ILLNESS

ILLNESS

UPLOADED BY WORLDOFBIRDS

Pigeons suffer from a variety of ailments peculiar to themselves, the most likely to come across being the Paramixo virus and throat canker. The virus causes birds to appear fluffed up. unbalanced or dizzy. They may walk in circles, throw seeds in the air when eating, hang their heads or have fits. No veterinary treatment is available as far as we know but the patient almost always recovers after a lengthy period of rest and care. However, he or she must be kept separate from other birds for at least 6 weeks. Canker or Trichomoniasis seems most common in adult collared doves and young feral pigeons aged between 2 and 5 weeks. It is detected by a swollen throat, wet or bad smelling discharge from the beak and unwillingness to fly. This complaint is fatal if not treated with a drug such as metronidazole bought from a vet. Crop-feeding may be necessary while healing is underway. Please do not attempt to scrape away the white growths unless they are severely restricting breathing, as this may damage the lining of the throat. Keep the patient away from other birds. As with dealing with any animal, please observe common-sense hygiene.