# Little bugs on bird



## BirdHelpZimo (Sep 20, 2015)

I was holding the pigeon I'm rescuing today and he has maybe 5-10 little bugs on him. They are maybe half a cm and really skinny. What are these? What do I do?


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## wiggles and puddles (Sep 3, 2015)

probably lice. permethrin dip is best, if he is over a moth old. "martin's permethrin 10%" can be found at any farm store or online like amazon. you use 1 tablespoon per 1 gallon of warm water as a dip for the bird. be sure not to get his face or let it get in his nostrils. soak for about a minute. you can also use this solution combination as a spray for the birds living area, as odds are the bugs are there as well. when he poos check for worms. if he sheds feathers and has blood at the tip, he might have mites. ivermectin is the best treatment for that.


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## Jay3 (May 4, 2008)

Pick up a bird spray for mites and lice at any pet shop. They work. Also Seven 5% garden dust. Just don't get it in his face. Use a cotton ball to powder under tail and wings and around body, but not near his face.


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## RamseyRingnecks (Jun 18, 2013)

Long feather lice. The good news is that they don't drink blood or eat feathers. They actually feed on dander, so drops won't effect them.

Permethrin works very well to get rid of them.


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## BirdHelpZimo (Sep 20, 2015)

*Ivermectin*

So, I talked to the avian vet tech that has been kind enough to help me out for free and she recommended an injectible ivermectin. It looks like this pigeon has the long skinny feather lice and maybe some type of mites (little tiny pinprick sized yellowish bugs). Will the injectible ivermectin help both of these issues or should I do the borax dip too?

I have other pets and I don't want these bugs to get on everything!

Thanks!!


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## Jay3 (May 4, 2008)

Just get a bird spray from the pet shop and spray the bird. Very easy. Or get Seven 5% garden dust from any grain place or hardware store and powder the bird. Just keep it away from his face. It's been 2 days and your are complicating it, but have done nothing.
The injectable won't touch the lice, and you don't need that.


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## BirdHelpZimo (Sep 20, 2015)

Jay3 said:


> Just get a bird spray from the pet shop and spray the bird. Very easy. Or get Seven 5% garden dust from any grain place or hardware store and powder the bird. Just keep it away from his face. It's been 2 days and your are complicating it, but have done nothing.
> The injectable won't touch the lice, and you don't need that.


So talking to my vet and getting the injection she recommended by driving to her house on a Sunday when the clinic isn't open is doing nothing... I don't appreciate the rude comment... I am VERY new to this and looking for advice.


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## RamseyRingnecks (Jun 18, 2013)

BirdHelpZimo said:


> So talking to my vet and getting the injection she recommended by driving to her house on a Sunday when the clinic isn't open is doing nothing... I don't appreciate the rude comment... I am VERY new to this and looking for advice.


I don't think the comment was rude. Just very straight forward.

Driving to talk to the vet tec was not doing nothing. Obviously, you were trying to get your bird treated.

The tec just gave you bad advice and offered a product that will only do half the job and is very easy to OD.

Injectable ivermectin basically makes the bird's skin and blood toxic to the parasites for a while. It will kill the mites, who suck blood, but it won't even touch the lice, who eat dander.

Being both a breeder and a foster both for wild life rehab and animal services, I have to be very careful about parasites.

Foys carries two excellent products for bugs. Endo-ecto drops and aviosecticide from aviomeds have srved my birds very well.

Endo ecto drops are absorbed through the skin to kill worms in the gut and blood sucking parasites.

Aviosecticide kills external parasites on contact.


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## Jay3 (May 4, 2008)

BirdHelpZimo said:


> So talking to my vet and getting the injection she recommended by driving to her house on a Sunday when the clinic isn't open is doing nothing... I don't appreciate the rude comment... I am VERY new to this and looking for advice.


I wasn't trying to be rude. Just saying that this is a small problem, and you have had several things suggested to you for 2 days, and you are still looking for answers. You need to treat the bird, and the sooner the better. Injections are not needed for parasites on the bird, so why not pick up one of the things we have suggested. They all work. New has nothing to do with it.


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## BirdHelpZimo (Sep 20, 2015)

You're right - I guess I am just over-reacting because I want to do what is best for my new friend... Thank you for the tips and help you've suggested.

I'm getting some spray in the morning when the store opens up.


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## Jay3 (May 4, 2008)

The sprays work well. Get him good under the wings and tail. Then the back and belly.


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## wiggles and puddles (Sep 3, 2015)

It might serve him well if he gets the drops as well, a week or so after the spray. If he has lice and mites I would bet he needs to be wormed as well. I would get the drops RamseyRingnecks recommended. It is good to have on hand, at the very least. 

Would you all agree?

If you do worm your bird, remember that you will need to re-treat 2 weeks later to treat what may not have been hatched during the initial dose.

Remember that when you spray your bird you will need to spray his living environment or your will be repeating this process again. 

Best of luck. This really is a small problem and easy to take care of. You will be fine, and your bird will be very happy once this is all over. And you can re-gain your peace of mind.


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