Ornithose Complex: Part 1 - Chlamydia

Signs: conjunctivitis, decreased performance, respiratory difficulty, fluffed, anorexia.

Transmission: ingestion or inhalation.

Pathology: swollen liver, grotty air sacs, sinus infection.

Diagnosis: Clearview Test, Chlamydia culture, Special stains.

Treatment: reduce dust, eliminate wet litter, Psittavet powder in water.

Ornithose Complex: Part 2 - Pasteurella

Signs: nasal discharge, eye wiping, swollen sinus, occasionally a head tilt.

Transmission: direct contact, faecal contamination, inhalation.

Pathology: swollen liver and spleen, diarrhoea, sinusitis.

Diagnosis: culture of slit, post mortem samples.

Treatment: Psittavet powder, Trimethoprim Sulfa powder.

Ornithose Complex: Part 3 - Mycoplasma

Signs: nasal and eye discharge, chronic sinusitis, eye wiping.

Transmission: inhalation, ingestion, lifelong carrier state.

Pathology: mild airsac infection. Often underlying other disease conditions

Diagnosis: special cultures from choanal slit.

Treatment: Spectovet powder and Psittavet powder.

Salmonella:

Signs: increased drinking, increased water output. Difficulty breathing. Fluffed. Dead in shell and dead at hatch, dying young birds, joint infections (eg: one wing droop, one leg lameness ).

Transmission: faecal contamination of feed and water, semen, ovary and egg shell transmission.

Pathology: pus in joints, liver and spleen congestion.

Diagnosis: cultures of faeces, gut, organs, joint fluid.

Treatment: Antibiotics based on cultures or Trimethoprim Sulfa combinations. Cull any bird with joint disease. Increase level of hygiene.

E.coli:

Signs: slimy green mucoid droppings, fluffed, anorexia, odd death, nasal discharge, squab deaths, weight loss, poor performance.

Transmission: ingestion, inhalation, through egg.

Pathology: swollen liver and spleen, enteritis, some air sac infection.

Diagnosis: culture of liver, vent, lungs, gut.

Treatment: based on culture results. Treatment may not be necessary if management is improved. E.coli. is often secondary to viral infections.

Candida:

Signs: mouth inflammation, crop inflammation and thickening, enteritis, delayed crop emptying.

Transmission: in population all the time, secondary to other factors, regurgitative feeding.

Pathology: thickened crop, smelly crop contents, weight loss.

Diagnosis: yeast bodies seen in smears from crop, gut or faeces.

Treatment: Aviclens ( flock ), Nystatin( individuals ).

Trichomonas:

Signs: mild strains - erosion of the “curtain”, mild throat inflammation severe strains- “wet canker”, cankers in the throat and nostrils. Possible cankers( abscesses ) at navel, vent and eyes. Very smelly breath, dehydration, weakness, breathing difficulties, weight loss, death.

Transmission: regurgitative feeding, faecal contamination of water.

Pathology: “curtain” erosion, cankers ( abscesses) in throat, on skin, in liver etc.

Diagnosis: microscopic examination of crop contents or throat swab.

Treatment: Ronivet 4 Pigeons. Given in drinking water, administered directly to crop or powder applied directly to cankers in throat.

Coccidia:

Signs: signs usually limited to juveniles - slow race performance, anorexia, weight loss, excessive urine output, dehydration

Transmission: faecal contamination of food and water.

Pathology: enteritis in young birds.

Diagnosis: dropping examination.

Treatment: Coccivet in water. Improve hygiene and prevent recontamination.

Note: all these common pigeon diseases use dropping contamination or inhalation as a major way of spreading. Reducing faecal load in the loft and maintaining water and air purity are the best ways to prevent the diseases affecting the flock.