To Quarantine or not to .....

[Tyrion]

So here is the issue I have just gotten a beautiful 13 yr old Goffin Too named Harley ...he has been vetted with blood work and xrays and has been deemed healthy ...he has been at my home in "quarantine" in my bed room since Tuesday afternoon ..my other birds live in my living room ...Harley is not a happy bird he is screaming all the time ..I will not say non stop because he does have times where he is silent or making other sounds which he is rewarded for ...but his "quarantine" cage is small and his reg cage will not fit through my door of my bedroom so there is that issue ....he is eating really well ..and very active ...he is scared about out of cage time so that doesnt help ....and is just learning our routine ...I make sure I do him last in feeding ..cleaning..and playing then I wash before going to my other birds ...and there is a air purifier in my room ...but thats it I dont shower in between looking after the two rooms or change clothes or I would be spending all my time doing that instead of looking after my birds ...

So my question to all of you is just what is "quarantine" to you and how much am I really saving ...am I just causing more harm then good by "quaranting " him ???

 

[Macawnutz]

IMO bloodwork and xrays is not enough.

When I rehome, even from people I know well, I do cbc, chem, xrays, fecal gram stain, mouth swab, PBFD, Psittacosis, Polyoma and ABV tests. If you did not do the last four you have every reason to QT.

I do all those tests and still QT 30 days off my property. I don't even do the care during those 30 days I have a friend do them.

 

[Tyrion]

So since he is at my home in "quarantine "which isnt really quarantine in my opinion what would you do ...keep him in the bed room for the 30 days cuz at least its something or pull him out cuz its not really quarantine and my birds have already come in contact with what ever he could have and I have more then likely cross contaminated already ..and it would be better for him emotionally ...I am at this cross roads as to what is better for him since my "quarantine "is really a true quarantine ....

 

[Macawnutz]

It's more quarantine than not IMO.

It only benefits him to come out, it benefits your flock to stay in.

 

[Tyrion]

True .... is there anything I should be doing other than washing and f-10ing myself between rooms and doing him last in all things ...it just doesnt feel much like quarantine to me

 

[Pipsqueak]

If he is tested for all the diseases I would room him with the others but do not let the birds come together. Separate room quarantine is not real quarantine and would nor prevent airborne illness.

 

[Macawnutz]

Well, if you read the statistics on some of these diseases, there is a much higher transmission rate from contact or close contact over sharing air space.

Whether or not it feels like quarantine doesn't matter. If you put him near your birds and he falls ill it won't feel like quarantine at all.

 

[rocky'smom]

when I have had bird in quarantine this procedure I follow:
Quarantine Protocols

Upon arrival, every bird entering The Landing or a MAARS Foster Home must be housed in a Quarantine Area unless otherwise determined by a MAARS veterinarian

Do not wear street shoes into Quarantine Area(s) - separate shoes should be used in Quarantine Area(s) and remain there

When caring for multiple birds, Quarantine Area(s) should always be attended to last

Quarantine Area(s) should have a separate air supply (heating/cooling) than the rest of the facility/home and a high-quality air purifier

When caring for multiple birds in Quarantine Area(s), each bird must be in a separate room or room dividers placed in between birds/cages or birds/cages placed as far apart as possible

When caring for multiple birds in Quarantine Area(s), Volunteers must wash hands and forearms thoroughly with surgical soap and a nail brush and disinfect with Avitec in between each bird/cage

After cleaning, feeding or handling birds in Quarantine Area(s), Volunteers must shower thoroughly, wash hair and change clothes before handling any other birds

In Quarantine Area(s), food/water dishes, toys, perches, etc. from each cage must be removed separately and washed with hot soapy water, disinfected with Avitec, air dried and returned to the same cage

Birds in Quarantine Area(s) must not have contact with any other birds under any circumstances

I don't have Avitec in the house I use F-10.

 

[Macaw Lover]

Sleeping in the bedroom with him in it is not any sort of a quarantine, sorry, you easily transmitted any nasties on yourself to your other birds via your clothes, hair, that sort of thing.

 

[WallyLoopey]

She can't bathe every time she goes to check on him. I get where she's coming from, she doesn't have a separate airspace etc. I think she's doing the best she can.
With what you're doing I would personally hold off from moving him in the same room as the other birds. Now if you want him in a more common area where he sees people more, maybe move to a dining room area or hallway/etc looking into the kitchen or other active place in the household.
It's very hard to actually quarantine in your own home. I don't believe we should be scaring her...
(I'm not trying to get anyone riled up!)
*Runs away*

 

[Denice]

I feel for you, this must be very difficult.
Years ago I sent one of my show dogs out with a handler because I was staying home with new puppies, she returned him to me with a respiratory bug, and I had to quarantine him in my bedroom, luckily I had zone a/c in the house, but I remember vividly caring for him showering, changing clothes, and walking through a lysol mist to go care for my puppies. They were a week old and not even vaccinated yet, so I was am emotional wreck. It turned out ok, I did not transmit anything to my other dogs, and my sick show dog got well.

 

[Tyrion]

Sleeping in the bedroom with him in it is not any sort of a quarantine, sorry, you easily transmitted any nasties on yourself to your other birds via your clothes, hair, that sort of thing.

This is what I'm saying ...so why should I be killing myself ..him..and the family by keeping him out of the living room away from the flock he hears everyday ...he screams allot for attention ...when he hears Lagatha call ...when he hears all the goings on in the house ....I'm not really quarantining him by keeping him in my bedroom I have no illusions that I am I just figured it was better than nothing ...but is it really ..is it worth all the screaming and emotional damage I may be doing to him ...I wouldn't be asking if he didn't seem so distressed about it ..but he seems so upset about the whole thing

 

[JLcribber]

You already know how I feel.

I do believe in quarantine but in this case the quarantine is not effective and has already been broken. The milk has already been spilled. Real quarantine must happen in different place.

 

[WallyLoopey]

I do think by moving him in the same room with the other birds you might be kind of giving in to his screaming.
He's won then, right? Lol.
Only you can decide, I'm so sorry you're going through this. *Hugs*

 

[JLcribber]

I do think by moving him in the same room with the other birds you might be kind of giving in to his screaming.
He's won then, right? Lol.
Only you can decide, I'm so sorry you're going through this. *Hugs*

Thats exactly right. It is entirely a judgement call. No worries. There will be lots of them.

Here is chapter one of the rule book.

 

[iamwhoiam]

Thats exactly right. It is entirely a judgement call. No worries. There will be lots of them.

Here is chapter one of the rule book.
View attachment 245435

Looks more like the first half of Chapter 1.

 

[Tyrion]

How do I get ahold of this book ???? I like to read

 

[Macawnutz]

Annette, this is your decision. If you are willing to own up to the possible consequences and willing to take the risk you are perfectly allowed.

I don't agree with the general tone of this thread. Maybe because I know more about these diseases than most, maybe because I have had a real scare and know what it feels like to think you endangered your whole flock.... No, I do not enjoy quarantining new birds. I pick them up and am all excited to see them shine only to drop them off at a friends house and go home. It's hard.

I don't feel that the milk has been spilt so why bother. I don't agree that he is in your bedroom so it's not real QT. It is something. You spilt a cup of milk but you did not drop the gallon.

Birds, in time of transfer, become stressed. Stress lowers the immune system and allows carrier birds, birds that have an illness without symptoms, time to show illness. Everyone can believe what they want but statistics show you are much more likely to spread these diseases through direct contact then separated shared air space. Anyone that says otherwise is fooling themselves.

 

[nellysmom]

This is not going to be a popular opinion. I understand the need to quarantine and yes there are so many more tests that could be done but I don't believe moving him in with the other birds would be giving in to his screaming. He's in a new enviorment which is very traumatic for since he doesn't understand what's going on. TOOs are very sensitive.
As for quarantine someone made a case for contamination already happening to some extent. I think you should do what your heart tells you and what would be best for the bird. I do bird sitting in my home and I require every bird to have a current well bird check. No this is not ideal as some people will argue but as everyone knows a bird can carry an undetectable issue for years without anyone knowing. So in reality I take a chance bringing a strange bird into my home when my bird could be could be a carrier.
You already made the choice to bring in a new bird and the responsibility that goes with it. Again like I said listen to all the advice and go with your heart

 

[Tyrion]

Annette, this is your decision. If you are willing to own up to the possible consequences and willing to take the risk you are perfectly allowed.

I don't agree with the general tone of this thread. Maybe because I know more about these diseases than most, maybe because I have had a real scare and know what it feels like to think you endangered your whole flock.... No, I do not enjoy quarantining new birds. I pick them up and am all excited to see them shine only to drop them off at a friends house and go home. It's hard.

I don't feel that the milk has been spilt so why bother. I don't agree that he is in your bedroom so it's not real QT. It is something. You spilt a cup of milk but you did not drop the gallon.

Birds, in time of transfer, become stressed. Stress lowers the immune system and allows carrier birds, birds that have an illness without symptoms, time to show illness. Everyone can believe what they want but statistics show you are much more likely to spread these diseases through direct contact then separated shared air space. Anyone that says otherwise is fooling themselves.

I completely understand what your saying and I think something is better then nothing and in my case I have always done 30-60 days when I have gotten a new bird but I have never thought what I have done was a true quarantine ...but I have never had a bird seem so stressed in quarantine and I worry for him ....I worry I am doing this lil bird damage by keeping him away from everything that goes on ...all the attention he would normally get being with the flock ...I feel that maybe I'm not spending enough time with him so I'm going to be stepping that up ....I'm going to hold the quarantine for as long as I can but I want to know your thoughts on how much damage I could be doing to him while I'm doing it ?