Gastric Yeast Infection in Birds
Avian Gastric Yeast
Birds suffer from various digestive disorders and diseases, including yeast infections. One such yeast infection which can affect your bird is avian gastric yeast (or Macrorhabdus).
Macrorhabdus commonly infects birds with low immunity. It also occurs in birds already suffering from another disease, or those that have a diet lacking nutrients.
Symptoms and Types
Birds infected with avian gastric yeast (Macrorhabdus) have the following signs and symptoms:
- Continuous loss of weight
- Regurgitation of food
- Excessive food intake followed by loss of appetite
- Undigested seeds or pellets (bird feed) in the droppings
The death rate due to avian gastric yeast disease can be as low as 10 percent, or as high as 80 percent. But it depends on the degree of infection, the bird species and the strain of Macrorhabdus infecting the bird.
Causes
The avian gastric yeast disease is caused by direct contact with infected food or the droppings of an infected bird. An animal can also be infected if the yeast microbes are found in the environment.
Treatment
The veterinarian will then prescribe medication, usually based on the health and immunity of the infected bird.
Prevention
Infected birds should be quarantined to prevent the disease from spreading to other animals.
