Parasite transmission from quail to other animals?

[flickerfarkle]

Anybody have an occurrence when they think their other animals might have got parasites from their quail? Specifically, cryptosporidia and giardia?

Can quail be treated against either cryptosporidia or giardia? I ask this because I'm thinking if they cannot, then the quail have got to go.

 

[Nabiki]

Parasites can transfer between species if they are within close proximity. As for treatment, @007Sean would be the one to ask.

 

[Susan Skylark]

You can’t treat anything for crypto, period. Giardia might be susceptible to metronidazole or something like fenbendazole but again, very hard to treat in any species. If your dogs or kids came down with severe diarrhea of unknown etiology it might have come from your birds or a puddle in the backyard or something rotten in the garbage or a dead mouse or the neighbors dogs or the petting zoo or the hamster or other kids at daycare…tracking down where something came from is a tall order, bugs are everywhere, basic hygiene and your immune system can keep most stuff at bay but occasionally everybody gets a gut upset at some point, the bugs are in the environment and even in the guts of most animals but they are at such a low level they don’t cause issues, then your balance gets thrown off and suddenly you are sick. I’m bouncing back from food poisoning at the moment but no idea where it came from, but I spent years climbing into hutches with scouring dairy calves (talk about crypto!) and never got sick once, go figure. If you want to get rid of your birds, just do it, don’t go looking for an excuse or a scapegoat or think you can clear Protozoa from the gut of anything, if you find a way, let me know, you’ll make millions!

 

[007Sean]

I seriously doubt that your quail are infected with either cryptosporidia or giardia. What makes you think they are the culprit? Both form cysts or an 'outer shell' which is almost impossible to penetrate with any known medications, not even chlorine can kill the parasite in it's cystic form. This is why a 'boil water' alert or warning is issued after flood events.
There is some evidence that Nitazoxanide, can be used to treat giardia but it's effects are not well known. Cryptosporida is not curable but symptoms can be treated to relive the affects of this protozoan.