Suffolk Owl Sanctuary is pleased to announce that we are trialling a new treatment for wild birds of prey that are brought in to our Raptor Hospital.
Working with specialist avian vet Dr Elliott Simpson MRCVS, we will be giving our patients a dose of Ivermectin, which is used to treat parasites.
This Kestrel was treated for a lice infestation using Ivermectin.
As Elliott explains “Wild birds coming in or brought in by the public are naturally debilitated, and as such can be more at risk of being overwhelmed with parasites; both inside and out.
By treating those wild individuals brought in to the hospital setting at the point of admission, we are not only reducing the parasite burden potentially on that bird, but also reducing the risk of spread to other birds in the hospital. It is a small step in the process to ensuring any and all wild birds released are as fit and healthy as they need to be to survive in the wild.”
We apply Ivermectin as a spot on treatment, which will cover against most commonly seen parasites such as lice, as well as given protection against some internal parasites such as roundworm.
A young Kestrel being treated for a lice infestation. As you can imagine, it takes great skill to ensure that the medication is administered successfully without injury to the bird or those helping.
Ivermectin is not a cheap drug for us to use, so if you would like to contribute towards the costs of this treatment, please visit our donations page here.