treating flock for trich/canker

[rshaud]

I feed a flock just opposite my home and it seems as though trich/canker may be spreading through the flock. So far I've picked up four birds with it. I've been treating them individually but it certainly isn't practical and I fear reinfection upon release. I'd like to treat them as a flock but the treatment in the water simply won't work in this case. It would be difficult/impossible to get them to drink from a common source on a busy streetcorner not to mention it's been raining too often here. Medication on the seeds would most assuredly work. I saw a post that suggested coating seeds in oil so that the treatment will stick to it. Has anyone else tried this and was it effective? What type of oil would be best? Something neutral like sunflower, safflower or canola? And what has been your experience with the actual medication? Individually, I use Spartrix and Ronsec but would appreciate any recommendations for a mass treatment powder.
Alternatively, has anyone treated feral flocks with a different method that was effective?
Thanks in advance for your help.

[Trees Gray]

I certainly understand your dilemna.

I think it is a great idea, but I haven't ever seen any over the seed treatment.

If they stay long enough to eat on a busy street source, is it possible to condition them to drink in the same area, from a bowl of water treated with ACV? It might be worth it to try, because pigeons drink right after they eat. So, if you leave seed for them and can stay with them until they have eaten and had a drink that would help.

The apple cider vinegar would at least create an environment unfavorable for canker. It would not be advisable to try to treat with meds, because they might not get enough to do any good and that in itself would not be good as it would allow them to build a resistance to the drug. With medication,you have to be in control of it, as it has to be specific dose for specific time.

[rshaud]

If I were to attempt treatment with ACV, what ratio would I use? I could try to get them to drink from a bowl but as I said, it's been raining so often (with more to come through the weekend) that I fear they simply would opt for puddles or the gutter. And many people come by walking their dogs even early in the morning when I feed that I was assuming the dogs would probably drink the water placed in a bowl.
As for the medication, aren't racing pigeon flocks sometimes treated with medication in a common water source rather than individually? There must be some leeway as far as exact dosage. That's what I was thinking of and the post I'd read seemed to be suggesting using the water soluable powder on the oiled seeds rather than in the water.
I feel compelled to do something despite the fact that they may not get the correct dosage and being aware that they may build up a resistance to the meds. I cannot simply wait until they become visibly ill. As I said, treating the birds individually isn't practical for me but I also couldn't possibly ignore the ill and starving birds. And releasing the successfully treated birds back into the infected flock would be a vicious circle. What do you think?

[Trees Gray]

For treatment with ACV use 2 tablespoons per gallon of water.

The only issue with using the medication would be that if they were not drinking the medicated water all day, as the domestic homing pigeons do. We have total control of the dosage. In the wild, they might use other drinking sources, which would mean they are getting the recommended treatment dose.

I myself do not know if the powder treatment over the seed would work. Let's hear from other members...

[rshaud]

Well, it seems that no one else has any suggestions. I do appreciate your input and will give some of your advice a try. Wish me luck.

[jenfer]

Rshaud,

Trich is very common in the warmer months. How many birds are in the flock? I know you said it would be difficult to do a water treatment, but chances are that they are infecting themselves via a shared water source already. If you could figure out what that source might be, you could add the prophy meds (leaving aside debate about whether they should be treated this way)/ACV there.

Jennifer

[tuxedobaby]

is there any way you can"isolate"their drinking water,perhaps supply a large bowl of clean water daily near the feeding place and add the meds that way,even something such as a washing up bowl(plastic)may be an idea

[karijo]

forgive my inexperience with this but, if you treat the birds and are unable to ensure that each bird receives the correct dose for the correct amount of time, you would at best succeed in eliminating only the weakest strains of the trich causing the canker, leaving behind the "stronger" more resistant organisms to flourish, re-infect the flock, and ultimately outnumber the "weaker" strains.

I would think as difficult as it may be, what is safest for the flock is to treat birds individually as needed, when they can be given the proper dose. (be it 1 pill of Spartrix or whatever)

I know you mean well, but I would really think about the long term implications of treating canker this way.

[Jay3]

You'd never be able to treat the whole flock individually. Spartrix should actually be given 1 pill for three days. Even if you could catch them all once, you'd never catch them for the other two doses. You'd need an aviary or somewhere to keep them for a few days. And ACV in the water, they'd probably ignore it and go somewhere else where they know they can get water. This is really a dilemma. I can understand why you want to try it in the feed. It must be awful, and very frustrating, to see them getting sick one by one, and unable to help. I wish you luck. If you do find a way, keep us posted as to the results.

[Charis]

You can coat the seed sparsely with olive oil just enough to make stick with 20% powdered Metrondidazole at 2 teaspoons per every 2lbs of seed for 5 days.
No you can't control the amount each bird gets in this situation and that's an issue even with the large number of Pigeons some of us keep but in this case, it's doing the best you can.
Go for it!

[karijo]

The manufacturer of Spartrix says one pill per pigeon for one day. Where did you read to treat for 3 days?

Their clinical studies are available for review online and all of the trials listed concluded with a one pill for one day treatment. I've heard from a few vets to follow it up 30 days later as a precaution, but don't see anywhere to treat for 3 consecutive days.

http://www.betterchem.com/vet/carnidazole.htm

(they do also say that no ill-effects were shown when birds were "overdosed", so I doubt you can really do any harm by repeating for three days, it's just that apparently a one pill dose would be effective in eliminating the organisms)

[Charis]

Originally Posted by karijo

The manufacturer of Spartrix says one pill per pigeon for one day. Where did you read to treat for 3 days?

Their clinical studies are available for review online and all of the trials listed concluded with a one pill for one day treatment. I've heard from a few vets to follow it up 30 days later as a precaution, but don't see anywhere to treat for 3 consecutive days.

http://www.betterchem.com/vet/carnidazole.htm

(they do also say that no ill-effects were shown when birds were "overdosed", so I doubt you can really do any harm by repeating for three days, it's just that apparently a one pill dose would be effective in eliminating the organisms)

One pill doesn't work no matter what the manufacturer says. In my early days rehabbing, I lost many birds with the old '1 day plan'.

[Jay3]

For preventative---one pill. For cure--3 pills. Sometimes it takes more. I have read it in various articles. When I find it again, I'll post it.

[karijo]

Wouldn't it be nice if some wonderful avian vet would write a book backed by actual scientific study and clinical trials to officially set in stone the appropriate dosing and usage of all the different medications available based on the weight of the bird being treated, etc, for pigeon fanciers!?!

The ambiguity drives me crazy!
Like I said, I am relatively inexperienced with canker - and wish there was more specificity out there with how much to use of what and when etc. Hrmph.

(if you read those trial results I posted they actually do claim repeatedly that it cures/eliminates trich in the one pill dosage. I'm not saying it's correct - I am just saying that's what the manufacturer claims their results to be. "articles" are helpful, but I am more interested in actual scientific research done on the proper dosing. unfortunately, articles are often nothing more than personal experience and/or hearsay)

[jenfer]

There is virtually no way that one dose of Spartrix is going to be enough to cure a bad canker infection. I've dosed for at least a week for bad cases.

Jennifer