Vent: Ignored PBFD in Local Community

charmedbyekkie

New member
May 24, 2018
1,148
82
US/SG
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Cairo the Ekkie!
I’m about to make Cairo a sheltered fid.

There was a scare in the community recently - about two years ago, a parrot died, and recently a rumour resurfaced that it died from PBFD. The owner stepped forward, saying that the more popular of the two avian vets in the country diagnosed it as a bacterial infection that killed his bird. So, ok, I can tolerate that. One person even reached out to me and said not to worry because if it was PBFD, then the whole community would notice from their birds dying…. I tried to talk to the person about silent carriers, but my local skills aren’t that great.

Then a person just posted in a local group about their parrot not growing feathers ever since they got it as a baby a couple of years ago. Tbh, the feathers looked like a mess - the ones that did grow/remain. According to the owners, the bird doesn’t pluck. And a few people inquired after the ring id - apparently that breeder is known for producing parrots that have this ‘feather problem’, and a few of the breeders’ parrots died already four years ago. The person who owned the parrots who passed away from the ‘feather problem’ sold their perches off as well as his other species of parrot shortly after.

The comments on the thread were shocking to me. The owner brought their bird to the more popular of the two avian vets in the country, who reiterated what he told me when I first saw him: he doesn’t do blood tests and doesn’t ship it out of country for testing either. The vet just glanced over the bird and said that it might just be plucking.

(This is the same vet who glanced over Cairo and gave him a green light. After that experience and after consulting you guys, I marched Cairo over to the less well-known of the two avian vets in the country, who does blood tests. So naturally, I advised the person to go to our vet.)

But the blasé attitude in the comments - they were quite chill about this ‘feather problem’ as well as the owner being unable to get the vet to do testing.

Meanwhile, I’m panicking on my side of the computer screen. The first rumour that went around made me immediately put a hard limit on which bird gatherings we go to (we haven’t been to any since that rumour came out). Then with this new post, I’m seriously thinking about calling quits to all bird community activities.

It’d be one thing if everybody got their birds tested and made sure they were clear. Or at least recognised the signs and took the necessary precautions. At the gatherings, I always keep Cairo away from the other parrots and look out for any birds that look off (whether feather-wise - I haven’t seen any - or poop-wise - I noticed once). But at the same time, I’m being a bit hypocritical because I haven’t managed to get Cairo tested for the standard diseases, largely because he’s a single fid and I’d almost rather not know if he’s positive because if he’s positive, then that means I can’t bring him back to the US (or I can’t go back to the US while he lives) - and that’s a big life decision I don’t want to think about right now.

But I’m furious that that vet gave the all-clear, brushing it off as just potentially plucking. The fact that he’s one of the most famous ones and he’s downplaying this to owners just perpetuates the local myth that PBFD isn’t that bad. And I'm glad my vet keeps warning all her patients about letting your bird sit outside unsupervised and about free-flying with wild birds. But not enough owners go to her - they prefer the more well-established one.

Once I’ve saved up enough money (finances are too tight right now), I’m getting Cairo tested for everything, even if we have to send off multiple tests to Hong Kong, Australia, and America. Sure, I’ll have to make the life decision a lot earlier - if I’m staying here with a positive bird or if we can move to the US with a negative bird. But at least if he's all clear, I know to keep him sheltered better.
 

noodles123

Well-known member
Jul 11, 2018
8,145
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Umbrella Cockatoo- 15? years old..I think?
That is super frustrating. I would definitely not attend bird gatherings and I would stick to ordering things offline from sources who keep their bird supplies away from birds.

I think the scariest thing about this is that the wild population of birds is also definitely vulnerable as well. In Australia, when wild birds are symptomatic, they are euthanized to prevent the spread, but by that time, they have already spread it around to other birds (creating other sick birds and asymptomatic carriers). Ignoring this problem could have serious impacts on the local birds (wild and captive).

Your "venting" is totally justified.
 

ChristaNL

Banned
Banned
May 23, 2018
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NL= the Netherlands, Europe
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Sunny a female B&G macaw;
Japie (m) & Appie (f), both are congo african grey;
All are rescues- had to leave their previous homes for 'reasons', are still in contact with them :)
Sent your tests overhere ;)
(an allbirdie-everything test is not that expensive/ compared to individual tests)

Just buy an all-in-one

https://gendika.com/winkel/birds/bird-diseases/bird-diagnoses-complete/?lang=en
you only need a vet to do the blooddraw for you and you can send it back to the lab.

(pricelist of the individual testst: https://gendika.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/05/Pricelist-2018-Website.pdf )


=


Most people with birds do not test unless there is a problem, unfortunately.
We all 'rather not know" because then it might nog happen to the bird etc.etc.etc..
It is terrible, but the same happens overhere (esp. some petshops: they know they sell sick birds- but they don't care.)
 
OP
charmedbyekkie

charmedbyekkie

New member
May 24, 2018
1,148
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US/SG
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Cairo the Ekkie!
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Sent your tests overhere ;)
(an allbirdie-everything test is not that expensive/ compared to individual tests)

Just buy an all-in-one

https://gendika.com/winkel/birds/bird-diseases/bird-diagnoses-complete/?lang=en
you only need a vet to do the blooddraw for you and you can send it back to the lab.

(pricelist of the individual testst: https://gendika.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/05/Pricelist-2018-Website.pdf )


Yep, if my vet doesn't already have a set place she sends for disease testing, then I'll be working with her to send them here. I'll shoot Gendika an email to see if there's any concern about how long it takes and any precautions I might have to take in order to get the samples into the EU. I'm really just concerned about the maintaining the quality of the sample, since SG is so hot and humid.

I did send that link (I had it saved from when you sent to me when we first got Cairo) to the owner - hoping she'll actually test her bird. Too many people were trying to ignore the fact that nobody was going to test and were advising her to just change the diet (yes, the bird does need a proper diet, but it also needs to have its problems honestly diagnosed rather than just guesses about diet).
 

SailBoat

Supporting Member
Jul 10, 2015
17,646
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Western, Michigan
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DYH Amazon
Not sure how that popular vet determines infections and other health values without blood testing. Yes, well trained eyes, hands and ears can target a large number of possible illness and correctly identify many issues. But, without confirming testing, the vet would be over or under treating some illness and totally missing others. That would be true for not only parrots but the full cross-section of animals that visit that clinic.
The great joy is likely that this vet is cheap to visit.
 

Scott

Supporting Member
Aug 21, 2010
32,673
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San Diego, California USA, Earth, Milky Way Galaxy
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Goffins: Gabby, Abby, Squeaky, Peanut, Popcorn / Citron: Alice / Eclectus: Angel /Timneh Grey: ET / Blue Fronted Amazon: Gonzo /

RIP Gandalf and Big Bird, you are missed.
So sad to know a local cover-up is perpetuated by those who know best.

Totally understand your reticence to test Cairo until the time is necessary. (or funds permit) At least you can safeguard him even as it reduces pleasant gatherings.
 

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