Most common diseases in parakeets
The, also known as common parakeets, are one of the bearsmen that has been in our homes for the longest years, few people can say that they have never entered a house where two of these colorful birds were located.
- Although we associate them with longevity and sociability.
- Life in captivity also has its negative consequences and it is increasingly common to find these birds as patients in veterinary clinics.
- There are countless pathologies that appear for inadequate attention.
- Then.
- In this article.
- Animal Expert summarizes the most common diseases in parakeets and how to prevent them.
The mite of the genus cnemidocoptes is responsible for this disease so common in parakeets, which causes hyperkeratosis or thickening of the skin of the legs and wax of the beak.
Skin proliferation can give the feeling of “dandruff in the legs”, as mentioned in the peritoAnimal article on mites in canaries, and can deform the animal’s beak if it progresses without treatment.
A scratch of the lesions allows this mite to be observed under a microscope, which helps to diagnose with the characteristic lions.
Ivermectin is usually the most effective treatment and can be given intramuscularly, subcutaneously or even orally; in cases where scabies are localized or at an earlier stage, it can be applied locally and spread in a given oil, such as tea tree oil, but it is more difficult to control the exact dose with this method, at risk of overdose.
Repeated treatment may be recommended after a few weeks, sometimes with a third application.
Lack of iodine in the diet can affect parakeets that consume only a small variety of seed mixtures, especially when the most abundant fraction is corn; iodine scarcity over time can lead to a lack of this fundamental element in the synthesis of thyroid hormones through the thyroid.gland, that is, secondary hypothyroidism.
The gland enlarges in an attempt to maintain thyroid hormone production, causing the typical bulging disc in the neck.There may be a “neck bump” and changes in the voice, shortness of breath, food regurgitation, due to excessive thyroid growth that causes compression.of the trachea and esophagus.
Iodine supplementation in drinking water in the form of lugol drops simultaneously with a diet change is generally sufficient, it is important to remember that when adding medications to the water, we should not give too much prick or lettuce to the parakeet, as they contain a lot of liquids, which will eliminate the need to use the water cooler.
A varied diet, in which the animal is prevented from choosing what it likes the most, is essential to prevent the development of this disease so common in parakeets, some vegetables contain enough iodine, so providing the animal with these foods two or three times a week helps prevent the onset of this problem, as well as promoting a balanced diet , spinach can be an interesting option to give your parakeet two or three times a week, always removing what you don’t eat after a while and avoiding abuse., confirm the list of fruits and vegetables for parakeets.
Chlamydia psittaci infection can be subclinical, as our parakeets have no symptoms.It usually develops after stress situations (overcrowding, environmental changes, illnesses, poor hygiene …).This bacteria is excreted in faeces, urine, nasopharyngeal and nasal secretions, and can cause chronic carriers that intermittently remove it, transmit it to the environment, contaminating their counterparts.
Respiratory and sometimes liver signs are indicative, among other things, of this infection:
For diagnosis, observation of clinical signs and specific tests are combined, such as a serological test that measures the increase of immunoglobulins M, or a laboratory technique called PCR that highlights the genetic material of the bacteria present in the faeces and the parakeet exudate of the parakeet..
Blood sampling is often very helpful, as it is possible to observe an increase in leukocytes and, in biochemistry, liver parameters are generally high, not all chlamydia infections are of the same severity, depending on the type of bacteria (there are different subspecies in what we call chlamydia) and often becomes a chronic infection in the form of constant respiratory problems For example.
The use of doxycycline, an antibiotic in the tetracycline family, is the most effective treatment known to treat this disease so common in parakeets, should be administered for about 45 days and an intramuscular injection of the compound may be applied, although it presents a high risk of tissue damage (necrosis). It is only used in more severe cases where more aggressive initial treatment is required. Still, if there is no other form, you can opt for an injection of doxycycline every 7 days, for 7 consecutive weeks., in the pectoral muscles.
The preferred treatment method is the oral route, directly in the mouthpiece with doxycycline syrup, or add the powder solution that results from crushing the doxycycline tablets in the seed mixture, using a little solvent for the powder to adhere to the surface of the seeds.
It is essential to avoid stress, lack of hygiene, overcrowding of birds and the introduction of new specimens without quarantine or of unknown origin, and cleanliness is once again a key ally at this point.
We recall that people who work with groups of birds, veterinarians or people in direct contact with parakeets (owners of a large group), may be affected by this bacterium, so it is considered zoonotic.
It is not usual to have internal parasitosis in our pet parakeets, but it can be seen in birds that live in seaplanes with land soil and a high number of birds.
As with all birds, egg-laying problems can occur, such as chronic egg-laying problems or shell formation problems that cause the egg to rupture in the abdomen and consequent peritonitis.
Chronic posture is complicated to resolve, you can try to reduce the hours of light by moving the female away from the male (without seeing or hearing it), but the most effective is usually a hormonal implant that inhibits the hypothalamus-pituitary-adrenal axis.In other words, the activity of the ovary ceases. It lasts a few months, is variable and requires sedation for its implementation, but is sometimes the only remedy for this dangerous alteration.
The consequences of dystocia (inability to lay eggs), because the egg is too large, the breakage of the egg inside the abdomen by weakness of the shell, causes peritonitis, which causes an emergency in all cases and few birds get away with it.
As clinical signs, we usually observe bloating, anorexia, apathy, lethargy …all very nonspecific who required a follow-up examination carried out by the veterinarian to detect their origin to perform the most appropriate treatment, although the prognosis in these cases is not very favorable.
Although not as common as other parrots, parakeets can also suffer from biting and collect their own feathers.
This article is for informational purposes only, in Animal Expert.com.br we cannot prescribe veterinary treatments or make any type of diagnosis, we suggest that you take your pet to the veterinarian in case of any condition or discomfort.
If you would like to read articles similar to, we recommend that you visit our Other Health Problems section.