Many diseases of budgerigars lead to disastrous results
the birds die. Most problems can be prevented if pets are properly managed and monitored. In order not to get confused at a crucial moment, it is worth studying the main symptoms of diseases in advance. We will find out what budgerigars get sick with, get acquainted with the methods of treatment and prevention.
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| parrot diseases |
Diseases of the gastrointestinal tract
Diarrhea
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| Diseases of the gastrointestinal tract |
Diarrhea (diarrhea) develops when the absorption of water in the intestines is disturbed. Such disorders may be due to the fact that during the development of infection, the intestinal mucosa is damaged. Damage can be caused either by the causative agents of infectious and parasitic diseases of parrots (for example, Escherichia coli , staphylococci, yeast, worms, coccidia) or their waste products - toxins. Toxins can be present in the intestinal lumen both if the causative agent of the disease was in the liver or kidneys, and if it were not at all in the body of a bird, for example, if a parrot ate poor-quality grain from a pack of food that was stored in unsuitable conditions and in grain accumulated fungal toxins (mycotoxins). And all these various causes lead to the same state, which the owner of the bird sees only as a liquefaction of the stool.
What should the owner of the feathered do if the parrot or parrot has diarrhea?
Is it necessary to remove food and put a parrot on a dry diet if it develops diarrhea?
- You need to see a doctor. In any case, the doctor will advise you to take the litter for analysis , since so many parrot infections quickly become chronic and after a short exacerbation do not appear for a long time. In most of these cases, the owner of the bird calmed down, and after a few weeks, a catastrophe suddenly happened
Vomit
Vomiting in parrots is often referred to by bird owners as behavior such as burping or feeding parrots with toys, mirrors, humans, and other parrots. Burping is only normal when one parrot is grooming another.
Vomiting is a physiological reaction of the body of a parrot, expressed in the opposite direction to the normal direction of peristalsis of the goiter and esophagus. The causes of vomiting can be associated with parrot poisoning (intoxication): feed, toxins, pathogens of various parrot infections, metabolic products (in case of disruption of the liver and kidneys,
Vomiting can cause pain in the abdomen. For example: intestinal inflammation (enteritis), stuck egg in a female , yolk peritonitis, salpingitis, complicated aerosacculitis (inflammation of the air sacs).
A unique parrot disease that causes persistent vomiting is PDD (bornavirus infection). All kinds of parrots and parrots are susceptible to disease, this infection is very common in macaws , Amazons , cockatoos , grays , cockatiels. Parrots with a bornavirus infection often regurgitate semi-digested food, and undigested grains may appear in their droppings. Parrots lose weight, although their appetite remains very good.
parrot yawns
Often, in small and medium-sized species of parrots, including the Jaco, they notice “yawning”, or, as they call it on the forums, “pushing food”. At the same time, the parrot stretches its neck forward and makes several successive yawning movements. This is a symptom of several different diseases that lead to the same manifestation.
"Food pushing" can be any problem that results in compression of part of the esophagus in the chest or compression of the crop by cervical air sacs.
suffer from chronic heart failure. At the same time, their atrial volume increases and the heart begins to mechanically squeeze the esophagus. This problem is especially relevant for cockatiels, budgerigars, and lovebirds.
In Grays and Amazons, compression of the crop by the cervical air sacs is common, and spondylitis, which leads to soreness in the neck, is also manifested by stretching the neck, "yawning" and shaking the head.
Diseases of the respiratory system
sneezing
A healthy parrot can sneeze a pair of times daily. At the identical time, the bird doesn't exude mucus from the nostrils (snot). The nostrils themselves don't seem to be blocked, not reddened. If the bird starts sneezing more often, this can be an indication of problems. one among the "not terrible" reasons for frequent sneezing is that the dry air within the room where the parrot lives. Normal air humidity for keeping parrots is 65% and above. To humidify indoor air, use household humidifiers that are installed next to the cage or play stand.
Almost all parrot infections involve the lungs, and most avian pathogens affect the air sacs and trachea. This applies to fungal, bacterial, and viral pathogens of parrots.
The parrot began to sneeze often, his nostrils turned red or swollen - urgently see a doctor, sign up for an x-ray.
Sinusitis
Around the eyes and in the space between the eye and the nostrils of the parrot there are air cavities (sinuses), the cover from above is only thin skin. These sinuses connect to the cervical air sacs but are separated from the nasal cavity,When the infection enters the sinuses and pus and mucus begin to accumulate within the cavities, it develops - sinusitis. Signs of sinusitis are swelling and redness of the skin round the eyes, in advanced cases, “bags under the eyes” form.
In budgerigars, cockatiels and rosellas, chlamydia and mycoplasmosis are common causes of sinusitis. In medium and large parrots (macaws, grays, cockatoos, amazons, eclectus) - sinusitis often develops as a result of escherichiosis, klebsiellosis, aspergillosis.
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| Sinusitis |
Rhinitis
An infection that develops in a bird's nasal cavity is called rhinitis. Rhinitis is commonly referred to as a "runny nose" or "cold" by bird owners. At the same time, the parrot is fluffed up, the nostrils may be reddened, transparent mucus may be released from the nostrils, the skin between the nostrils and the eye may be swollen or swollen. If the cause of the infection is not identified in time, rhinitis can be complicated by bronchitis, pneumonia, and sinusitis. Those. if you do not pay attention to the runny nose of a parrot in time, then after a while the bird may die from a systemic
infection.
Voice change. clicks
If the parrot's voice has changed, this is a sign of diseases of the respiratory system. The sounds that a parrot can make are varied and beyond imagination, but the tone of a parrot's voice usually remains the same, every human companion of the bird knows this okay and might distinguish the voice of 1 parrot from another. Therefore, if you suddenly notice that the parrot's voice is hoarse or coarsened, or the other way around, it's become high - this can be an incident to try to to x-rays and other diagnostic procedures. Well, or a minimum of call your bird doctor (and not an ornithologist).
In parrots chronically ill with inflammation of the air sacs, characteristic rhythmic clicks is heard during breathing. This symptom is particularly common in sick large parrots (macaws, grays, amazons, cockatoos, eclectus), while the parrot remains calm and no other signs of the disease appear. The clicks of the walls of the air sacs are adore the sound that happens when a flat sheet of thick paper is folded in half. this can be a really dangerous syndrome that happens with various infections that affect the system of a parrot.
In budgerigars with severe pathologies, due to pain, a frequent “hic” sound may appear - there is no other way to describe this strange sound. "Ik" is a consequence of a spasm of the abdominal respiratory muscles. Often seen in females that cannot mate. In the event of such a sound, the owner of the bird has only a few hours to save the bird and only competent emergency veterinary care can help here.
contagious diseases
Parrots suffer from a large number of infectious diseases. Some infections are common to humans and parrots. Such infections are called zooanthroponoses. Parrot owners need to know that a person poses a great danger to a parrot, because most of the normal human microflora (bacteria that live in the mouth and on the skin) is dangerous for parrots, because it causes them to develop acute and chronic infections, such as escherichiosis, staphylococcosis. For this reason, it is necessary for a person to avoid kissing parrots and feeding them from the mouth. Infectious diseases of parrots dangerous to humans are very common, so you need to be tested for these infections immediately after buying a parrot , and preferably even before buying a bird .
The signs of contagious diseases of parrots and parrots are very diverse, but they are not all specific. Those. it is impossible to say unequivocally - if a parrot has discharge from the nostrils, then this is, for example, ornithosis, etc. The symptoms depend on which organ system is most affected, and if the infection develops in all organs of the feathered, then multiple organ failure develops and all the symptoms of a sick parrot can appear simultaneously - most often it is frizziness, decreased activity, refusal to eat.
plumage diseases
The condition of a parrot's plumage is the clearest marker of a bird's health. In a healthy parrot, the plumage is bright, shiny, the feathers fit snugly together and there are no bald patches or ruffles. A very simple method of understanding whether there is a problem or not is to know that the red pen should be red, green should be green, and blue should be blue. Those. plumage colors should be clean and bright.
If you see that feathers with black or brown spots appear on some parts of the body, this is a sign of degradation of the feather structure and destruction of the pigment. Such changes are associated with a violation of protein metabolism, with pathologies of the liver and kidneys, and, accordingly, they appear with a large number of infections, since an infection is a process that is always accompanied by a change in protein metabolism, a violation of the liver and kidneys.
If you notice dark spots or stripes on the feather of a parrot, then the disease has been developing for a long time. Darkening of the feather in brightly colored parrots (Amazons, macaws, eclectus, budgerigars, lovebirds, rosellas, Alexandrine and necklace parrots and other species) develops 5-6 days after the onset of significant problems in the work of internal organs.
In pale-colored parrot species such as cockatiels and cockatoos, the appearance of yellow spots on white feathers is also an indicator of the development of the disease.
In African gray parrots or red-tailed and brown-tailed jacos, the appearance of red feathers on a gray background is often a sign of the development of a circovirus infection. Many so-called "royal jacos" are carriers of the circovirus and the abnormal coloration of these parrots is caused by a disease, not a mutation. Although there are also mutant variants of the color of the Jaco, unrelated to the influence of the circovirus .
eye diseases
Conjunctivitis
A large number of infections in parrots manifest themselves in the form of inflammation of the eyelids - conjunctivitis. In this case, the eyelids may be reddened, enlarged, stuck together. A small feather around the eyelids may be stuck together due to discharge from the eye. A sick parrot may often rub its eyes on a perch or perch, exacerbating the problem. Conjunctivitis in a parrot can be caused by bacteria, fungi (yeasts and molds), viruses. Therefore, to give an unambiguous answer to the question - what to do if the parrot has inflamed eyelids? - it is forbidden. The reasons may be different, respectively, and the treatment will also be different. Various measures of eye washing with disinfectant solutions (for example, chlorhexidine solution) or strong black tea can reduce the intensity of inflammation, but do not eliminate the infection. Moreover, these measures mask the clinical signs of the disease and make it difficult to isolate the infectious agent by laboratory methods if the analyzes are performed after several days of eye washes.
In Jaco parrots, there is a specific sign that indicates the development of conjunctivitis and sinusitis - this is redness of the skin around the eye. In other parrots, the skin is covered with feathers and is not visible as well as in grays. Normally, the skin around the eyes of the red-tailed and brown-tailed African gray parrots should be white. If you notice the slightest redness, this means that you should immediately contact your veterinarian. Such redness may disappear on its own in 2-3 days, but this only indicates that the infection has passed into the chronic stage and it is necessary to continue examining the parrot, even if it seems that the problem has passed.
Cataract
Like other birds, parots can develop cataracts (clouding of the lens). Outwardly, a cataract is manifested (it becomes whitish). The cause of cataracts is a violation of the nutrition of the lens, respectively, everything that leads to impaired innervation and blood supply to the eye, contributes to or causes the development of cataracts in parrots. Most often, cataracts develop in adult parrots with pathologies of the cervical spine (ostechondrosis or osteomyelitis of the cervical vertebrae).
Therefore, with the development of cataracts in a parrot, a complete examination of the bird is required, including x-rays, because osteochondrosis of the cervical vertebrae can be caused by infections that affect the bone marrow or cervical air sacs (such lesions are characteristic of aspergillosis, enterococcosis , staphylococcosis,mycobacteriosis and tuberculosis of parrots). Experimental treatment of parrot cataracts. But, as follows from the above, if you notice that the pupil of the parrot has turned white.
Corneal ulcer
In acute systemic infections caused by enterobacteria (E. coli, Klebsiella , Enterobacter, etc.) or Pseudomonas aeruginosa , a corneal ulcer or even panophthalmitis (inflammation of the entire eyeball) may develop. A corneal ulcer develops along with conjunctivitis, looks like a clouding of the anterior wall of the eye (the pupil or iris is not visible), while the eyelids are swollen (inflamed).
A corneal ulcer is a very dangerous , because if the infectious process cannot be stopped in time, then there is a very danger of infection entering the bird eyes, which leads to the development of panophthalmitis and loss of the eye.
Beak diseases
The most common beak disease is overgrowth. However, this is not an independent disease, but a symptom complex associated with a large number of pathologies. The reasons for the overgrowth of the beak or its curvature can be infectious diseases, for example: circovirus infection, cryptococcosis, mycobacteriosis, aspergillosis. Behavioral disorders caused by both improper keeping (example: a cramped cage provokes constant gnawing of the cage bars and this leads to one-sided deformation or chips on the beak), and improper feeding of parrot chicks, which leads to mental disorders. Also, with the wrong method of feeding the chicks of large and medium parrots (Jacko, macaws, Amazons, cockatoos, eclectus), the jaw bones are deformed, the beak is shifted to the side. If this problem is not solved in time,
In budgerigars, the most common cause of beak deformity is scabies (scabies is discussed below, in the "parasites" section) and chronic staph infection. With staphylococcosis of budgerigars, the beak remains outwardly shiny, but begins to grow very quickly, dark longitudinal stripes or spots appear on the tip of the beak. The same spots can be on the tips of the claws.
Heart diseases
Most parrots in captivity live in hypodynamia. The most common consequence of this misuse is chronic heart disease.
Parrots and parakeets often develop heart failure. Signs of heart failure in a parrot are: passivity, drowsiness, unwillingness to fly. Parrot owners often describe this condition as "the parrot is too lazy to fly". Remember, flying is the normal and preferred mode of movement for a healthy parrot. A healthy parrot is active, curious, and loud. If the parrot is "lazy" - it means that it lacks the physical endurance to fly, most often this is due to heart failure. Another common symptom of heart failure is, already described above, "pushing food out of the crop"; due to the fact that the blood-filled dilated atria squeeze the esophagus, disrupting the normal passage of food from the goiter to the stomach, so the parrot begins to stretch its neck and yawn.
Heart failure is very common in cockatiels. There is an assumption that cockatiels have a genetic predisposition to heart disease or there are breeding lines where such a predisposition or myocardial defect is inherited.
In Amazons, grays, macaws, cockatoos, kept in conditions of insufficient activity, heart failure begins to manifest itself at the age of 2-3 years, gradually progressing.
The diagnosis is made on the basis of the clinical picture, X-ray (at the same time, distortions in the shape of the heart and dimensions are visible on the X-ray), ECG. The treatment of a parrot for heart failure is complex. It includes identifying chronic infections, adjusting the diet, gradually increasing physical activity, and using specific medications. Treatment lasts a very long time, since the disease itself is usually noticed at a time when the condition of the bird is already very bad.
Another common heart condition in parrots is high blood pressure (hypertension). The reason lies in the improper maintenance and feeding of the parrot. Chronic high blood pressure leads to kidney and liver diseases, a whole series of processes develop that destroy the bird's body. In parrots without plumage on the front of the head (black-haired, macaws), signs of increased pressure are reddening of the skin, hysterical behavior. The treatment is complex, includes a mandatory correction of the diet, conditions of keeping and communication with the bird, conducting courses of special drugs that reduce blood pressure and normalize the functioning of the liver and kidneys.
parasites
Ectoparasites
ixodid ticks
In parrots in poor conditions, a large number of external parasites (ectoparasites) occur. These are ixodid and gamasid ticks. Ixodid ticks attach to the skin of chicks and adult birds. They can be seen with the naked eye as gray "warts", up to 1.5 cm in size. They feed on blood. With a strong degree of ticking, the parrot may die from exhaustion. These ticks are carried by rodents. Also, ixodid ticks can get into an apartment with branches, greenery, hollows from the street. Treatment consists in removing ticks from the parrot with any acaricidal preparations. Those. the parrot must be treated with antiparasitic agents. These ticks can attack humans and other pets.
Gamasid mites
Gamasid mites are very mobile small (up to 1 mm) arthropods of bright red color, which live in the cracks of the walls during the day and in any other places where you can hide from sunlight, attack birds at night. They feed on blood and lymph. They do not linger on the birds themselves for a long time, therefore, during an external examination, these ticks cannot be detected. The problem is relevant for the captive keeping of parrots, although occasionally it also occurs in apartment conditions.
The problem is solved by regular thorough cleaning of rooms with birds, proper organization of bird rooms, and insecticidal preparations that treat the room, not parrots.
Pereeds
Peroyeds (mallophages) of parrots. They feed on feathers and down. Visible to the naked eye as gray and black dashes up to 8 mm in size (usually 2-3 mm) at the feather tip. Perforated holes appear in the feather.
Attention! Smooth transverse stripes on the feather, which are formed from a series of holes, are stress lines. Stress lines have nothing to do with pereater, but these lines indicate other serious health problems in the parrot.
Treatment for pereedov is simple - insecticidal preparations are used, which are applied to the skin of a parrot. But be sure to consult your veterinarian, as some drugs are very toxic if used incorrectly.
flies bloodsuckers
Bloodsucker flies, or moose flies, can also parasitize parrots, especially when kept in aviaries. These flat flies, up to 1 cm in size, move very quickly between feathers and can be seen either during an external examination
of a parrot, or by chance seeing it on a bird.
They usually do not create a big problem, although they disturb the parrot and theoretically can carry various infections.
Treatment for bloodsucker flies consists in treating the parrot with insecticides. One treatment is sufficient. These flies can fly to other pets, theoretically capable of biting a person.
Scabies mites
The most common external parasites of parrots are scabies mites - knemidokoptes. These mites live in the thickness of the skin, drilling passages in it, because of this, the skin thickens and becomes like a honeycomb, growths of various shapes appear.
The mites themselves are only visible under a microscope. This disease is called knemidokoptosis. Most often, budgerigars are sick, less often other types of parrots, although knemidokoptosis has been registered in all types of parrots, including large ones (macaws, cockatoos, Amazons).
Parrot owners most often notice this disease when white growths around the beak become visible (often described as horns around the beak), and when the beak itself is already deformed. It is important to know that along with the skin around the beak, the skin of the paws and the skin in the cloaca area are affected. The disease develops chronically, i.e. the beak does not curve immediately.
It is important to know that cnemidoctosis is a marker that birds are kept in poor conditions and that additional testing is needed to identify co-infections.
The treatment of parrots from knemidokoptosis is simple, it consists in treating the feathered insecticides in the form of sprays, ointments, injections. The most advanced cases of knemidokoptosis require treatment within a month, budgerigars usually manage to cope with this parasitosis in 7-10 days. All growths fall off during the treatment themselves - no need to cut them off.
A severely deformed beak has to be trimmed for a long time after being cured of ticks. It is very important at the beginning of treatment to completely replace everything that can be changed in the cage (perches, toys, swings, etc.), and scald the cage itself, feeders and drinkers well, since scabies mites and their eggs are well preserved on perches and toys and on everything that surrounds the bird.
Exactly the same treatment is carried out after the end of the treatment of the parrot from knemidokoptosis. Those. treatment must be carried out at the beginning and at the end of treatment. For humans and other pets, parrot scabies is not dangerous.
Endoparasites
Parrots, like all other vertebrates, can have a large number of parasites living in the intestines, in the blood or in body cavities.
Giardia is the most common protozoan parasite that infects parrots. Giardia causes the development of giardiasis. Signs of giardiasis of parrots, as is often the case, are nonspecific: lethargy, diarrhea, plucking of feathers under the armpits. Giardiasis is one of the most common causes of self-plucking in cockatiels. This is due to the fact that during giardia, the cockatiels become inflamed, the liver and glandular stomach increase in size - all this is very painful for the parrot, and as a result, the bird begins to pluck itself, trying to get rid of the pain. Giardiasis of parrots is dangerous for both humans and other pets, therefore, during treatment, it is necessary to take precautions and carefully treat the cage and care equipment with disinfectant solutions.
No less common parasitic diseases of parrots are coccidiosis and hexamitosis. These diseases are common in budgerigars, cockatiels, lovebirds. There are no specific signs of these diseases. The diagnosis is made on the basis of laboratory detection of parasites in the litter of sick parrots. These parasites are harmless to humans and other domestic animals.
Worms
White and beige worms are roundworms that have come out and lived in the budgerigar and cockatiel before the use of a course of anthelmintic drugs.
If the parrot has a lot of worms, as in these photos from the Australian Bird Hospital, then the course of anthelmintic drugs should be carried out only under the supervision of a bird doctor, because the mass death of worms after anthelmintics can lead to blockage of the bird's intestines.
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