Description
Avitrol Plus is a complete in water allwormer for birds. Water dosage is ½ ml per 20mls of drinking water, given fresh every 24 hrs, or 25 ml per litre of drinking water. Take all other source of drinking water out of the cage.
Registered Name Avitrol Plus Praziquantel Bird Wormer Syrup Concentrate
Composition Levamisole hydrochloride 10 mg/mL, praziquantel 2 mg/mL.
Actions Anthelmintic. The major mode of action of levamisole is on the cholinergic receptor of the neuromuscular junction, causing paralysis of the parasite. Levamisole has been shown to inhibit fumarate reductase and to affect the rate of incorporation of glucose into glycogen.
Praziquantel is a highly specific cestocidal drug that acts by damaging the tegument, inhibiting glucose uptake and stimulating lactate release. Tapeworms are destroyed in situ.
Indications Threadworm (Capillaria sp.), caecal worm (Heterakis sp.), roundworm (Ascaridia sp.), gape worm (Syngamus sp.), gizzard worm (Acuaria sp.) and tapeworm (Raillietina sp.) in ornamental cage birds.
Contraindications Administration to species or strains of birds known to be sensitive to the effects of levamisole. Not recommended for use in Gouldian finches.
Precautions Parrots appear to be less tolerant than pigeons to levamisole. Do not dose in extremely hot, dry weather or treat stressed birds, or birds that are feeding young.
Safety directions. Harmful if swallowed. Avoid contact with eyes and skin. Wash hands after use.
Withholding Periods Meat. 7 days.
Adverse Reactions Side effects include regurgitation (which is not considered to be harmful), incoordination, leg and wing paresis. Deaths of birds up to 2 days after dosing have been attributed to obstruction from massive roundworm infestation.
Dosage and Administration Make up dose to 1 to 5 mL with water in a syringe.
Crop administration. A crop needle or tube placed directly into the crop can be used to administer Avitrol Plus syrup by syringe. Do not administer any liquid into the crop unless you are confident that the crop needle or tube is correctly placed.
Diluted in drinking water. 0.5 mL (12 drops) to 20 mL of water or 25 mL/L. Use this as the sole source of drinking water for 24 hours and feed only seed, then replace with fresh clean water. Solution should be freshly made up before dosing. Repeat in 14 days with fresh solution, or as directed by a veterinary surgeon. This provides a dose of 40 mg/kg bodyweight based on an average bodyweight of 30 g and liquid consumption of 5 mL/day. In summer the dose should be reduced to account for increased water consumption, which may be double or more.
Good husbandry practices. Zone control is important in the management of these worm parasites. To prevent re-infestation, practise good hygiene and sanitation and eliminate dampness. Ideally the birds should be moved into a clean cage 48 hours after initial treatment and the old cage thoroughly scrubbed and disinfected. To prevent infection from the outside, prevent birds having access to intermediate hosts, e.g. grasshoppers, cockroaches and earthworms. Wild birds can infect the aviary with their droppings.
