# Tapeworms advice please!



## plamenh (Aug 11, 2006)

I found tapeworms in my ferals’ bath water this morning. They use this water for drinking too. These are free roaming birds, but most of them are regular daily visitors. Do you think it is worth treating them with Praziquantel? If someone can come with better idea or suggestion please let me know.
*Requirements:*
Safe – I can’t control dosage and may be necessary to repeat treatment in less than two weeks.
Water soluble – no other way of administration hundreds of birds come to feed and I don’t know who gets what. At least water is enough for all and they drink after feeding.


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## jameswaller (Nov 4, 2008)

*just what i was thinking/water supply*



plamenh said:


> I found tapeworms in my ferals’ bath water this morning. They use this water for drinking too. These are free roaming birds, but most of them are regular daily visitors. Do you think it is worth treating them with Praziquantel? If someone can come with better idea or suggestion please let me know.
> *Requirements:*
> Safe – I can’t control dosage and may be necessary to repeat treatment in less than two weeks.
> Water soluble – no other way of administration hundreds of birds come to feed and I don’t know who gets what. At least water is enough for all and they drink after feeding.


you will most likely have to lace the drinking water supply (not too strong a dose)-but in say a week they should all have got some,..have you ever tried piperazine citrate-250mg per teaspoon-/liquid dewormer,,made by pro pet otc-safeway riteaid,walmart,etc./4fl oz.bottle,grape flavored,,but make sur and match up the dreaded worm to the proper medicine,,sincerely james waller


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## John_D (Jan 24, 2002)

Moxidectin Plus (but not the 'ordinary' Moxidectin) will deal with tapeworm, but it's always going to be somewhat hit n miss with a non-confined flock treatment, due as you say to not knowing what they get where


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## spirit wings (Mar 29, 2008)

you can use worm-out gel in the water, if you can supply that they may drink, so you can treat them that way.


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## feralpigeon (Feb 14, 2005)

jameswaller said:


> you will most likely have to lace the drinking water supply (not too strong a dose)-but in say a week they should all have got some,..have you ever tried piperazine citrate-250mg per teaspoon-/liquid dewormer,,made by pro pet otc-safeway riteaid,walmart,etc./4fl oz.bottle,grape flavored,,but make sur and match up the dreaded worm to the proper medicine,,sincerely james waller


Piperazine citrate is for roundworms only, tapeworms are considered a flatworm. I would go w/products containing Praziquantel which targets tapeworms, John's suggestion would be a good consideration, wormout gel
does contain Oxfendazole which is a derivative of fenbendazole.

fp


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## plamenh (Aug 11, 2006)

I presently use Piperazine Citrate, Praziquantel, Pyrantel Pamoate and Ivermectin based de-wormers. I use them for individual treatment. I’m not familiar with Moxidectin Plus and worm-out gel, but I’ll check on these products. I need to pick safest one as there are nestlings too.
I know that it will be shooting in the dark, to treat feral flock, but most of them are nesting on my palm tree and as I provide them with food they mop around my yard whole day. We are talking 20~30 regular birds. It is winter time here in South Africa and it’s very dry. No much water sources around except dishes I leave for birds.
I’m counting on this plus that not all birds have tapeworms (hopefully). If I treat for two days, then week after again for two days and week after again I hope to get some results at least some relief. 
Thank you all for help and support, I’m planning this operation for this weekend, any other suggestions are welcome.


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## george simon (Feb 28, 2006)

plamenh said:


> I found tapeworms in my ferals’ bath water this morning. They use this water for drinking too. These are free roaming birds, but most of them are regular daily visitors. Do you think it is worth treating them with Praziquantel? If someone can come with better idea or suggestion please let me know.
> *Requirements:*
> Safe – I can’t control dosage and may be necessary to repeat treatment in less than two weeks.
> Water soluble – no other way of administration hundreds of birds come to feed and I don’t know who gets what. At least water is enough for all and they drink after feeding.


*Hi PLAMENH, I have the book FIT TO WIN by Dr. Wim Peters of Somerset West, SOUTH AFRICA. I will quote from his book "Treatment and control: Many drugs have been used successfully for the control of tapeworms in human and animal medicine. Unfortunately very little work has been done on cestodes in pigeons and birds and we have to experiment with medications used in other fields. We have found niclosamide(Lintex) and praziquantel(Droncit, Mediworm) to be effective.............................The lifecycle of the tapeworms must be broken and,as pigeons avidly seek out snails, they must be denied all access to the living area of the molluscs. Failire to achive this, results inimmediate reinfestation. ...............................The pigeons must at no time, be allowed access to grassed areas or other areas where the snails are found. The most satisfactory control consists in keeping pigeons in the loft when not flying." end of quote. ........ I know that you are working with ferals and that you realy have no control over where they (the ferals) go, so as I see it you are fighting a losing battle, BUT WE MUST KEEP TRYING * GEORGE


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## plamenh (Aug 11, 2006)

Thank you George.
Funny enough, my neighbor from across the street has parrots. He keeps them in closed aviaries, de-worms them every three months and his birds are full every single time??? In three years period, I’ve seen two birds with worms and I treat every single bird for parasites. Ok I want to clear ferals, but they are sort of my birds or at lest I’m feeling responsible. Tomorrow they will be with worms again, but I will not stop eating just because tomorrow I’ll be hungry again. 
I have one more serious dilemma – what if by administration of these drugs I create resistant to medications tapeworm???
This is something that I will appreciate your opinions too. I know that Piperazine Citrate is not so effective in some parts of the world because it was in use for so long that worms are used to it.


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## FreeFlyer (Jul 21, 2009)

Are most of these de-wormers the same that are used for dogs? I read somewhere that you could use dog dewormers for pigeons in small dosages.


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## Jay3 (May 4, 2008)

plamenh said:


> I have one more serious dilemma – what if by administration of these drugs I create resistant to medications tapeworm???
> This is something that I will appreciate your opinions too. I know that Piperazine Citrate is not so effective in some parts of the world because it was in use for so long that worms are used to it.


That is why we change around the medications that we worm with. So that the worms do not become resistant to a medication. It's better to treat them a couple of times, and then change to the other medication. Keep rotating medications this way.


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