I'm sad................

Hi everyone.
Just want to share my story with you guys.
After a discussion with my wife, we decided to get a blue fronted Amazon baby about to wean (1 hand feeding per day) from a pet shop near our house. We visited the baby aka Paco for about 10 days then brought him home, it was a male with dna papers etc...
And here is where my sad story begins, Paco was fine for the first 2 days then lost his appetite for his pellets, fruits & veggies. Not even his hand feeding formula. Just for the record so we can get it out of the way, before I got married in my 30’s, I was a lorikeet & galah cockatoo breeder & I know what I’m doing when it comes to hand feeding babies from day 1 to weaning.
To make a long story short, Paco was wheezing, loss of appetit with a 58 grams weight loss in 1 day. Right away I took him to an avian vet and discovered he had Psittacosis also known as parrot fever or chlamydophila psittaci. My heart sunk to the floor. We are clueless on how he got it, we have no other birds in the house, my wife and I did not have any contact with other birds. Spoke to the pet shop to see if there was something that could be done since we had Pako for a total of 4 days and was told “tough luck” but gave me the breeder’s phone number. I spoke to this so called breeder and he invited me to do any test I wanted on his birds to prove to me that his stock/flocks are in perfect health. You get the point right? Now my wife and I have a beautiful/sick baby blue front amazon with a zoonotic infectious disease in my house around my kids and elderly in-laws & 3 dogs. The more I type the more I want to cry. I don’t know what to do. I have to make a decision soon, the safety of my family comes first. what a dilemma!.
I just wanted to share my sad story, maybe it will bring me some relief after I’m done typing, who knows. Be careful my friends, buy your future companion birds from a reputable place, a place you trust, a place where money comes second and the welfare of the birds comes first. He is on 3 different meds right now, will keep you guys updated on his condition. Please Pray for my Pako.

Hello and so very sorry to hear your sad tale. Here is a link which may give you some info relating to Paco and yourself. It may be that all is not lost but I admit it is not good either. Make sure that the decision you make is informed and not pressured please?

May be worthwhile asking an animal society to inspect the breeders premises, it could be that the disease has not made itself known before now? I am pretty sure that our RSPCA wouldnt want this to spread here in UK? The pet shop is obviously also a suspect.

"The incubation period, (this is the time from infection with the organism to the onset of visible clinical signs) however, is extremely variable, and this can cause considerable confusion and distress when attempting to pinpoint a source of infection. The minimum interval is still being documented at 42 days, but it is possibly only 10 days".

PSITTACOSIS DISEASE - Pet Birds, Pet Parrots, Exotic Birds

This is good also http://www.theparrotsocietyuk.org/veterinary-advice/psittacosis

Note: Calcium can block the meds he is taking and reduce their effectiveness. Look at what he is fed and ensure the AV/nurses are aware.

Sending prayers for little Paco.

Saying a prayer for little Paco and you family.

We have worked with older Amazons, commonly very ill or injured. It once surprised me of how callas people are, to a point of out and out lying about the 'condition' of the Parrot, to how it came to be this way.

I am so very sorry for your plight. It is had work, but you can save your Amazon. Keep your home bio-secure with clear lines of separation.

God's Speed!

Very sorry to read of your predicament. Two paths of action; one against the pet shop and breeder, armed with results from your vet. Secondly, how to best care for Pako.

Not a lawyer, but hope your sad experience will translate into better monitoring and care at the store and/or breeder. Given the incubation period, it may be difficult to locate the source of initial infection.

I'd imagine the treatment protocol is well established, but if you have any doubts or question a second opinion may be worthwhile?

This isn't much consolation, but did you pay for Paco with a credit card? If so you can at least file a dispute with the card vendor. Maybe some kind of complaint could be lodged against the pet shop with the department of agriculture or the like...center for infectious diseases...important to find the source of the infection quickly. I hope Paco can fight his way out of this..

Thank you all for your kind words and support.
I had to isolate Paco from the rest of my family. He is safe and sound in the garage where I keep visiting him whenever I can. No change in his condition, lost another 26grams from last night.
I had to get my lawyer involved in this and out of the blue, I get a phone call from the petshop asking me to bring Paco back asap and that another baby bfa is waiting for me. I said no thank you for obvious reasons and that I wanted my money back plus the amount I paid for the vet. After 5 minutes beeing on hold on the phone they said ok.
I feel sooooooooooooo bad for Paco. I sincerely hope he recovers. Lesson learnt. I hope my story helps someone else avoid what I had to go through with my family.
I will, however still continue to visit Paco in the petshop to monitor his recovery, after all he was a member of the family for just those few days and I got attached to him.
God bless you all

Oh this is a terrible tale and dread to think what the future holds for Paco? TBH not very optimistic.

One thing you could have said is you want all their birds tested for this disease. Someone else may not be so savvy as you have been.

plumsmum2005 said:

Oh this is a terrible tale and dread to think what the future holds for Paco? TBH not very optimistic.

One thing you could have said is you want all their birds tested for this disease. Someone else may not be so savvy as you have been.

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Hi Plums.
I totaly agree, it is indeed a terrible tale. Something that my family and I were not expecting. You should have seen my kids when we gave them the news that we were bringing a baby parrot home :31:
I already told the petshop when they offered me another BFA that I was not interested since Paco had parrot fever and most likely other birds in the shop might have or will be infected & that they should have their stock checked by a vet. You really think they will do that?
On the other hand, I discovered through my vet that the breeder that supplies that particular petshop contacted my vet and will have all his birds checked for his piece of mind.
The only good news I have is that 10 minutes ago, Pako eat all his formula which is a good sign. I will keep updating you guys.
God bless.

Thank you, please do, prayers for little Paco. Gosh life is so unfair.

Oh Paco, please try to impress your mom how much you want to stay with her. Eat all your food take all your yummy meds.

I'm just following your thread, with not much to add except care and hope.
I'm glad you found us, and all our Amazon lovers.
We're ALL pulling for you!

Thoughts and prayers for Paco's getting well again. Hang in there.

un4gvn said:

Thank you all for your kind words and support.
I had to isolate Paco from the rest of my family. He is safe and sound in the garage where I keep visiting him whenever I can. No change in his condition, lost another 26grams from last night.
I had to get my lawyer involved in this and out of the blue, I get a phone call from the petshop asking me to bring Paco back asap and that another baby bfa is waiting for me. I said no thank you for obvious reasons and that I wanted my money back plus the amount I paid for the vet. After 5 minutes beeing on hold on the phone they said ok.
I feel sooooooooooooo bad for Paco. I sincerely hope he recovers. Lesson learnt. I hope my story helps someone else avoid what I had to go through with my family.
I will, however still continue to visit Paco in the petshop to monitor his recovery, after all he was a member of the family for just those few days and I got attached to him.
God bless you all

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Forgive me for seeking clarity, but I'm honestly confused. In the first paragraph you post Paco is "safe and sound in the garage where I keep visiting him whenever I can. No change in his condition, lost another 26grams from last night." Later you mention the pet shop offer of return and exchange was refused. At the end you note "I will, however still continue to visit Paco in the petshop to monitor his recovery, after all he was a member of the family for just those few days and I got attached to him."

Is Paco in your custody or at the pet shop? Very sorry to ask, I know this is a deeply disturbing event for you, Paco, and your family

Hi Scott, no need for me to forgive you for seeking clarity. I should have been more clear. Up to this morning, Pako was with us home, in the garage.
Before I went to work today, I dropped him of at the petshop and was issued a full refund check plus the vet fees. They put him in quarantine & said they will continue with the same meds my vet prescribed.
I swear I'm so disappointed, it was not a pleasant experience for us & I don't even know if and when we will ever think about getting another feathered friend. Time will tell.
In the meantime, I will keep reading all of your happy stories here & wish you well.

Please do continue to visit so the shop knows you are paying attention. Also ask to speak to the vet - the shop is required to have a relationship with a vet for any needed treatments. Sadly, many pet stores allow animals to die because that's cheaper. Large pet stores have been caught isolating sick birds to starve to death, or even putting them in the freezer to kill them. Go see Paco, and make sure you see food and water in his cage every time you go.

Kentuckienne said:

Please do continue to visit so the shop knows you are paying attention. Also ask to speak to the vet - the shop is required to have a relationship with a vet for any needed treatments. Sadly, many pet stores allow animals to die because that's cheaper. Large pet stores have been caught isolating sick birds to starve to death, or even putting them in the freezer to kill them. Go see Paco, and make sure you see food and water in his cage every time you go.

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Good points but in all honesty unless someone actually feeds him it doesnt look very good does it?

I am sorry that you choose this direction. I would have treated the Parrot in my home with my entire family. At the very least, the Parrot is a monitoring tool for the success of the treatment. But that is just my way of doing things.

In Michigan, Psittacosis (or more technically Chlamydiosis or Chlamydia) requires that it be reported to the Health Department of the State Government. Government oversight (Testing) occurs until at least two negative tests occur. Also, the State back tracks the Parrots history looking for additional sites.

Death in Parrots can be as high as 66% of the infected population.

Once again, in Michigan, all family members must be tested and treated depending of results over a series of negative tests.

un4gvn said:

Hi Scott, no need for me to forgive you for seeking clarity. I should have been more clear. Up to this morning, Pako was with us home, in the garage.
Before I went to work today, I dropped him of at the petshop and was issued a full refund check plus the vet fees. They put him in quarantine & said they will continue with the same meds my vet prescribed.
I swear I'm so disappointed, it was not a pleasant experience for us & I don't even know if and when we will ever think about getting another feathered friend. Time will tell.
In the meantime, I will keep reading all of your happy stories here & wish you well.

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I understand now, you made an excruciatingly difficult decision. At this point Paco's fate is subject to nature and hopefully a diligent course of care. If you are able and willing to check-in, it may serve as a reminder he is loved. From a legal POV, the pet shop has refunded the purchase price and likely has little obligation beyond moral.

Good Luck, little Paco. We all said a little prayer last nite before dinner, even Salty, for him.