Diseases of pigeons

Question 1

What is significant about pigeon breeding?

Answer 1

• 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

Question 2

What should you assess when looking at a healthy pigeon?

Answer 2

• Normal dropping
• Alertness
• Having clear bright eyes
• Good posture
• Movements are strong and vigorous
• Skin, plumages, shanks, feet are clean
• Actively feeding and drinking

Question 3

What are signs of unhealthy pigeons?

Answer 3

• 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

Question 4

What are normal parameters for pigeons?

Answer 4

• Life expectancy = 20-30years
• Body temp = 39.8 - 43.3 oC
• RR = 26/min
• HR = 180-250BPM
• Haematocrit = 48.7%

Question 5

What are factors that affect health of pigeons?

Answer 5

• 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

Question 6

What lice are found in pigeons?

Answer 6

• Columbicola columbae - seen on white feathered birds wings + body
• Tx = permethrin powders , sprays

Question 7

What are common pigeon mites?

Answer 7

• Depluming itch mite (Knemidocoptes gallinae)
• Red mite (Dermanyssus gallinae)
• Northern Fowl mite (Ornithonyssus sylviarum)
• Scaly leg mite (Knemidocoptes mutans)

Question 8

What are clinical signs of pigeon paramyxovirus infection? Px?

Answer 8

• Polyuria + polydipsia
• Torticolis
• unable to feed / fly
• Sudden death
• Feathering abnormalities
• Px = vaccination

Question 9

What are differential diagnoses of neurological signs in pigeons?

Answer 9

• Pigeon paramyxovirus
• Dimetridazole toxicity
• Streptococcus
• Pigeon herpes virus
• Salmonellosis
• Young bird sickness - circovirus infection
• Arbovirus infection
• Botulism

Question 10

What is canker? How is it spread?

Answer 10

• Trichomonas meleagridis
• Spread via crop milk almost within hours of hatching

Question 11

What are clinical signs of canker? Dx? Tx?

Answer 11

• CS = most subclinical, excess mucus in oropharynx
• Lesions = yellow necrotic in mouth, when dislodged = ulcerated surface
• Dx = culture
• Tx = carmidazole, rondidazole, dimetridazole

Question 12

What are clinical signs of cocci in pigeons?

Answer 12

• Fluffed up
• Weak + emaciated
• Drinking a lot
• Green diarrhoea

Question 13

How is cocci diagnosed / treated in pigeons?

Answer 13

• Dx = CS, pathology, oocyst count
• Tx = clazuril, sulphonamides, amprolium, toltrazuril

Question 14

What can different worm infestations cause in pigeons?

Answer 14

• 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