The Vet's Corner-Control and Treatment of Internal Parasites of Parrots

Abstract

Many parrot owners do not realize that internal parasites may be harboring in their parrot. Sometimes obscure signs may be developing and an owner does not notice that slight behavioral changes are taking place in their bird. Even birds in good plummage may be harboring parasites. It is recommended that an examination for parasites be conducted every 6 months. Preventive measures also help to insure that a parrot is parasite free. Preventive measures include adequate sanitation and fecal exams. Proper physical care of parrots is not all that is needed to maintain a healthy bird. A clinical examination reveals things previously unsuspected.

Internal parasites are classified as roundworms, tapeworms, and protozoa. They can inhabit any system of the body, i.e., the respiratory, the digestive, the vascular, or a single organ.

Roundworms (nematodes) are long unsegmented worms and are the most important group of internal parasites in parrots. Numerous species have been isolated from psittacine birds. Tapeworms ( cestodes) are flat segmented worms. They inhabit the intestinal tract at various locations according to the species of the worm. Protozoa are microscopic, one-cell parasites. According to species these protozoa inhabit either the digestive or the vascular (blood) system.

With roundworm infestation there is loss of condition, diarrhea, emaciation and weakness. Worms may be seen with

 

the naked eye if they are passed out in the feces. The most common roundworms encountered in parrots are the ascarids. Ascarids are intestinal parasites that are 30 to 45 mm long which migrate through the lining of the intestinal wall (during migration they may be found in several organs, especially the lung). In heavy infestations fatal intestinal obstruction can occur. Loss of condition is the most common clinical symptom seen. Infected birds also show poor plumage and a general unthrifry appearance. A roundworm of the respiratory system is the gapeworm (Syngamus trachea). The gapeworm is found in the trachea and the bronchi. Usually young birds are affected while older birds remain resistant to infestation. Various insects ingest the eggs of the worm and serve to perpetuate the disease. Parrots infected with gapeworm are literal! y gasping for air due to partial blockage of the trachea with parasites. Control of in-

 

vertebrates is important in preventing reinfection of your parrot.

Capillaria (hairworms, threadworms or capillary worms) are roundworms which can cause high mortality in parrots. There are two types of Capillaria worms: those that infect the crop and esophagus and those that infect the small intestine. They are much smaller than the ascarids and therefore often difficult to diagnose. The usual signs of infection with this roundworm is that the parrot goes off feed and gradually becomes emaciated. In the intestinal form diarrhea usually occurs. Light infestations may persist for months and go unnoticed until a fecal exam is done. The only other roundworm of relative importance is proventriculus and gizzard worms of the species Dispharynx and Habronema. Proventriculus and gizzard worms are usually diagnosed in newly imported birds.

The old standby treatment of roundworms m parrots was piperazrne wormer

 

developed for poultry. The dosage is rwo rimes rhar for poulrry due ro the higher metabolism of parrors. Wirh hairworms ( Captllaria) and provenrriculus worms (Dispharnx and Habronemai rrearmenr is rarely successful. Mebendazole (multispec) should be used for treatment of all species of roundworms. The dosage is 50 mg/kg. Ten days later a second treatmenr should be given.

Prevenrive medicine includes keeping parrors away from infected birds, feces, unhygienic conditions and various invertebrares which harbor these parasires. The conrrol and prevenrion of roundworms hinges on sanirarion, hygiene and good managemenr. If infecrion occurs in your parror then disinfection of rhe cage should be carried our. The frequenr removal of droppings and proper disposal of them is a necessity. The placing of grir and food away from perches where conramination wirh feces could occur also reduces the incidence of roundworms.

Tapeworms use inrermediare hosts where one stage of the parasires develop before being ingesred by rhe parror. These inrermediare hosts can be a wide variery of inverrebrares such as earthworms, flies, slugs, snails, grasshoppers or other bugs and beerles. Tapeworm conrrol is accomplished by preventing birds from eating invertebrates. Diagnosis of rapeworm infesrarion is often difficult as eggs and segmenrs of the tapeworms are irregularly passed our in rhe feces. The rapeworms may be noticed by segments being expelled from the bird or they may be found on rhe bottom of the cage. Segments can be single or multiple. One clienr came to me and said she had seen a serrated piece of plastic over a foot long pass out of her parrot. Upon examination I found it nor to be a piece of plastic at all bur a srring of rapeworm segmenrs. Tapeworms fortu nately are nor a serious problem in parrots and can usual! y be rolerared by a healthy bird. They are more common in newly imported birds where unhygienic conditions previously existed. Tapeworms can be conrrolled by keeping rhe cages clean, dry and placing a wire bottom so droppings are collecred in a rray away from conracr with the bird. Tapeworms can be treated with mebendazole (mulri-spec) ar the rare of 25 mg I kg or with Niclosamide (Yomesan) at the rare of 150 mg/kg.

In the digestive sysrem rhe on! y protozoa of major imporrance are Coccidia and Giardia. In domestic poulrry coccidia is a problem in chickens that are fed on rhe ground. 

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