# Coccidiosis



## snowpetals (Mar 29, 2012)

A week ago I noticed a pair of my pigeons acting very aggressively in the loft and they brutally scalped one of my squeakers. So I proceeded to separate them and a couple of days later the pair had horribly runny bright green droppings. 

I've been using Sulmet, but apparently too late as I lost the cock bird this morning. It was heartbreaking, the hen did not want me to remove him and after I did so she was carrying a feather from him around in her beak. 

Her droppings are still very runny and very green so I'm hoping she pulls through the night. I've given her ACV and garlic oil in addition to the Sulmet.

As for the rest of my loft, there doesn't seem to be any signs of cocci and I'm hesitant to give them Sulmet as I'm not sure if this will affect the birds on eggs and the squeakers negatively so right now I am doing garlic, probiotics, ACV and vitamins in their water. Does anyone know if this drug negatively affects the young? 

As for some good news anyway...the scalped squeaker is healing wonderfully after I applied aloe to the wound and feathers are already starting to grow back.

Where there is death there is life I guess...


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## Charis (Feb 11, 2007)

Please bring the hen inside and follow these steps...
Also how much Sulmet are you giving,The dose for pigeons is different than the instructions for chickens.

http://www.pigeons.biz/forums/f20/basic-steps-to-saving-the-life-of-a-pigeon-or-dove-11265.html


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## snowpetals (Mar 29, 2012)

She is in the garage with a heat lamp


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## Charis (Feb 11, 2007)

What dose are you giving her?
Have you any other medications?
Is she eating?


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## snowpetals (Mar 29, 2012)

Unfortunately no all I have on hand right now is sulmet. Im giving her a tsp its a small container of water...she is eating


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## Charis (Feb 11, 2007)

So you are giving her a teaspoon of water with sulmet in it or straight sulmet. If you mixed it...what how much medicine to how much water?


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## snowpetals (Mar 29, 2012)

A tsp for approximately 1/2 quart. This is the 2nd dose. Just went and checked on her she is walking around and her feathers aren't fluffed up and she's not looking as droopy.


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## Charis (Feb 11, 2007)

The pigeon dose is 1 teaspoon per gallon and let them drink as they want for 5 days. Is she drinking on her own?
How do you know it's coccidia?


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## Charis (Feb 11, 2007)

Have a look inside her mouth tomorrow...one of the signs of coccicia is a pale mouth...almost gray in color.
Is her poop stinky?


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## Bella_F (Nov 29, 2008)

Snowpetals ,

This kind of enteritis can be caused by a few different ailments such as coccidia, ecoli, & salmonella . The sulmet can help with all of these to some degree, but it is weakest as a medicine for coccidia, and if your bird has Salmonella, Baytril is usually better. 

Regarding coccidia and Sulmet generally, the way it works is Sulmet interferes with the reproduction of coccidia parasites, but doesn't kill the existing parasites. Since these parasites live for 28 days, sometimes you get lucky and during treatment with Sulmet, enough of the adults die off naturally during that time for the bird to gradually improve. But you can get unlucky, where most of them will still be alive at the end of treatment, or the infestation is too advanced to work this way. So it can be hit and miss.

Something I started doing myself personally over the past 9 months when I suspect Coccidia, is to first treat with Amprolium. Amprolium kills the coccidia parasites and you will see a rapid improvement in the droppings very quickly after treatment, if its coccidia you are dealing with. It is possible to treat with antibiotics during this period too, in case you have co-infection or a bacterial infection instead of coccidia like you suspect.


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## snowpetals (Mar 29, 2012)

I could be wrong but the symptoms all seemed to point to cocci. I examined the cock after he died and the inside of his mouth was discolored (like a light gray) and there was blood coming from his nostrils. The hen is responding well to the heat lamp and sulmet so far...I will reduce the dose but she is not drinking much as it is. Should I drip some directly down her throat? If so, how much thanks


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## Bella_F (Nov 29, 2008)

snowpetals said:


> I could be wrong but the symptoms all seemed to point to cocci. I examined the cock after he died and the inside of his mouth was discolored (like a light gray) and there was blood coming from his nostrils. The hen is responding well to the heat lamp and sulmet so far...I will reduce the dose but she is not drinking much as it is. Should I drip some directly down her throat? If so, how much thanks


You could definitely be right. The good response to the Sulmet could also mean she has a bacterial infection , as its an excellent broad spectrum antibiotic; in fact Sulmet is better for treating bacterial infections than coccidia. What I really like about it personally is it can ease the symptoms of coccidia too, which makes it unique as an antibiotic, and so useful when you have to treat broadly due to lack of tests.

As far as I've been able to research, the dosage for sulmet is 5-7ml per gallon (4.5 liters). I did some maths, and this works out to be one drop (0.05ml) for individual pigeon dosing.


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## snowpetals (Mar 29, 2012)

What do you think of treating the loft? Is sulmet safe for squeakers and hens on eggs? Do you think the garlic and cider is a good preventative?


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## Charis (Feb 11, 2007)

Great math, Bella. 
I don't think the garlic and cider will hurt but if you have sick birds you need to have the basic medications for bacteria, canker, coccidia and worms. When pigeons get sick, most often it's more than just one thing ailing them.
How old are the squeakers? Are they thriving? It would be okay to treat the hens on eggs.


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## snowpetals (Mar 29, 2012)

I have to buy all my meds online and it can be expensive but I'm going to order some more different kinds this week. Any you reccomend that I have on hand at all times? The selection online is overwhelming. Squeakers are 1 month old but some eggs will be hatching this week.
Thank you guys for all your help this is the first pigeon I've ever lost and its been hard


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## Charis (Feb 11, 2007)

Parastop 100ml, also sold in 50ml, can be used as an individual treatment or as a flock treatment. It will treat bacterial infections such as salmonella,E.Coli, etc.

http://www.globalpigeon.com/index.php?cPath=24_56&osCsid=r0fihn174nanajtbj1s6b8b1i2

Metronidazole for canker. This one for flock treatment.

http://www.globalpigeon.com/index.php?cPath=24_54&sort=2a&page=2


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## Charis (Feb 11, 2007)

At a different supply...
Coximed for individual treatment..

http://www.jedds.com/-strse-Medicine->>-Coccidiosis-cln-Diclazuril/Categories.bok

wormer

http://www.jedds.com/Detail.bok?cat...ntel+++Ivermectin&no=1775&searchpath=12490364

Medtrich for individual treatment of canker.

http://www.jedds.com/-strse-Medicine->>-Canker-cln-Metronidazole/Categories.bok


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## Charis (Feb 11, 2007)

I know it seems like a lot of money to put out but you will be happy you did when there is another illness in your loft. Most medicines are good for a couple of years, even longer, past the expiration date....so don't throw out a mediciation just because it is expired.
Individual treatment is always the best course because then you know all birds have received the amount of medicine needed for a cure.
Don't buy any medication that is a cure all such as 3 in 1, 4 in 1, 5 in 1, etc. They are worthless, a waste of money. The don't have enough of any one medicine to do much of anything but cause a resistance.
Finally, there are recommended dosages on each medicine. I adapt them differently, such as...1 meditrich is not adequate for a cure of canker. Most often, with severe canker, a dose of 1/2 pill for 7 days or longer is needed. Do keep in mind that each individual dose should be based upon the weight of the bird being treated. Point being...ask us for dosing help.


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## Bella_F (Nov 29, 2008)

That was really excellent advice from Charis.

Snowpetal,

I work the same way that Charis decribed when I don't have Vet tests to confirm an illness. Normally when the pigeon has enteritis, I'd treat with a combination of: Antibiotic- Canker Med- Coccidia med (all of the ones Charis named are good) . And if the bird is on the mend, I'll usually worm it a week or two into treatment. I have a higher success rate with healing sick pigeons this way, rather than treating for only one possible illness at a time. 

If your lady pigeon continues to respond well to the Sulmet and you want to continue with it, then one possible way you could knock the coccidia on the head is to dose like this over the 28 day cycle: 

Dose for ten days, then stop for 8 days, then dose for ten days again. This way the adult coccidia parasites will be completely unable to breed during their 28 day life cycle, and they will naturally die out in the host (your pigeon). This is a long winded way to treat coccidia and wouldn't be so great for a bad case. But so long as your bird is improving on Sulmet, then this would be a suitable treatment.


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## Msfreebird (Sep 23, 2007)

snowpetals said:


> I have to buy all my meds online and it can be expensive but I'm going to order some more different kinds this week. Any you reccomend that I have on hand at all times? The selection online is overwhelming. Squeakers are 1 month old but some eggs will be hatching this week.
> Thank you guys for all your help this is the first pigeon I've ever lost and its been hard


Hi Snowpetals, I have some extra meds I can send your way (metronidazole, baytril, maybe some albon) if you want them. I use albon for coccidia. I work for a vet, so I get meds at cost and also free expired meds. Charis is right about expired meds.....they are still effective, they just can't be sold once expired. If you want them, private message your mailing address to me. I won't be able to mail them out until Monday though.


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## Bella_F (Nov 29, 2008)

I just thought it worth mentioning that Albon has the same ingredient as Sulmet (Sulfa type of antibiotic), and acts in the same way that Sulmet does for coccidia.


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## snowpetals (Mar 29, 2012)

Just thought I'd let everyone know that Laverne (my hen) is making an excellent recovery. She's eating and drinking like normal and her droppings are still a little watery but just barely. I think she's going to make it  Glad Sulmet worked for her. And thank you msfreebird I will give you a message. Thanks everyone for helping I'll give you another update and a picture perhaps in a couple of days


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## Charis (Feb 11, 2007)

Msfreebird said:


> Hi Snowpetals, I have some extra meds I can send your way (metronidazole, baytril, maybe some albon) if you want them. I use albon for coccidia. I work for a vet, so I get meds at cost and also free expired meds. Charis is right about expired meds.....they are still effective, they just can't be sold once expired. If you want them, private message your mailing address to me. I won't be able to mail them out until Monday though.


That's really nice of you Waynette.


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## Whitedove06 (Jul 7, 2009)

Dear Snowpetals,
I too, lost a young cock bird to this disease a while back. When you can, clean the coop as soon as possible. I put my birds in cat carriers (I only had 10 at the time) and scubbed the ENTIRE coop down with diluted bleach water, then with vinegar/water.
After everything was clean, birds went in. Knock on wood, I haven't had a problem since. But I am more alert to watching for this.:~


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## Bella_F (Nov 29, 2008)

snowpetals said:


> Just thought I'd let everyone know that Laverne (my hen) is making an excellent recovery. She's eating and drinking like normal and her droppings are still a little watery but just barely. I think she's going to make it


Thanks for the update.


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