by Pigeon Patrol | Mar 16, 2014 | Bird Deterrent Products, Pigeon Spikes, Pigeons in the News
You really need to watch where you pets walk and play!, Read this story:
Cryptococcus is a relatively common infection caused by a yeast-like fungus called Cryptococcus neoformans. The fungus is widespread in the environment. Cats, dogs, humans, and other animals can become infected. The condition is much more common in cats than dogs, and is primarily a problem in animals with weak or compromised immune systems.
How Pets Acquire a Cryptococcal Infection
A cryptococcal infection is acquired most commonly by inhaling the infectious spores in bird droppings — in particular, pigeon droppings. The fungus has also been found in soil, fruit, and even in the skin of healthy people. However, the main source of exposure and contamination is pigeon poop.
Pigeons rarely become infected with cryptococcus, because their body temperatures are too high to support the growth of the fungus, which passes through their GI tract and is concentrated in their feces.
If the fungus is deposited where it is protected from sunshine and drying out, it can actually survive in the environment for up to two years. Once your cat inhales the spores, the fungus sets up shop in the upper respiratory tract, typically in the nasal passages or the lungs.
In immunologically healthy animals, the fungus remains isolated and doesn’t create any problems at all. But in cats with suppressed immune systems (for instance, those that are dealing with feline leukemia or FIV), the disease can take hold and spread to other organs, including the brain, eyes, lungs, and the central nervous system. This type of disease progression can result in granulomas, pneumonia, or systemic disease.
Cryptococcal infections are not zoonotic, which means they are not spread between humans and animals. The only way to acquire this illness is through direct exposure to the fungal spores themselves.
Symptoms and Diagnosis
Symptoms of cryptococcus vary depending on the organ systems affected by the fungus. Often, symptoms are systemic and nonspecific, such as diminished appetite, weight loss, or lethargy. Other signs to watch for in your cat or dog are sniffling, sneezing, raspy breathing, or a runny nose. Sometimes infected animals can have hard lumpy swellings over the bridge of the nose, skin lesions on the top of the head, or swollen lymph nodes.
If the fungus has invaded the central nervous system, there can be head tilting, nystagmus (a strange, abnormal back and forth eye movement), the inability to blink due to paralysis of the facial nerves, or loss of coordination, including circling and seizures.
Eye problems are also very common and can include hemorrhage in the retina, as well as inflammatory conditions of the eye like chorioretinitis and anterior uveitis.
Diagnosis of a cryptococcal infection can be done quickly and easily through examination of either discharge from the kitty’s nose or skin lesions. The fungus is usually very easy to spot under a microscope and is easily cultured in the laboratory. There’s also a widely used blood test that identifies the fungus, called the latex agglutination test. If a lump is biopsied, diagnosis is made by microscopic examination of the removed tissue.
Once a definitive diagnosis is made, the cat should also receive a complete workup to determine if there’s an underlying disease that has compromised the immune system. Any underlying conditions must be treated in order to successfully treat the cryptococcal infection.
About Pigeon Patrol:
Pigeon Patrol Products & Services is the leading manufacturer and distributor of bird deterrent (control) products in Canada. Pigeon Patrol products have solved pest bird problems in industrial, commercial, and residential settings since 2000, by using safe and humane bird deterrents with only bird and animal friendly solutions. At Pigeon Patrol, we manufacture and offer a variety of bird deterrents, ranging from Ultra-flex Bird Spikes with UV protection, Bird Netting, 4-S Gel and the best Ultrasonic and audible sound devices on the market today.
Voted Best Canadian wholesaler for Bird Deterrent products four years in a row.
Contact Info: 1- 877– 4– NO-BIRD (www.pigeonpatrol.ca) Now shipping World Wide.
by Pigeon Patrol | Mar 16, 2014 | Bird Deterrent Products, Pigeon Patrol's Services, Pigeon Spikes, Pigeons in the News
PIGEONS, bats, wood lice and a cat are living in Borough Corporation’s main administrative building.
On Thursday, some workers signed the register and left the building at around 1 p.m. after a meeting with the union.
Yesterday, Duke said they were told to report for duty, but if there was no improvement at the building, “they could sign and leave”.
That action will continue until staff moves to the Corporation’s new building, he said. “There is no fire alarm in the building, no evacuation plan, no smoke detector, no fire extinguishers. There are bats, pigeons living in the roof, there is a cat living in the roof, wood lice throughout the entire building,” said Duke.
When it rained, the building was flooded and there was strong scent emanating from the sewage system, Duke said.
Workers complained about rashes and respiratory problems, he said. “We are calling on the authorities that are responsible to make ready the new building and to put things in place. Remedy the problems, outfit it and let the workers work in the building.”
About Pigeon Patrol:
Pigeon Patrol Products & Services is the leading manufacturer and distributor of bird deterrent (control) products in Canada. Pigeon Patrol products have solved pest bird problems in industrial, commercial, and residential settings since 2000, by using safe and humane bird deterrents with only bird and animal friendly solutions. At Pigeon Patrol, we manufacture and offer a variety of bird deterrents, ranging from Ultra-flex Bird Spikes with UV protection, Bird Netting, 4-S Gel and the best Ultrasonic and audible sound devices on the market today.
Voted Best Canadian wholesaler for Bird Deterrent products four years in a row. Contact Info: 1- 877– 4– NO-BIRD (www.pigeonpatrol.ca) Now shipping World Wide.
by Pigeon Patrol | Mar 6, 2014 | Animal Deterrent Products, Bird Deterrent Products, Pigeons in the News
It’s not something you expect to see while you’re sipping on your morning latte.
A hawk has been spotted prowling the platforms at Paddington station.
The bird of prey, which is known for its sharp eye and ruthless hunting ability, was seen being carried on the glove of a station worker in west London.
National Rail has employed the animals, which generally feed on smaller creatures such as mice and squirrels, to scare off pigeons.
The birds are currently visiting Paddington about three times a week but are always tethered to their handlers and fed before their shift.
A National Rail spokesperson said: “The hawk’s presence scares [pigeon’s] off. They’re there not to kill, but to scare them. Only in extreme circumstances would we kill a pigeon.
“Although pigeons are lovely birds, they are a menace because their droppings are unhygienic.”
About Pigeon Patrol:
Pigeon Patrol Products & Services is the leading manufacturer and distributor of bird deterrent (control) products in Canada. Pigeon Patrol products have solved pest bird problems in industrial, commercial, and residential settings since 2000, by using safe and humane bird deterrents with only bird and animal friendly solutions. At Pigeon Patrol, we manufacture and offer a variety of bird deterrents, ranging from Ultra-flex Bird Spikes with UV protection, Bird Netting, 4-S Gel and the best Ultrasonic and audible sound devices on the market today.
Voted Best Canadian wholesaler for Bird Deterrent products four years in a row.
by Pigeon Patrol | Mar 4, 2014 | Bird Deterrent Products, Pigeon Patrol's Services, Pigeons in the News
The stench of pigeon poop has some Allen Park residents up in arms.
Robert Allen of the Detroit Free Press of reports that resident Michael Morris has some 50-80 prized homing pigeons that roost in specially made lofts behind his Allen Park home.
The next-door neighbors say the smell of pigeon poop is a big problem. Some also complain about pigeon droppings.
“Until you live it, you can’t pass judgment,” said next-door neighbor Mary Ferenc, who said she’s tired of hosing pigeon droppings off her property. “Until you live there and you smell it.”
Wow people who want to live with the birds!!
Pigeon Patrol Products & Services is the leading manufacturer and distributor of bird deterrent (control) products in Canada. Pigeon Patrol products have solved pest bird problems in industrial, commercial, and residential settings since 2000, by using safe and humane bird deterrents with only bird and animal friendly solutions. At Pigeon Patrol, we manufacture and offer a variety of bird deterrents, ranging from Ultra-flex Bird Spikes with UV protection, Bird Netting, 4-S Gel and the best Ultrasonic and audible sound devices on the market today.
Voted Best Canadian wholesaler for Bird Deterrent products four years in a row.
Contact Info: 1- 877– 4– NO-BIRD (www.pigeonpatrol.ca)
by Pigeon Patrol | Mar 4, 2014 | Bird Deterrent Products, Pigeon Spikes, Pigeons in the News
NBC 5 Investigates continues to track a serious threat to airplanes over Bachman Lake, on the north side of Dallas’ Love Field Airport.
Last summer, video shot around the lake showed groups of pigeons sitting on the landing lights and huge flocks of ducks and geese roosting around the lake. On video, one large bird even darted right in front of a Boeing 737 on final approach to the airport. According to a federal database last year, on average, at least one plane per week hit a bird at the airport. Since 1990, more than 400 Southwest Airlines jets have hit birds or other wildlife while Love Field has never had a comprehensive program to deal with them.
Carter said birds get accustomed to noise. After all, they’re not scared away by jets screaming over their heads. Instead, he recommends using trained dogs and falcons to chase birds away day after day.
“So basically you’re giving the birds a choice to be here, where there’s a predator, or a wolf in their eyes, or to be somewhere else where there’s no predator, and you simply shift that,” said Carter.
The airport said it’s now willing to consider the use of dogs and has tested a falcon.
But they’re not using either on a daily basis right now and huge groups of ducks, gulls and pigeons still swarm the area. Despite new warning signs at Bachman Lake, people are still feeding them.
The airport is seriously considering asking the City Council to pass a law that would allow police to ticket people for feeding birds along the lake.
Ultimately, Carter said the birds will stay unless the airport does something to physically chase them off day after day.
Until then, the danger remains.
About Pigeon Patrol:
Pigeon Patrol Products & Services is the leading manufacturer and distributor of bird deterrent (control) products in Canada. Pigeon Patrol products have solved pest bird problems in industrial, commercial, and residential settings since 2000, by using safe and humane bird deterrents with only bird and animal friendly solutions. At Pigeon Patrol, we manufacture and offer a variety of bird deterrents, ranging from Ultra-flex Bird Spikes with UV protection, Bird Netting, 4-S Gel and the best Ultrasonic and audible sound devices on the market today.
Voted Best Canadian wholesaler for Bird Deterrent products four years in a row.
Contact Info: 1- 877– 4– NO-BIRD (www.pigeonpatrol.ca)
by Pigeon Patrol | Feb 23, 2014 | Bird Deterrent Products, Pigeon Patrol's Services, Pigeons in the News
Pigeon Patrol would like to know if feeding the pigeon’s can kill you ?
This is what one reporter says: The 1960s movie “Mary Poppins” immortalised it with “Feed the birds, tuppence a bag” but beware – what 42-year-old Balwant Singh and many do-gooders in the capital and elsewhere practice every morning – feeding pigeons grain – could lead to compromising their health and hygiene of the surrounding area.
Feeding birds is slowly turning into a new fad in the city. Be it the space under flyovers, or the path for pedestrians and even roads – they have become places for people to throw food. Besides dirtying the place, the flocks of flapping pigeons can cause nuisance and most importantly, pose health concerns.
“The exposure to accumulations of pigeon droppings can cause an allergic reaction called the ‘Bird Fancier’s disease’ – an acute respiratory infection affecting the lungs of an individual,” Vivek Nangia, respiratory medicine hed at Fortis Healthcare, told IANS.
The disease is characterised by dry cough, breathlessness and fatigue and could also lead to fever.
“Diagnosing the problem becomes very difficult. Such symptoms of dry cough and breathlessness are often attributed to asthma, but if there is an exposure to pigeon droppings then the patients should mention it,” added Nangia.
People can also get fungal infections like Histoplasmosis and Cryptoccosis that spreads from old and dry droppings.
“Histoplasmosis is transmitted to humans by airborne fungus spores from soil contaminated by pigeon and starling droppings. While cryptoccosis is typically found in accumulations of droppings around roosting and nesting sites,” he said.
Doctors advise that the droppings should be cleaned immediately. It is also highly recommended that people cleaning it should take preventive measures and the droppings should be collected in garbage bags and disposed.
“People with weak immune system are more prone to get affected by infections from the birds. So they should wear masks and moisten the droppings with a light mist of water to keep spores from becoming airborne and keep them wet,” Manchanda said.
“The food that people give to the birds is also eaten by other animals that share the urban space. Hence they could also be eating the faeces of the birds which is detrimental for their health,” Jaya Simha, managing director, Humane Society International (HSI), told IANS.
Pigeon Patrol Products & Services is the leading manufacturer and distributor of bird deterrent (control) products in Canada. Pigeon Patrol products have solved pest bird problems in industrial, commercial, and residential settings since 2000, by using safe and humane bird deterrents with only bird and animal friendly solutions. At Pigeon Patrol, we manufacture and offer a variety of bird deterrents, ranging from Ultra-flex Bird Spikes with UV protection, Bird Netting, 4-S Gel and the best Ultrasonic and audible sound devices on the market today.
Voted Best Canadian wholesaler for Bird Deterrent products four years in a row.
Contact Info: 1- 877– 4– NO-BIRD (www.pigeonpatrol.ca) Now shipping World Wide.
Cryptococcus is a relatively common infection caused by a yeast-like fungus called Cryptococcus neoformans. The fungus is widespread in the environment. Cats, dogs, humans, and other animals can become infected. The condition is much more common in cats than dogs, and is primarily a problem in animals with weak or compromised immune systems.
