The
importance of setting up a worming programme is crucial. Even if you have a
pet bird in a cage it still requires worming.
All birds are susceptible to
picking up worms, some birds more than others. Grass parrots, kings,
princesses, cockatiels, budgies, kakarikis, barrabands, pigeons, cockatoos and
doves appear to pick them up a lot easier than other birds. Young chicks
are also prone to picking up on worms easier than adult birds. I have never
seen a lorikeet with worms but I still would worm them, I think that may be the gut
of a lorikeet is too acidic and the worms just don’t like it, but I still worm
my lories every 6 months by adding a wormer into the lorikeet wet mix, eg
panacur or combantrim. Birds that spend a lot of time on the ground especially
dirt floor aviaries that cannot be hosed and cleaned regularly come into contact
with worms a lot easier than concrete floor aviaries. Birds who live in this
sort of aviary should be wormed 3-4 times a year and the top layer of soil or
sand to be changed on a regular basis. Suspended flights can be a good way of
getting round this as the birds cant get to there droppings as easy as a normal
aviary set up where they have access to the floor. Concrete floors are the best
solution as they can be cleaned a lot easier. I use Malt vinegar and hot water
on the floors, this is a safe and effective cleaner and will kill any worm eggs
that it may come into contact with without harming your birds. It is a good
idea to give your aviary a good clean the day after worming.
Worming
before breeding season is the best idea and some wormers may effect feather
growth so worming while in moult may not be the best idea. I will outline the
different wormers later in the article as they all do not have this effect.
It
is recommended to change your worming product as it is possible for worms to
build up a resistance to the same worming agent. Most people also don’t realize
but depending on the worming product you use the dose may have to be repeated
again between 10-14 days later. This is to catch any stray eggs that may be
left to start the worm cycle again. If you are not sure ask your supplier of the
wormer.
If
you notice a bird doing a lot of sleeping but still eating when food is offered
normally you will find worms to be the cause, a stained or dirty vent
is another good sign but this is not always be the case. I have seen birds with
clean vents still badly affected with worm infestations. A sharp protruding
keel bone is another good sign but you can’t always see this until you give the
bird a physical examination. Vomiting is another sign your bird has worms but
his tends to happen when a bird has had worms for a long period of time, or the
bird is infected with a worm such as gizzard or hairworm.
When
I am given a bird with a severe worm infestation, I have found this to be a
good method of first aid treatment. I don’t put the wormer onto an empty crop
so I make up a thin mixture of handrearing food like katies I add my
wormer which is usually combatrim as I find this more gentle on a sick bird
than say panacur, I also add a small amount of whet-germ oil to help the
passing of worms. When birds are badly infested and you administer the wormer
it can block the bird up by all the dead worms trying to be passed in the
droppings. This is why some birds don’t recover from a bad worm problem after
treatment as the worms pulling away from the intestinal wall can cause internal
bleeding and the passing of dead worms blocking up their system. If the bird
makes it from this point I will give top up feeds to get the birds body weight
up but as soon as you see the bird eating well for himself things should be
well on the track to mending and you can leave him/her to it. Repeat the dose
10-12 days after worming.
Ideas
to aid a bird in recovery while treating for worms:
Types
of worms.
Hairworm
(Capillaria)
Signs:
These live in the
lining of the intestine, crop or esophagus. Birds pick this worm up by eating
the droppings of infected birds. The egg can live in the ground for several
months. Suggested wormers are Panacur 2.5 Nilverm. These worms are very fine
and sometimes can be difficult to treat. Often found in budgies, lovebirds,
canaries and fowl.
Gizzard
worm ( Acuaria ) 1-3mm
Signs:
The cycle starts with
adult worm laying eggs, which pass out in the droppings of the infected birds.
These eggs are eaten by insects, such as slaters weevils and insects alike.
While using the insect as its first host the larvae of the worm starts to
develop. In turn the insect is then eaten by a bird and the immature gizzard
worms move to the bird’s gizzard and burrow through the gizzard-lining wall to
develop in to adults. These worms damage the gizzard lining, which then affects
the proper function of the gizzard, which is to grind down food. Birds normally
die due to a bacterial infection because of the damage to the gizzard lining.
Finches or any insect eating bird can be at risk from this type of worm.
Tapeworm:
Signs and symptoms are
much like the gizzard worm. They like a damp environment. Mild infections can
occur but heavy infections result in the above symptoms, damaging the
intestinal wall causing infection. Control of insects and worms in you aviary
are crucial as these are the hosts that start the tapeworm cycle. There
are many different species of tapeworm that can effect birds ranging from 2-3
mm to 50-60mm long, different types of tapeworms will infect different types of
bird. The same worm that infects a galah will not be the same type that infects
a grass parakeet.
Roundworm (
Ascaridia ) 1-3cm
Signs:
·
Weakness
·
Weight loss
·
Diarrhoea
Some elements make
birds more prone to roundworms.
·
Young birds
·
Birds under stress
·
Birds that spend a lot
of time on the ground.
·
Wild birds getting into
aviaries
·
Dirt floors in aviaries
Roundworms are hard to
detect in the early stages of infecting your bird. Breeding birds may stop
breeding and appear listless. Roundworms are not usually seen in the droppings.
Infection starts with a bird eating a roundworm egg passed from another
infected birds droppings. The larva borrows through the bird’s intestine and
then goes into the bird’s body to develop further. Then once again makes it way back to the bird’s intestine to
develop into a mature adult worm. The cycle takes about 6 weeks. Round worms
can survive in the environment for long periods of time.
Common
Wormers used in New Zealand
Ivomec: Eprinex
(Eprinomectin) cattle formulation This product must also be diluted with
propylene glycol before use 1ml – 10ml of ivomec or 0.15ml/100g of body weight.
This is an effective treatment for airsac mite and scaly mite. This type of
wormer is good for small birds up to the size of budgies, but in my experiences
did not work well on larger birds, but opinions differ. 1 drop on the back of
the neck for finches and canaries 2 drops on the back of the neck for budgies
repeat dose for 2 days then repeat dose again 10-14 days from first treatment.
For air sac mite the treatment is the same 1 to 2 drops on the back of the neck
dose on every second day until the breathing is clear continue for 2 days after
the breathing is back to normal. For scaly mite paint on effected area every
second day the in between days paint the infected area with paraffin oil until
the mite has gone. This may take up to a week or so.
Ivomec: Sheep Oral
(0.8g/l) 0.1ml per 100 gram body weight no dilution required. Can be used in
drinking water 20ml per litre, but crop needle is the best option. Good wormer
for round worms. From different breeders feed back this is a good wormer for
all sized birds. One breeder suggested these doses Neophemas 0.1ml Plumheads
and mulgas 0.2mls Buln Bulns 0.25 mls Alexandrines 0.3mls. Also to make sure
the ivomec has not passed its expiry date and to make sure it is the oral
drench you are being sold.
Combantrim: (Pyrantel)
This can be purchased at your local chemist, it is a child wormer. As I
mentioned before I use this one on sick birds as I find it gentle on the birds
system. This is a good treatment for round worms and capillaria. Administer 0.1
mls/100g body weight. This can be used on a wide range of birds. This treatment
will not kill giardia. This will not be effective in water, best administer via
beak or crop needle
Piperazine: This is sold
in supermarkets and pet shops. This product does not appear to be an effective
worming treatment for your birds.
Panacur 2.5:
(Fenbendazole) It is effective against roundworm and giardia, this is another
product that can cause feather abnormalities. Crop dose 0.2 mls/100g of body
weight if the bird weighs less than 400grams and 0.1 ml/100 grams in birds
weighing more than 400grams. Repeat
dose 12-14 days. Panacur will not kill hairworms. This wormer is the main
drench used by aviculturist in NZ for the past 25 years, some bird keepers use
nilverm for the follow up treatment in the water to help stop resistance to one
type of drench being used. Panacur is a very safe wormer to use, but it may
cause problems if used while the bird is in molt.
*I have looked into the concept of using panacur
administer to the water and for it to be given over a period of time. The
reason why it is administer over a period of 3-5 days in some cases is it
appears to be less toxic but more effective especially for treating round
worms. Hairworms may be more stubborn and will need to be treated for 7-10
days. The dose for water treatment is 125mg per litre of water and to stir
regularly to prevent settling. It may also go in the seed 5ml /1-kilo.
Treatment for 5 days and no other types of food to be feed. Dosing for finches
2ml/litre of water for 5 days, and be careful to administer correct dosage.
Nilverm:(Levamisole)
this is an effective treatment for roundworm and hairworm. If you think you
have a bad roundworm problem consider using a wormer that is not so harsh on
the birds system. The dose has to be correct, as this is quite a strong wormer.
The dose for parrots is 50ml per litre of drinking water. This is left in the
aviary for a 24 period. For pigeons levamisole tablets 20 mg is a preferred
treatment.
Aviverm: (Levamisole Hydrochloride) dosing 4ml/litre in
drinking water for medium to large parrots and parakeets. With hold water 2 hours before nightfall
return water dishes for 8 hours. Caution with smaller birds this is another
wormer you have to be careful to administer in the correct dosage. As this treatment
contains Levamisole do not use for heavy roundworm infestation. This may
be to too strong for smaller birds like finch’s, this is what I have found from
personal experience. This is a good wormer for poultry or if you have a great
number of birds to worm in one lot.
Droncit: (Praquantel) Can be used for pigeons one-quarter of
a 25mg tablet is safe and effective.
THIS ARTICLE IS COMPILED FROM IDEAS METHODS AND PRODUCTS USE BY NEW ZEALAND AVICULTURISTS. IT IS UP TO THE INDIVIDUAL AVICULTURIST TO MAKE HIS OWN JUDGEMENT ON WHAT WORMING TREATMENT AND PRODUCT IS BEST SUITED FOR THEIR SITUATION. THIS IS WRITTEN AS A GUIDELINE ONLY. REMEMBER TO READ INSTRUCTIONS AND DOSE WITH THE CORRECT AMOUNT STATED ON THE PRODUCT