Putting anti-parasite medication in birdbath water (12 Viewers)

[do re meep meep]

My birdbath is a favorite of an American Robin that comes every day, sometimes even twice a day. Apart from the joy of bathing, the bird may have a reason to bathe that often, its feathers don’t look very good. I don’t think that it is moulting, more likely is that it has some parasites like feather-lice or feather-mites, see e.g. http://petcaretips.net/bird-lice.html and http://petcaretips.net/feather-mite.html

I have been thinking of putting a caged pet bird product in my birdbath water. I know that some people frown on putting anything but pure water in a birdbath, but in this case the disadvantages may be outweighed by the benefits of not only helping the bird get rid of the parasites, but also to prevent any parasites from spreading to other bathing birds.

Anyone has put some anti-parasite medication in their birdbath water?

 

[amkid247]

maybe its just a young one and its adult feathers didnt come in

 

[Robert / Seattle]

Before you experiment with chemicals on a wild bird population, maybe it might be simpler and wiser to just change the water once or twice daily. After all, it comes out of the city tap free of most injurious microbes.

(P.S. -- I've been to Ottawa. Beautiful place!).

 

[do re meep meep]

A mere water change would certainly not help the bird, and would not likely prevent spreading of any parasites. I guess you would not be willing to go into a bath tub which was previously used by a person with lice, even if the water has been changed :eek!:

I am looking for actual experiences with medicated birdbath water to minimize my own experiments Most caged pet birds products are normally sprayed on the affected bird.

BTW, I know how a juvenile American Robin looks like, looks like a different species!

 

[Ade George]

My birdbath is a favorite of an American Robin that comes every day, sometimes even twice a day. Apart from the joy of bathing, the bird may have a reason to bathe that often, its feathers don’t look very good. I don’t think that it is moulting, more likely is that it has some parasites like feather-lice or feather-mites, see e.g. http://petcaretips.net/bird-lice.html and http://petcaretips.net/feather-mite.html

I have been thinking of putting a caged pet bird product in my birdbath water. I know that some people frown on putting anything but pure water in a birdbath, but in this case the disadvantages may be outweighed by the benefits of not only helping the bird get rid of the parasites, but also to prevent any parasites from spreading to other bathing birds.

Anyone has put some anti-parasite medication in their birdbath water?

Hi
this is a little late and guess you may have already taken action but I would advise speaking to a vet first about any problems that could happensay for example if the bird drinks the bath water etc.

 

[do re meep meep]

These caged pet bird products that are normally sprayed on the bird, are non-toxic because of the possibility of ingestion when the birds preen themselves. Also, these products are non-irritating when sprayed toward the eyes of the birds.

I guess the difference is that the birds are now immersed in the water. Perhaps some manufacturer has some information on how to use their product in this different way, i.e. immersion instead of spray. Buying a big bottle to use as birdbath water is prohibitively expensive and perhaps too highly concentrated as well.

Perhaps one could buy the active ingredient less expensively in a drug store and mix it in the right dosage into the birdbath water, similar to what sheep farmers do when they dip their sheep to rid them of their parasites. This is where a vet might help, but he would have to diagnose the wild bird (how do you do that?) before writing a presciption, sounds like big bucks.

 

[ayasuda]

Anti-parasitics and antibiotics are used sparingly in treating wildlife. We want the drugs to remain effective and prevent resistants in target organisms. If your bird has a serious condition, then treating him with over the counter drug will probably not help. I think robert/seattle gave the best advice: keep your bath clean and change the water every day.

I'm suspecting that your bird might have another reason for having ratty feathers. The feather lice are secondary to a much bigger problem, and you would have had to hold the bird in your hand to see the lice chewed feathers. If he is hopping around and basicly ok, just leave him alone.

 

[do re meep meep]

I don't think it's necessarily true that "feather lice are secondary to a much bigger problem", most schoolkids with head lice are healthy, just that in either case they got infested with parasites. Ridding them from parasites would make life OK for them.

It's a matter of course that I keep my birdbath (and feeder) clean, but it seems like going beyond that is cost prohibitive rather than anything else. It's sad, that we can't do more for our feathered backyard guests.

 

[KnockerNorton]

for a start, you've got no evidence that it has lice. For another thing, you have no evidence that lice are causing a problem (they hardly ever do). Thirdly, you don't KNOW that it is not moulting (at this time of year, it almost certainly is, and they can look very scruffy - bald heads, shaggy plumage, threadbare feathers). Fourthly, it may be accidental feather loss (predator attack). Fifthly, don't even think about medicating wild birds. Not only may it be illegal in your state to leave vetinary chemicals where ANY wild bird or animal (or children) can come into contact with them, but you have no idea how it might affect another bird or animal either.

Finally, this is a wild bird - not a pet. If you check the instructions on the back of any pet remedy it will say "always follow the instructions". It will NOT say "leave out in the open where anything can come and possibly be poisoned".

 

[do re meep meep]

Calm down, calm down, Poecile! You are obviously one of those who frowns upon putting anything else but pure water in the birdbath, as I already alluded to in my opening post in this thread.

But there are other viewpoints too, see for example the great debate on the insecticide 'Sevin' in the Purple Martin community:
pro http://purplemartin.org/forumarchives/archive/sevinpro.htm
con http://purplemartin.org/forumarchives/archive/sevinanti.htm

Unfortunately, Sevin has been applied as a powder in the Purple Martin community, there is no data on applying Sevin in a solution, otherwise I would have long put it in the birdbath water.

One would have to hire a vet for an accurate diagnosis and further cause of action, that's where the big bucks come into play, that I am not prepared to spend for now.

However, I do believe that when we entice wild birds to come to our backyards by offering them food, water, shelter or nesting sites, that we also incur host type of responsibilities towards our guests, at least to a reasonable degree. I won't go into a religious debate on this issue, though.

 

[KnockerNorton]

Religion doesn't come into it. You only have an ethical (or legal) responsibility if birds are suffering because of your actions. This bird is probably just moulting. It doesn't need an amateur vet. Even if it were being eaten alive by lice, then so be it - lice need to live too, and birds are their natural hosts. Again, this is nature, not a pet emporium. There is such a thing as interfering too much.

 

[do re meep meep]

If you yourself are being eaten alive by rats (like some wounded soldiers) you may change your views about nature. It's good for the rats, BTW, if they can continue eating the corpses, they grow as large as cats. Read about it in just about any war documentary, and tell me if it has changed your views about ethics, legal, etc.

 

[prairiemerlin]

What do rats have to do with it ?? :eek!: :eek!: :brains:

But seriously, please do not add anything to the water. You never know what may be harmful to animals - i.e. chocolate and grapes being harmful to dogs, etc. There isn't any way of knowing if the bird actually has any parasites - the bird may simply be very worn from nesting activities, etc. This is a wild animal, not a pet - stop treating it like one! :h?:

Neil G.

 

[do re meep meep]

My point was that 'Sevin or similar' could prevent your avian backyard guest from being eaten alive, just like you yourself don't want to be eaten alive by rats either.

I am looking for this 'Sevin or similar', the surrounding religious issues have been debated very extensively already, see for example the pro and con arguments in the link to the Purple Martin forum archives that I gave in the above. There are more arguments in those archives than you ever want to read. There are a million pro arguments saying 'do use it' because bla bla bla and and are a million con arguments 'do not use it' because bla bla bla.

I am not interested in a rehash of those bla bla bla at all, I have gone beyond the religious issue on whether or not to use it, I do want to use it.

I am merely looking for the best 'Sevin or similar' for birdbath purposes and will only respond to this substantive issue and not to any more of those bla bla bla.

 

[prairiemerlin]

Just a quick clarification - feather mites and fleas do not "eat birds alive". You simply do not seem to understand that you may end up killing or making birds sick by adding unnatural things to the water. I will leave it at that. :gn:

Neil G.

 

[do re meep meep]

Just a quick clarification - feather mites and fleas do not "eat birds alive". You simply do not seem to understand that you may end up killing or making birds sick by adding unnatural things to the water. I will leave it at that. :gn:

Neil G.

That's (a very small) part of the bla bla bla of the con arguments, which are only half truths, there are a million more of such arguments in the link that I gave in the above, if that makes you happy.

Perhaps I should balance it by saying that in the Purple Martin community, a landlord who fails to deploy the insecticide Sevin when there is a parasite infestation, is nowadays considered an irresponsible Purple Martin landlord by the majority in that community. Or to say it the other way around, the majority of Purple Martin landlords use the insecticide Sevin with all the benefits and without any of the apocalyptical effects decried by the con criers, which are now in the minority. You are welcome to help the minority opinion in the Purple Martin community gain more standing if you are so inclined, I gave the web link in the above, just join the discussion forum there for free and you are on your way.

I myself consider it completely useless to rehash the religious debate. Again, I would appreciate any substantive information without the useless bla bla bla.

 

[KnockerNorton]

However did birds survive before the evolution of the insecticide 'community' and self-appointed Purple Martin lawmakers, i wonder?

They seem to have done alright for a few million years on their own, them and their parasites. They have co-evolved, so it is hardly in a parasite's interests to eliminate its host, is it?

Why do you keep bringing religion into this?! There is nothing in the Bible/Koran/Scientology doctrine etc about medicating wild birds with insecticides is there?

 

[do re meep meep]

Well, if you find a better term than 'religion', propose it. Anyway, not going for words, but for substance, what is meant by the term 'religion' is that some people assume host type of responsibilities for the wildlife that they attract, and others refuse to do so. For every argument to assume these responsibilities, there are arguments to refuse those same responsibilities. That's why it is sometimes referred to as 'religion' (I did not invent such usage of the term) but as I said you are free to propose another word. It does not detract from the substantive issue.

I see it is as difficult to get a substantive discussion on this issue as it is to get a substantive discussion on cats in a bird forum. Or perhaps even more difficult? There is no substantive discussion at all in this entire thread, just detractions on the side issues.

 

[Robert / Seattle]

My point was that 'Sevin or similar' could prevent your avian backyard guest from being eaten alive, just like you yourself don't want to be eaten alive by rats either.

I am looking for this 'Sevin or similar', the surrounding religious issues have been debated very extensively already, see for example the pro and con arguments in the link to the Purple Martin forum archives that I gave in the above. There are more arguments in those archives than you ever want to read. There are a million pro arguments saying 'do use it' because bla bla bla and and are a million con arguments 'do not use it' because bla bla bla.

I am not interested in a rehash of those bla bla bla at all, I have gone beyond the religious issue on whether or not to use it, I do want to use it.

I am merely looking for the best 'Sevin or similar' for birdbath purposes and will only respond to this substantive issue and not to any more of those bla bla bla.

Please, leave well enough alone ... bla bla bla. The instant gratification of a quickie Rx fix is both naive and dangerous. Keep your spot clean. Do nothing else. Nature will take care of it's own.

 

[Robert / Seattle]

My point was that 'Sevin or similar' could prevent your avian backyard guest from being eaten alive ... I am merely looking for the best 'Sevin or similar' for birdbath purposes and will only respond to this substantive issue and not to any more of those bla bla bla.

Sevin: A highly toxic insecticide in the carbamate family of neurotoxins. Also extremely toxic to bees, which can be killed by visiting previously treated foliage. To aquatic organisms, and to birds. Found in a number of garden insecticides, as well as some slug baits.