work 7 days a week & still give my family & pigeons 100% attention, i wont take paracetamol just incase i get a headache.

[ribble]

yipee,well said carl.seems to me that some winning lofts SAY they never treat but dont you think they are trying to pull the wool over,for sales of birds.i read some where on a belge flyers site that them who win and say they NEVER treat a lying,and after trying both ways i tend to agree.....DONT BELIVE ALL YOU READ.i mean some of thease experts who  seem to know all there is couldn't fly a kite on a windy day....

[Silverdale Lofts]

Ribble whats the favorite saying in the pigeon world good corn clean water . what a load of rubbish this day and age you wont win pigeons with just good food clean water also you hit the nail on the head we never treat what another load of rubbish all the top lofts treat and they treat while racing. Ill be honest here my birds when racing get clean water once a week.Also i treat while racing.

[Silverdale Lofts]

Ribble whats the favorite saying in the pigeon world good corn clean water . what a load of rubbish this day and age you wont win pigeons with just good food clean water also you hit the nail on the head we never treat what another load of rubbish all the top lofts treat and they treat while racing. Ill be honest here my birds when racing get clean water once a week.Also i treat while racing.

[snowy]

im a novice myself, but very experienced in the outside world & sales gimmics, and a lot of fools   fall for this again and again, your birds wont win nothing if you dont treat for this that & the other,

hope this helps other novices like myself.

[carl]

Medication serves another purpose. Out of the race season, exposure of loft members to birds from other lofts is minimal, while once racing starts there is sudden and immediate high exposure to many birds from many different lofts. In this way, birds become exposed to different strains of disease-causing organisms, in particular strains of wet canker and respiratory infection. Because these strains may not be resident in their own loft, they cannot possibly have developed an immunity to them. For this reason, disease can flare ups, even in well-managed lofts, with resultant sudden loss of form and variable losses. Medication is used to minimize the impact of this exposure.

 

 

I didnt write that but found it very intresting for this topic.

 

[carl]

Snowy find the best flyer in your area get to know them well and ask them if they treat,if they so no i will be very suprised

[ribble]

well i aint got anything for sale,just saying it as i have found it....

[snowy]

Medication serves another purpose. Out of the race season, exposure of loft members to birds from other lofts is minimal, while once racing starts there is sudden and immediate high exposure to many birds from many different lofts. In this way, birds become exposed to different strains of disease-causing organisms, in particular strains of wet canker and respiratory infection. Because these strains may not be resident in their own loft, they cannot possibly have developed an immunity to them. For this reason, disease can flare ups, even in well-managed lofts, with resultant sudden loss of form and variable losses. Medication is used to minimize the impact of this exposure.

 

 

I didnt write that but found it very intresting for this topic.

while i agree carl, i probebly would do the same if my birds came back from races very  ill, but i would make sure they was ill first before i treated them

 

 

[Silverdale Lofts]

The poll i did on the forum who treats before pairing up

canker 15 treated

cocci     13 treated

worms   13 treated

respiratory 11 treated

paratyphoid 6 treated

[snowy]

Snowy find the best flyer in your area get to know them well and ask them if they treat,if they so no i will be very suprised

 

carl, the secretary of the club myself & westy are joining never treats his birds, unless there is an outbreak in his loft, & has told me in the 40 plus years he has been flying he has treated twice, came 2nd in club & fed 2005 & the flyer who came first in 2005 lives 15 minites from me  & also never treats unless there is an outbreak, but told me he treated in 2004.

regards