Diseases of pigeons Flashcards
1
Q
What is significant about pigeon breeding?
A
- Pair for life
- First egg after 8-10days post pairing, another one after 2 days
- Breed all year round
- Incubation 17-19days pending breed
- Chicks fed crop milk for 1-4 days
2
Q
What should you assess when looking at a healthy pigeon?
A
- Normal dropping
- Alertness
- Having clear bright eyes
- Good posture
- Movements are strong and vigorous
- Skin, plumages, shanks, feet are clean
- Actively feeding and drinking
3
Q
What are signs of unhealthy pigeons?
A
- Evidence of not eating
- Not laying eggs / eggs fail to hatch
- Little / no preening / loss of bloom / ruffled feathers
- Little noise / different noise
- Hunched up, huddled together, pale wattles, sunken eyes
- Abnormal / watery droppings
- Little / no activity, failure to exercise, tail bobbing, dropping wings
- Skin, plumages, shanks, feet are clean
- Actively feeding / drinking
4
Q
What are normal parameters for pigeons?
A
- Life expectancy = 20-30years
- Body temp = 39.8 - 43.3 oC
- RR = 26/min
- HR = 180-250BPM
- Haematocrit = 48.7%
5
Q
What are factors that affect health of pigeons?
A
- Stocking density
- Perch space
- Bedding material/quality
- Water availability and quality
- Air quality (Temperature, humidity, ventilation)
- Lighting (density)
- Feed, amount and quality
- Basic hygiene and sanitation
- Immune status
– Infectious
– Non-infectious
6
Q
What lice are found in pigeons?
A
- Columbicola columbae - seen on white feathered birds wings + body
- Tx = permethrin powders , sprays
7
Q
What are common pigeon mites?
A
- Depluming itch mite (Knemidocoptes gallinae)
- Red mite (Dermanyssus gallinae)
- Northern Fowl mite (Ornithonyssus sylviarum)
- Scaly leg mite (Knemidocoptes mutans)
8
Q
What are clinical signs of pigeon paramyxovirus infection? Px?
A
- Polyuria + polydipsia
- Torticolis
- unable to feed / fly
- Sudden death
- Feathering abnormalities
- Px = vaccination
9
Q
What are differential diagnoses of neurological signs in pigeons?
A
- Pigeon paramyxovirus
- Dimetridazole toxicity
- Streptococcus
- Pigeon herpes virus
- Salmonellosis
- Young bird sickness - circovirus infection
- Arbovirus infection
- Botulism
10
Q
What is canker? How is it spread?
A
- Trichomonas meleagridis
- Spread via crop milk almost within hours of hatching
11
Q
What are clinical signs of canker? Dx? Tx?
A
- CS = most subclinical, excess mucus in oropharynx
- Lesions = yellow necrotic in mouth, when dislodged = ulcerated surface
- Dx = culture
- Tx = carmidazole, rondidazole, dimetridazole
12
Q
What are clinical signs of cocci in pigeons?
A
- Fluffed up
- Weak + emaciated
- Drinking a lot
- Green diarrhoea
13
Q
How is cocci diagnosed / treated in pigeons?
A
- Dx = CS, pathology, oocyst count
- Tx = clazuril, sulphonamides, amprolium, toltrazuril
14
Q
What can different worm infestations cause in pigeons?
A
- Ascaris = little pathology but may cause intestinal obstruction
- Capillaria obsignata = subclinical to clinical impact depending on age at infection
- CS = listless, weak, regurgitation, inappetence, diarrhoea, emaciation, mortality, catarrhal enteritis
- Dx = CS, pathology + egg counts
- Tx = benzimidazoles, piperazine
15
Q
A