Yumgrinder, this Vet couldn't even do a normal blood draw, he botched it...This is ridiculous now...
You know very well that there is a test, a blood test for PDD, as well as for PBFD, ABV, and pretty much any other avian viral diseases that are applicable here. How do you say cheddar is diagnosed with PDD in the first place? This vet doesn't even know how to do a blood draw and he contaminated the sample by not knowing how to properly take blood in the first place. You also know that fecal smears and fecal testing has not been debunked and is very valuable, you know very well that you can diagnose bacterial, fungal, protozoan, etc. infections from a fecal sample, as well as many many other medical issues. So my question is why in the world are you still concentrating on what this vet did and said? Why haven't you called the university and made an appointment for Chessie yet? I'm confused and worried...is this a denial thing, a fright thing, or an "I give up" thing?
You just had one bird who you loved very much die from confirmed PDD with the last 6 months, and now you've got another bird displaying progressively declining ability to fly, which could very well mean that not only is she sick with an Avian Virus, but that all 7 of your birds are...And you have access to a university with a great avian medical department, yet you haven't taken her yet. And not only that but you're still concentrating and focusing on what that other vet said, and it's all things that you already know are totally false. So I don't get it. The longer you wait, the lesser the chance you have to save not only Chessie's life, but the lives of all of you birds if they do in fact I have some kind of avian virus.
I'm only saying this because I think you need a kick in the butt buddy. I totally understand if you're afraid to find out that more of your birds are sick with a viral disease, but that doesn't mean that they're all going to die. However, if they don't get diagnosed and treated soon they will die, specifically Chessie...
You are intelligent enough and know enough about birds to know that an overweight bird can still fly, and that the ability to fly progressively getting worse and worse overtime has nothing to do with her weight. And you also know that cheddar was very sick and had contact with the rest of your flock. So why are you waiting and still focusing on those blood results? That is just basic blood work and is not going to show anything diagnostic anyway because it's all contaminated due to the vet not knowing how to properly draw blood. So you might as well have full blood work done again after University with an avian vet that knows what they're doing, and just have them add the individual tests for PDD, PBFD, and ABV, are there any other blood tests that the real vet at the University suggest. And that will probably include an x-ray, because Chessie could have a ruptured air sac that's keeping her from flying, she could have a mass or growth keeping her from flying, etc.
I'm sorry that that your first vet trip was a total waste, and I mean a total waste because even the blood work, the basic blood work is worthless. But where I'm confused is why you seem to be agreeing with this Vet that everything is fine, she's not sick, she's just fat, and there is no test for PDD when you know all of this is untrue. By the way, I probably ran over a thousand Elisa kit-tests for PDD when I worked at the avian diagnostic lab Penn State.
Sorry to be so blunt with you, but it's tough love time. I think that you're just scared to find out the truth about what is going on with your bird or birds, and that's why you're not doing anything about this. You obviously concerned or you wouldn't have posted this in the first place, nor tajen her to that first vet... No one here can help you with this anymore except to support you no matter what is really going on, and we will do that, you know that... But it's go time now, and the only thing that is going to be give you the answers you need is taking her to the university. So please forget about that last veterinarian, because that was a ****show, call the University right now, and get her in will complete blood work including the viral tests. That's the only thing that is going to help Chessie, your flock, and you...
). But since your lab.result came back complaining about 'small samplesize' he is either working with a not very competent lab or he really is bad at drawing blood safely.
