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Conference 7.286::pet_birds

Title:	Captive Breeding for Conservation--and FUN!
Notice:	INTROS 6.X / FOR SALE 13.X / Buying a Bird 900.*
Moderator:	VIDEO::PULSIFER

Created:	Mon Oct 10 1988
Last Modified:	Tue Jun 03 1997
Last Successful Update:	Fri Jun 06 1997
Number of topics:	942
Total number of notes:	6016

183.0. "URGENT HELP NEEDED" by BRADOR::CONNOLLY () Fri May 26 1989 09:21

    
    Hi, my first time writing a note.  Hope this turns out ok.
    
    My sister asked me to write in and ask if any of you could
    give some advice.  She has owned Jocko a Blue Fronted Amazon
    parrot for over 10 years.  Two weeks ago she noticed he was
    losing his feathers at a dramatic rate.  New shafts were
    visable but no feathery part.  She treated him for mites,
    started supplementing with vitamins, but in horror has
    watched him deteriorate fast.  She finally got an appointment
    with a Vet that 'specializes' in parrots and took him in.
    He examined him (very professional - my sister is a nurse and
    swears the vet even did a rectal exam !!)
    
    The end result of this vet visit was that the parrot MAY have
    feather and beak disease and will sucumb in a few months.  Holly
    (sister) immediately asked if he should be 'put down' and the
    vet looked at her as if to say she was nuts.  But if the bird
    is doomed, why let it suffer.  Now the vet has the bird on
    special food, vitamins and antibiotics.  Can anybody help with
    some advice?  The bird's neck, part of his back and most of one
    wing are bare, the shafts are visable but deformed.
    
    I am based in Kanata, Canada so its not possible to use any
    of the vets in your notes.  This vet charged over $100 for the
    visit and exam, should she get a second opinion?  Anyone have
    this problem or heard of it?  I would be most grateful to hear
    back for you.  She *LOVES* this bird.
    
    Thanks,
    
    Sue Connolly

T.R	Title	User	Personal Name	Date	Lines
183.1		CSC32::K_WORKMAN	HSC/SHADOW Tech Leader 522-4990	`Tue May 30 1989 09:30`	17
	Hi Sue, I would get another Vet involved. I know of a lady who purchased a Moluccan. Every week she was taking the bird to the Vet to get his beak trimmed. Can you believe the Vet never realized that birds don't need their beaks trimmed but once in a great while! Her Moluccan was an import. She told someone about this at bird meeting and was told to immediately take it to an avian vet. She took the bird in, but the bird didn't come home with her. Beak and Feather disease is a highly contageous disease. From everything I have heard, if a bird is diagnosed with this, they Vet is required to put the bird down. I know this isn't good news... and I'm sorry but without an avian vet making a proper diagnosis, you won't know if your friends bird can be saved or not. Karen.
183.2	Experimental treatment available	DELNI::G_KNIGHTING	Thinkingspeakingthinkingspeaking.	`Tue May 30 1989 13:31`	12
	A recent issue of BIRD TALK magazine had a short article on PBFD, and noted that some infected birds have responded well to intravenous gamma globulin. This is a new treatment, and it's not guaranteed -- it's also probably expensive. I'd agree with .1. Get a second opinion from a qualified avian vet if you can find one. Good luck. GK.
183.3	Thanks from Canada	BRADOR::CONNOLLY		`Tue May 30 1989 14:20`	18
	Thanks for the advice. Im trying to reach my sister now. Any chance of getting a photocopy of that article? My Mailstop is KAO 2/3. I would be grateful. Have you ever seen a bird with this disease? Where would the parrot have gotten it from (he 'flew the coop' 3 years ago and was found 40 miles away having a great time with a flock of crows by a bunch of birders who caught him and returned him) but he hasnt been near a pet store in over 10 years ... would it incubate this long?? As Ive said, shes VERY upset and would hate to lose this bird. I will let you know what happens. Thanks for your concern. Sue
183.4		CSC32::K_WORKMAN	HSC/SHADOW Tech Leader 522-4990	`Wed May 31 1989 08:22`	3
	Beak and Feather Disease has been compared to the AIDS virus in people. I believe that birds can harbor/incubate this disease for sometime before signs of the disease actually start appearing.
183.5	Article coming...	DELNI::G_KNIGHTING	Thinkingspeakingthinkingspeaking.	`Wed May 31 1989 13:21`	7
	Re: .3 The article is pretty sketchy, but FWIW, it's on the way. Hope it helps. GK
183.6	PBFD	AKOCOA::ROLLINS	five fuzzies	`Wed Jul 26 1995 22:46`	31
	Hi, PBFD is really spooking me...We are thinking about getting another bird, but frankly I don't know if it is worth risking the one we have now. I went to my local pet store tonight and asked if they had their birds tested and they looked at me like I was a loon (ok, bad bird joke..). I don't know if anyone else subscribes to the EXOTIC-L mailing list, but there is a breeder from CA that is going through her second bout with this thing in 6 months (she had to put down her cockatiel and lovebird babies so far, and is now moving into her larger birds :(. It's the saddest thing I have ever heard. This woman is like a walking bird encyclopedia... the disease was brought into her aviary from a boarder). We would definately quarantine a new bird for sixty days or so, have it tested, etc. Has anyone else had any problems with approaching it like this? I want to be as sure as possible before we do this. Thanks, beth P.S. It's getting like you have to keep all your pets in isolation these days..Kennel cough in dogs, strangles in horses (and EIA), "greenies" in ferrets, feline leukemia... we're all going to wind up keeping ourselves and our loved ones hermetically sealed up.