[Therm]

Hey all,
just looking for opinions on something I've read about regarding spot on treatments.
I have read several times how some people treat their birds with a spot on treatment once a year. Is this something that you would advise only if your birds was sick or would you use it as a preventative treatment?
Obviously Jimmy has been treated for mites and I'm always looking to make sure he's recovered and Skye is currently going under treatment and hopefully that'll be the last of it. But the treatment is also for roundworms, feather lice, red mites and air sac mites as well as scaly mites.

Am I being paranoid, or is it a good idea to do a once yearly treatment?

 

[FaeryBee]

I believe it depends on a couple of different factors.

1. Whether your birds are housed indoors or in an aviary outdoors

2. If your birds are exposed to other birds (such as if you board them with someone who owns birds)

I had my budgie Sweetie for over 12 years.
He never had scaly mites nor was he ever given preventative medication.

Some of my current birds have been with me about 4 years now.
None of them have ever experienced a case of scaly mites nor have they been treated.

As all of your birds are housed indoors, I believe that once you eradicate the scaly mites from all of them,
(if one bird has scaly mites then all need to be treated)
you should not need to do a preventative treatment each year.

Unless it's absolutely necessary, I don't believe it is ever a good idea to subject oneself or one's pets to medications or chemicals.

 

[Therm]

Yes, I was thinking that this might have been for breeders who had a large amount of birds and that was why they treated them yearly to keep disease as bay, especially if breeding and bringing in new birds on occasion.
I absolutely hope that Skye is the last bird I treat for mites but I'm dead paranoid about them.

Just regarding your comment about scaly mites and treating them... as Skye is in quarantine I wouldn't need to worry about treating the others. I mean... they're not even in the same room just the same house. That's fine, right?

There was this moment where I was treating Skye and he turned his little head round to look at me when I was treating him. I swear it was like a betrayal! So I absolutely don't want to be doing it more often than I need too!

 

[FaeryBee]

As Skye is in quarantine in a different room, I would not treat the other birds at this time.

 

[Therm]

Thanks. I always feel much better when I've freaked out about things and you guys calm me down.

 

[Jo Ann]

Spot

As a breeder we have had many budgies from many different breeders all over the country and even from other countries. Undetected parasites become a big issue in your birds health, just as heart worms normally found in dogs are showing up in cats and other warm blooded creatures including birds and HUMANS. So protect your birds from mosquito bites as well. Most outside access aviaries here in US. Have a layer of screen over the aviary wire.

So yes, clean conditions, and no exposure to other birds on a regular basis makes a good case for no need for chemical treatments. An occasional application of oil to the feet and beak is good for your bird to prevent dry skin especially in the winter with dry indoor heat. This can also be a harmless prevention treatment for scale mites as the scale mites are smothered by any oil. It just has to be applied in 2 week intervals several times to catch hatching mites that are not bothered by the oil. We give our aviary birds mini vet exams 3 or 4 times a year and take any health issues needing Vet attention to our vet.

Another issue to watch for is bird lice, which look like tiny moving threads that appear in the feathers. They are hard to spot. We found one on a bird we imported from Florida. It took 3 separate visits to our vet for them to find them under a magnifier. They are more likely seen on white or yellow birds or on the mask area. Bird mites do not effect humans. I was really worried because vet sent us home saying they could not find the lice on our bird. We did stand behind what we saw and our vet finally did ID the critter. Lice must be treated by a dip or spray approved by your vet. When you bring your bird home , set up a wellness visit with your vet and ask for a parasite check. Even the most famous aviary can import an infected bird. We did and the bird came from a clean well managed aviary. So you are your birds first line of defense. No one would ignore a parasite on purpose. Before we send birds to a new home they are treated for parasites and we suggest a vet wellness visit just in case. These issues rarely kill a bird, but they do weaken the immune system. Enough such insults to the immune system can open your bird to serious illness. So yes, do not give your bird unnecessary chemicals, but, do be alert to these hard to detect issues, especially if you get your bird from a mass production pet store.

Blessings, Jo Ann

 

[Therm]

Thanks for the advice, Jo Ann.