PBFD and Me *cries* its okay noone is dead

[kiwichiwi]

First of all, please be kind.
Secondly, yes I know I did a stupid thing.

SO... this tale starts with a budgie. I have a friend who had a budgie, the budgie lost its feathers, friend did not take to vet, friend said: "There's no point in taking it to a vet looking like that, it's just a bird."
I am very passionate about birds, so hearing this, I felt like "flying" off the handle, but I kept my cool. And I offered to take the budgie off her hands to nurse and care for.

This is BT. Despite the feathers, he/she (even vet was unsure), is doing well, eating, tweeting, moving around, drinking just fine.

Now. This is where I mess up.

I have a bird already, a beautiful male Parrotlet named Dodi.


He is my first bird and he's lovely. But as you will see, as regards to quarantining and bird diseases, I lack experience.

I admit I've always wanted a second bird, my husband has been reluctant, so I thought the only way he'd agree would be to rescue little BT. And I sure as heck wasn't letting BT stay where she was.

I was so excited, that I did not think of disease or quarantining, I thought, I have a sick bird that needs my help. And a friend for my Dodi.

We genuinely thought it was due to stress from the previous owners. Until, I posted onto another forum and had the echoing cry of .. THIS IS/LOOKS LIKE PBFD.

To be honest, I fell apart. I was angry and upset.
How could I have been so stupid? I should have known to quarantine and get tests done first.
Have I just doomed my other bird to a horrible disease? IM A BAD PARRONT. And so on.. a lot of self blame, a lot of anger towards the original budgie seller, and some towards my friend not taking BT to a vet. But those are things I cannot change.

So my husband and I got to work, we found a vet who has taken a sample from BT to get tested, this will take a week to get results. We immediately cleaned and moved BT into a different room and have been following strict hygiene rules.

If BT has it, then we will then test Dodi to see if he has it. If he has, by some miracle, not managed to contract it then we will have to give BT up and that also breaks my heart

I'm a real sensitive person so my insides have been doing somersaults for days and I am physically and emotionally exhausted.

Do you think my Dodi has probably already caught the disease? If that's what BT has.

Also, I'm not sure if there are any scientists on here, I have a microscope and swabbed one of BT's pus lumps which burst. I'm not sure if there's anything that you can tell in it that would suggest PBFD. I'm not sure how that works but I'll attach pictures anyway.

Now we just wait, but even getting through the week seems like a difficult task. I'm a worrier.

Just wish life lessons didn't have to feel so rubbish.

 

[Emma&pico]

Please don’t beat yourself up
you thought you were doing a kind thing taking in bt you can’t beat yourself up for that for trying to help him and get him to vets

I am not sure how pbfd works I know it’s highly infectious @Pixiebeak @April do you have any inslight
I know a lady on here had a lovebird with it I can’t remember her name and someone posted not long ago with a lovebird tested positive for it too I will try find post and add it for you to read

hopefully someone better can help you

I just didn’t want to read and run I am wishing you best of luck and sending big hugs

 

[Emma&pico]

My lovebird has pbfd

Hi everyone, I have a question, so about 3 weeks ago I bought a lovebird and noticed some abnormalities in the feathers and activity level so I took her to the vet and got her tested for pbfd and tested positive. The vet told me there is no cure but there has been some birds that have lived a...

forums.avianavenue.com

 

[Zara]

Do you think my Dodi has probably already caught the disease? If that's what BT has.

That is likely. But impossible to know.
I have also read that some who test positive later test negative. But I have no first hand experience to give.

Remember that some birds can be carriers of PBFD without having symptoms (no feather loss). It does mean that you would have to follow strict protocol when shopping at pet shops, visiting bird fairs (not recommended) and visiting the vet. You will have to wash your hands and if possibke change your clothes before going out of your home and crossing paths with other birds or people who have birds.

@bubblelady had two lovebirds, both had PBFD but one was a carrier so he kept his feathers. She hasn't been online in a while and both birds have since passed, but you can click her name there and go have a read through some of her threads for an insight into living with PBFD.

 

[Zara]

I have a microscope and swabbed one of BT's pus lumps which burst. I'm not sure if there's anything that you can tell in it that would suggest PBFD. I'm not sure how that works but I'll attach pictures anyway.

@Leih ?

 

[Leih]

You need to differential stain your slide to really see anything. You might be able to get something called QwikDiff, it stains everything

 

[Leih]

Also PBFD is viral so you likely won't see it anyway. Unless you have an electron microscope or have a PCR at home.

 

[kiwichiwi]

Also PBFD is viral so you likely won't see it anyway. Unless you have an electron microscope or have a PCR at home.

Thank you.. for being smart.