Antibiotics During Racing


Although the practice of using antibiotics for only a few days each week is considered inappropriate in veterinary medicine, it is a practice approved by most pigeon veterinarians.

Our birds are highly stressed during shipping and racing and are therefore very susceptible to various infectious agents. To prevent problems, the birds can be treated with antibiotics every week or every other week for 2 days. This practice is helpful in preventing bacterial diseases, but has no effect on viral infections.

The antibiotics I'm comfortable using during the race season are: SMZ-TMP, either doxycycline or tetracycline in conjunction with Tylan Powder, Gallimycin, Vetisulid and amoxicillin. I have combined these antibiotics with Corid and Baycox (for coccidia), and Ridzol and Emtryl (for canker) without any obvious undesirable effects.

While we're on the topic of disease prevention, be sure your birds are vaccinated for PMV and parathyphoid (and Pox for young birds), as these diseases are far easier to prevent than cure.

good info ian, was reading the directions on the eye drops for my bird with one eyed cold......it said not to be used on birds/animals which are to be consumed by humans, so there must be something in it which is unfit for humans

by the way the eyedrops have made almost 100% recovery after only a couple of days, so if anyone ever has one eyed cold in future I HAVE A CURE !!!!!!!!!!

david pleased to here its worked

yes so am i, the hen is a 2010 bird i got during the season but was too young to race, she is a cyrel dendyver (spelt something like that...lol) which are supposed to be very good sprinters, and i am hoping to pair her to one of my janssens.

hi David, what's called 'cold eye',never heared this before. any symptom?

just the same as us aexhe watery eye

I see, cheers

Good bit of Info Ian but the eye drops have been used for years in belguim

you dont say

But you forgot something Ian by using the drops you can also see how well your pigeons are

And by this i mean if the drop disapperers quiclky they are in good condition but if the drop takes time to disapperer into the eye then they are not as well as the others

you dont say don

Yes Ian i do say if that is O.K

go boil your head don

Thank you