Air Sac Mites

[ahoang25]

I got the S76 medicine over the weekend. Applied some in the drinking water on Monday and Tuesday. The birds do not seem to like the drink at all. They keep playing with it.

I noticed a little change on Thursday, which is good news. Hope they get better soon.

Thank everyone for all your help. You have been very supportive to me and my birds.

Will keep you up to date after 3 weeks of S76.

Anthony

[L in Ontario]

Great to har you received the S76 - will be waiting to hear a successful update in 3 weeks!

[ac12]

It is kind of late, but I decided that I better give my entire flock S76 to make sure there is no ASM in them (zebras and societies), before the gouldian eggs hatch.

The 2 complications are:
- I have 3 societies sitting on gouldian eggs, scheduled to hatch next Tues.
- I have 1 pair of zebras that just laid egg#1 today.

re S76 treatment 2x a week for 3 weeks.
When you give S76, when do you give the antibiotic, after each 2day weekly treatment, or after the end of the 3 week total treatment?

I did week #1 last week, week #2 treatment will be on Thur (tomorrow) & Fri.

thanks

[B CAMP]

I didn't know zebs and societies had a problem with asm

[ac12]

Bill
I don't think they do, but I also don't want them to be "carriers" of the ASM. So I figure I would do a flock cleaning, to make sure none of the buggers are hitching a ride.

[cindy]

For those in Florida 2 Sisters Aviary are at many of the bird shows, recently the 2009 Bird Expo in Orlando. They have all sorts of medications and healthy additives.

http://www.2sistersaviary.com/products.htm

[Sally]

Gouldians and canaries are the species most affected, but it is not impossible for other species to have ASM. Especially if you have some Gouldians, I would treat the whole flock. A preventative program, every 3-4 months, is best. I do it every 4 months. I use Iverlux, which is the same as S76. I don't understand about the antibiotics--why are you doing antibiotics? I just do the 2-day, three weeks in a row treatment.

To get them to take the treatment, you can take away all water sources the night before. Then, they should be thirsty in the morning. If you give bath water at all, it should be treated with the S76 or Iverlux as well--otherwise, they will just drink their bath water.

[ac12]

I did not think of removing the water before lights out. Too late, lights out just happened. I will have to do that tomorrow night, for the 2nd day.

I remember reading "someplace" that one should use an antibiotic after using S76, as you had to treat the damage that the mites did to the birds. But of course, now I can't find where I read that.

[B CAMP]

I think if the bird had a bad case of ASM thats when the antibiotics are used not when your doing a preventive treatment,but I would check further cause I am not completly sure I don't give the antibiotics to my birds when I treat them

[CandoAviary]

It was I that had mentioned the antibiotic treatment. I suggested that to someone who had treated for ASM and the bird still had problems. Sometimes the dead ASM can cause an infection if they can not be dispelled or has caused much irritation to the airways. (usually in the case of a heavy infestation)
I would not treat with antibiotics after treatment if the bird is doing well or if treating for preventitive measures. But if the bird has developed a secondary infection then I would treat with antibiotics followed by probiotics

[ac12]

Thanks Candace, less medication is better.

[ahoang25]

After giving my finches and canaries the final S76 medicine, I noticed that 2 of my canaries still have the clicking sound. They are much better now than before though.

During the first week of using S76, I noticed that my canaries did not get better so I applied a drop of SCATT for each canary that was seriouly sick.

I should apply SCATT again on 2 canaries that are making the clicking sound? I certainly dont want to overdose them.

Anthony

[Sally]

The advantage to using SCATT is that you dose directly on the bird's skin, so it is absorbed completely. With S76 or Iverlux, they take it in the drinking water, but it is not as precise with the amount they get. I really don't know, I have never had to use both before, but if two canaries are still clicking, I would think they still have ASM, or there are so many dead mites in their airways that they cannot get rid of them. Then you might want to try the SCATT, followed by antibiotics and probiotics, as Candace has suggested in a posting just before this.

[carmena]

Was reading this through and did not see Sevin as a treatment...that is what I use. Is there a reason why I shouldn't use the "Shake and Bake" method for Air Sac mites??

I treat my finches with this method and though they hate it, I was transfering them from their breeding cages to the flight anyway.

Next time I am at the feed store I will ask if they have one of these other products. I would guess they would have it for poultry.

[CandoAviary]

I can see using sevin for possibly feather mites but ASM, not too sure about.... They would have to inhale a lot of dust and that in itself couldn't be too good for them. Never heard of anyone using this on finches, though I know it is common with chickens...........