# Need advice on deworming



## SilverFeral (Dec 15, 2015)

Hello,

I need your advice on how to proceed. Vets in Montenegro are having trouble helping me with this one. 

I have 2 adult pigeons. One is disabled feral living on my balcony and in my house and the other is injured pigeon that was hit by a car and had to have his leg amputated - currently healing on my balcony and sleeping in a cage in the house. 

The disabled pigeon was dewormed with levamisole about 10 days ago and he had worms which he pooped out. During this process he was not the happiest pigeon in the world, he vomited, had loose stool and continued to eat small seeds for some time after that. The dose I gave him was spot on, I got his weight and got the amount of levamisol just right. Now he recovered and finally has normal poop. The injured pigeon was septic upon arrival and was on antibiotics for 13 days, first enrofloxacin then tylosine. During this process he had normal poop and was receiving probiotics for humans - no bird ones here. On day 12 he started pooping out undigested seeds. I gave him probiotics, ACV water, digestive yogurt, kefir, all over the course of 5 days trying to help him. I hand fed him peas and pigeon pellets. His poop improved. There are still undigested things but I think it is better (hard to see when he is eating peas and pellets thou). This morning I found poop on the balcony and a whole tapeworm in there. Big nasty tapeworm. The rest of the poops are completely OK no eggs no nothing. Just 2 watery droppings and a tapeworm in one, still alive.

So my question:
1. can levamisole kill tapeworm, if not what do you suggest?
2. is it safe to deworm the disabled pigeon again?
3. is it safe to deworm a pigeon that has such big problem with digestion (injured one)?
4. is it safe to wait when pigeon pooped out a tapeworm? To wait until they are better.
5. Is it possible that injured pigeon is not digesting anything and the tapeworm just went out because there is no food and pigeon is going to die??? He is puffed up but also eats seeds, drinks, preens etc.
6. Is there a natural way to safely deworm or help in this situation and not get them to feel worse?

BTW the disabled pigeon ate a lot of shelled sunflower seeds. Can it be he manage to clean his gut with this? he acts perfect and eats very well. I can check individual poops after the night as both sleep separately.

Thank you


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## Skyeking (Jan 17, 2003)

*Pigeons do best with pigeon friendly wormers, like Moxidectin plus or Ivermectin, Pigeon specific wormers that have pyrantel pamoate and praziquantel are safe for pigeons and will work on threadworms, roundworms and tapeworms. Check your local pigeon supply houses, or ones on internet. The one you use causes side effects like vomiting which is very bad for pigeons.

If you find undigested seeds in poop you might try some digestive enzymes. *


*Has the bird gained any weight? Is the keel/breast bone sharp? that will determine if the bird is digesting.*

6. Is there a natural way to safely deworm or help in this situation and not get them to feel worse?* You can use garlic as a safer alternative for a wormer for now, it is used mostly as a preventive, you can also use a tiny bit of diatomaceous earth on seed to kill worms. Do follow up with probiotics *

*Sunflower seeds have a lot of fat in them and can cause them issues with liver, they should be eating a good pigeon seed mix, and fat containing seeds should only be 2 to 4% of their diet. 

It might be best to discuss each bird and their prior history/issues and medicine on seperate threads, so it is not confusing. *


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## SilverFeral (Dec 15, 2015)

In whole Montenegro there is just levamisole and nothing else. No enzymes for birds, no diatomaceous earth. Is there some other enzymes I might use, some human medication I can look for?

I feed pigeon seed mix but just for one day I gave them sunflower seeds as a treat. I know they are very fatty and bad for the bird in long term, but they has a feast one day. I got some good quality organic one so we all shared 

The injured pigeon was very thin when he arrived because he was injured on the street for who knows how long. He was completely covered in mud, sand, grass etc. Now he is also thin so it is hard to tell.

How to prepare garlic for deworming?


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## Skyeking (Jan 17, 2003)

*Are you giving the birds pigeon grit to help digest seed in crop?

You can actually use garlic clove, and crush just before using and add to gallon of drinking water. Use smaller amount for small bowls and make fresh each day. Start small and give them only as much in their water that they will drink, because if it is too much they may refuse to drink. Put this in their water twice a week.

You can also use human grade garlic caps, the small ones.

Keep hand feeding the injured pigeon as he needs supplements until he gains weight. Keep track of weight gain.*


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## SilverFeral (Dec 15, 2015)

Pigeons at all time have food (pigeon mix), grit (also for pigeons, actually grit plus redstone, if I can find I also give them red grit), water to which I sometimes add vitamin and mineral supplements. I deworm 2 times a year with levamisole because it is very hard on the birds.

I usually never have problem with worms but both pigeons are recent arrivals and they came in full of them. 

I will try with garlic. Thank you.


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