| Guide | Treat air sac mites |
| Target Group | Corvids |
| Author | info@corvidlove.com |
| Version | 20220511 |
| NOTE: In all my guides, I start from a situation where a rehabilitator takes his responsibility to take care of the animals in an ethically correct way. You should always try to minimize stress for the bird and since the birds, just like humans, are not the same, it can mean that you handle a problem in different ways by being creative! If I see different ways of doing the same thing, I try to write it down in my guides, but it is always up to the rehabilitator to take their own responsibility. I do not have to write “I recommend putting the bird down” or “contact a veterinarian” or “according to law, you should …” because I start from the situation where you do the best for the bird and that you as a rehabilitator have learned to draw the line so that you do not end up in an unwanted or illegal situation. There may be an eternal battle between what you want and what is best for the bird. There are also many factors where a similar situation can give different results. For example: access to a veterinarian, lack of time, lack of knowledge and previous experience can include cause large differences in the treatment and decision-making process and indirectly also the end result. Knowledge of basic things can make a huge difference in the stress level of the crow. For example. avoid anything that is black or checkered. They do not like it instinctively and it creates stress when they see that you are dealing with something that is black. I put energy into my guides to make it easier for a rehabilitator to find information and to spread knowledge. Do you see a way to improve my guides or do you see a mistake or do you want to add something, feel free to inform me! If you are worried about doing something because it is new, ask other rehabilitators or a veterinarian for help. The guides are continuously updated, so make sure to always download the latest version from www.corvidlove.com |
This guide describes what to do with birds that have contracted air sac mites
Information about the parasite
The air sac mite (Sternostoma tracheacolum) is a 0.7 mm long & nbsp; parasite that attacks the bird’s airways and air sacs. The parasites like moisture and that is exactly why they choose to settle there. They are very difficult to detect with the naked eye as they are so small. It is not possible to get rid of the mites without treatment and an untreated case of air sac mites leads to death.
Symptoms:
As time goes on the number of mites in the bird’s air sacs increases, making the bird harder and harder to breathe. More developed symptoms are coughing, sneezing, clicking sounds when the bird breathes, wet nostrils, heavy breathing, often with an open beak, that the tail wiggles from strenuous breathing and that the bird becomes weaker and weaker. In the end, the mite infestation will result in the bird being suffocated to death if left untreated, and one can imagine that it must be terrible to slowly suffocate to death.
NOTE: Air sac mites are highly contagious. If air sac mites are suspected, quarantine the bird immediately.
Medicine and Dosage:
Medicate with the active substance Ivermectin.
For an adult raven / crow (300 grams +): https://www.beaphar.com/en-gb/product/beaphar-anti-parasite-spot-on-large-parrot
For a quay / young crow / raven (50-300 grams): https://www.beaphar.com/en-gb/product/beaphar-anti-parasite-spot-on-medium-parakeet-mynah
The products are available for purchase from this German site: https: //www.medpets.de/beaphar-anti-parasit-vogel/