What is the significance of coccidiosis?
When the parasites are reproducing in the wall of the bowel they damage it. This means that the bowel cannot digest food and absorb nutrients properly. Affected youngsters usually lose a bit of weight and start to become a bit quiet. Often in race birds all that is seen is a loss of form. Powder down feather drop stops and some birds will develop a ‘pica’- pecking at perches or eating droppings apparently to source the nutrients they are missing. Of equal importance for race birds is that the inflamed bowel wall actually weeps inflammatory fluid into the bowel so that the pigeon looses tissue protein and blood from its system. When we draw blood for testing from birds with coccidiosis we find that both the red blood cell count and the level of total protein in the blood are low. Having low total protein causes absolute fatigue even after moderate exercise while, of course, red blood cells carry oxygen throughout the body. Pigeons with coccidiosis therefore become breathless and tired a
