Peacock with possible gapeworms

[casportpony]

How's your peacock?

 

[chocolateeggs]

Well it looks like his neck feather loss has slowed, but he is still opening his mouth wide to breath. He is active and eats and drinks. This will be over a month he has been doing this...

 

[danarayani]

I have a peacock that is stretching his mouth open and acting like he is having trouble taking a breath. I looked it up and it sounds like gapeworms, however he is also losing his blue neck feathers and I don't know what that is from. I gave him .5cc of ivermectin on dog food and he ate it up, how long until it takes effect? Also, does anyone know what could be causing the feather loss on the neck?

Did the ivermectin work for the gapeworm?

 

[KsKingBee]

Did the ivermectin work for the gapeworm?

That bird is probably dead by now, that was eight years ago. Ivermectin is not a good dewormer. The first thing to do is either run a fecal or run a swab down the airway to see if there are any worms present. The yawning and shaking of the head is also a reaction to the onslaught of a respiratory infection. If there are worms present then a five-day treatment with either Valbazen or Safeguard followed up with a second-round ten days later will take care of all worms.