# "Going Light" - What is it?



## pdpbison (Mar 15, 2005)

Hi everyone,


I sometimes get in very 'light' Pigeons which do not seem to respond well to any of the medicines I am using...they live, they improve, but remain very light-weight.


Now, these, I have treated for Worms, including Tapeworms...and...also, had them on various antibiotics.


Any advice?

Ideas?


Successes you can share?




Phil
l v


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## jbangelfish (Mar 22, 2008)

*Hi Phil*

Going light is nothing specific but often refers to birds that have something like coccidiosis or paratyphoid (or something else) that is causing them to become emaciated, usually dehydration from loose stools.

Bill


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## Grimaldy (Feb 25, 2007)

Hi Phil,

The "light"birds all seem to be young females too. Is that your experience as well?


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## Charis (Feb 11, 2007)

The underlying cause may be Coccidia. Also, if you worm, it's important to follow up with a second worming 10- 14 days later and then repeat every 6 months.


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## ohiogsp (Feb 24, 2006)

Charis said:


> The underlying cause may be Coccidia. Also, if you worm, it's important to follow up with a second worming 10- 14 days later and then repeat every 6 months.



This is exactly my thought. There is some theory that says "it is always the most common thing". Cocci is extremely common even if you treat for it. Alot of the meds out there just don't work good or people just don't use it right or the dose needs increased. Some of this stuff is resiliant (sp) and when they got cocci bad they go light and die. This is exactly what happens cause the parisite is sucking blood from the intestine walls. Without checking your bird with a microscope you will never know but I can tell you this that almost all pigeons have cocci and it is just a matter of if they have enough to become harmfull or not. I was doing weekly checks on my and my buddies birds this year racing and this is a pretty big problem. Oh, and if you race birds and ship them with levels of more than 10-15 oocyts per field of view you will probably never see them again.


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## risingstarfans (Sep 13, 2008)

All too many pigeon people overmedicate their birds. "Going Light" is a symptom, not a disease. Every pigeon has both good and bad bacteria, and they also have viruses in their systems. By overmedicating, one kills all of these. Then, guess what? they lose natural immunity, and the least stress (Racing or days in a show pen,etc.) combined with the reintroduction of one of the nasties, they get sick, and show strange sympoms, of which going light is just one.

Personally, I treat my birds just before the breeding season with 4 in 1 antibiotics, and worm them twice a year and alternate the kinds of wormers. And then, I use a disinfectant called Virkon S annually to disinfect the loft, and a small dosage monthly IN THE DRINKING WATER, contrary to the label instructions. Result, in my experience over the last five years: No sick birds, and near 100% liveability of young. Fertility increased by 25% or more, always an issue with fantails, and have only lost one adult during that time, a sudden death with no apparent symptoms due, I think, to genetic defect.


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## Pegasus (Feb 6, 2007)

*Not an advice but a Suggestions:*

When I want my pigeons to gain weight I buy "Chicken Pellets", good source of protein and put weight especially with young squabs...I also learn from Hawkbait Loft that mixing feed with vegetable oil will put some weight too, so I tried and the result is great...


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## corvid (Oct 16, 2008)

Hi Phil

The only think I know about chronic emaciation over 12 to 18 month period in birds, without showing some other "strange symptoms" would be :

1) Megabacteria

2)Mycobacterium - 

Nell


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## Maggie-NC (Jun 22, 2005)

Phil, I'll join in with the others and say coccidiosis and worms are usually the culprits.


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## pdpbison (Mar 15, 2005)

Hi Corvid,



Yes...good call...


Darn it...I need to learn to use my wonderful Microsope...and, to learn to do 'cultures'...


Of course, 'going light' can be any of hundreds of possibly different things...


Some of these things possibly require unusual medicines-regimens...


Phil
l v


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## corvid (Oct 16, 2008)

Phil , you did mentioned about situations , were , you did use antbiotics, dewormers, and meds for Coccidia, and , you still have a bird, which did not die, did improved, but after some time did not gained anything, you know that he has something, you just cant pinpoint , what is it, cause you did everything , you did learn to do, and ...there he is...light weght altghou eating .  Megabacterium is shed in the feces and can be detected by gram-stained samples from severly afected birds.
Megabacteria is resistant to all antibiotics. Lactobacillus may lower the pH of the gastrointestinal tract and may help. Also as a control mesure - to prevent - acidifying water with HCL ??
Mycobacterium- althoug tretment is not recomended due to the continuous shedding of the organizm,there it is some drug combinations:
Azithromycin, 43mg/kg;ethambutol,56-85mg/kg;rifabutin,56mg/kg PO SID
Clarithromycin,85mg/kg;ethambutol,56-85mg/kg; rifabutin 56mg/kg PO SID
Either of the above with a fluoroquinolone 15 mg/kg PO BID, or aminoglycoside 15mg/kg PO BID

Either of the first two with clofazamine 6-12mg/kg PO BID

Nell.


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## pdpbison (Mar 15, 2005)

Hi Nell,



Ahhhhh...very interesting...


I was not familiar with 'megabacterium' at all...


Thank you..!


Phil
l v


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## Joe Black (Nov 21, 2012)

Interesting subject even do the post is a few years old. I have a few birds that eat and seem healthy but never gain any weight. I have de-warmed them before but no improvement. Will be interesting to hear your findings "pdpbison"


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## Chuck K (Jan 12, 2013)

Joe Black said:


> Interesting subject even do the post is a few years old. I have a few birds that eat and seem healthy but never gain any weight. I have de-warmed them before but no improvement. Will be interesting to hear your findings "pdpbison"


All the earlier posts point to coccidiosis but that has not been my experience. Most of the birds I have had go light were suffering from paratyphoid. If the case is mild the birds recover but will always carry the disease, and will always have problems holding weight, and the full blown disease seems to frequently flare back up to eventually kill them. Paratyphoid also compromises the birds immune system to the point may other of the nasties like coccidiousis and canker become a problem.

I would treat a bird that would not gain weight with Sulmet for 21 days. I had a Racing Homer hen and a roller hen that I got at a trade day that both were carrying paratyhoid. I picked them up knowing they were sick and isolated them. With the 21 day Sulmet treatment they both recovered and put on weight.


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## Skyeking (Jan 17, 2003)

*May I add, (and yes, I know this is a real old thread) Any kind of antibiotics and/or meds can also destroy good gut bacteria, and that is crucial to immunities and weight gain, when birds are soaking the paper towels completely underneath them-like puddles,. They are pretty void of good gut bacteria and stress didn't help. 

Therefore it is imperative to not only hand feed birds to get weight back on, but give daily probiotics in their most viable form, yogurt (cultured) got best results. The gut flora was completely replenished and weight gain came back quicker. *


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## Cherkurvijay (Apr 29, 2021)

corvid said:


> Phil , you did mentioned about situations , were , you did use antbiotics, dewormers, and meds for Coccidia, and , you still have a bird, which did not die, did improved, but after some time did not gained anything, you know that he has something, you just cant pinpoint , what is it, cause you did everything , you did learn to do, and ...there he is...light weght altghou eating .  Megabacterium is shed in the feces and can be detected by gram-stained samples from severly afected birds.
> Megabacteria is resistant to all antibiotics. Lactobacillus may lower the pH of the gastrointestinal tract and may help. Also as a control mesure - to prevent - acidifying water with HCL ??
> Mycobacterium- althoug tretment is not recomended due to the continuous shedding of the organizm,there it is some drug combinations:
> Azithromycin, 43mg/kg;ethambutol,56-85mg/kg;rifabutin,56mg/kg PO SID
> ...


My birds are also with the same symptoms from past two years, have done everything possible from antibiotics to wormers,also treated for coccidiosis, fungal infection.
Anyone having experience, kindly share.
Waiting for valuable remedy ?


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## Edward Rodriguez (1 mo ago)

Due to cost of feed I switched to Chicken laying pellets (Dumor) all Flock pellets. Both have pro & prebiotics in them. And more oils and supplements than pigeon feed.
Pigeons eat only their favorite seed. And leave the rest. Hard to get a balance diet that way. Babies and Breeders immune systems come out stronger. More messy. But the birds are healthy. Plus a bag of whole corn in the mix.


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