Newsletter Regarding PIGEON TESTING RESULTS, AUG 2016
Over the last 2 months (June and July) with the assistance of Dr Rob Conradie we have tested 587 pigeons in Gauteng.
The tests performed were crop smears, blood smears and faecal floatations.
We have found :-
Canker in 24% of the birds.
Malaria/Pseudomalaria/Haemoproteus in 18%.
Coccidiosis in 17%.
Candida in 10% but the incidence of this has increased drastically in the last few weeks.
Roundworm in 4%.
Hairworm in 1%.
In the birds we have taken throat swabs from, we have, in all cases found one of the following three bacteria.
Gallibacteriumanatis (formerly called Pasteurella)
Pelistegaeuropaeus
Staphylococcus in one case
The symptoms shown by the birds from which these swabs were taken, were poor performance and possibly slightly reddened throats.
In one case the birds showed early one eyed cold symptoms where the
lower eyelid was starting to cause the eye to close as a result of the
mild sinusitis that was developing below the eye.
Pelistega is known to be ONE of the causes of rubbing the eyes against
the wing butt, swollen lower eyelids and one eyed colds.
These bacteria were grown in a laboratory and various antibiotics were
tested against them. This is what is called an antibiogram.
The MEDPET products that were indicated in these cases were:
Avivet. This product was indicated in all the cases investigated.
Trimethoprim/Sulfa
Doxybiotic Plus
The Medpet racing programme on this website and in our catalogue
suggests the use of these three products in the first three weeks of
racing and later in the season for this very reason.
