Viral diseases of birds are widespread and can appear on the farm at any time. One such disease is smallpox. This disease exists in 2 forms and causes enormous harm to livestock. Let's consider the causes, symptoms of smallpox in pigeons, diagnostic methods, therapy with drugs and folk methods, and prevention of the disease at home.
Causes of the disease
With smallpox, the skin and mucous membranes of pigeons are affected.The infection is highly contagious, the disease is acute and chronic, in both cases birds become carriers of the virus. Mostly young birds are affected; adult birds can be virus carriers. The smallpox virus is transmitted through nasal discharge, droppings, remains on the surface of feeders and drinkers, various equipment, and can be transmitted through the air, by blood-sucking insects (much less often than through discharge from the body). Cases of the disease are more often recorded during the warm season.
Often pigeons that live in a dovecote, which is rarely cleaned, ventilated, and do not maintain temperature and humidity conditions, get smallpox. Eating food that is unbalanced in nutrients and minerals, and being in a cold and damp room leads to a weakening of the bird’s immunity and subsequent illness. The virus can enter the body of pigeons through minor injuries.
Main symptoms and forms of the disease
Smallpox in pigeons is initially asymptomatic; this period lasts up to 2 months in the warm season and up to 4 in the cold season. Then symptoms appear, which vary depending on what form the disease has taken.
Cutaneous form
It can be identified by the appearance of red ulcers on the skin around the beak, ears, and corners of the mouth, turning into purulent growths of a dirty yellow color. In its severe form, smallpox affects not only the skin and mucous membranes, but also internal organs, which ends in the death of the bird. When the mucous membrane of the eyes is damaged, pigeons may experience photophobia, tears flow, and the eyes become red and inflamed. Growths form in the corners of the eyes. Pigeons become lethargic, eat little, their wings droop, and their feathers become ruffled.
Diphtheritic
With this form of smallpox in pigeons, the nasal mucosa is affected, and growths appear in the nose, larynx and crop. At first these are spots of white or yellow color, then they turn into a film. Because of this, it becomes difficult for birds to breathe, they wheeze, hold their beaks open, and cannot eat or drink normally. Smallpox in diphtheritic form often occurs chronically.
Mixed
With this form, pigeons exhibit symptoms of both forms simultaneously. It is difficult and often leads to the death of the bird. If at least one external sign of smallpox appears or the pigeon’s behavior changes, you must immediately send the sick individual into quarantine and begin therapy.
How is the disease diagnosed?
When smallpox is in its early stages, its symptoms can be confused with those of other infections, so before starting treatment it is necessary to determine which disease you are dealing with. The diagnosis is made in a veterinary laboratory by analyzing biological material taken from a sick bird.
How to treat pigeon pox
Sick pigeons are kept separately while treatment is ongoing. Those with severe smallpox are killed and burned, since only fire completely destroys the virus. All those who are still healthy are given a solution of potassium permanganate (1 to 1000), 3-5% solution of Furacilin or Yodinil. The poultry house is thoroughly cleaned and disinfected.
Antibiotics
The drugs are given orally and external injuries are treated. Duration of treatment is 5-9 days. Antibiotics are injected into the chest muscles, under the skin of the neck, or dissolved in water and given to each bird from a syringe. To destroy the smallpox virus, tetracycline is used in the form of tablets and ointments. The tablets are diluted in water in a ratio of 1 to 4, and the solution is instilled into the beak and eyes 3 times a day.The powder is mixed with bread and given to pigeons to destroy the virus in the organs.
Another drug - "Tilan" - is given to pigeons in the proportion of 0.5 g per 1 liter of drinking water. There should be no more than 40-50 ml per pigeon per day; if the bird does not drink on its own, drop it into its beak from a pipette. "Tilan" destroys the virus not only on the skin, but also in the internal organs. Treatment period is 5 days, maximum 8.
“Enrofloxacin” is diluted in water at the rate of 5 ml per 10 liters, the solution is poured into a drinking bowl and given to sick birds for 6 days in a row. Contraindications to the use of this antibiotic are kidney disease. After a course of antibiotic therapy, pigeons are given probiotics and vitamins.
Using improvised means
Traditional medicine for the treatment of pigeon pox suggests a tincture of onion, garlic and rose hips with honey. Cooking recipe: 2 heads of garlic, 1 unpeeled onion, finely chopped, add 2 tbsp to the mixture. l. rosehip berries, 1 tbsp. l. honey Pour 0.5 liters of alcohol over everything and leave for 2 weeks. Add 1 tsp to drinking water. for 1 l. You can make an infusion of pine needles, soak it for a day and give the infusion to pigeons to drink.
Preventive actions
Vaccination helps to avoid the disease; it is given to young animals when they reach 6-10 weeks. The vaccine is injected into the membrane on the wings. Within a month there may be inflammation in this place. A month later they are vaccinated again. Then the vaccination is repeated annually. Sick pigeons are not vaccinated.
As a preventive measure, you need to treat the poultry house with a 2% solution of sodium hydroxide or formaldehyde, lime with copper sulfate.Regularly clean and wash feeders, drinking bowls, once a month, burn perches, floors and walls, and equipment with a blowtorch.
Ventilate the room, make sure it is not damp, hot or, conversely, cold. Keep new pigeons in quarantine for 2-4 weeks.
Pox in pigeons is treatable, but not in an advanced form. Preventive measures can save livestock from infection, but if this occurs, treatment must be started immediately. Antibiotics and traditional tinctures will restore pigeons to health and prolong their life.
