Salmonella in Pigeons: Diagnosis and Treatment
Salmonella, or paratyphoid, is a bacterial disease that worries Egyptian pigeon fanciers because it spreads easily and leaves survivors carrying the infection for long periods. It starts in the gut, then moves through the blood to joints, liver and spleen and can reach the nervous system. Squabs die quickly, while adults suffer weight loss, repeated diarrhoea and swollen legs. Control needs laboratory diagnosis, strict quarantine and daily hygiene of water and feed.
How salmonella spreads
The bacteria spread through contaminated droppings that dry and become dust inside the loft, and through dirty drinking water and feed. Carrier birds pass the bacteria into eggs and to their squabs, so infection can persist generation after generation in the same loft. Rodents, flies and wild birds help bring new strains into the building.
It also moves on hands, boots and shared tools, and through un-disinfected transport crates during racing season. Heat stress in the Egyptian summer lowers immunity and turns silent infection into visible disease. A pigeon bought at an auction or from another fancier without a two-week quarantine is the biggest risk.
Paratyphoid signs
In squabs the disease is acute: lethargy, refusal to eat, watery yellow or green droppings and death within days. Older birds show chronic signs, most famously a neck twisted backwards or to the side, and swelling of the knee or hock joint with obvious lameness. An eyelid may swell or an eye infection may appear, and liver involvement leaves the bird pale and thin.
Sticky green droppings are an important clue, but they are not specific to salmonella, so it must be separated from coccidiosis, canker and Newcastle disease. Laboratory isolation of the bacteria from droppings or from organs after death is the only way to confirm. Relying on signs alone can lead to the wrong treatment, wasting time and harming the birds.
- Sticky green or watery yellow droppings with a smell.
- Neck twisting backwards or sideways and loss of balance.
- Swollen knee or hock joint with lameness.
- Severe weight loss and pale eyes or conjunctiva.
- Sudden death in squabs between two weeks and one month.
Diagnosis and treatment
The vet starts with a general examination, weight and joints, then requests a faecal culture with antibiotic sensitivity testing. Treatment uses an effective antibiotic such as enrofloxacin or another quinolone, at a calculated dose for the full course set by the vet. Stopping treatment early is the main reason the disease returns and new carriers appear.
Severe cases need fluids, electrolyte support and vitamins, with the bird isolated in a warm, dry crate. Preventive antibiotics must not be used randomly, because that creates resistant bacteria and undermines the real treatment. After recovery, repeat testing is needed to confirm the bird is not still a carrier, since carriers fuel the next outbreak.
Prevention and quarantine
Every new bird should stay in a separate crate for at least two weeks with weight and droppings monitored, and ideally a droppings sample tested before mixing. Clean drinkers daily, assign one drinker per group, and remove droppings from the floor before they dry and become dust. Watch for rodents and close any gap that lets them enter the loft.
In hot weather, provide good ventilation and clean cool water to reduce stress. Supporting immunity with vitamins and minerals helps birds resist infection. Set up the loft with drinkers from our bird supplies, clean water via a bird drinker, and support stock with poultry vitamins.
Conclusion
Salmonella does not disappear when diarrhoea stops, because a bird may remain a carrier and shed bacteria for months. Completing the vet-set treatment course, quarantining new birds and disinfecting water and feed are the pillars of control. Any twisted neck or swollen joint needs an immediate veterinary examination.
This article is general guidance and is not a substitute for examining your animal by a licensed veterinarian. In emergencies, contact your vet immediately.
