Parrots and worms: What can be done?
The Internet abounds with articles on bird parasites, essentially "worms". Unfortunately, many of these articles lack any understanding of basic biological concepts, simple hygiene and common sense and they trivialise the use of medicines which are often nothing more than antibiotics.
These articles risk undermining veterinarian experts. While we recognise that nothing can replace the advice of a professional, our article below nevertheless aims to illuminate readers on several points.
1) The risk of infection is closely linked to certain life conditions of the bird. For example:
- Possibly for birds with access to soil and which scratch at it as parakeets and kakarikis will do.
- For psittacidae in contact with ornamental birds (ducks, pheasants, etc.).
- If your bird comes from a breeder or an importer that practices drug "laundering" on their birds.
- If you have other pets (cats, dogs, etc.) that are themselves infected.
- If you have a child who has a tapeworm and who then touches the bird.
- If your fruits and vegetables are not properly cleaned and anyone who touches your bird does not have strictly hygienic hands.
- Otherwise, in other situations, the probability is low.
2) Deworming is not trivial!
The use of dewormers is not a trivial act since it involves, if your bird is infected, using an antibiotic (in the original sense of the word: "against life"), even if it would be more accurate to use the term "anti-parasitic".
Any antibiotic treatment can ultimately lead to the development of a resistance, so no treatment should be undertaken without prior proof of the infection. Would you ever take antibiotics in the autumn for springtime tonsillitis? Furthermore, just because a treatment was previously effective does not mean that you should return to the same well! A new diagnosis should be undertaken each time.
Lastly, even if a well-fed bird is certainly better equipped to resist infection, a diet alone will not prevent infection.
3) Preventive and curative:
a) Before applying a preventive treatment (which can involve risks the moment when the molecule is effective), you must first have confirmed the possibility of a real infection in your bird (see point 1 above).
In our view, it is for this reason that a preventive treatment is of little interest for an individual owner since, if the bird does not have worms (or eggs) and it does not live in a risky environment, what purpose would this product serve? After all, you don’t vaccinate yourself against yellow fever if you never leave the city!
The situation could be very different if the owner has other pets (cats or dogs spending some time outdoors) or more than one bird.
If you have just acquired a bird, the best is to consult your veterinarian and perform a check-up (including a check for worms, PBFD, and avian polyomavirus).
At any rate, the only true preventive treatment consists in totalling "sterilising" the environment, which is near impossible and also not desirable.
b) A curative treatment should be applied only after your veterinarian has identified the parasite and prescribed the appropriate medicine.
Many medicines exist, which differ in their level of effectiveness, their toxicity, and their modes of administration. The veterinarian (preferably one specialised in birds) will know the most effective, least toxic, and easiest to administer molecule to prescribe.
Some medicines such as piperazine (INN) and its derivatives — used because of their low cost, low toxicity, and availability in many stores — have lost much of their effectiveness (for humans as much as for animals).
Ivermectin (INN) is viewed positively and is effective but since it is no longer in active form, it has a considerable impact on the environment.
The mode of administration is an important issue for our parrot friends.
Don’t forget that:
- a parrot does not drink the same daily quantity of water and, as such, the dose actually absorbed by the bird will vary.
- your bird will quickly notice any medicine with a bad taste, even if hidden in a piece of fruit.
4) Conclusions:
We recommend that you consult your veterinarian, preferably a bird specialist, and discuss the potential risks of worm infection for your bird by describing its living conditions. If necessary, the veterinarian can advise a preventive treatment.
In addition, daily monitoring your bird will help you spot early signs of disease that could be due to worms. This will include close inspection of your bird’s droppings! (It’s cheap and without any risk for your pet).
This article was written in collaboration with Veterinary Physician Pascal Perronin.
(Sycomore Clinic at Epernon)