The canary is a bird that has been bred in captivity for more than 500 years and is especially appreciated for its pleasant and sweet melodies. It is also a bird with a sweet and harmonious appearance that enjoys the company of its congeners in a large cage.
However, aside from their diet, one of the main care we must offer our canaries is grooming, otherwise they contract parasites that can be very dangerous for their he alth. Do you want to know how to deworm canaries? In this article we tell you about different methods!
What parasites affect canaries?
The parasites are one of the most frequent diseases in canaries, which contract them mainly due to lack of hygiene in the space where they live. If you have canaries, it is vitally important that you keep their cages and utensils properly cleaned, since certain parasites can even cause death.
The most common parasites that affect these birds are:
- Mites in canaries: they can lodge in the animal's body and remain there for the rest of its life. They are responsible for various diseases, such as scabies. The so-called red mite is more frequent, which feeds on blood, causing weakness, nervousness and loss of color in the feathers.
- Lice in canaries: they feed on the canary's blood, causing itching in the animal and eventually losing its plumage.
- Worms in canaries: they stay inside the digestive system of the canary, feeding on the same food that the canary eats. They cause extreme weight loss, even when the canary continues to eat its food normally. It also causes diarrhea and infections in the digestive system.
Below we will show you different ways so that you know how to deworm canaries. There are several ways to deworm your canary, we will show you several of them. Some are natural and others commercial.
The use of spray to deworm canaries
The most effective and safe way to deworm a canary is by using specific sprays or aerosols for the species, since we will make sure not to harm your he alth condition if we apply it properly. The best thing to do is go to an exotic animal veterinarian, since depending on the pathology or the parasite we will have to use some products or others.
There are a wide variety of sprays on the market to combat parasites in canaries, either as a treatment or as a preventive measure. Among the most common are those whose active ingredients are amino acids, thiamine, pyridoxine or nicotinamide. Remember to follow the instructions of the product properly.
Deworm canaries with garlic and water
The use of garlic is one of the most effective ways to internally deworm canaries and can be used to naturally eliminate various species of parasites. We must be careful with the doses and we will only need three things:
- Drinker
- A clove of peeled garlic
- Water
You must pour the water into the drinker. Then, add the clove of garlic and the remedy will be ready, just wait for the canary to drink it. This treatment should be applied for approximately 10 days, changing the drinking water daily and the garlic clove every two or four days. It's that easy!
Deworming canaries with apple cider vinegar
Apple cider vinegar is an excellent homemade insecticide for canaries, due to its many benefits and antiparasitic properties. The remedy is to mix a tablespoon of apple cider vinegar for every liter of water. Then, pour the mixture into the trough to be ingested by the canary.
With this simple process any type of parasite found in the bird's digestive system is expelled. In addition, vinegar has the quality of preventing bacteria and fungi, so it is recommended to add it regularly to the animal's food.
Deworming canaries with pumpkin seeds
Using pumpkin seeds to naturally deworm canaries is a very effective way to prevent or eliminate parasites in the digestive system, using something so simple. Not only do they work as an antiparasitic, they also contain antioxidants that help prevent constipation and heart disease, as well as being rich in vitamins and minerals.
You must extract the pumpkin seeds and wait for them to dry, preferably in the sun to speed up the process. Then, the shell that surrounds them is removed and crushed until they are reduced to small pieces. Finally, you must place them in a bowl as food for your canaries and you will see the results. Too easy!
As we have already said, parasites can attack your canary internally or externally. Outside, the biggest problem is lice and mites, causing them a lot of discomfort. Here are some remedies to deworm your canaries externally.
Deworm canaries with baking soda
Baking soda is a very effective remedy, since among its multiple properties is that of cleaning the plumage of canaries, even their cages and other elements. There are several ways to apply this remedy:
- Bath bicarbonate: consists of placing a tiny amount of bicarbonate in our canary's bathtub and then mixing it with water. It is very useful to eliminate parasites such as the red mite.
- Bicarbonate powder: consists of directly placing the bicarbonate powder inside the tray found in the canary's cage, followed newspaper, white, etc. It is also recommended to spread this powder around the entire cage, such as in the water tank, the food container, the nest, among others. This prevents the presence of mites, lice or insects.
- Bicarbonate in the water: Simply add a spoonful of bicarbonate for every two liters of water. This mixture is sprayed on the different spaces of the cage and after a few minutes it is removed with a dry or damp cloth. This serves to clean the bird's cage.
The canary bath with apple cider vinegar
As with internal deworming, apple cider vinegar for canaries is an excellent remedy for eliminating all the parasites that infect your canary's skin. You must mix a tablespoon of apple cider vinegar for every liter of water, and fill the canary's bathtub with it, so that each time it goes down to refresh is impregnated. This will kill all the parasites, as well as give the plumage a more vivid color
