Pigeon diseases and their symptoms

The main problem with any contagious diseases in domestic animals is that due to the long residence together, the microorganisms mutate and become able to infect other animal species. There are already many diseases common to birds, mammals and humans. The diseases of pigeons are in most cases the same as those of chickens and other poultry. This is why pigeons living next to a person are dangerous. Flying into the yard to peck grain with chickens, they infect the latter with all the diseases that they themselves suffer from. There are no chickens in cities, but many urban pigeon diseases are transmitted to humans.

What diseases do pigeons have

To find out what pigeons are sick with, you can safely open a veterinary reference book on chicken diseases. All the problems and diseases of pigeons are absolutely identical to those of chickens: from traumatic injuries to infections. The only difference is that egg drop syndrome in pigeons is harder to spot. Pigeons usually get rid of non-viable eggs quickly, and they only lay 2 eggs. Then they sit down to hatch.

Since pigeon diseases are identical to chicken diseases, their treatment is also carried out with medicines intended for chickens. If these medicines exist at all in nature, since many diseases of birds are not treated, destroying sick individuals. But the dosage for the pigeon should be lower than for the chicken. After the pigeon mail has lost its significance, no one deals with the issue of the dosage of medications for these birds.

Based on the live weight of the birds, the necessary dosage of the medication for the pigeon is calculated in case of illness. The main signs of the disease in a pigeon, like in a chicken, are a depressed state and disheveled plumage.

Pigeons may also have:

• worms;
• external parasites;
• fungal diseases.

Most often, these types of diseases affect pigeons in the winter when they are crowded.

Common pigeon diseases and their symptoms and treatment

Although internal and external parasites are the most common types of diseases, they are easily treated with antihistamines and conventional flea control medications. True, in order to destroy bedbugs and ticks, in addition to pigeons, you will also have to process a dovecote with the adjacent territory.

Worse treat fungal diseases. But on healthy pigeons, fungi usually do not activate. It is enough to keep the dovecote clean and feed the birds with high-quality complete feed.

In addition to parasitic diseases, pigeons are also susceptible to infections caused by viruses, bacteria and protozoa. The most common infectious diseases:

• salmonellosis;
• coccidiosis;
• smallpox;
• ornithosis;
• infectious bursitis;
• Newcastle disease;
• trichomoniasis;
• candidiasis;
• tuberculosis.

Many of these diseases are transmitted to humans. At home, the treatment of diseases of pigeons and chickens should be carried out carefully. Sometimes it is easier and safer to slaughter the birds and buy new stock.

salmonellosis

Refers to the number of diseases of young pigeons. The causative agent of the disease is the Salmonella bacterium. It enters the body of a pigeon along with contaminated water and food. Also, a healthy individual can become infected through direct contact with another pigeon. Sick doves lay already infected eggs.

The incubation period is 1-3 days. The course of the disease in young pigeons can be:

• sharp: adynamia; drowsiness; diarrhea; serous-purulent conjunctivitis; refusal to feed; seizures with convulsions, during which the pigeons tip over on their backs, while the head moves randomly, and the limbs make swimming movements; lethality over 70%;
• subacute: rhinitis; diarrhea; serous-purulent conjunctivitis; inflammation of the joints;
• chronic: diarrhea and developmental delay.

The type of course of the disease will depend on the age at which the pigeon fell ill: up to 20 days – acute, 20-60/90 (sometimes adult birds) – subacute, older than 90 days – chronic.

Salmonellosis is treated with broad-spectrum antibiotics, but should be started as early as possible. In parallel, immunostimulants are used.

Coccidiosis

Refers to invasive diseases. Coccidiosis/eymeriasis is caused by single-celled parasites belonging to the subclass of coccidia. Eimeria most often affects young growth. The severity of symptoms of coccidiosis in young pigeons depends on the number of parasites that have entered the intestines. With a small number of pathogens, the symptoms of coccidiosis in pigeons do not appear, and treatment is not carried out. With an asymptomatic course of the disease, the pigeon may develop immunity to eimeriosis.

Infection occurs in the unsanitary state of the dovecote through food and water. Pathogens can be introduced by rodents, wild birds, or the owner himself on clothes and shoes. The spread of coccidiosis is facilitated by overcrowding of pigeons in winter and high humidity in the room.

If there are clinical symptoms, then an acute course of coccidiosis is usually observed with a death rate of up to 100%. The incubation period is 3-5 days. Clinical signs:

• oppression;
• lack of appetite;
• thirst;
• lack of response to external stimuli.

The plumage of the pigeons is ruffled. They sit, ruffled, with lowered wings. After the appearance of the first signs, death occurs after 2-4 days.

When the first clinical signs appear, pigeons are soldered with coccidiostatics from a group that does not interfere with the development of immunity. As a preventive measure, you can use a live vaccine against eimeriosis. But it must be borne in mind that the principle of the vaccine is based on the fact that a small amount of parasites will enter the pigeon’s body. The main purpose of the vaccine is to protect chickens from disease. You need to be careful with the calculation of the dose for the pigeon.

Smallpox

A disease common to mammals and birds. But viruses are specific to each species. In pigeons, the disease is caused by the smallpox virus, which is not dangerous even for other birds. The symptoms are the same for all affected birds: chickens, pigeons, canaries.

The incubation period lasts 1-3 weeks. Pigeons have 4 forms of the disease:

• diphtheroid;
• cutaneous;
• catarrhal;
• mixed

The symptoms of each form of the disease are very different from each other. Only a mixed form unites them almost all.

With a skin form in a pigeon, pockmarks can be seen in the area of ​​uXNUMXbuXNUMXbthe beak and on the eyelids. With diphtheroid, films are formed on the mucous membranes of the nasopharynx. The films make it difficult for the pigeon to breathe, which becomes whistling. The beak is open to facilitate air access to the lungs.

The catarrhal form is distinguished by sinusitis, conjunctivitis and rhinitis. Mixed is characterized by pockmarks on the skin and diphtheroid films on the oral mucosa. Mortality in smallpox ranges from 15 to 60%. Pigeons that have been ill stop laying.

There is no real cure for viral diseases, not only for pigeons, but also for people. The so-called “antiviral” drugs are just immune stimulants. For pigeons, only symptomatic treatment of smallpox is used: they enrich the diet with vitamin A. To prevent the development of secondary infections, antibiotics are added to the feed. For the prevention of pigeons, you can vaccinate with a live smallpox vaccine.

Ornithosis

A bacterial disease caused by chlamydia. Dangerous not only for pigeons, but also for people. The incubation period is 6-17 days. At the initial stage, ornithosis is expressed in the refusal of food and apathy.

The disease can occur in 2 forms: acute and atypical. The acute form primarily affects the respiratory system. With atypical lungs, they do not suffer, but all other body systems are affected.

Ornithosis symptoms:

• deterioration of vision;
• the appearance of rings around the eyes;
• the appearance of mucus on the eyeball;
• with the further development of the disease, mucus is replaced by pus;
• feathers fall out around the eyes;
• decreased appetite;
• exhaustion;
• apathy sets in;
• when the lungs are affected, a severe cough appears;
• breathing becomes loud and distinct;
• diarrhea appears;
• at the last stage, the central nervous system is affected.

At the final stage of the development of the disease, paralysis is observed in the pigeon.

Ornithosis is treated with antibiotics. And you need to start treatment at an early stage. The veterinarian should prescribe the antibiotic and determine the dosage. Ornithosis responds well to early treatment, but late prognosis is poor.

Gamboro

“Exotic” Gumboro disease is also known by the names:

• infectious bursitis of chickens;
• infectious nephrosis of birds;
• avian nephrosis-nephritis syndrome;
• infectious bursitis;
• infectious bursal disease;
• IBB.

It affects both chickens and pigeons. Young animals at the age of 2 weeks are most susceptible to the disease.

When IBD is inflamed:

• fabric bag;
• joints;
• intestine.

The disease causes damage to the kidneys. Birds develop diarrhea and intramuscular hemorrhages. Ill pigeons lag behind in development from non-ill peers by 8-11 days.

The disease is caused by an RNA-containing virus, recently isolated in an independent family. In addition to the delay in development, viruses of this group also lead to the appearance of edema and foci of necrosis in the liver.

The incubation period for the disease is 36-48 hours. The current can be sharp and hidden. In an acute course, the virus quickly spreads among birds, affecting 100% of the population. Acute symptoms:

• diarrhea;
• sudden refusal to feed;
• shiver;
• depression;
• loss of ability to move;
• signs of CNS damage.

Next comes exhaustion. Litter becomes watery, white. Within 3-5 days, all pigeons in the flock fall ill. The usual number of deaths is 5-6%, but sometimes more than 40% die. Death occurs in a state of prostration.

The latent course of infectious bursitis is more common, since the effect of the virus is not noticeable. With this form of the disease, only signs characteristic of secondary infections can be seen. Indirect signs of the latent course of IBD:

• atypical course of other viral and bacterial diseases;
• insufficient resistance against Newcastle disease (whirlwind) and Marek’s disease.

Treatment of Gumboro disease in pigeons has not been developed and their support with folk remedies in this case is fully justified. Exhaustion and dehydration in pigeons occurs not only as a result of loss of appetite, but also due to diarrhea. For the treatment of diarrhea in pigeons, you can solder astringent decoctions of oak bark, hawthorn, medicinal chamomile and other folk remedies. You will have to feed a sick pigeon with semi-liquid cereals, because due to inflammation of the intestines, he will not be able to absorb solid grain.

spinner

This is the common name for Newcastle disease, it is also pseudo-plague. This disease got its name due to the fact that the virus affects the central nervous system, and convulsions begin in the pigeon. At the initial stage, a shaky gait and apathy are observed in the pigeon. On the second, one of the signs of Newcastle disease in a pigeon is liquid green droppings. At the same stage, a brain lesion develops, due to which the pigeon begins to turn its head. At this time, the owner usually notices the “whirlwind”. In the third stage, the dove is paralyzed, it falls on its back and dies.

The disease has 4 types of course. With all types of the course of the disease, a runny nose is observed in pigeons. Birds keep their beaks open because their nostrils are clogged with dried mucus. The only case of the absence of not only a runny nose, but also other signs of the disease is an atypical form of Newcastle disease. In this form, there are no clinical signs.

The birds don’t get cold. A runny nose is always a sign of some kind of disease. Most often infectious.

A very contagious disease for birds in humans causes only a runny nose. If the owner of the dovecote is not afraid that the entire livestock will die, he can try to cure the sick pigeon. But usually it doesn’t make sense.

Trichomoniasis

An invasive disease caused by a protozoan microorganism. Trichomonas have the ability to remain active in the aquatic environment for a long time. These protozoa are constantly present on the mucous membranes of the oral cavity in birds and mammals. At the same time, “non-sterile” immunity is formed in living organisms, due to which the disease does not develop into the clinical stage. Trichomoniasis manifests itself in two cases: when immunity is weakened and a large number of protozoa enter the body.

Freshly hatched pigeons are infected by adults when feeding young animals with goiter milk. In adults, infection can occur with a “kiss” so touching to people or with the use of water contaminated with parasites.

The sand contained in poor-quality feed injures the mucous membranes and promotes the penetration of the pathogen into the blood. The form of the course of the disease and its severity depends on the virulence of the Trichomonas strain and the strength of the pigeon’s immunity.

Chicks usually become sick 4-20 days after hatching. It is characteristic that the worse the conditions of keeping and feeding, the more often the pigeons become infected, and the more severe the disease.

The division into forms in trichomoniasis is conditional, since protozoa often affect several body systems at once. Trichomoniasis can be:

• diphtheroid;
• intestinal;
• cicatricial.

In the diphtheroid form, dense yellow films are formed in the oral cavity, blocking the access of air. Due to the inability to breathe, pigeons become lethargic. They sit motionless in the nest, lowering their wings. The beak is open in an attempt to enlarge the breathing channel. Birds are not able to fly, because in flight they begin to suffocate. The plumage can be glued together if the pigeon is no longer able to clean itself.

In the intestinal form, indigestion is observed in pigeons. Litter liquid, with an unpleasant odor and putrid color. Pigeons older than 1 month are more likely to get sick with the intestinal form. The disease is severe and often ends in death. At autopsy, trichomoniasis foci are visible in the liver.

The cicatricial form is characterized by the appearance of seals on the skin: small nodules of yellow-brown color. From the nodules, the protozoa penetrate deep into the body and affect the internal organs.

Treatment of the disease is carried out with Trichopolum diluted in water. The antibiotic is soldered in a course. For adult pigeons, 3 g of the drug is diluted in 1 liter of water, the young animals are soldered with a solution from a pipette.

Emaciated individuals with lesions of the pharynx and internal organs always die.

Candidamycosis

A fungal disease affecting immunocompromised pigeons. Candidiasis is caused by yeast fungi. An outbreak of the disease is most likely due to unsanitary conditions in the dovecote. The nutrient medium of fungi is litter. Pigeons usually have very dirty nests, and chicks still have weak immunity. For this reason, young animals are most susceptible to candidomycosis.

The disease manifests itself with a wide variety of symptoms. There are 3 forms of candidomycosis:

• intestinal;
• pulmonary;
• each.

All 3 forms can be found in any living organism, but in birds, the most common is intestinal.

The incubation period lasts 3-15 days. The duration depends on the resistance of the organism. In pigeons, the course of the disease is acute. Sick birds are depressed, prefer to stick together. There is no appetite. Diarrhea often develops.

Since the gastrointestinal tract is usually affected, the goiter swells. On palpation, the consistency of the goiter resembles plasticine. You can feel a strong thickening of the walls of the goiter. There is pain. Due to the fact that the goiter is inflamed, the disorder of the gastrointestinal tract in pigeons is characterized not only by diarrhea, but also by vomiting. The bird often stretches its neck and yawns. Pigeons die on days 3-8, not because of the fungus, but as a result of a general septic process.

Treat only a mild course of the disease. Birds are fed the antibiotic nystatin mixed with curdled milk. The dose of antibiotic is 25-50 mg/kg of live weight. The course of treatment is 10 days. In severe cases, pigeons are destroyed.

Tuberculosis

The disease is common to mammals and birds. Tuberculosis in pigeons is caused by an avian strain of bacteria, but the problem is that humans or mammals can be infected with pathogens that are not native to them. That is, a person may well become infected with avian tuberculosis.

Tuberculosis in pigeons is chronic. The appearance of clinical signs means that the bird has been sick for a long time. In a generalized form, the disease is manifested by a decrease in egg production and atrophy of the pectoral muscles.

Clinical form:

• diarrhea;
• yellowness of the skin and mucous membranes due to liver damage.

Sometimes lameness and tumor-like formations on the soles of the paws are observed.

Tuberculosis is not curable. An attempt to cure the disease with folk remedies for the entire time of the existence of mankind has not yet helped anyone, but often led to the infection of other birds, as well as people.

Pigeon eye disease

Eye diseases in pigeons are rarely caused by non-infectious causes. This is usually one of the symptoms of a contagious disease. Before treating only the eyes, you need to make sure that you do not need to treat smallpox, salmonellosis, or any other similar disease. Rarely, non-contagious causes of eye diseases also occur, although in any case, an eye problem is only a symptom.

Avitaminosis A

Pigeons get provitamin A by eating grain feed and fresh herbs. Since the vitamin decomposes if stored improperly, pigeons may experience a lack of vitamin A. With beriberi, birds experience exhaustion, mucus in the nose and eyes, and inflammation of the mucous membranes of the eyes. With the further development of the disease, blindness occurs.

Young pigeons lag behind in development. Juvenile molting is slowing down. Pigment disappears in the beak, legs and iris of the eyes. In severe cases, the birds die.

Treatment is carried out by introducing vitamin A into the diet. It is pointless to treat only the eyes. Symptomatic treatment will alleviate the condition of the pigeon and protect the mucous membranes of the eyes from secondary infection.

Conjunctivitis

The disease is often caused by various infections, but there are other causes of conjunctivitis:

• smoke;
• caustic substances;
• dust;
• mechanical injury;
• foreign substances.

This is the case when only the eyes can be treated, protecting them from a secondary infection. But the main method of treatment is to eliminate the cause of the disease.

Signs of non-infectious conjunctivitis:

• swelling of the eyelids;
• photophobia;
• profuse tearing at the onset of the disease;
• thick pus in the eyes with a neglected condition;
• pus can stick together the eyelids and accumulate between the eyeball and the eyelids;
• in the absence of assistance, perforation of the cornea occurs.

The most common cause of conjunctivitis in the dovecote is a large amount of droppings. Dried litter begins to dust, wet litter decomposes with the release of ammonia that corrodes the eye.

Xerophthalmia

Symptoms of the disease are dryness of the conjunctiva and cornea, caused by damage to the lacrimal glands. Tears cease to stand out and moisten the eyes. Metabolism is disturbed in the cornea. With the further development of the disease, the cornea thickens greatly. The disease can have many causes, one of which is beriberi A. Before treating xerophthalmia, you need to establish the cause of the disease. Perhaps it’s an infection.

Diseases of the wings in pigeons

In addition to traumatic (wing fracture) injuries, pigeons often suffer from inflammation of the joints. A symptom of the disease in pigeons is bumps on the joints of the wings. The disease begins more often with the elbow joint. In the absence of treatment, the shoulder also becomes inflamed. A common symptom of illness from any of the causes is drooping of the wing and poor flight in the pigeon.

There can be several reasons for the appearance of cones:

• advanced salmonellosis;
• uric acid diathesis / gout;
• excessive loads of young sports pigeons.

Salmonellosis in its advanced form is characterized not only by inflammation of the joints, but also by severe conjunctivitis, so it is difficult to confuse it with other diseases.

Uric acid diathesis

Today, the prevalence of gout is in 3rd place after hypovitaminosis and alimentary dystrophy. Old pigeons are more likely to suffer from gout; this disease is not characteristic of young pigeons. But today this disease is increasingly being diagnosed in young pigeons.

Causes of gout:

• salt poisoning;
• poisoning with mycotoxins contained in moldy feed;
• poisoning with pesticides;
• violation of mineral and protein balance.

The liver is responsible for the elimination of toxic substances. In birds, the work of the kidneys and liver is closely related. Violations in one organ entail problems in another.

From salmonella diathesis cones on the wings differ in that they usually open themselves. Exudate flows from them.

Gout can be visceral, articular or mixed. With visceral damage to the joints does not occur. This form is easily confused with some infectious diseases:

• white diarrhea;
• oppression;
• decreased appetite;
• comb cyanosis.

With the visceral form, a large percentage of deaths.

The articular form proceeds chronically:

• swelling of the joints;
• movement disorder;
• gray-white color of the skin of the affected joints;
• opening of abscesses.

Treatment is possible only in the initial stages of gout. It is carried out by drinking to sick pigeons a 2% solution of baking soda, a solution of urotropin 0,25% and a solution of Novatofan 3%.

Overvoltage

A common problem for young sports breeds of pigeons. Seals form on the elbow joints of the wings. It is necessary to exclude serious diseases that caused inflammation of the joint. If the cause of the disease is too much load on the wing, the pigeon is planted separately, training is canceled and additional vitamins and microelements are fed. As an adjuvant, drugs intended for the treatment of articular rheumatism are rubbed into the joint. After 2-3 weeks of rest, the pigeon recovers.

Goiter diseases in pigeons

The causes of goiter disease in pigeons can be:

• candidiasis;
• bacterial infection;
• trichomoniasis;
• poisoning;
• mechanical damage;
• insufficient drinking;
• mechanical obstruction.

With an infectious infection of the goiter, the pigeon usually has other signs of the disease. If there are no such signs, then the nature of the goiter disease is non-infectious.

Poisoning

There is a belief that even rat poison does not take pigeons, but they can also be poisoned. Birds are poisoned:

• low-quality feed: moldy or containing pesticides;
• reagents used by utilities;
• poorly soluble fertilizers.

Since the pigeon is able to burp, the main symptom of poisoning is profuse vomiting. It can appear even after drinking plain water. Depending on what the pigeon was poisoned with, the vomit may not smell, but it may smell like a liver or a pesticide.

Treatment is carried out with sorbents intended for people. They give drugs often. A single dose of a solution of 2-4 ml, gel – with a volume of a pea. Drinking water unlimited.

A new portion of the sorbent is soldered after each case of vomiting. When the pigeon’s condition improves after the last vomiting with a sorbent, the bird is given 2 more times with an interval of 1,5-2 hours. During soldering, the pigeon is not fed. Feed is given only 12-16 hours after the end of vomiting.

Mechanical damage

Occurs when a pigeon swallows solid particles: glass, metals, sharp pebbles. Since the food passes almost without interference, vomiting is rare. Vomit is odorless or smells like blood. Treatment is possible only surgical: dissection of the goiter and extraction of a foreign object. After surgery, pigeons are given antibiotics to prevent infection.

Lack of water

If the pigeon does not have free access to water, dry food clogs the crop. After drinking water, the food will soak and pass further into the stomach. No specific treatment is required.

Mechanical obstruction

It can be caused by:

• whole grain;
• viscous feed;
• soft, theoretically inedible objects (pieces of foam, cotton wool, etc.);
• worms

A symptom of mechanical blockage is vomiting and the absence or scarcity of litter. Sometimes, instead of droppings, the pigeon excretes only a whitish liquid.

When blocked with grain or bread, there is enough moisture in the crop for the food to ferment. With this development of the disease, the goiter in pigeons swells. A gas with a sour smell comes out of it. Goiter hangs down.

Before determining the method of treatment, you need to understand what exactly caused the blockage of the goiter:

• viscous feed and soft inedible pieces: the goiter is soft, sometimes resembling plasticine (bread) in consistency;
• dry, poorly soaking food: crop very hard;
• worming: normal food in the goiter.

In case of blockage with viscous food, 2-5 ml of water is forcibly poured into the pigeon’s goiter every hour. After 5 hours maximum, the problem usually resolves itself. If the goiter is not cleared, 4-10 ml of water is poured into the pigeon, the goiter is gently kneaded and the contents are squeezed out through the mouth or pumped out with a catheter.

Washing is done until the contents of the pigeon’s goiter are completely removed. In the process of washing, it is established what exactly the goiter is clogged with.

When clogging with dry food or inedible soft pieces, first 2-4 ml of water is forcibly soldered to the pigeon. After 10-20 minutes, 0,5-1,5 ml of vaseline oil is injected and the goiter is massaged. The procedure is repeated every 1,5-2 hours until the goiter is completely released.

It is not absorbed by the body of the pigeon and leaves in an unchanged state. It is impossible to replace vaseline oil with vegetable or castor oil, since the latter harm the bird’s liver.

When blocking the gastrointestinal tract with worms, only vaseline oil is dispensed with. After restoration of intestinal patency, a day later, the pigeon is given antihistamines.

If the patency of the goiter has not recovered, a surgical solution to the problem is possible. Some folk craftsmen simply pour water into the pigeons, then turn the birds upside down, holding them by their paws. Under the influence of gravity, food falls out of the beak. But the method is extreme and it is better not to use it if it is possible to contact a veterinarian. If the problem is only in very dry food, it is better to drink some water to the pigeon, leave a full drinker and let the bird deal with the issue on its own. Most often, the food soaks and passes into the stomach on its own.

Pigeon Disease Prevention

In advanced cases, pigeon diseases are usually not treatable. To prevent the spread of infections, the most effective preventive measure is cleanliness in the dovecote. Most pathogens of infectious diseases are transmitted through the droppings of infected birds, while others (fungi) multiply on the droppings. In addition to yeast fungi, black mold also multiplies on the litter. In a dirty room, pigeons, in addition to candidiasis, often get sick with aspergillosis.

The second measure of prevention is a complete diet. A pigeon that does not lack vitamins and minerals is less susceptible even to infectious diseases.

In some cases, pigeons can be vaccinated. As long as there is a vaccine for the disease.

The dovecote and bird care items must be disinfected regularly. A 2% bleach solution can be used, but this substance is poisonous. A good effect is also given by a 3-4% solution of soda ash, heated to 40 ° C.

Conclusion

The diseases of pigeons are the same as those of chickens. An outbreak of an epizootic on a poultry farm often destroys the entire livestock, causing significant economic damage to the owner. In pigeon houses, the number of pigeons is less, but these birds often cost ten times more than the most exotic breed of chickens. Especially sporting pigeons. But compliance with sanitary rules and a good diet significantly reduce the likelihood of an outbreak of an infectious disease.