Not too fast (06-04-24)
Not all vets are the same. Of course I'm talking about veterinarians who specialize in pigeons. When they race pigeons themselves, they have for me a little more authority.
At the university they were not taught at all about pigeons, so they have had to develop themselves. And then the most instructive lessons are events in your own loft. And mistakes made.
Beginners in particular often have the wrong ideas. They go to the 'village vet' to see someone who was always concerned with pigs, cows and horses. 'You shouldn't come to me, I don't know anything about pigeons', they are often told then. And they are amazed.
EXPECTATIONS
The problem for veterinarians is that many clients have too high expectations. They expect him to be able to turn worthless rubbish into top racers.
And that condition can be forced.
If the desperate fancier can't go home with a plastic bag of medication after a visit, "it's not a good vet." The fancier wants hope. He paid for it. And that hope is supposed to be in that plastic bag.
The words below from a 'pigeon doctor' still stand out to me.
'Many of my customers come here with pigeons that are not sick but are also not in shape. I have to make sure they take shape. Don't say it any further, but I'll just give them something silly that can't hurt either. If I send them away without anything, I may have lost a client and a vet will also have to eat.
ASTONISHED
Sometimes you hear about stunned fanciers.
They have pigeons examined by a vet, who concludes that they are ok, but for some that is not enough.
They, because some want to be on the safe side, take the same pigeons to another vet and he comes to a different conclusion and does find some kind of infection.
One can guess the conclusion, 'the first one is a fiddler, they have been with him for the last time'.
Now, some vets are more handy than others, but... Scientific reading shows that it is quite possible that a pigeon shows to be infected with canker, cocc, worms and so on in one check, while this does not have to be the case in another. In other words, not all manure samples are the same.
That would even apply to paratyphoid.
By the way, paratyphoid: If it is found, the pigeon is infected. Simple. But... If it is NOT found, it is not proof that it is not infected. So don't be too quick to shoot the pianist, in this case the vet.
Adeno, this pigeon is lost. When they do not stand any more it is too late
CONFUSING
Impossible things are sometimes expected of a veterinarian, such as turning trash into super racers, it is confusing that vets often think so differently. Especially when it comes to paratyphoid.
For example, there is a well-known veterinarian who thinks that pigeons should absolutely not have canker, at the slightest infection a cure should be given. His colleague, also one with a good name, thinks very differently. "A little bit of canker won't hurt. Keep off. Let them build up resistance.'
SEE
You have to give pigeons attention. A well-known top racer stood here in front of the breeders' loft a while ago. "They look great," were his words. 'Most of them', I thought. The man would go to a vet the next day for a routine examination and I gave him three pigeons to have checked as well. Went on in one go.
They turned out to be fine. At least those three. A fellow villager also had an appointment with a vet. Another. I gave him two pigeons that I didn't think were ok.
A little too skinny, a little too lifeless, a little too weak to the touch.
A pigeon's body should feel like an inflated bicycle tire and not like the breast of a 90-year-old, although I have little experience with that.
In addition, both pigeons left their eggs. One pigeon can happen, but two pigeons in a few days is no coincidence.
What was the result? Ecto parasites. It didn't surprise me. Due to circumstances, the pigeons had received far too little attention for some time.
WARM WEATHER
'Leaving the eggs' can also be seen in warm, humid weather. If you look inside the bowl, you'll understand why. Sometimes, anyway. Everywhere there are those small, round, very mobile red lice. And you immediately understand why a pigeon doesn't want to continue brooding. Lice and mites that can bother pigeons come in many species.
Fortunately, there are excellent pesticides, but beware of overdoing it. For example, I remember the man who gave his pigeons a drop on the bare skin on the neck every week. Fine, but... not every week. I can't prove anything, but the fact that the man flew badly had something to do with it in my opinion.
INDICATIONS
In terms of health, there are indications that you can do something with as an ordinary fancier.
a. Worms.
Countless fanciers here never cured. Still stay awake.
Hairworms, in particular, can be a huge problem because they are so difficult to get rid of. The tiny little eggs just blow up when pigeons fly up, Dr. Lemahieu once taught me. And then they can end up anywhere and live a long life. A cure includes disinfection. Killing the worms and not the eggs is pointless. Floor lightly moistened to prevent eggs from drifting away and then the burner. Dry plumes that you can almost hear when you open a wing can be a clue.
b. Ecto Parasites.
So you can think about that when pigeons walk off the eggs. It is best to prevent it.
c. Paratyphoid.
The symptoms are well known but can vary from loft to loft.
Drooping wings are the most well-known. Losing a little body weight is the most dangerous because sometimes it doesn't get attention.
I have had to deal with it three times in half a century. Symptom:
Dead babies of a few days old. One dead youngster is always possible, if there are more than one, alarm bells should go off.
The view (which I also used to share) that Baytril was the appropriate remedy is outdated. If in doubt, it is best to have an antibiogram made.
d. No hunger,
If from one day to the next youngsters refuse to listen because they have no appetite but are all the thirsty and lethargic, you can be reasonably sure again: Adeno/coli.
e. Canker.
The symptoms have changed in half a century. You rarely see those yellow excesses of the past. Now mucous threads in the throat or nothing at all.
This simple explanation may be especially useful to beginners. Even if it's from me, a layman. What I want to say above all: Don't blister your vet too quickly.
Paratyphoid. Do not try to heal. Get rid of such birds.