Pigeon ate food with bugs. Is she okay? How to prevent food pests?

If the food is full of mouse droppings it is best to purchase new food ASAP. While treats can be given, they are not a balanced diet, and a new food should be purchased and given as soon as possible to avoid any illness or GI upset. In the future, placing their food in an airtight storage container made from plastic can help prevent rodents from getting to it.

Thanks for reaching out. A crop or other gastrointestinal infection, metabolic disorders or just plain individual preferences are possible. If acting ill, a veterinary visit is recommended. Otherwise, try limiting people food to see if this stimulated appetite for other food. Good luck.

When wild animals no longer try to escape from humans, it generally means they are very sick. You may go online to see if there is an Audubon society or a zoo that will accept wild birds for treatment. Try to keep it warm and in a safe location. Put trays of food and water nearby. Offer birdseed and some fresh fruits and greens. Keep in mind, birds are very fragile and it may not make it. Best of luck and please feel free to post any additional questions.

Hi, and thanks for your question. This is a quite generic but concerning presentation. Differentials are many, from gastrointestinal diseases (infection/inflammations often dietary related) to any disease that can spread systemically (causing lethargy for example) like infection, and anything that can cause pain/discomfort. An immediate check up at your local veterinarian is essential to confirm these clinical suspicions and treat appropriately. Antibiotics may be needed. Hope this answer was helpful, but please do not hesitate to contact us again on the forum or by requesting a consultation if you have any more questions or to discuss it any further. If this answer was helpful please let us know, this will be used to improve our service!

Since you are fairly certain that the diarrhea is caused by the cucumber seeds I would avoid giving them to your bird. She may enjoy them but it sounds like they are doing more harm than good. Fresh fruit and veggies should only make up about 15% of her diet. 80-90% should be a high quality pelleted food and <5% can be from treats/seeds. I hope this helps. Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach. Best of luck.

Thanks for reaching out. Treating with topical medications could have residual effects that could affect a newly hatched chick. Injectable ivermectin could help but most of these lice are chewing, not blood sucking, so could be less effective. Lice are typically visible to the eye and can be found on the underside of wing feathers. Check before treating. Good luck.

Yes, those are probably grain mites you are seeing. This is usually due to improper storage of the food item. Grain mites should not cause serious illnesses if eaten, but some pets might have an allergic reaction to them that could include itching, and intestinal and skin problems; possible but not likely to happen. I would not be worried about this. Just throw the treats away and follow the guidelines below to help prevent this from happening again. * Store pet foods in airtight containers. * Don't store food in garages, sheds or basements. * Immediately throw bags away outside after the food has been put into a container. * Don't buy or use old or outdated food. * Wash food dishes frequently in hot water and dry thoroughly. * Buy only 30 days worth of food at a time. * Don't purchase food in bags with holes or tears. * Avoid low quality food with a lot of debris in the bottom of the bag (ALPO would be one of the lower quality foods). Hope this helps. Best wishes.