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Bromhexine, What Is It & When To Use It

Front of Bromhexine Powder Packet

Bromhexine, What Is It & When To Use It

Bromhexine is a mucolytic that is used to treat respiratory illness that is accompanied by excessive or viscous mucus. In birds, bromhexine is usually used in combination with an antibiotic while treating respiratory illness. Adding bromhexine to your birds first aid kit will pay off if you ever encounter them having difficulties with their breathing.

Treating your birds for respiratory illness with just antibiotics is often sufficient. When you are examining your affected birds and hear rattles or gurgling adding a mucolytic to their treatment can help thin out respiratory secretions and improve respiration, increasing the chances of recovery.

We offer several products with Bromhexine:

Bromhexine Powder and DAC Broomhexine contain 2% bromhexine and can be added into water with antibiotic treatments but NEVER combine with furaltadone. These two products are equivalent.

DAC 1+1 Cure and DAC 1+1 Cure (Strong) Contain bromhexine and doxycycline making these an easy to use product that is added to your birds drinking water. This products comes in two strengths, one is appropriate for smaller birds, and the strong version for larger birds. Birds above 500g we recommend the strong version.

Vetafarm Pigeon Respire Tablets also contain broomhexine and doxycycline. Tablets are an advantage when you want to dose your animals by weight or are treating just a few. If your birds are feeling so under the weather they are not drinking its nice to have tablets on hand so you know they are getting the needed medication into their system so they have the best chance at recovery.

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Coccidiosis in Birds & Medication Options

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Coccidiosis in Birds and Medication Options

Springwater Avian Health has multiple products for combatting coccidiosis in your birds. Coccidiosis is encountered by most all birds, usually before adulthood and often  multiple strains. It is of great concern to bird keepers as it can lead to malnutrition, damage to the intestinal tract and even death. When a young bird looks or acts ill, coccidiosis is often what ails them.

Coccidiosis is a common intestinal disease of birds, including pet birds and poultry, caused by coccidian protozoa. There are multiple strains of coccidia that affect birds. Birds of all ages can be affected, but young birds are more susceptible to severe illness. Clinical signs of coccidiosis include diarrhea, weight loss, blood in stool with some strains and poor growth. In severe cases, the disease can be fatal. To prevent coccidiosis, it is important to maintain good hygiene in the chicken coop and to practice proper feeding and management techniques. Even with best practices cocci can occur in your pets, hobby birds and poultry flocks. Once a bird survives a strain of cocci a natural resistance occurs. Even birds that survive previous infections may be affected by a different strain, or the same strain if they have a compromised immune system. It is important to not that blood in the stool is not always present when birds are infected with cocci so pay attention to the other symptoms when assessing the health of your birds.

Signs of Coccidiosis in Birds:

  • Bloody droppings (Coccidiosis does not always cause this)
  • Listlessness
  • Puffed out feathers/down
  • Hunched stance
  • Pale skin due to anemia
  • Weight loss or not gaining weight as appropriate for age.
  • Failure to thrive
  • Will not eat and sometimes will not drink.

It is important to remember that coccidiosis can progress very rapidly and lead to intestinal damage and death. Having a treatment on hand when raising birds is recommended as any delay in treatment can greatly affect outcomes.

How did they get Coccidiosis?

Cocci oocysts are brought in by wild birds, can be in the waste of your established poultry or birds, it can ( and most likely does) live in the  soil, or can be brought in on contaminated equipment. 

Note:

When treating for cocci it is important to not give your birds multivitamins that contain Thiamine (B1) as it is what cocci feed on. Dosing amount is dependent on species of bird.

Corid/Amproluim is the most widely available coccidiostat in the United States and its sole mechanism of action is blocking Thiamine uptake to kill the coccidian protozoa attacking your birds. Most multivitamins contain Thiamine (B1) so carefully read product labels. Amprolium is also far from the most effective medication for combating coccidiosis, if its what you have in a pinch I recommend starting treatment immediately and then ordering one of the better medications and start that as soon as it arrives. Most cocci medications need to be administered at least twice to catch the life cycle of the coccidiosis. Oocytes are not affected by many of the treatments so you need to make sure to follow through with a second round of treatment to eliminate them. 

Dosing: The treatment schedule for Corid/Amprolium is 5 days on, 10 days off, 5 days on. If using the Corid/Amprolium powder, which needs to be weighed with a gram scale for proper use, the amount or powder per gallon of water is  0.32oz per gallon for severe cases, 0.16oz per gallon moderate cases. Corid/Amprolium liquid solution is 9ml per gallon for severe cases and 4.5ml per gallon for moderate cases. Myself, I always use the “severe” dosing if all I have available is Corid/Amprolium due to it not being the most effective treatment option anyhow.

Pantex Cocci-Geel is my first line choice for cocci treatment. Cocci-Geel is easy to administer to a group of birds as it is added to the drinking water. Pantex Cocci-Geel uses a combination of medications, vitamins and amino acids to treat coccidiosis in birds. Birds have to battle multiple strains of cocci in their lifetime but they are most susceptible when they are young and still growing. This product contains the most used coccidiostat, amprolium, combined with the anti-protozoal ronidazole, and supportive vitamins and amino acids for much improved outcomes. My personal experience with this product makes it one I always have on hand. Cocci is extremely common and basically unavoidable in the climate of my geographical region and Cocci-Geel has greatly improved the outcomes of combating cocci in my birds. Cocci-Geel should be mixed as directed on the jar and administered in fresh drinking water for 5 days, then off 10 days, then again given for 5 days.

Pantex Roniplus-Tab contains Ronidazole and Amprolium, similar to Cocci-geel but in tablet for and WITHOUT the added vitamins and amino acids. The advantage of this product being a tablet is for very sick birds that are not drinking well you know they are getting the needed dose of medication. Another advantage of tablets is you can dose by weight, which helps you make sure your sick bird is getting a strong enough dose to start fighting off the coccidiosis infection. This product you treat for 5 days, then off 10 days, then again administer the tablets for 5 days (another option is to use Cocci-Geel for the second course as they should be drinking well by now).

Pantex Pantacox contains the coccidiostat Toltrazuril, brand name Baycox. Pantacox is especially useful when amprolium resistance is an issue and is also a first line choice of mine for treating individual birds as it is easy to dose an individual bird by weight if needed. One milliliter of the solution contains 25mg of toltrazuril. The mechanism of action of Toltrazuril interferes with the division of the protozoal nucleus. Pantacox can also be added to the drinking water as directed on the bottle. If a bird is so affected by cocci that it is not drinking properly administering Pantacox by weight orally guarantees they are getting the treatment they need to fight the coccidiosis. Treatment course for toltrazuril is 2 days on, course may be repeated in 5 days.

Endocox contains the same medication as Pantex Pantacox, toltrazuril, but in a powdered form which makes it easy and cost effective to administer in the drinking water of large groups of birds needing treatment. Treatment course for toltrazuril is 2 days, course may be repeated in 5 days

Second line choices for resistant cases of Coccidiosis

We have multiple options for treating reoccurring and resistant strains of cocci including several sulfa drug options, diclazuril tablets.

Medpet Coximed is an oral tablet that contains 5mg of diclazuril. Tablets are ideal when a bird is suffering from coccidiosis and they loose their desire to eat or drink as they can be dosed orally, by the weight of the bird. When a bird is so overwhelmed with cocci that it is not eating or drinking you cannot rely on a coccidiosis medication that is in drinking water as they most likely will not consume enough medicated water to start combatting the cocci. Tablets you can place on your birds tongue and encourage them to swallow so you know they are getting the medication they desperately need to survive. Treatment course is 3-5 days long depending on severity and may be repeated 5 days after last dose.

DAC Trimethoprim Sulfa Powder is an alternative to treating coccidiosis in birds that is resistant to amprolium and also effective against types of gram-positive and gram-negative bacteria such as e-coli and salmonella. This medication is convenient when multiple birds need treatment as it goes in the drinking water. The active ingredients in DAC Trimethoprim Sulfa are Sulfadiazine Sodium and Trimethoprim. Treatment course is 5 days.

DAC Adeno Extra Tablets are a similar drug to DAC Trimethoprim Sulfa Powder, they contain the active ingredients of Sulfamethoxazole and Trimethoprim. This is another good option if you need to directly dose your affected animals orally,  based on weight and make sure they are getting the treatment they need to compact cocci. Treatment course is 5 days.This product is also available in a water soluble powder, DAC Adeno Extra Mix.

DAC Cocci Tabs are a sulfonamide antibiotic, containing Sulfachlorpyridazine Sodium, used in the treatment of coccidiosis. Tablets are easy to administer orally and you are assured your bird is getting the needed dose of medication. If a strain of cocci is being resistant to other treatments or your bird has lost interest in drinking then this is a treatment option. Treatment course for DAC Cocci Tabs is 3 days on, 5 days off and then another 3 days on.

Pantex ESB Plus contains sulfaclozine-sodium and is a good product to use against coccidiosis resistant to treatment with just Amprolium or birds with repeated issues with coccidiosis. This product is an easy to mix, water soluble powder, used in the drinking water and accepted well by birds. Treatment course for ESB Plus is 6 days on, 7 days off, then another 6 days on. This product is the choice for severe cases that have resisted other treatment options, including the ones above.

DAC Coccidiosemix contains the sulfonamide antibiotic Sulfachlorpyridazine. This product is in a water soluble powder that you mix into your birds drinking water. It is not a commonly used medication so it could be a good choice for birds that have resisted other treatments. Recommended course is 5 days, change water daily, we recommend you repeat the course in 10 days.

Why so many sulfa options? We carry a variety of options in sulfa drugs cause unfortunately fighting cocci is not a one drug resolves all battle. Sometimes numerous drugs have to be tried to defeat resistant strains of cocci. Since birds will most likely encounter several strains of cocci before adulthood it is good to have more than on tool in your birds first aid kit. The best way to know if your birds have recovered from coccidiosis is to do a fecal test. 

As always, have any additional questions feel free to ask! The best AND FASTEST way to contact us is via Facebook or Instagram messaging! 

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Mites & Lice, What Are My Treatment Options?

Mites & Lice, What Are My Treatment Options?

Mites and lice are external parasites that all bird keepers will encounter in their care of their birds. Knowing how to best treat external parasites will help keep their occurrence down. In this article I will explain some basic information on common types of mites and lice and safe treatment options available.

Northern Fowl Mites (Ornithonyssus sylviarum) and Red Mites (Dermanyssus gallinae) are the most common mites encountered. Air Sac Mites (sternostoma tracheacolum) are less common in most birds except finches where infestation is more common. The other mite of concern are Scaly Leg Mites (Knemidokoptes mutans), also know as Scaly Face Mites, they can infest birds under their leg scales or around the face. Mites cause anemia, skin damage, feather damage, transmit disease, and stress. Mite infestations can cause females to stop laying and males to loose interest in breeding. A change in demeanor can also be causes by mite and lice infestations.

There are many species of Lice (Mallophaga). The most common lice encountered on birds live and feed on the plumage and blood from pin feathers. Lice will also bite the birds skin. Lice, if not treated, can cause anemia, and eventually death, so it is just as important to treat lice infestation as mites.

Treating external parasites requires treating upon discovery and then applying at minimum, a second treatment to catch the life cycle of the parasite as most treatments do not effect the eggs the parasite has laid on your bird. Lice lay eggs on the base of the feather shaft. Mites will lay eggs on the feathers and some burrow your birds skin and lay eggs which is the most challenging to treat. 

 

Life cycle of common external parasites: 

Red Mites: 7-10 days

Northern Fowl Mites: 5-7 days

Scaly Leg/Face Mites: Three weeks

Windpipe Mites 7-14 days

Avian Lice: Three weeks

Article with additional information on external parasites and poultry from the University of California, Davis

Common Lice and Mites of Poultry: Identification and Treatment 

Note: This publication does mention the use of Carbaryl, also known as Sevin, this product is no longer approved in use for poultry because of risk to the birds health. Also mentioned is poultry dust, permethrin, keep in mind permethrin is toxic to cats. When applying poultry dust do not get it in your animals face or allow them to inhale it, the respiratory system of birds is very fragile. I use poultry dust on occasion for severe infestations when weather or time does not permit a bath but I take great care in application and will follow it up a few days later with a different treatment option. Mites can be fairly resistant to permethrin, it is more effective on lice.

Treatment options:

Ivermectin:

Ivermectin can be effective on mites and moderately effective on lice as they do not bite as often as mites. We offer topical ivermectin, Pantex Pulmomectine and Pantex Panmectine 5 that are formulated specifically for topical use on birds. A few drops onto the skin of the bird appropriate to weight is how its used. 

Spinosad Spray:

Spinosad is a naturally fermented product that is effective at killing both lice and mites. It is applied directly to the affected birds an can also be used as a premise spray. Apply a spray under the vent of your bird, a spray under each wing and a spray on any hotspots. Spinosad can have residual activity of seven days on the bird depending on environment and up to 30 days residual effect on the premise. Treat a 2nd and potentially 3rd time according to the shortest known lifecycle of the parasite you are targeting. For example, Northern Red Fowl Mite, you need to reapply spinosad in 5 days. 

The trade name of Spinosad is Elector PSP. After Spinosad concentrate is mixed with water it is only viable for use for 24 hours. Spinosad concentrate will go bad over time, and more rapidly once exposed to air and especially heat. We recommend storing it in your home, in a cool and dark place and to purchase it when you need to use it so it is fresh.

Moxidectin:

For stubborn infestations moxidectin is an options, please follow all directions and regulations on the bottle, this is not for use in food producing animals. Moxidectin has a long half life in birds so you do not follow the same treatment schedule as you would for Ivermectin or Spinosad. Moxidectin you apply with the dosing calculated to the weight of the bird, if the issues persists you can treat with moxidectin again in 21 days, after that do not treat for another THREE months. This is VERY important as you do not want moxidectin building up in the system of your birds. Vetafarm Scatt is the external moxidectin product we carry.I do use it myself when a bird has issues with persistent infestation after Ivermectin, Permethrin and Spinosad have not succeeded in controlling the parasites.

Permethrin Dust and Spray:

Permethrin Dust and Spray can be bought at your local feed or garden stores. Please follow all label direction for mixing of Permethrin 10, there is different dilutions for use on animals and premise. Permethrin is very effective against lice but often, as I mentioned above, mites are resistant. I find the spray best suited as an alternating premise spray to spinosad.

Avian Insect Liquidator:

Vetafarm Avian Insect Liquidator Concentrate is an external parasite treatment for birds that contains a combination of Piperonyl Butoxide, Permethrin, and Methoprene. Piperonyl Butoxide is a pesticide synergist that helps the effectiveness of pyrethrins, including Permethrin. Methoprene is an insect growth regulator, it interferes with the growth and development of insects. All three ingredients are safe for use as external parasite control for birds, which makes this product a favorite among bird keepers. 

Avian Insect Liquidator is a good choice of treatment when infestations are proving difficult to control. This product is effective for treating both lice and mites. It has a residual effect of up to 6 weeks on your birds. You can use this product and then follow up at the end of the life cycle of the target parasite with either Ivermectin (Pulmomectine) or Spinosad. Since permethrin is in this product do not use it as the follow up treatment until 6 weeks has passed.

Bathing:

For heavy infestations bathing may be needed. Make sure your bird is completely dry before returning to the flock or its cage. I previously wrote an article on bathing a bird here.

Reminder: Check the life cycle of target parasite and use a second round of the product selected at the shortest known length of the lifecycle to catch any newly hatched parasites!

The products featured in this article are available here in our store as well as treatments for internal parasites.

Videos of Northern Red Fowl Mites

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We Are Proud to Carry BoviDr Nutri-Drench Products!

We Are Proud to Carry BoviDr Nutri-Drench Products!

Springwater Avian Health carries Poultry Nutri-Drench and also Goat & Sheep, Swine, Rabbit and Pet (dogs and puppies) formulas. These are products that we have personally used for years. They are a must in your first aid kit as a critical care item. 

Nutri-Drench has a patented formula for nutrient absorption, it starts to have an effect in just five minutes, this can literally be a live saver. Personally I have used it on many weak chicks and older birds. I trust it so much for the boost it provides that I now put it in the water of all chicks for the first four days of life.

We are proud to be retailers of BoviDr Nutri-Drench Products as they offer advantages no other products have. 

I must mention that you should not use Nutri-Drench while treating with Coccidiosis medication as it does contain thiamine (B1). The best option for providing similar support during cocci treatment is using Pantex Cocci-Geel as it not only has medication to treat for cocci but it has vitamins, minerals and amino acids that do not interfere with treatment and provide a targeted boost to help during treatment.

Here is more information about BoviDr Products as written on their webpage:

Backed by:

  • 20 years of research
  • 2 US patents
  • Controlled trials on over 2,300 animals
  • Field trials on over 500,000 animals 

BoviDr Laboratories revolutionized the industry with the first and only oral nutrition support to immediately restore the immune system with a superior balance of high energy, vitamins, amino acids, trace minerals, electrolytes, and antioxidants.

Normally supplements require hours in digestion with no guarantee nutrients will be used or retained. Nutridrench® does not require digestion and absorbs into the bloodstream in minutes. The speed is comparable to injection with a hypodermic needle.  
Measurable in minutes. 50% uptake in 30 minutes. 99% utilization.

About Us:

Nutridrench® and Nutridrops® are a premium, nutrient rich supplement designed to rapidly deliver energy and essential nutrients to animals that are stressed or off feed, with no digestion required.  The unique manufacturing process was granted the first-ever U.S. patents for speed of nutrient availability, and remains exclusive to BoviDr Laboratories. 

BoviDr Laboratories is a small, family-run business with deep roots in America’s heartland. We were founded on combining cutting-edge concepts in veterinary medicine with the highest-quality nutrients to produce a suite of products that helps animals enjoy a state of optimal health, peak performance, and longevity.

Nutridrench and Nutridrops will support your animals in recovering faster, producing more, and living longer, healthier lives, all by optimizing their natural immunities by supplying the right nutrients, in the right balance, at the right time.

Nutridrops and Nutridrench are also invaluable assets in emergency medicine—key tools for ranchers, pet owners, and veterinarians providing life-saving care.

Thank you for your purchase. Thank you for supporting our small business. Above all, thank you for your commitment to keeping your animals healthy. Buying our product shows you care. It shows that you are a committed owner, invested in your animals’ wellbeing. That commitment makes you part of the Nutridrench family.

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Anthelmintics AKA Dewormers, Available Options & When To Use

Anthelmintics AKA Dewormers, Available Options & When To Use

There are numerous anthelmintics available for treating internal parasites. We stock multiple options that give you a choice in how they are administered and the type of parasite you need to target the treatment for.

When should you treat for internal parasites/worms? Many people do routine “worming” but this is not something we recommend, overuse of anthelmintics is leading to parasites developing resistance to available options, much like the issues caused by improper use and over use of antibiotics. Using broad spectrum anthelmintics can take a lot out of your animal, its not easy on their systems. If you see worms in your birds waste, you need to treat, if you have suspected issues we always recommend getting a fecal test done to determine if that is the issue the animal is having and if so, what parasite you need to treat for. MidAmerica Agricultural Research is fast and affordable, they test for all types of worms and coccidiosis. Other options include doing a fecal float yourself if you have a microscope or asking your vet to do one.

Here is the website for MidAmerica Agricultural Research.

Pantex Wormex, Pantex Wormex Tablets and Vet-Schroeder Tollisan Anti Worm cover treatment of just roundworm. Wormex is a powder and Anti Worm is a liquid solution, both are used by adding them to the drinking water. Two treatments is recommended with both these products. If you are positive you are dealing with roundworm these are great products as they are easy to use. The active ingredient is Levamisole and its works by paralyzing the roundworm and then it is excreted by your animal in their waste. 

Valbazen is a broad spectrum anthelmintic so It covers most internal parasites. It requires two rounds of dosing and it is a suspension. Suspensions cannot be added to drinking water as they will not properly disperse in the water. To administer Valbazen you need to weigh each animal needing treatment and calculate the dose for them based on weight. An oral syringe is used to measure the needed amount of product. It can be easier to saturate a small piece of bread with the Valbazen and offer it as a treat for that animal, rather than trying to dose them orally with the syringe. We don’t normally recommend feeding bread, its not a good treat choice, but if it gets the medicine down then its worth the occasional couple bites of bread, especially if you are not comfortable and confident with oral administration of medications, as aspiration is a risk.

MediwormPigeon Wormout Tablets and DAC Worm Tabs are broad spectrum anthelmintic options in tablet form you give each bird orally. Dosing should be done by weight with these tablets and two doses are required for a full treatment. If you just have a few birds to treat these are a good option, as is the Valbazen. Giving a pill to your animals vs an oral suspension can be easier for some animals and owners.

Vetafarm Pigeon Wormout Plus Tablets are a broad spectrum oral tablet option that also covers treatment of coccidiosis. This product is dosed for two consecutive days in Pigeons.

Moxivet Plus and Wormout Gel are broad spectrum anthelmintic products that mix into the drinking water. Both can also be used undiluted as a direct oral treatment. 

Moxivet Plus contains moxidectin, please carefully follow the directions and do not use more than once every three months as it has a very long half-life in birds. It is a good option when other products have been tried and the parasite problem persists. Moxivet Plus is effective on less common internal parasites such as gizzard worm and pinworm. In addition to treating worms, it is also used to treat air sac mites, feather mites, scaly face & leg mites.

Wormout Gel is a very popular broad spectrum anthelmintic in the cage bird and parrot fancy. It can be dosed directly or easily mixed in with drinking water. Wormout Gel is given for two consecutive days, if used in water it needs to be the only water available.

Wormer Deluxe Powder is a water soluble, broad spectrum anthelmintic product, that is a good choice when needing to treat a lot of birds. The product is mixed into their drinking water for two consecutive days, changed daily, as the only water source. The treatment course needs to be repeated in 21 days.

With all products a two week withdrawal after last treatment is best practice.

Feel free to send us a message if you have any other questions about these products!

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Suspension vs. Solution & Why It Matters

Suspension vs. Solution & Why It Matters

Chemistry lesson on suspensions and solutions to help understand the use of medications.
For our purpose here solutions are an even dispersal of a medication or substance, like a powdered medication or a medication solution, in water, that results in a homogeneous mixture. With a solution there is an equal amount of the added product in each drink/dose. The products dispersement remains even over time, unlike a suspension. An example of a solution many of you are familiar with is Tiamulin (denagard). A water soluble powder that results in a homogenous solution is Cocci-Geel or Wormex.
 
Suspensions are medications that are heterogeneous, there for do not disperse evenly in water. If placed in water they will not evenly disperse, this means each drink or dose does not contain an equal amount of product, some drinks/doses may contain none. Examples of suspensions are Safeguard suspension and Valbazen suspension which people often recommend people add to water. These products DO NOT result in a homogenous solution. When using these products they must be shaken to evenly disperse the medication in the suspension before use. They are fine if measured out and each animal is dosed by weight orally.

Here is a good video that demonstrates the differences between suspensions and solutions. The video also mentions Colloids, an example of that many of you are familiar with is Colloidal Silver.

I hope this helps clear up the how and why products must be used in specific ways. Unfortunately, in the case of suspensions, the correct way is often not the easy way.
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When, Why & How to Bathe a Chicken

When, Why and How to Bathe Your Chicken

Sometimes a chicken needs to be bathed. Reasons for needing bathing include external parasite infestation, messy eating (especially cross/scissor beak birds that eat mash), after an injury, cleaning up vent gleet, messy bums or for show. Overall chickens tolerate bathing fairly well if you keep their comfort in mind.

Benji the chicken taking a bath

Washing

Draw up a warm bath, depth of midway up the birds chest if sitting, not as warm as you would like, but a bit warmer than lukewarm, a temperature you would use for a human infant is good. Set your bird gently in the water and wet them down using a cup for pouring water, a sink sprayer or my favorite, Waterpik’s Pet Wand Pro. Keep water away from their eyes, nostrils and beak. If you need to clean up these areas use a washcloth the dampen the area and a soft toothbrush works well to gently clean soiled areas under the beak. You do not want your bird taking in bathwater as the could aspirate.

Once your birds feathers are saturated with water you want to use a product that doesn’t strip them of all their oil. I will place drops of shampoo down the birds back and a few on the tail and gently work it in, you want to work it in with motion following the growth of the feathers to not damage them. For the underside I will apply shampoo to my hands and then stand the bird up and work the shampoo in on the chest, belly and down the legs. Don’t forget to apply a bit near the vent and clean that area also! For the legs you can use a toothbrush or soft nail brush to clean the scaly part or the leg, their foot pad, toes and nails.

At Springwater Avian Health we carry my favorite shampoo for birds, made by fellow small business, Healthline Nutrition in Vancouver, Washington, Lavender Colloidal Silver Shampoo. This shampoo contains calming lavender oil, a safe EO for use with birds (many, in fact most EO’s are not bird safe), multiple oils including; coconut oil, jojoba oil, olive oil and grape seed oil which help clean but not leave their feathers dull and stripped of oils. This shampoo is light in texture, much like a cream rinse, and is easy to rinse out which makes bathing so much easier! I have also found that this shampoo does an excellent job when it comes to external parasites along with a treatment such as Spinosad after your bird is dry.

**USE OF DAWN AS A SHAMPOO**

When people talk about washing birds the use of Dawn often comes up. Dawn is not a shampoo or soap, it is a detergent. Dawn strips all oils from your birds skin and feathers, as this is the nature of a detergent. Shampoos and soaps are made with oils and they clean you or your animal but leave oil behind so skin is not left unprotected and dry, and with birds, feathers are not left stripped of the oils they need to function properly. Dawn is used by trained wildlife rescuers on birds that have been exposed to oil in oil spill disasters. This oil from spills must be removed from the bird to save their life and a detergent is what is needed to strip off the oil. After the bird is stripped of oil they are retained buy the rescuers, often for several weeks, while the birds preen and their natural oils are restored to their skin and feathers. If the rescuers released the birds right after being washed with dawn they would not have protection from the elements, waterfowl will die if let out in the wild with no natural oil on their feathers. We emailed Dawn/PG about the use of Dawn to wash peoples birds and pets, here is their reply.

E-mail response from Dawn/PG when we asked if Dawn is OK for use to wash your animals.

Rinsing

After the shampoo is worked in you will need to give your bird a good rinse. This process can be done with cups of warm water, with the sprayer in your kitchen sink or the fabulous Waterpik Pet Wand I linked above. As with the bath water, make sure the water is not to cold, yet not to warm, like a baby’s bath water. I usually start at the neck/chest and work my way to the tail/vent, making sure I do not get water in my birds eyes, nostrils or mouth. If you need to rinse a crested bird, it is possible to use a gentle spray holding their head at the right angle but the bird must trust you. If they do not cooperate then use a washcloth with clean water to “rinse” the area, a washcloth is also good for the face, under the beak, comb and wattles. Once the shampoo is rinsed out you are ready to dry your bird.

Benji the chicken wrapped in a towel after a bath

Drying

Have a clean, dry towel ready to wrap them in. First thing I do is use my hands running down their back and in the direction of feather growth to remove excess water. Next I wrap them in the waiting dry towel and pat them down removing more excess water. Lastly I blow dry them which most chickens love!! You can use a home blow dryer on low, keeping a safe distance for moderate temperature, to dry them. Another option, which a lot of people who show use, is a Pet Grooming Dryer which has adjustable speed, temperature and different nozzles you can apply to the output hose to really target the areas needing drying. If you wash your birds frequently these are definitely worth the investment.

If it is a warm and sunny day you do have the option after a good towel drying of letting nature finish up the job but that will depend on the bird. A show bird you won’t want to let out onto the ground till after the show. House and disabled birds may not even go outside at all.

Important! Make sure your chicken is completely dry if the weather is cold or if the bath was due to external parasites or wounds! When they are wet they can not properly regulate their body temperature.

Benji waiting to be dried with a dryer

Finishing Touches

After being dried you can shine up your birds comb, wattles and legs with a healthy oil like jojoba or a product like Vet Rx. This is common practice for show grooming and often repeated the day of the show. Its also nice just for some moisturizer and maybe a fun photoshoot of your pet.

Other grooming tasks that follow a bath are often nail, spur and beak trimming which will be covered in a future article.

Additional information

Healthline Nutrition Lavender Colloidal Silver Shampoo has so many great benefits. If you are bathing your bird because of injury the colloidal silver will help sanitize wounds, and of course this shampoo is great for any skin concerns as its very soothing with antibacterial and anti fungal properties. If you have a bird with vent gleet or kidney problems it is also a great product for cleaning up yeasty areas or areas with crate deposits. You don’t want either sitting on your birds skin, causing more irritation.

We do not recommend using DAWN despite it being advertised as safe for birds. Dawn is technically bird safe but it also strips all the oil from their feathers and skin! Its claim to fame and still an excellent use is cleaning up birds that have been involved in crude oil/ petroleum disasters, which is a situation you want Dawns oil stripping properties as you don’t want crude oil/petroleum left on the bird.

If you are grooming for show you will want to bathe a couple days before the show so your bird has time to preen their feathers before the day of the event to apply oil from their preening gland and get their feathers back in proper shape.

Bathing your chicken can be a pleasant task with the right preparation! It might even be a good bonding activity between you and your bird.

Benji dried and groomed

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Trichomonas (Canker), Sour Crop & Vent Gleet, Part Three

Trichomonas Gallinae (Canker), Sour Crop and Cloacitis (Vent Gleet) Treatment - Part Three

Cloacitis aka vent gleet is an inflammation of the cloaca. There are numerous causes of Cloacitis including bacterial infections, fungal infections (candida albicans), pH imbalance, internal parasites, renal impairment or stress. 

The cloaca is part of your birds reproductive and digestive tract. The health of your birds cloaca is important, vent gleet (cloacitis) will affect your birds ability to breed, if it is a species that lays eggs for consumption, such as a chicken production will slow or stop, and it disrupts the health of the digestive system. Vent gleet can affect just the cloaca and surrounding area or the entire digestive system, it is not uncommon for sour crop to also be an issue when a bird has vent gleet.

Detection:

Vent gleet is usually detected upon visual inspection of the bird as the vent area will have soiled feathers that have chalky (dried urates) or yellowish discharge on them and inflammation of the vent and surrounding area, cracked skin and blood may also be present. Cloacitis means inflammation of the cloaca. Another indicator is smell, if the condition has been undetected the build up of the discharge and continual seepage will result in a very pungent odor. If the birds has been suffering from vent gleet for a while s/he may appear “droopy” and puffed up, the abdomen may feel swollen and bloated, your bird may also loose their appetite. Vent gleet is more common in laying hens versus cocks/roosters. In a female bird the infection (bacterial or fungal) is a risk to both her digestive system and reproductive one as both systems meet at the cloaca, so, what starts out as a digestive issue can then travel up into her reproductive organs. The sooner the condition is noticed, the higher chance for a good outcome. In males it can cause stool to be off, diarrhea or even constipation can occur, in addition to lack of appetite and listlessness. Laboratory work will help you determine the cause of vent gleet if you are unsure. An avian veterinarian can use fecal and blood samples to determine the cause. If veterinary care is not available there are labs where you can send samples to on your own, here are two we highly recommend:

Fecal samples (to determine if the problem is parasite related)

Mid American Agricultural Research

Blood & Swab Samples (bacterial or fungal causes)

Research Associates Laboratory

If you have questions about how to collect and send in your birds samples give them a call. Both companies are extremely helpful answering questions.

Causes:

How do birds get vent gleet? As mentioned in the first paragraph of this article there are numerous causes for vent gleet. Risk factors include exposure to fungus or bacteria in feed or environment, internal parasites disrupting the birds digestive system, stress from changes in environment, flock or extreme weather, antibiotic use, as they kill not only the bad bacteria you were treating for but the good bacteria that helps keep your birds internal flora healthy. Keeping galliformes (chickens, turkeys, guinea, peafowl, etc.) in a mixed flock with waterfowl is also a risk factor as waterfowl create environments that are very fungus friendly due to how they eat, bathe, and their watery waste. Mating can also result in the bacteria or fungus causing vent gleet to be transferred to another flock member. Renal impairment can disturb the pH balance of a birds waste and caused chronic vent gleet, this is often seen in older birds and requires different treatment that bacterial or fungal causes.

Treatment:

Treatment will depend on why your bird has vent gleet. Some measures are universal for all causes so we will start there.

Gently bathe your birds vent area and surrounding feathers. Trim or remove feathers in the area to prevent buildup of discharge during treatment. The discharge is very irritating to their skin and can cause a secondary infection from the vent and surrounding tissue chafing, cracking, and bleeding. Apply a soothing balm or ointment. We highly recommend Healthline Nutritions Silver Salve as it has anti-bacterial and anti-fungal properties plus soothing aloe, jojoba oil and vitamin E which help accelerate healing.

Fungal (yeast) cause: 

Nystatin added to the birds feed will help treat the digestive tract by directly contacting the fungi. In addition to the using the nystatin an antiprotozoal is recommended. Metronidazole which is available in tablets or powder for drinking water is one option. If your birds appetite is poor and they are not consuming water normally direct treatment with the tablets, dosed by weight, assures they are getting the needed medication. If the bird has been living in a flock, where other birds have been exposed, the powder is useful for treating a group. Another option for the flock, if you see no symptoms in the others, is using Acidified Copper Sulfate in their water as a prophylactic measure. Ketoconazole is the other antiprotozoal option and it is available in a tablet. It is a stronger medication, often a second choice if metronidazole is not resolving the issue.

Bacterial cause:

If the cause of vent gleet is bacterial metronidazole or ronidazole are treatment options for common bacterial causes. As mentioned above, if your bird is not eating/drinking normally tablets are a good choice to assure they are getting the needed medication. If your hen has an infection of the reproductive system then an antibiotic such as enrofloxacin or amoxicillin may be needed. Lab tests would help determine the best choice.

Parasitic cause:

Treatment with a broad spectrum anthelmintic (dewormer) and then using an external treatment such as Healthline Nutritions Silver Salve to calm and heal the area. We have multiple anthelmintic (dewormer) options.

Renal Impairment:

Renal Impairment can cause chronic issues with urates being deposited around the vent and surrounding feathers. This can occur in birds of various ages but is more common in older birds. Keep the feathers trimmed in the area, clean it often to remove the urates causing irritation and use a salve such as Healthline Nutritions Silver Salve to heal and soothe the area. Veterinary care is recommended for a treatment plan to help with kidney function. Dandelion root and milk thistle supplements can help, make sure any tinctures you use are alcohol free, drops can be added to their drinking water. 

Conclusion:

Vent gleet (cloacitis) is a condition a bird keeper does not want to ignore. The cause should be sought out and the bird treated appropriately. If left untreated the condition can result in death. Be sure to check your bird for sour crop if you discover vent gleet. If caught early and care is given to the affected bird they can recover and continue to have a healthy and productive life.

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Trichomonas (Canker), Sour Crop & Vent Gleet, Part Two

Trichomonas Gallinae (Canker), Sour Crop and Cloacitis (Vent Gleet) Treatment - Part Two

Sour crop is a health issue that most bird keepers will encounter at some point while caring for birds. Sour crop can be caused by something as simple as eating long grass, hay or straw. Eating spoiled food matter, or being exposed to unsanitary water or waste from other animals that tend to be vectors for fungus/yeast, like waterfowl. Prevention is always best but despite good efforts the issue can occur. Trichomonas gallinae (Canker) can also cause crop stasis.

What is sour crop? 

Sour crop, also known as crop stasis is caused by yeast (candida albicans) aka thrush that is causing a thickening of the crop wall. This can be caused by factors such as exposure to yeast in what they ingest or due to a blockage from consuming matter that won’t exit the crop like long grass, straw or hay which will cause a yeast bloom in the birds crop over time. When suffering from sour crop birds loose condition, drop weight and often loose interest in food, often they will consume a lot of water, they are dehydrated because food and liquid is not exiting the crop and entering their digestive system.

How does it occur?

Birds must be able to pass what they eat through their crop and into the proventriculus and then on to the gizzard. The gizzard is where food is ground up, it functions similar to our teeth, the grit your birds ingest deposit in the muscle folds of the gizzard and help “chew” the food. Straw, hay and long grass often can’t exit the crop to make it to the gizzard and this causes sour crop. We strongly recommend not using straw or hay in your birds environment for this reason and keeping grass cut to just a few inches high that they have access too. Do not toss lawn clippings into your poultry runs either as this can cause impaction if they consume blades too long to pass. Pine shavings, sand, nesting mats, gravel are all options for where someone would use straw or hay in their setup. 

Another risk factor for sour crop is feeding young birds scratch grains, the whole grains are often difficult to pass through the crop and they may not have consumed enough grit to properly digest the grains which can lead to malnutrition issues. A nutritionally balanced crumble or small pellet is best for young chickens, ducks, guinea, turkeys and other poultry.

Antibiotics can be yet another reason for sour crop. Antibiotics are not very selective in what bacteria they kill so when they are used they kill off the bad AND good bacteria in the system. Disruption of healthy flora is disrupted by this and its a prime opportunity for yeast to bloom and overcome its host. It is STRONGLY recommended to start probiotic treatment for your birds after a course of antibiotics. We offer several probiotic options.

What can I do?

Important steps to prevention are making sure your birds water is clean, use fresh feed and be on the lookout for mold, and keep waterfowl separate from your chickens, turkeys, guinea fowl, pea fowl, etc. as they are often vectors for yeast because of how they interact with water. If you have a climate or housing situation where yeast is a concern you can use Acidified Copper Sulfate monthly in your birds waterers as a prophylactic measure. Acidified Copper Sulfate will help keep yeast count down but if you have a bird that’s crop is not emptying you need to treat them with medications and depending on what caused the blockage, oil and massaging the crop may help get things moving again. 

If you suspect a bird has sour crop feel to see if their crop is bloated or squishy, smell their breath and often when palpating the crop air will be expelled if the crop stasis is do to yeast because its fermenting in their crop. Isolate the bird you are concerned about and withhold food and water till the next morning (or evening if the issue was discovered early in the morning) the birds crop should be empty if its crop is functioning normally, if not you need to treat them.

Medicinal treatment options for sour crop due to yeast is nystatin and ketoconazole. If the cause of your birds crop stasis is trichomonas gallinae then nystatin and an antiprotozoal are a recommended combination. If there is a very foul smell then its likely trichomonas gallinae, if it smells yeasty then the cause it most like candida albicans (yeast). The only way to know what the cause is for sure is to have a lab test done at your veterinarian. If the cause is trichomonas gallinae we offer antiprotozoal options of metronidazole, carnidazole, secnidazole or ronidazole. 

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Trichomonas Gallinae (Canker), Sour Crop and Cloacitis (Vent Gleet) Treatment – Part One

Trichomonas Gallinae (Canker), Sour Crop and Cloacitis (Vent Gleet) Treatment - Part One

Trichomonas Gallinae, Sour Crop and Cloacitis are health issues that almost all bird keepers will encounter over time. All require treatment with medications to resolve the issue or the bird may die. We offer several medication options at Springwater Avian Health as well as Acidified Copper Sulfate which can be used as a preventative measure if your birds seem to be more susceptible to these health issues. Climate, weather, housing, feed and species all factor into the risk factors for these issues. It is always best to prepare in advance for these issues and keep medication on hand to tackle the issue as soon as it arises. For todays article we will focus on Trichomonas Gallinae (Canker).

Trichomonas Gallinae is a parasite that occurs in most all areas of the world and across multiple species of birds including pigeons, doves, raptors, chickens, turkeys, parrots, and finches. Trichomonas Gallinae can be a mild or severe infection, if left untreated a bird may not be able to fend off the effects of the parasite and succumb to it within 4-18 days. Transmission of the parasite usually occurs from contact with other birds, directly or indirectly through an infected parent feeding their young, contaminated drinking water, feces, saliva, crop secretions of other birds or for birds of prey, eating an animal/bird infected with the parasite.

Trichomonas Gallinae can present as small yellowish plaques on mucus membranes that grow over the duration of the infection,  they have ben described by some as cheese like and can become necrotic, often there is a very foul odor. The plaques are usually detected in the oral cavity or on the edge of the beak, the tongue and in the choana and can completely block a birds esophagus and trachea if left untreated. Virulent strains of the virus can affect the birds liver and gastrointestinal tract. Fecal matter of the bird may turn green and the urates bright yellow which indicates its internal organs are infected also.

Best course of treatment is an antiprotozoal medication accompanied by Nystatin. An antiprotozoal systemically attacks the parasite while the Nystatin works by direct contact with it. Combined this is a very effective treatment if started as soon as possible. Administer the appropriate dose by your birds weight of the antiprotozoal medication. Nystatin you can add to feed for the needed treatment duration but at the beginning of treatment making a slurry with water and applying it directly the lesions helps attack the parasite more rapidly, often when the illness is detected your bird wont have a very good appetite. Tube feeding/crop needling of the nystatin slurry would be beneficial if they are not eating or drinking.

Julie

Springwater Avian Health

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