Aspergillosis (Asper)
Also knows as asper, it is the most common cause of illness and death in captive raptors. It is caused by aspergillus fumigates which are spores. The colonies are green to bluish-green at first and darken with age so as to appear almost black. The colonies vary from velvety to floccose. Symptoms include dyspnea (difficulty in breathing), gasping and accelerated breathing may be present. There will also be a persistent slight drop in weight. After a few days she may refuse to eat and will soon die. Treatment at this stage is useless, it is incurable. Occasionally, masses of the fungus are visible to the naked eye in the air passages of the lungs in the air sacs, or in the abdominal cavity. It is most common in passage short-wings and broad-wings. This is a zooinotic disease meaning it can be spread to humans. If caught early an antifungal medication can be used. Excellent medications to use are Fluconizon, Itraconilol, and Nesulized (Clotrimazol).Blain
This is a liquid filled blister of the second joint (elbow) of the wing. Once the joint becomes anchylosed (stiff) the bird is useless as it will be unable to fly.Bumblefoot
This starts out as a black scab on the sole of the ball of the foot. Swelling will increase and appreciable heat will appear in the infected foot. The bird will favor this foot and may also lie down. In the final stage there will be abscess formation and a gross involvement of the tendons and the joint capsule. After reaching this stage it is probably incurable. Surgery may now be administered to remove the puss ball. Piperacillin is given via IM injections. Change bandages and flush the wound twice daily. If it doesn't go away or slows down and comes back strongly, you may need to use DuoDerm, a human wound dressing used to help promote new tissue growth. If this doesn't help you may have to use Tazicef (Ceftazidine) at 250ml per kg of body weight.Capillariasis
This is caused by a very small threadworm which infects the upper part of the small intestine. The wall of the crop and esophagus become slightly thickened and inflamed. In severe cases it can become pathogenic and appear in the lungs air sacs and abdominal cavity. Birds so infested will die. Symptoms include becoming droopy, weak and emaciated. The bird will not move unless forced and even then very slowly. Occasionally the bird will fall back on it hocks and assume a penguin-like position. Some may extend and retract their head and neck as if attempting to relieve an obstruction in their throat. The crop of severely affected birds are filled with a fetid (bad smelling) liquid. There is no know drug which is efficient against capillaria, but Thiabendazole is probably the best so far. It also will remove other species of round worms like gapeworm.Coccidia (Coccidiosis)
Coccidia is a pathogenic protozoa which can infect all raptors. Not much is known of the pathogen except the host - parasite relationship demonstrates a comtinuum of effects ranging from subclinical infection to death of the host. Raptors can act as intermediate hosts of the cyst-forming coccidia, although the infections are apparently not clinically significant. Some of the most common and dangerous species are Caryospora, Eimeria, Frenkelia, and Sarcocystis. Transmission can occur three ways: predator-prey via carnivorism, predator-predator directly via sproulated oocysts, and prey-prey via cannibalism. Of the 30 species of Caryospora, only four are of importance in raptors. They are C. bubonis in great horn owls; C. falconis in peregrine falcons; C. henryae in black kites, eagle owls, northern hobby falcons, european kestrels and turkey vultures; and C. strigis in barn owls. In all other species of raptors two are of great importance, Eimeria and Isospora. All species infest the caecum and/or the duodenum. Diagnosis is by microscopic examination of the black part of the mutes. The treatment is the medication Albon, which is an antibiotic. The first dose given is 50 mg/kg of body weight the first day, then from the second day to the thirteenth day the dosage is 25 mg/kg of body weight BID (twice a day) for fourteen days. You must also disinfect ALL equipment used on and near the bird and the mews. This can be done with bleach mixed half and half with water or Lysol. The mew can also be cleansed with hot lye water; one pound of lye to twenty gallons of water. But the best solution is 1.0% ammonia in twenty four hours and then with 10% in 45 minutes. This should be sprayed with a one to five gallon sprayer like those used for spraying weeds.Colds
Colds are often seen after damp, stormy weather. Treatment consists of feeding the bird well and placing a few drops of oil of eucalyptus into the nares.Croaks
This is an old name for a disease of the respiratory tract. It is noticed by wheezing and croaking noises when exhaling. Birds with this disease loose condition rapidly. A mute sample examined by a vet will confirm or deny this. The treatment is six or seven cardamom seeds with casting as a preventative. In all cases the bird should be fed light, warm nourishing foods like freshly killed young pigeon. Sometime birds must be force fed to keep them alive.Epileptic Fits
These are very common in short-wings, especially when fat or at the end of the molt. When the fits occur, the bird falls off the perch and entangles itself in its jesses and leash, and when untangled will regain the perch as if nothing happened. The cause is unknown and no one knows how to treat it. The best thing to do is to place the bird in a warm, dark place and disturb it as little as possible for several days.Frounce
This is a disease caused by Trichomonas gallinae. It is a similar condition found in pigeons and doves. Symptoms are frothing at the mouth, a grayish-brown or yellowish-white growth on the tongue and mouth and difficulty in eating. In severe cases it is fatal. Entramin is so dramatic that it should always be tried before other medications.Gapeworm
This is a common parasite of domestic poultry, pheasants and other birds. When it occurs in a raptor it is probably an aberrant infection. Thiabendazole should be given wrapped in a piece of meat at 1 g. per pound of body weight. Treatment is as for capillaria and continued OID (once per day) for a minimum of fourteen days. Gapeworm is bright red in color and about one inch long.Inflammation of the crop
This is a condition where a raptor regurgitates its food soon after she has consumed it. A day or two before the symptom is evident, the castings may have been discolored and loose, and contain undigested fragments of food. The mutes are brownish-red and pasty. In this condition, the bird usually dies. Treatment is a teaspoon of liquefied Brand's Essence of Beef mixed with ten grains of bismuth subnitrate or Protein Hydrolysate; or even Ovigest at 10cc. Administer it with a six-inch piece of rubber tubing. While an assistant casts the bird, insert the tube into the esophagus and into the crop and pump in the medication slowly. Repeat this in twenty-four hours, while in between giving Brand's Essence or Protein Hydrolysate every four hours through out the day.Kecks
See Croaks.Laxatives
A good laxative is washed meat (meat soaked in water for twenty-four hours and then squeezed out). Powdered rhubarb is also good. Its after effects are binding and it should be followed by a dose of butter and sugar candy. Butter and sugar candy alone is also a safe laxative.Maggots (Fly Larvae)
What a disgusting creature; and they make your birds, especially your eyas miserable! They must be manually removed with the assistance of tweezers. Just be careful not to damage the bird, especially when removing them from the ears. Get as many as you can by placing a drop of water into each ear. When the maggot begins to back out, grab it quickly with the tweezers and kill it. Get as many as you can using this method. If they are severe, try using a solution of one teaspoon white vinegar to one teaspoon of water. This changes the pH of the ear and the maggots will begin to back out of the ear canal. If you feel this is not enough, you can obtain a medication from your avian vet called Nova San, which can be used as long as there are no open wounds. This needs to repeated as soften as necessary, so make sure you check the ears and other parts of the body on a daily basis.Swollen Feet
Swollen feet occurring in a fresh caught passage short-wing may merely be due to the concussion on the heels by the jesses when the hawk bates. The cure is to fit soft, well oiled jesses and improve the handling method of the raptor so it doesn't bate as often.Tapeworm
This is a parasite that feeds in the intestines of the bird. They also infest the duodenum, jejunum and ileum. They are flattened, ribbon-shaped and usually segmented. They are hermaphroditic and lack both a mouth and an alimentary canal. Some only reach millimeters in length but some can reach thirty feet. Treatment is hard to administer until the correct species of tapeworm is identified. Some drugs used are hexachlorophene at a dose of 25-50 mg/kg of body weight for the species Raillietina cesticillus. Also, Butynorate at 75-150 mg/kg of body weight given orally is also effective. Butynorate also removes five other species including R. tetragona, Hymenolepis carioca, Choanotaenia infundibulum, Davainea proglottina, and Ameobotaenia sphenoides. Also Yomesan given orally in a piece of food at one quarter of a .5 g. tablet per two pounds of body weight.Trichomoniasis
Similar to Frounce, Trichomoniasis is a flagillated protozoa. The cause of the protozoan is T. gallinae. T. gallenae is most commonly found in the caecum and small intestine. In severe cases it can also be found in the liver. Treatment includes the drug Metronidazole given orally at 60 mg/kg of body weight for five days.If there is a problem that your bird is experiencing and it has not been covered in this section, it would be wise for you to seek medical attention from an avian vet. Regular vets do not handle or know much about birds so an avian vet is best. They can further help your needs. If they need assistance they can contact the following avian specialists for assistance: Adina Rae Freedman Association of Avian Veterinarians P.O. Box 811720 Boca Raton, FL 33481 Phone: (407) 393-8901 Fax: (407) 393-8902 Dr. Pat Redig University of Minnesota Raptor Center College of Veterinary Medicine 1920 Fitch Ave. St. Paul, MN 55108 Phone: (612) 624-4969 Either of these places and people will be able to assist you in the treatment and prevention of diseases and ailments in all raptor species. Always remember that an ounce of prevention is better than a pound of cure!
Eddie B. Horvath, Falconer