[kunju]

My pigeon Ruku has been having watery poops for a while now. He squirts the poop rather, and it looks like a lot of clear water, with the broken strands of poop in it.
He is healthy and his feisty self, very active. He drinks a lot of water since he was a baby, and eats normally.
Does his poops mean any infection that is just not showing up?

Many thanks in advance.

 

[John_D]

Anything like these?

(The pic is very magnified and the seeds did not come out with the poops)

 

[kunju]

Yes, like those. Is it abnormal? He does pass some normal poop occasionally.

 

[John_D]

Those particular poops came from a bird I found a couple of years back. I never actually found precisely what the problem was but this is what I posted at the time:

To me, though dubious about the sheer quantity, they looked pretty much like the early warning signs of PMV - think broken wormlike poops in pools of liquid. Note the pic was done with macro setting - a single small grain at bottom show the relative size of the droppings. This was an adult bird who could not fly, couldn't run, weighed under 300 grams and sat huddled up on the communal patio. Couple of days later he developed respiratory problems, with open beak breathing. I put him on Baytril, as that was all I had in stock then, and he got over it. Also gave canker med. He never showed any other symptoms, so I really don't know what the basic problem was. Could have been PMV which did not develop nervous signs but caused Conjunctivitis/Sinusitis (it happens), could have been just respiratory, Either way, I quarantined him as if he had PMV to be safe. He is now doing well, weighs near 350 grams and is due to go to the aviary.

 

[kunju]

But mine doesn't have any 'sickness' symptoms-he is walking and running and not sitting huddled up. He is this bubbly pigeon with a lot of spunk. All he had was a pox infection when he was a baby. But I have to say that he has had the company of PMV-recovered pigeons (with residual nervous symptoms), as my other birds are PMV survivors.

 

[Jass SamOplay]

Hi Dh,
I agree with John_D, it could be an early sign of PMV.
If he always poop like that than it could be PMV,canker or cocci.

(When my birds come back from training flights they drink lot of water and poop like this once or twice)

 

[kunju]

Thanks John D and brocky, he is difficult to catch now that he has become a grown up. But I will try to get some metronidazole into him in case it is canker.
Brocky, can you suggest some medicine available here in India for cocci? Thanks a lot!

Btw, he does drink a lot of water! And a lot of grit too. He is exerting himself a lot all the time, flying up and down in the balcony, and then pants like a dog!

 

[John_D]

Don't like the panting bit.

Brocky, do the high temperatures where you are normally affect pigeons when they exert themselves exercising?

Here in the UK, we have had/are having quite a hot summer by our standards, and though our pigeons are more accustomed to rather lower temperatures they do not seem affected by the heat.

 

[Jass SamOplay]

Temperature here soar at 46-52•c. I give my high flyers 20-40ml water an hour before training. When they come back after continuously flying for 6 to 10hours I show them water 30-45 mins after they land so that they cool down first cuz drinking water immediately after training can harm them. When they get water after so many hours they drink a lot I mean lot of water in summers. Summer heat take its toll and affect pigeons considerably if they are not fed properly and if feed is not desirable. Yes heat matters here for sure.In winters they don't drink that much and they can fly from dawn to dusk(shorter and cooler days)

Dh,I use a local branded powder by the name of coccinil which works great and its easily available. There is also another product coximar which is good. Amprolium powder is also used to cure cocci. Always abide by instructions on the pack

 

[Jass SamOplay]

5-12mins of Panting is normal to cool down when a 300-400 gram bird fly for so long. I don't think it has something that indicates problem with respiratory track.

 

[kunju]

He pants only for a minute or two. Thanks for the info.

 

[John_D]

Good, thanks for all the info, Brocky.

 

[Jass SamOplay]

Good, thanks for all the info, Brocky.

This is what I love about PT that people share the info here and grow more knowledgable and responsible pigeon owners...

Hi Dhanya, can u get Rukku examined by a vet. And if u do then don't forget to tell us if anything's wrong with him. Is Rukku digesting his feed at normal rate? Sometimes e.coli+adeno viruses cause crop statis or slow crop which cause the droppings look like that in the photo by John_D.

 

[sreeshs]

What feed do you give them? Is there grit available? Do you use any additives in the drinking water? How often do you de-worm the pigeons?

Usually it is associated with cocci. There are medicines available for the same in local pet stores.

You can try giving them turmeric powder in paste type or in drinking water. You can use a tea spoon of turmeric, mix it with some water and roll it to 5-6mm diameter spheres and feed 3 each 3 times a day. Alternatively you can mix 3-4 tea spoons in 2 liters of water and offer it alone for drinking.

Provide grit to your birds if they do not have access to open ground with small pebbles.

 

[kunju]

Thanks for all advice!

I already lost one of my pigeons to sour crop. Ruku was the pigeon's mate, and I did treat Ruku with antibiotics and antifungal at that time to treat any possible sour crop.
He is getting probiotics and vitamin supplements in water. ACV once a week. He has been dewormed. I have collected small pebbles along with some mud, and have kept it in a shallow clay pot for him. I see him eating a lot of grit.
Thanks for the turmeric remedy, I am going to try it. Perhaps I will try the turmeric first and if no improvement is seen, will start with the medications. Will update soon.

 

[kunju]

Just now found some white square pieces in his poop. I gave him moxidectin, though the next dose is due only in December. Then I remembered that moxidectin does not affect tapeworms. It does look like tapeworms, since I could see the white bits.
I tried to get praziquantel but I can't get it without being in a combination with other ingredients like Febendazole.
Brocky, I got the amprolium powder, thanks. I got a big packet to treat an entire flock though (they don't have any small packets )

 

[Abdulbaki]

my pigeon's poop is also that way sometimes he drops normal poops but at the most it's watery with some greenish poops inside!
He drinks , eats noramlly and fly also .. I treated for cocci, he is like this 3 months now I don't think it's PMV?

 

[Miss-Sassypants]

Dhanya,
What you have is moxidectin PLUS - which treats tapeworms - Try not to overdose him with more wormers! Those are poisonous if given in too much quantity.

When you first dewormed him, did you follow up 10-12 days later with another dosage?

I hope Ruku gets well soon. I'm sure it's not so bad... my philosophy is.. if it's not broken, don't fix it. You said that Ruku has no symptoms of illness, it's better not to bombard him with medication until you know the exact reason, or for sure that he is ill.

You'd never know if wrong diagnosis can worsen the situation.

 

[kunju]

Oh, Thank you Sassypants. The label of the bottle you sent me read just 'Moxidectin', so I assumed it is not for tapeworms. That's a relief, because I was searching different shops for praziquantel with no luck. No, I did not follow up after 10-12 days. Did I have to?

Presently I have not started him on any other medicine. I also believe in the same philosophy of letting his immune system do the most healing. I have started him on turmeric alone. Let's see how it goes.
After I dewormed him, I am seeing occasional grey poops. Hope that's normal?? I know some of you might be thinking I have nothing better to do!! Thanks for bearing with me.

 

[Jass SamOplay]

I was searching different shops for praziquantel with no luck.

Here they have a dewormer by the name of dronicit plus by pfizers(american company). They have praziquantel and pyrantel pamoate(also piperazine I think) mixed together in correct equation. Its is very effective but its expensive. Just telling u for future or if u need to tell someone else about it.

I somewhat disagree with sreesh and Abdulbaki,(sorry guys). I don't think its cocci. Because in cocci,pigeons refuse to pick feed. But u said Rukku is eating fine and very active. In cocci their palor also turns pale and "going light" is prime symptoms. But haldi ki goli won't hurt him as long as given in less amounts as haldi ki taseer garam hoti hai. Garmiyo me zyada matra me haldi dena thik nahi. I also agree that its pointless to medicate the bird if u don't know exactly what the illness is.