Lovebird with strep?

Question

I just got back from the vet and Lucy, my lovebird, was put on Baytril for strep. She's always kept away from the other birds that I train, but she is in the same room as my Goffins Cockatoo, Kai. I'm trying to remember if strep can be passed between birds easily or not. They never play together (they don't get along) but Kai does sometimes jump on and chew on Lucy's cage just because she knows it annoys me. I probably will just end up getting medication for Kai, too, but do you think it's necessary? I don't want to hurt Kai, but the vet bills for her will be another $130 (cost isn't a problem, but it's still a lot of money and I don't have a huge bank account)

I have the benebac, but I have the gel stuff and it's probably a month old (mom bought this instead of the vitamins I asked for so it just sat around)
Do you think the gel will work as well? I don't have the package anymore to compare ingredients.

Answer 1

IMHO, never ever treat a bird that don't have to be treated. Yes Strep can be contagious, but only if it comes in "direct" contact, like mouth to mouth or sharing feeding dishes.

What i would suggest you to do, is remove the love bird from that room, and quarentine the love bird. Watch the goffin for signs. Use a product on both birds called Benebac powder on wet food, like scrambled eggs. Yes, this means while you are giving the baytril to the love bird. This will prevent the love bird from getting an over growth of yeast,(because the baytril will kill gram pos rods along with gram neg rods as well) and this will also help the goffin build some gram pos rods if it's resistance gets low.

It won't hurt either one, but it will help both birds. Use for a 10-14 day period, and then once a week for 2 weeks, and then once every 2 weeks there after.

John P you never should treat a bird with any sulfur products. Birds are known to have allergies and it's simple to overdose a bird on them, and kill them. Shame on you for even stating such a thing.

Good Luck!

Answer 2

If the healthy bird chews on the cage of the bird with strep, then I would put both birds on the medication!
Strep can be passes in several ways, but direct saliva contact is one of the surest methods!
I am not familiar with Baytril , but you could ask your vet if tetracycline or Sulfa can be used . I think that Sulfa would be a good bet. If so, you can get packets of tetracycline , such as Aureomycin, or packets with a combination of tetracycline and Sulfa at any good farm supply store.
Aureomycin will cost you about $5 for a pack big enough to medicate 50 gallons of drinking water at a rate of 1 teaspoon per gallon.
The tetracycline/Sulfa mix will cost about $18, and is mixed at the same ratio !

Hope your bird gets better soon !

Answer 3

I didn't know birds could get strep; but my sisters cockatiel came back from the vet with an upper respiratory infection.The roof of his mouth was really red and he was closing 1 eye and the vet says he thinks its a URI . He also said its VERY contagious. She now has to bring in all 12 of her birds to be checked. Her bird is also on baytril and after 2 days is much improved . I would definitely call your vet to check.Good luck and I hope Lucy is quickly on the mend!!!

Answer 4

Just a small additional bit of information.The species of strep that was isolated from your lovebird would not be the same species that gives humans "strept throat". That species is Streptococcus pyogenes and it is known only as a human pathogen. There are other Strep. species that can be isolated from birds that would be considered pathogenic, usually from respiratory specimens.