Veterinary aspects of

pigeon breeding.

Summer term 2010

Physical restrain of pigeon
Investigation of wing feathers
Ivestigation of eyes and nostrils
 Moravian Ostrich

Roller
German exhibition breed Bagette
 Fantails

Modenas
Ice Pigeon
Frillbacks
Romanian Naked Neck
Pigeons
Possibility of investigation
 Paramyxovirosis
• Etiology - Paramyxovirus serotyp 1
• Clinical sings
– polydipsia and polyuria in the absence of weigh loss
– sporadically nervous sings – torticollis, inco-ordination of
head movement, trembling wings and complete or partial
paralysis
– morbidity is usualy 100%, mortality less then 5%
– birds that became unable eat or drink due nervous
disorders
 Paramyxovirosis of pigeons
• Postmortem
– No macroscopical lesion
– Histologically – interstitial nephritis
• Diagnosis
– Clinical sings – PU/PD, nervous sings
– HIT test from pigeon sera
 Paramyxovirosis of pigeons
Prevention

• vaccination – aplication of inactivated vaccine

subcutaneously to the skin of the neck

CAVE!!
 Pigeon pox
• Pox is a common viral disease of all type of birds that
may present in a cutaneous or a diphtheric form.
• There are at least 16 different species of avipoxviruses,
pigeons being infected by their own poxvirus.
• Pigeonpox is a worldwide disease. It occurs by contact
with diseased birds or through mechanical transmission
of the virus by biting insects. The disease is more
frequent in spring and summer when there are large
numbers of vectors and when contacts between pigeons
are frequent because of training and competitions.
Pigeonpox infection: diphtheritic membranes in the mouth and pharynx
 Pigeon pox
Control
• Vaccines to control poxvirus infection have been
available for many years. In the past, they were applied
with a brush to the denuded feather follicles on the leg in
what was a very time consuming technique.
• Pigeons are vaccinated by subcutaneous injection in the
neck.
 Pigeon circovirus infection
• Etiology – Pigeon cirovirus - PiCV
• Typically, circovirus infects young pigeons under
one year of age.
• The virus can be detected in clinically and
pathologically normal birds suggesting that many
PiCV infections could be subclinical. PiCV would
deplete both the B and T cell populations thus
severely impairing the hosts response to viral
infection and lead to a long-term disease state.
 Pigeon circovirus infection
• Clinical signs include lethargy, growth retardation,
runting, poor race performances and a variety of other
signs that vary according to secondary bacterial, parasite
and viral infections.
• Usually, circovirosis is associated with a high morbidity
but a low mortality although as overall mortality depends
on secondary infections, it may actually vary between
1% and 100%.
Pigeon circovirus infection

Specific postmortem
finging
• atrophy of lymphatic organs
– atrophy of bursa Fabricious

– atrophy of thymus
 Pigeon herpesvirus 1 infection
• In the acute form, PHV1 caruncles turn from white to
yellow–grey and pigeons sneeze frequently either
spontaneously or because of exacerbated sensibility
when caruncles are pressed. Conjunctivitis in one or
both eyes is frequent.
• Nostrils are generally obstructed with nasal mucus and
moisture, there is clear laryngopharyngeal congestion
and, in severe cases, the mucous membranes of the
mouth, pharynx and larynx are covered with foci of
necrosis and small ulcers.
PHV1 infection: acute form, the caruncles turn from white to yellow–grey

PHV1 infection complicated with Staphylococcus spp.: chronic sinusitis.

PHV1 infection: acute pharyngitis with foci of necrosis and small ulcers

PHV1 infection: diphtheroid pharyngitis.

 Adenovirus infections
• Two clinical forms of adenovirus infections in
pigeons have been identified to date.

• These are named

– type 1 or ‘‘classical adenovirosis’’,
- type 2 or ‘‘necrotizing hepatitis’’.
• It must be emphasised that the type 1/2 classification is
based on the foremost clinical signs and gross lesions
observed at necropsy and not on the adenovirus strains
or antigenic types.
 Adenovirus infections
• Type 1 adenovirosis occurs mainly in pigeons under one
year of age and mostly in those birds between 3–5
months. Pigeons suffer considerably with this disease.
Vomiting, acute watery diarrhoea and weight losses are
observed.
• The infection spreads quickly and in a few days all
pigeons in a loft may be affected. Morbidity is usually
about 100% but mortality is usually low unless secondary
bacterial infection with Escherichia coli supervenes.
 Adenovirus infections
• Type 2 adenovirosis affects pigeons of any age
from 10 days to six years. Generally there are
few clinical signs since affected pigeons usually
die within 24–48 h. Occasionally, vomiting and
production of yellow watery droppings are
reported. Typically in outbreaks, new cases
occur sporadically over a 6–8 week period.
Mortality is about 30–70% but may reach 100%.
 Salmonelosis

• Etiology:
Salmonella typhimurium, var. Copenhagen

• Although other Salmonella species affect pigeons, only

S. typhimurium consistently causes disease.
 Salmonelosis
• Young pigeons with salmonellosis exhibit weakness, anorexia,
weight loss, fluffing, shivering, and dyspnea.

• Some birds may develop pneumonia or periophthalmic sinusitis and

ocular discharge.

• The hallmark sign in pigeons of any age is a swollen joint or

lameness caused by septic arthritis.
• Egg infection may result in dead-in-shel embryos, dead -at- hatch
embryos, squab mortality, and weakened squabs.
 Salmonelosis
• Necropsy findings are indistinct and may include
hepatosplenomegaly and septic arthritides. Giemsa
stained smears of septic joint fluid, collected in live or
dead birds, may reveal engulfed or free Salmonella
organisms.
• The definitive method for diagnosing salmonellosis is
isolation of the organism from a live bird or from
necropsy specimens.
 Chronic respiratory disease

• Chronic respiratory disease can be caused

by infection with Chlamydophilla psittaci,
Pasteurella, or Mycoplasma organisms.
 Chlamydiosis

• Chlamydophilla psittaci is considered the primary

agent of chronic respiratory disease; however,in my
experience, it plays a very minor role.

• At the University of Ghent, chlamydiae were

demonstrated in 83% of conjunctival swab samples from
pigeons with conjunctivitis that had poor race
performance.
 Chlamydiosis
Clinical sings
• Rhinitis, conjunctivitis, epiphora, sinusitis,
coughing, sneezing, fluffing, and poor race
performance are common signs. Pigeon
aviculturists refer to these signs as respiratory ,
respiratory disease, and one-eye colds.
 Chlamydiosis
• Necropsy findings are typical in pigeons as
in other avian species and include
hepatosplenomegaly and airsacculitis. In
pigeons, sinusitis, conjunctivitis, and
pericarditis may also be observed.
 Chlamydiosis
• Diagnosis is based on necropsy findings.
Examination of Giminez-stained liver, spleen,
and air sac impression smears will readily reveal
chlamydial elementary bodies.
Immunoperoxidase staining of these same
tissues will also reveal chlamydiae, but this
technique requires that samples are sent to out -
side laboratories.
• Antemortem diagnosis is best obtained with
DNA polymerase chain reaction testing of
conjunctival or choanal swab samples.
 Pelistega europaea
• However, because the chronic respiratory
disease involves multiple disease agents, pigeon
pasteurellosis is best considered an infection
with a group of Pasteurella-like organisms rather
than with a single organism.
• This is now described as Pelistega europaea.
 Pelistega europaea
• Clinical sings
• The hallmark sign of infection of Pelistega spp. is eye
wiping, with an accumulation of dried serous exudate on
the scapular and caudal humeral regions.
• This ocular discharge is usually unilateral but
occasionally will affect both eyes.
• Nasal discharge is common and the periorbital sinuses
are often grossly distended.
• Feather Ioss around the eye occurs from self-
excoriation, and the palpebrae appear flaccid, as with
mild ectropion.
 Pelistega europaea
• Diagnosis is based on the characteristic clinical
signs and recovery of the organism from culture
of choanal or sinus swab samples.
• Culture of fluid from sinus aspirates is often
unrewarding, but use of trypticase soy agar for
inoculation may improve results.
• Gram 's stains of choanal swab or sinus fluid
samples may identify small, gram-negative,
bipolar rods that are suggestive of Pelistega.
 Mycoplasmosis
• Mycoplasma:
• Mycoplasmosis is another cause of one-eye
colds, and signs are very similar to those of
chlamydiosis and pasteurellosis. Although
carriers are often asymptomatic, mild respiratory
signs,oculonasal discharge, chronic sinusitis,
and eye wiping predominate.
 Mycoplasmosis
• Necropsy findings are limited to airsacculitis and,
occasionally , sinusitis. Concomitant diseases such as
chlamydiosis are often present and may mask signs of
mycoplasmosis.
• Pigeons with circovirus may have several concurrent
diseases including mycoplasmosis;therefore, if possible,
mycoplasmal and circoviral infections should be
identified.
 Canker - Trichomonas columbae
• Signs of infection depend on the
immunocompetency of the pigeon, the previous
exposure of the pigeon to Trichomonas, and the
virulence of the infective strain.
• Debilitated, juvenile, and immunocompromised
pigeons, such as squabs or circovirus infected
birds, are at highest risk of developing severe
disease.
• Trichomonas gallinae causes erosion of the
papillae on the palatal flaps, which is
pathognomonic for exposure.
 Canker - Trichomonas columbae

• Chronically infected pigeons usually show no

clinical signs.
• Acutely infected, antigenically naive pigeons
may become dehydrated, lethargic, docile,
dyspneic, anorectic, and fluffed.
• As the mucosa becomes abscessed and
necrotic, halitosis, emaciation, and dyspnea
worsen.
 Canker - Trichomonas columbae

• Trichomonas columbae is normally transmitted

in crop secretions and in regurgitated food from
the parent birds to the squabs during the first
few days of life.
• Passive immunity from the parents' crop milk
protects the squabs until they are
immunocompetent.
Schema of swab from crop in pigeon
Nitroimidazole antiprotozoal drugs for treatment
of Trichomonas columbae in pigeons.
 1 .Eimeria labeana
Size 19 x 17 µm

2. Eimeria columbarum
Size 20 x 19 µm

Clinical sings in squabs :

Anorexia, greenisch diarhoe, dehydratation and emanation.

Diagnosis:
Coprological investigation of dropings – definite individual !!
Therapy:
Sulfonamid, toltrazurile.
Columbicola columbae
Falculifer rostratus
 Veterinary prevention – January to
March
Preparation to breeding Imunoprophylaxis
season
• Newcastle Disease
• parazitological investigation Nobivac-paramyxo
coprology and swab from
crop
• Salmonelosis
• bacteriological investigation
• deratisation
• desinfection
• construct of breeding pairs
• nutrition
• vitamins AD3E, group B
• repair of breeding facility
 Veterinary prevention – breeding season

Breeding season (March- Veterinary prevention

September)
• desinfection
• periodically vitamins AD3E and • desinsection
group B
• deratization
• quality of hatching eggs
• coprology investigation
• hatching of squabs
• control of healt status
• dietary changes
• prevention of canker
• race season from 1. of May
• Vaccination agains ND
• separate breed of young
• Vaccination agains poxvirus
pigeons
• • Vaccination agains Salmonella
molting of breeding pigeons
• preparation of young pigeon to
the races
• vaccination and revaccination
of pigeons
 Veterinary prevention – September to
December
Exhibition season (September
to January)
• Finish of breeding season
• Finish of race season
• Finish of molting of pigeons
• Start of exhibition season
• Changes of diets
• Separate breeding of gender
• Repair of technology
• Shoping of breeding pigeon
• Sale of breeding pigeon
Control of healt status
• Coprological investigation
• Investigation of crop swab
• Investigation of Salmonella
• desinfection
• desinsection
• deratization
• Terapy depend on clinical
investigation
• Quarantine and repeated
investigation
• Imunoprophylaxis
Letu zdar !!