Health and Healing

Toe tapping

I have been dealing with toe tapping and wing flipping with my eclectus.  He
is on a good diet,  beans and brown rice, fruits and vegetables,  eggs,
chicken or fish on a regular basis.

He is getting supplemental calcium and been on the aloe detox.  I have also
removed any foods with vitamin supplementation.  But a minor wing flip
remains.

I just read an article about MSM.  Sounds like an overall good suppliment.
Has anyone tried it with their birds?

Any info is appreciated.

Thanks,
Sandy

I'm not familiar with eclectus...only cockatiels.  Occasionally I have
run into this with cockatiels...and for *years* the vets could not
figure out the problem.  I've been on other lists where other cockatiel
owners have had the same problem with no answers from their vets either.

I recently found out that if a bird has tapeworms it will trigger this
syndrome.  Usually within a few days of treatment (allopathic only) the
toe tapping disappears.

I'm working on a study of parasites and how they effect birds. (in
progress now)  For years I have been telling my vet  I have a
worm/parasite problem...and bottomline he has been blowing me off and
saying cockatiels don't get worm infestations.  WRONG.  The medical
books *Do Not* list cockatiels as prone to tapeworms. 

Yet this has been an on again off again problem I have had that has created slow crop or crop stasis in handfeed babies to birds that were having occasional vitamin A deficiencies.  

Parasites cause intestinal mucosal lesions which can interfere with the birds ability to convert carotene pigments into functional vit. A)  (Also vitamin K is found in the intestinal flora, which parasites hinder absorption, thus bleeders and anemia)  Parasites also cause secondary bacterial infections...which if a bird *is Not* suspected of a parasite problem....then the bacterial problem may be corrected with antibiotics...BUT the parasitic problem is still
there.

Thus chronic problems such as respiratory...to neurological problems...etc.  When a secondary bacterial infection is present the body has an additional need for vitamin A and also ascorbic acid. Parasite infestations also have a need for additional vitamin A and also vitamin K.

Toe-tapping, can last anywhere from 3 days to up to a week and the bird is miserable, then it will taper off and disappear.  For years I could not figure out the cause until recently when I did the various groups of babies for worming...and finally identified the problem as tapeworms.  

The garlic and other meds had only intensified the problem on the first group of 100+ babies I was handfeeding.  When the tapeworm *overload* in the GI tract became bad the toe-tapping started, some had symptoms that mimicked lock-jaw, some got real bad respiratory problems with wet and snotty sinuses, some developed ascites,  and droppings that *Looked* like liver problems
and/or a heavy bacterial infection, some had blockages that created slow
crop...and numerous other problems...plus babies that were literally
going thin and attacking to be fed and always crying!!!....what a
nightmare!

I kept notes of various physical symptoms of the first group...which I
switched over to Droncit on the treatment of the 100+ babies...and
miraculously within 1-4 days ALL of these symptoms of other problems
disappeared!

I am now doing another group of 87 babies, and in 2 weeks another group
of 50+ babies and monitoring  what to watch for that can become
problematic to a small percentage of babies...and how to *quickly*
resolve the problem.  I just gave my notes to another breeder that is
worming 50+ babies and she will also be keeping notes for comparison
from my observations/notes.

Thanks for the offer of the Paratox...I can try it on a group to see how
it does and let you know.

Susanne

 
What is the cause of tapeworm in birds? I dogs it is caused by fleas, but
i'm told fleas don't bother with birds. Although, I suppose if you think
about it that doesn't make sense, since they will usually go to any warm
blooded animal. With the first couple of birds I got years ago, I read
everything I could and there was something in one of the books I read on
worms, so I insisted my vet run a stool sample check for any worms. He
looked at me like I was crazy, but did it. Said I was wasting my money.   The tests came back negative.  
Stephanie

Mites (specifically red mites) are the leading cause of tapeworm
problems with birds.  As to fleas a birds *higher body temperature* is a
natural deterrent.

Many babies in the nest can be infected from newly hatched to up to a
week, with no knowledge to the observer that there was a mite problem.
Infection comes with just the bite of the mite as the parasite is
feeding off of blood.  

The babies will get a pale look...almost ghostly. Small amounts of crusted blood may also be noted on the ankles/legs, under the wings and on the head/face area.  If there is too much blood loss the baby becomes weak, severely anemic and dies in a matter of hours.  If noticed quick enough new hatchlings can be given vitamin B complex which will restore skin tone color and strength in a mater of hours.  

The next vulnerable stage for mite attacks is when the baby is
getting in it's first pin feathers.  The mites will feed off the tips of
the feathers, and suck the blood up...almost like drinking from a straw.
Many times upon observation this is *mistaken* as the parents
plucking/biting the young babies pinfeathers.  

Some parents that do have mite attacks on their babies will frantically try to pull the feathers to remove the mites...this will be noted first in the crest/head area.
As the baby gets older (feathered) a mite attack would be focused either
along the legs close to the main arteries, the head/crest area, and
under the wings near, again near the veins closest to the surface.  

On adult birds these locations are also the same areas that adults will
pluck when they have Giardia...thus one parasite problem can be mistaken
for another.

As long as the babies are being parent fed their immune system is
up...and rarely does death occur to the baby.  In fact 90% of the babies
that have parasite problems appear fat, normal and healthy when pulled.
Most problems do not show up until the baby is a month or older...which
could be numerous symptoms that *appear* to be either bacterial or yeast
problems.  I'm working on a list of symptoms that could be good
indicators of tapeworm problems.

Mites will hit day or night...which is dependant of the age of the bird....they are also seasonal, and weather/climatic conditions play a role as to them
breeding and feeding.  They rarely stay on a bird...meaning they will
eat their fill of blood and leave.  Right now I am trying to learn the
lifespan of the red mite (Anyone know?)  Also...location has no
deterrent as to a mite attack!...meaning it doesn't matter if your birds
are housed inside or outside.

The most common source is from other animals/birds...such as wild birds
that have the higher body temperatures that the mites are attracted to.
Since human and mammal body temperature is lower than birds the mites do
not effect us.

As to attraction...I can't answer.  I'm in a very *saturated area* that
have numerous hobbyist and breeders or birds.  I have noted that when 1
person has a red mite attack...which can last from only a day to almost
a week...with communication of other bird people quite a few people are
affected up to a 100 or mile radius!!....thus the mites become
problematic for many birds during certain times of the year.   I've
noted that after a period of several weeks of no rain...then a few days
of rain can generate the appearance of mites.  What's puzzling is that
they disappear as quickly/abruptly as they appear....yet the damage is
done, and may or may not show up for weeks to months later, when some
type of stress triggers a sudden lowered immune system...such as babies
having reduced feedings to weaning, adults during a molt, diet changes,
etc.

I don't think they have any species preference.  Last year a friend
phoned in a panic because her Macaw babies looked pale.  Upon examining
the mites were not on the babies, but the telltale signs such as pale
ghostly/white skin color, to minute crusted blood on the ankles, and
body area, and weakness.  B-complex corrected this within a day.  These
babies later developed a very bad *secondary* E.coli infection.
Recently 1 out of 3 Hanging Parrot babies was severely attacked by
mites.  We're waiting for them to be 6 wks. old before we can worm them
all.  I recently discovered mites on some lovebirds I'm
handfeeding...yet they were NOT detected in the nest.  Sooo....I don't
think  the mites are species selective....being that the higher
body/blood temps. seem to be what they are drawn to.  Many of the
smaller species birds maintain a body temp of 106-108 degrees, and the
larger species can go up to, I believe (?) 112 degree's.

The only time a mite is on a bird is when it is feeding (blood) they it
gets off.  As to it getting around...you can quite possibly (assumption)
carry them in yourself, or your pets as *hitchhikers*, and have them
infect your birds.  They can come off of wild birds and find their way
to our feathered pets.

As to adults they tend to act more itchier.  Mites can thrive on a bird
that is molting...as a food source because new emerging pinfeathers are
a rich source of blood.  On any species that has a crest the most common
source of blood would be the base of the crest feathers...in which case
you may sometimes see a few very small bald patches above the cere and
possibly along side the face/crest area where the bird has tried to
scratch to remove the mite.   And as mentioned in the prior post any
body areas that have major blood veins close to the surface.

With handfeeding babies that have a parasite problem the dropping are
going to have a strong musty yucky odor.  If the babies are big enough
and in a cage the droppings are going to be more watery and within 24
hours the smell is very foul.  The dropping may also have a mucousy
look, and *string* from the cage grill.  Most worms are passed
dead...and are very hard to actually see because they become almost
transparent, and collapse flat and blend in with the color of the poop.
Since the parasites effect Vit.A and K absorption the beak *may* on some
birds get a chalky look, and there may be signs of upper respiratory
problems.  If there is anemia the beak and feet with get paler.  The
feet and beak of the bird will also feel warmer when there is a heavy
infestation.

The danger of worming is that if the problem is bad there could be a
blockage that could cause death.  This happened 3 years ago on a friends
6 wk. old that was treated for tapes...the blockage was so severe that
the intestines exploded through the abdomen of the bird.  Blockage will
also cause sudden crop stasis, or dehydration whereas, the body fluids
will drain into the crop area into a thick slimy mucousy fluid...which
looks similar to a psuedomonas infection.  If the crop isn't constantly
emptied, and fluids Sub-Q'd into the bird for a day or two, to keep the
digestive tract moving and nutrients in the bird...it dies.

Susanne 

Here is some information I found which may or not be interesting or
useful:
GarLiq a garlic based product
Garlic has been used for millenia as a natural worming agent in cattle as
well as in humans for its natural
antibiotic qualities. .........a pour-on garlic formulation which I have
developed and patented. This formulation also includes quantities of
ti-tree oil and eucalyptus oil, both of which are renowned for control
and eradication of bacteria and insects. ...............One of our dogs
had a severe allergy to mites. She lost her hair except where she
couldn't reach to scratch. The allergy was contained with steroids for a
couple of years before using GarLiq. Since application of GarLiq, she has
regained her hair and looks healthy. Presumably pigs and goats will show
a similar response to cattle and horses. Treating poultry with GarLiq has
overcome mite infestation. The birds were treated as they went broody
subsequently both hens and chicks were mite free.
http://www.tassie.net.au/~jmiddlet/garliq/

Although most bedding for pets is treated to prevent mites, bedding is
still one of the major sources of these little pests [8.2].  I have heard from
a couple of people who have reported that their vets told them that corn
cob bedding can be especially prone to mite infestations.  I do have to
temper that thought with the idea that if a particular brand or batch in the
area that these people lived was bad, it could have been the source for
numerous problems over quite a period of time.  Still, if you have mite problems,
it is probably worthwhile to switch to at least a different brand of
bedding, if not a different type -- at least for a while.
http://ftp.cs.ruu.nl/wais/html/na-dir/hedgehog-faq/part4.html

Natural "de-worming" :
a. Worms do not like raw carrots. Eating raw carrots will drive
the worms out.        
b. Boil Neem leaves (10-15) in a cup of water (reduced to half a
cup by boiling), add some salt and drink in the morning for 7-10 days.
http://www.saisanjeevini.org/frames.htm

Carolyn

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