where do you get your pigeon meds from?

hi, has anyone on here used an online site to buy pigeon meds from that they would recommend as im looking to stock up on worm,cocci,and canker treatments as on the last droppings test they had done the results come back positive for coccidiosis which i treated succesfully with coxoid but since then ive had a few waifs and strays pass thru my loft some of which have decided to stay put and make it their permanent home so ive decided to flock treat them all for worms,cocci and canker for my peace of mind and my pigeons health,any help appreciated kevin

Hi Kev,

Sorry I missed this post of yours somehow...

I can get some meds for my pigeons over the counter here, but I have also bought online from
http://www.jedds.com/-strse-template/store_home/Page.bok -- they have great choice for coccidia and canker, but not so much for worms (Ivermectin is OK, but don't touch the 'zoles'). Moxidectin Plus is the best wormer, but I didn't see it on their list.
Postal costs from the US can be high, so it's better to buy everything you need in one go and use combined shipping. They deliver very fast.

I have also bought online from a Portuguese subsidiary of this British firm:
http://www.birdcareco.com/ They're very good for supplements, especially Calcivet.

The best spray for external parasites I've ever used I can get here in a pet shop. But you may be able to order it online, if you can't buy it there. It's just called 'Harmless Insecticide SPRAY', from the Columbine range, by Versele-Laga. It's specifically for pigeon parasites, and very gentle on everyone else's lungs!

I know I've seen other recommendations from members. I'll add them here as I find them.

PS. I haven't used Coxoid before, so I was interested in what you wrote. I've used Coxi Plus (sachets to dissolve in water, 5-day treatment) and found it ineffective, but Coximed (Diclazuril) worked 100%, and it's so gentle you can give it to convalescent pigeons and during the breeding seson, and you can repeat the treatment a month later, with no ill effects, if you suspect reinfection. And reinfection with coccidiosis and canker is the order of the day during warm weather, courtesy of those pesky pigeon flies.

I hope you and your pigeons are doing well.

Ah, here it is:

http://www.pigeonangels.com/t2275-where-to-buy-medicationsalternative-to-on-line-pigeon-supply

hi teresa thanks 4 your reply and info re online meds,as i said ive used coxoid b4(made by harkers i think?)but i try to use different meds so my birds dont build up a tolerance to it,theyve all had the ivermectin one spot on the back of their necks for lice and im also told that ivermectin kills roundworm as well they were all treated for canker with 1 tablet each (spatrix i think?) and then the coxoid but that was early this year /late last year,ive had a few feral squeekers enter my loft and with hindsight i should have separated them from my birds and treated them b4 putting them back in my loft but some of my older pigeons decided to adopt them and started feeding them so i didnt have the heart to move them,some fattenened up and left after a while but some are still here but im guessing theyve probably passesd on some infection through the drinkers and although my pigeons are not sick they dont look as lively as they was so will probably get their droppings tested to be sure,i like my pigeons to have some natural immunity but if they are sick then obviously i will treat them,anyhow i hope u are well teresa and thanks again, kevin
ps are any p.a. members having problems with sparrowhawks at the moment attacking their pigeons?

Hi Kevin,

It is perfectly true that Ivermectin kills roundworm as well. If they take it orally, my vet recommends another dose 12 days later to kill any hatching eggs. With the spot-on I believe they are protected for a month (if it's like the one I've used before) so that should kill the next generation of worms too.
Having said that, it's common for some worms to survive, so it's just as well to remain vigilant.

About Spartrix, one tablet is not enough for treatment, it's only a dosage used by racers as a prevention against coccidiosis. For treatment, you need 1 tablet a day for 3 days.
Recent strains of canker are highly resistant to most meds. Studies show that the most effective treatment is either Flagyl, or Spartrix followed by Flagyl. Here in Portugal and in Germany we have experienced horrendously resistant strains, often requiring treatment with Flagyl for 14 days, and at much higher dosages than the manufacturers originally recommended.
Sources of infection include those horrible pigeon flies, and I've heard there have been quite a few in the UK of late.

I think it's really sweet you adopted the feral squeakers! They may sometimes bring disease into the loft, but not as often as most think. Their most common problem is worms.

I haven't hear anyone mention sparrowhawk attacks yet. Are you having a problem with them? We have a section here in the forum about pigeon predators and how to avoid them -- perhaps that might be useful?

http://www.pigeonangels.com/f24-discussion-of-pigeon-predators-and-harmful-encounters