How to Treat Bird Lice With Ivermectin

Birds kept outdoors are prone to parasites and lice, which can cause extreme itchiness and feather irritation. One sign of lice in birds is that they will pull their feathers out and scratch their skin often. Sometimes, a bird is simply stressed and will overplume their feathers, so it is important to check and see if the problem is really lice and not something else. To treat a large number of birds at once, use Ivermectin Solution, which is pre-measured to make a gallon of water. This drug helps rid the birds of parasites and lice when it is consumed.

Things You'll Need

  • Ivermectin Solution
  • Fresh Water
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Instructions

  1. Eliminating Lice

    • 1

      Bring your bird(s) to the vet to see if the problem is really lice. Do not treat birds with Ivermectin if it is unnecessary, as it is a potent drug. Usually if one bird has lice, the other birds in the cage have it as well.

    • 2

      Purchase dissolvable Ivermectin Solution at a pet store or online. This is an antiparasitic drug used for a variety of reasons, one of which is to kill bird lice and other parasites. There are two kinds of Ivermectin: the injectable kind and the dissolvable kind.

    • 3

      Take all water out of the cage for about eight hours to increase thirst in the affected birds. In the morning, mix Invermectin with a gallon of water and make sure it is dissolved well.

    • 4

      Feed the birds this solution in very clean water containers. Leave the treated water in the cage for a full day to make sure all the birds have consumed it. One treatment is usually sufficient to kill any lice and parasites.

    • 5

      After two weeks, repeat the procedure to kill any eggs that were not killed the first time. If you use the injectable Ivermectin, simply put one drop of the solution on the back of the bird's neck and let it absorb.