Just like their mammalian cousins birds can suffer from internal parasites and should be wormed at specific times. Internal worms can cause many problems in our feathered friends including weight loss, anaemia, respiratory problems and diarrhea. Heavy worm burdens can kill our birds so it is important to be up to date with the correct worming for your bird.
We advise the use of a registered bird wormer, Worm Out Gel. This drug contains two active worming ingredients, Praziquantal and Oxfendazole, which kills tapeworms, rounds worms, hook worms, gape worms and hair worms.
All new birds should be wormed on arrival to their new home. From there the frequency of worming depends on the birds living arrangements. Birds kept inside with out access to other birds only need to be wormed yearly as there is little chance of infestation. Outside birds should be wormed more frequently, we recommend 3 monthly worming treatments.
You might be wondering how your bird may contract internal parasites. The most common method of transfer is through the ingestion of an infected birds faeces. The worms then mature inside of the bird and begin causing problems, some worms can also be contracted through eating insects/worms.
The best way to identify if a bird has worms is to examine the faeces under a microscope, we can then visualize and identify the eggs.