Breeding parrots is a responsible and troublesome task. It is important to be able to choose the right diet for them, maintain sanitary conditions, and most importantly, prevent possible diseases.
Fleas on parrots
Fleas in parrots are quite rare, but they cannot be completely protected from them. Sometimes birds experience discomfort and do not eat well for this very reason.
Every owner should know how to understand that a parrot has fleas, and most importantly, be able to cure the bird.
Ways of infecting a parrot with fleas
Various parasites often appear in parrots. As a rule, the plumage of birds is affected by mites. Lice are not dangerous for pets. Fleas used to be a nuisance primarily for chickens. However, they were quickly able to adapt to the plumage of exotic birds. The answer to the question of whether budgies have fleas can be answered positively.
The main sources of infection for a pet are:
- Ventilation system. Pests can live in basements or attics and then enter the parrot's plumage through the shaft.
- Items from the street. There is a high probability of bringing fleas into the house on shoes or clothes.
- Feed purchased at the market.
- Other birds in the pet store that are not provided with the necessary living conditions.
The main symptoms of fleas
It is difficult to notice the appearance of parasites in birds. As a rule, the behavior of a bird in which pests have settled in its plumage is unremarkable. The only way to identify them is to periodically examine your pet.
There are several signs that parrots have fleas:
- the pet is constantly nervous;
- the bird's body weight decreases and sleep deteriorates;
- the bird often rubs against the bars and tries to gnaw out the fluff;
- Your pet's feathers are falling out profusely.
If you notice at least two symptoms, you should examine the bird yourself. However, a veterinarian can accurately determine whether parrots have fleas.
Are they harmful to humans?
Many parrot owners, encountering this type of parasite for the first time, ask the most important question: are fleas transmitted from birds to humans? Usually they do not live on a person, but they can be transmitted and cause harm to him in the form of bites, which will soon begin to itch quite badly.
You should limit any physical contact with the bird and move the parrot's cage further away from the constant presence of you and other family members, especially from where you and your children sleep.
What does a flea look like?
The following are dangerous for birds living in captivity:
- chicken flea;
- duck flea;
- flea of pigeons.
Externally, pests are similar to representatives of species that cause inconvenience to cats and dogs. These are insects with a round, brown body, slightly flattened on the sides, and three pairs of limbs. The size of parasites can reach 6 mm.
Fleas on parrots cannot cause significant harm to other pets and humans. The favorite habitat of parasites is the nesting house of birds. When the pet is in it, the pests actively mate and lay eggs. After 14 days, young insects appear.
Why are pests dangerous?
Fleas that live on the body of budgerigars do not parasitize people. However, they can still bite people or other pets. An important fact is that bloodsuckers are capable of carrying various infectious diseases that pose a danger to the health of the feathered pet. In addition, bird fleas cause great discomfort to the parrot, which can result in depression, exhaustion and anemia. They can even bring young chicks to death.
Methods of disposal
Insects pose a danger to birds. The cause of illness and even death can be the parrot's fleas living in its plumage.
Having discovered them, it is necessary to remove the parasites from the pet, treat the cage, and also take preventive measures. Only an integrated approach will help get rid of pests from your parrot, as well as prevent their reappearance.
Treating budgies for fleas
There are many ways in which you can remove parasites from birds. However, they must be used immediately after pest detection.
It is a common belief that Frontline is the best parasite spray for parrots. However, veterinarians and bird owners have an ambiguous attitude towards the drug, since it is intended primarily for the treatment of four-legged pets.
“Ivomek” and “Neostomozan”, which are used primarily for the treatment of dogs and livestock, also have conflicting reviews. Having decided to use them, you must carefully read the instructions, calculate the dosage and ensure that the drugs do not get into the bird’s oral cavity.
An effective remedy in powder form is “Clandestine” powder for parrots, cats and dogs. It is only suitable for tame pets. The product is evenly applied to the skin and feathers of the bird and the bird is held in your hands for 10 minutes, not allowing it to clean itself or shake itself off.
Canina PETVITAL Verminex will help remove fleas from parrots. This is a mild spray. Its composition is dominated by natural ingredients: vegetable and essential oils.
Beaphar is also used to control parasites. But, according to reviews, it is less effective than other options, and if it enters the digestive system, it can cause serious harm to the pet.
Some parrot owners, not trusting pharmaceutical flea remedies, use traditional methods. For example, a common way to combat parasites is bathing in a saline solution. Dissolve two tablespoons of salt in one liter of water at room temperature. The bird is immersed in the resulting liquid so as not to wet the head. The duration of the procedure should be from 5 to 7 minutes. After the pet's plumage has dried, it is placed in a pre-treated cage.
Processing the cage and equipment
When fighting parasites, cleaning your pet’s home plays an important role. If you do not treat the cage, the parrot may get fleas again.
First of all, feathers and sawdust must be removed from the bird’s home. The food bowl, drinking bowl and other items in the cage should be washed with a soap and soda solution, doused with boiling water and left for several hours on the balcony until completely dry. You need to treat the cage in the same way, thoroughly cleaning each twig. After the procedure, the pet can be placed in its home.
Cell processing
This is a very important stage, on which the effectiveness of processing will entirely depend. It is necessary to move the parrot to another cage for the duration of the procedure. Next, all wooden accessories need to be thrown away; their treatment is not very effective and can lead to repeated infections.
At the first stage, we clean all the garbage, then wash it with a solution that is prepared using laundry soap and soda. Next, you need to boil water and scald the cage with boiling water. Take it outside, the sun's rays will have a beneficial effect in summer, and sub-zero temperatures in winter. After drying and airing, you can bring it indoors. All accessories must go through the same procedures.
Possible complications
If, upon noticing fleas on a parrot, treatment is not started immediately, parasite bites can lead to unpleasant consequences. The result of pest activity is often the complete loss of plumage by the bird.
In addition, parasites are carriers of typhoid, plague and other dangerous diseases. They weaken the protective properties of the parrot's body, cause anemia and problems with the nervous system.
Differences between a healthy bird and a sick one
It is not difficult to distinguish a healthy parrot from an infected one. A healthy pet is characterized by:
- Cheerfulness;
- gaiety of spirit;
- liveliness of reaction (to everything around).
If the pet is healthy, you can hear its chirping and bird songs all the time. When resting, the parrot stands on one leg. There are also characteristic external signs of health and well-being:
- The bird's eyes are wide open;
- the feather cover is smooth, rich in color.
There are many more possible signs of illness in a parrot. These include:
- Lethargy;
- diarrhea or constipation;
- trembling and chills;
- contamination of feathers under the tail;
- changes in the appearance or shape of the beak and talons;
- changes in litter or stool problems;
- cough;
- inactivity;
- presence of discharge from the nose or eyes;
- baldness and loss of feathers;
- formation of compactions in the body;
- rounding of the abdomen;
- swelling of any part of the body;
- lack of appetite;
- passivity;
- increased temperature (may appear in individual places);
- redness of the eyes;
- loss of balance;
- the appearance of scale growths on the paws or beak;
- limping;
- problems with the gastrointestinal tract;
- irritation or redness of the anus;
- beak delamination;
- self-plucking;
- extreme thirst or refusal to drink;
- nausea;
- heavy breathing (sometimes with whistling or wheezing);
- thickening of joints;
- deterioration in the appearance and quality of feather cover.
If the bird is lying on its stomach or sitting with a ruffled look, this is a cause for alarm. Birds behave this way when they feel unwell. In addition, it is worth taking a closer look at your pet if he sleeps while standing on both legs. It is also worth visiting a veterinarian if your parrot:
- When inhaling and exhaling, it moves the whole body;
- hardly opens eyes or squints;
- constantly shakes his head sharply;
- keeps its beak open all the time;
- itches severely and often;
- does not use one of its paws at all and periodically pecks at it.
Any of the symptoms mentioned (and even more so their combination) is difficult to miss, unless, of course, the pet is left to its own devices. These signs cannot be ignored - the problem will only get worse. If alarming symptoms are detected, you should immediately contact an ornithologist veterinarian. The parrot does not have a strong body, and the development of diseases occurs at an incredible speed. It is important to remember that delay can cost the bird its life.
Prevention
Preventing parasites from budgerigars is much easier than treating an infected bird. To do this, just follow a few simple rules. First of all, you need to pay attention to hygiene:
- daily wet cleaning of the room in which the animal is kept;
- in the evening, clean the feeder from food debris;
- thoroughly rinse the drinking bowl;
- every month treat the cell and its contents with eucalyptus or chamomile tincture.
To prevent the appearance of fleas, it is recommended to place a container filled with sand with antiparasitic powder in the parrot’s home every week. If there are several parrots in an enclosure or room, then the newly acquired pet should be kept isolated from other birds for the first time.
Attention! Pests cannot tolerate the smell of wormwood. A proven way to repel parasites is to place plant branches near the cage.
Budgerigars are birds that need attention and care. By providing your pet with suitable conditions for keeping in captivity and timely preventive measures, you can protect your pet from many diseases.
Have you ever encountered the problem of parasites in your pet? How did you manage to remove fleas from a bird? Tell us about your experience in dealing with insects that cause inconvenience to birds in the comments, and also join our VKontakte group.
Preventive actions
Remember that it is much easier to prevent infection than to fight it later. Of course, it is impossible to eliminate all possible factors that cause infection, but it is quite possible to minimize the likelihood.
To do this, take the following steps:
- Be sure to wash and clean drinking bowls and feeders daily.
- Clean trays daily as they are excellent breeding grounds;
- Carry out preventive treatment of the cell once a month. To do this, use tinctures using eucalyptus and chamomile.
- Wet cleaning of the room is very important and should be done regularly.
- Be careful what goes into the cage; grass that is intended for your feathered friend must first be soaked in water.
If you don’t know where the fleas came from, you need to analyze all the factors that could affect this. Since the habitat is often animal food, pay special attention to this issue. Also pay attention to the ventilation holes.
