Worming

[Ssutor]

Hi everyone, I just received a notification that the ducks wormer is due. Do you worm your ducks from vet prescribed wormer each year?

 

[Isaac 0]

Unless you're situated in an area where internal parasite presence is a given, or you've had a past problem with internal parasites, worming regularly with no idea whether it's needed is simply a waste of time and money, and could contribute to wormer resistance problems. If you want to check for worms in your flock, instead collect fresh poop samples from a few birds, put them in a sealed container, and bring it to your vet for a fecal floatation - the diagnostic test is economical and very easy to perform. Several companies also offer it online:

https://www.amazon.com/Reptiles-Rab...+animals&qid=1613568374&s=pet-supplies&sr=1-3

 

[casportpony]

Hi everyone, I just received a notification that the ducks wormer is due. Do you worm your ducks from vet prescribed wormer each year?

Where do you live and what de-wormer did the vet prescribe last time?

 

[KaleIAm]

Where we live we have parasites living in our damp soil. We also have lots of slugs and worms containing parasites in their bodies. My ducks play in the dirt and eat the slugs and worms and get internal parasites regularly.

And so about twice yearly I stalk my ducks after their breakfast with plastic disposable spoons. I scoop up their poop and put it in plastic ziplock bags. I then take it to my veterinarian. Most of the time 1 of my ducks has too many parasites, and the other 2 do not. Sometimes they all do. I don't want to treat them all if they don't need it. After treatment I test again to make sure it was successful.

The first time we tested and found parasites I bought the dewormer medication from the vet, and noticed that it was medication I could buy online. Now sometimes I buy it online and my vet gives me a label, and sometimes I buy it from the my vet. It is less much expensive online, but with only 3 birds it expires before I can use it all.

 

[Ssutor]

Where do you live and what de-wormer did the vet prescribe last time?

I think it was Panacur. At 3/4 weeks our duck was feverish, had diarrhoea and the vet thought it was tapeworm. Cleared up fine after treatment. We live east of england just in a normal grassed garden

 

[Ssutor]

Where we live we have parasites living in our damp soil. We also have lots of slugs and worms containing parasites in their bodies. My ducks play in the dirt and eat the slugs and worms and get internal parasites regularly.

And so about twice yearly I stalk my ducks after their breakfast with plastic disposable spoons. I scoop up their poop and put it in plastic ziplock bags. I then take it to my veterinarian. Most of the time 1 of my ducks has too many parasites, and the other 2 do not. Sometimes they all do. I don't want to treat them all if they don't need it. After treatment I test again to make sure it was successful.

The first time we tested and found parasites I bought the dewormer medication from the vet, and noticed that it was medication I could buy online. Now sometimes I buy it online and my vet gives me a label, and sometimes I buy it from the my vet. It is less much expensive online, but with only 3 birds it expires before I can use it all.

This is really helpful thank you, how do you know when they have parasites?

 

[Ssutor]

Unless you're situated in an area where internal parasite presence is a given, or you've had a past problem with internal parasites, worming regularly with no idea whether it's needed is simply a waste of time and money, and could contribute to wormer resistance problems. If you want to check for worms in your flock, instead collect fresh poop samples from a few birds, put them in a sealed container, and bring it to your vet for a fecal floatation - the diagnostic test is economical and very easy to perform. Several companies also offer it online:

https://www.amazon.com/Reptiles-Rab...+animals&qid=1613568374&s=pet-supplies&sr=1-3

Brilliant advice thank you!

 

[KaleIAm]

This is really helpful thank you, how do you know when they have parasites?

I only really know after the vet looks at their poop samples under a microscope and tells me the results!

I start to suspect when their poop gets more smushy like diarrhea. My vet told me that parasites are more common in spring and fall. So we get my ducks' poop tested late spring and fall. I feel like we usually get parasites in late spring. We are REALLY wet here.

I believe tapeworms are hard to test for, however.