Health guide
Parasites
Pigeons may carry internal parasites such as roundworms, hairworms, tapeworms and coccidia, or external parasites such as mites, lice and pigeon flies.
How to recognise it
- Internal parasites: Weight loss, poor condition, diarrhoea or abnormal droppings despite continued appetite, unexpected findings of worms, pieces of the worm, or worm eggs.
- External parasites: Itching, damaged feathers, visible insects, pale tissues or thick scaly skin on feet and cere.
- A light parasite burden may cause no obvious signs, while heavy infection can be life-threatening.
Usual treatment approach
- Faecal microscopy, skin scraping or direct identification determines which parasite is present; one product does not treat them all.
- A veterinarian selects the species-appropriate antiparasitic and timing, taking age, weight, moult and breeding status into account.
- Para parasitos externos (NO en neonatos, solo en adultos o juveniles completamente emplumados y estado de salud estable) se suele usar la ivermectina, tetrametrina, permetrina... las marcas mas conocidas que tienen un producto especifico para palomas son Menforsan, Tabernil, Pulmomectine, Diptron...
- For internal parasites (NOT in neonates, only to be used in full-fledged birds in stable medical conditions) look out for pigeon-specific deworming products or ask your vet or expert rehabber how to calculate the dosage from other animals' (but non-toxic in pigeons) medication (like the febantel, pirantel and praziquantel used in dogs). It usually takes a second dose a few weeks later to ensure no eggs or surviving worms are left behind.
- DO NOT USE FEBENDAZOLE, if your vet prescribes it, please show them these sources and try to find a different treatment: study + UK prohibition for creating pigeon products containing febendazole.
- https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/17089995/ + https://www.gov.uk/government/news/removal-of-the-active-substance-fenbendazole-for-use-in-pigeons-from-schedule-6-exemption-for-small-pet-animals
- Clean housing, replace contaminated bedding and treat the environment when the parasite life cycle requires it.
Sources and further reading