Health Corner

What is Trichomonas?
DESCRIPTION:
Trichomonas or "Canker" or "Fronce" is a disease of pigeons caused by a single celled protozoa.  The trichomonad organizm  is very small and moves by means of a long "flagella" or whip like projection.  It is very common in pigeons, especially youngsters in the nest or just out of the nest.  Some estimates indicate that up to 80% of all pigeons are infected. Adults very often have no symptoms, but if they are stressed, the disease can show up and cause serious illness and even death.

Carriers (birds that are infected but do not show symptoms) can transmit the disease to their young.  So if you have a trichomonas problem, you should make some effort to eliminate infected individuals.  And of course, keep your loft sanitized and clean.

To actually see this tiny critter, you would need a microscope.  But you can see the disease that it causes in your birds.  If your birds have these symptoms, suspect Trichomonas.
SYMPTOMS
  1. Pharyngeal Form: Yellow patches in the mouth and throat that can often be removed without causing any bleeding. These yellow deposits can become so large that the birds cannot eat or drink or breath and may actually suffocate.
  2. Navel Form: Young birds still in the nest may develop yellow patch near the "navel" and from there it can spread to internal organs and cause a severe disease or death.
  3. Internal Form: The liver, crop and lungs may have the cheesy yellow deposits.  This form can sometimes be chronic and the bird will appear to be healthy on the outside. You would not see these lesions of course unless doing a necropsy after a bird has died.
  4. Droppings may be very fluid and have a sour odor
  5. Birds may be in poor condition, although they are not actually sick.
  6. Severely infected birds may stop eating and actually have trouble closing their mouths because of lesions.  Eyes may be watery.

 
TREATMENT
Treat birds trichomonas or canker can be treated with a variety of products including ronidazole or metronidazole -- available at a pigeon supply house. 
Note: When you see the cheesy yellow lesions, consider Pox, Tuberculosis, Aspergillosis or Salmonellosis also.