- Joined
- 10/24/09
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- 2,099
I got devestating news this morning. One of the rescue Budgies probably has Beak and Feather Disease. I can't even tell you guys what is going on in my head right now. I'm at work and can't do anything. Please tell me all you know about PBFD. I'll read it all when I get home. What does this mean for my other birds? The Budgie was visually diagnosed this morning. Test results will be back on Friday. Even then it could give a false negative like the previous test. How will I ever know the rest of my flock is ok?? This news has absolutely drained me.
EDITED TO ADD:
I'm home now and have a bit more time to elaborate on my first post.
The rescue Budgies came to me in July. I quarantined them immediately at my boyfriend's house. They went to the vet for a complete check-up including a Full Body Blood Test and Complete Blood Count.
They both showed that the Budgies had nothing they could pass on to other birds.
Still they remained in quarantine.
Soon after I noticed poop getting stuck on the male Budgie's vent and that his tail feathers were shorter than they should be. They went back to the vet and I asked about PBFD. I was told it is highly unlikely that they have PBFD. The male Budgie (because he is a large Exhibition Budgie) probably just has problems reaching his vent and tail feathers so can't preen them properly.
Still they remained in quarantine.
Except, something was still nagging at me. You know when you just get that feeling that something is wrong? So I insisted on having them both tested for PBFD. The tests would take 3 weeks.
Still they remained in quarantine.
The test results come back negative for both of the Budgies.
So maybe I'm just paranoid. The vet really, really does not think I should worry about PBFD. The Budgies have been in quarantine for 4 solid months or 120 days if you prefer. I relax quarantine and the Green Cheeks move to James' house because there they can have their own bird room. We no longer take as much care between birds. We mix utensils, we don't change clothes between cages, we share food... basically we do everything wrong.
Then I find a crooked feather near the male's vent.
I also find a short, stumpy, deformed feather shaft near his vent.
I often deal with PBFD infected birds at the wildlife hospital. These feathers are practically a dead give-away. It is either PBFD or Polyoma Virus. Both bad.
We go into full quarantine mode again. As much as we can with the Green Cheeks still there.
I order home testing kits and we collect blood from the Budgies and Green Cheeks to have them all tested for both PBFD and Polyoma Virus. These tests have to be sent to South Africa so the results take ages.
Fast forward to the weekend that has just passed. The results are due in 5 working days (17 December) and I check the male's vent again. There is a deformed feather shaft there that is so large it is at least 8 times the normal size it should be. I'm not exaggerating. It has ruptured the skin around it. It bleeds on contact. There are others like it as well.
The male is rushed to the vet again (this morning). The vet looks at the deformed feathers and gives his diagnosis: Psittacine Beak and Feather Disease.
We are waiting for the test results for the birds to confirm what we already know. The male Budgie is in pain and refuses to preen his feathers because it is too painful. He will be euthanised if his test comes back positive. So will the female.
We have to because we are trying to do damage control and protect the rest of the flock. I don't want to do this. I never, ever wanted it to get this far. It is not fair. These Budgies have only known bad things in their lives. They were abandoned in the middle of winter in a shoe box on the side of the road. They suffered from fatty liver disease because of a terrible diet. It's not fair. They've never known love or kindness. Now they never will.
I know it can be transferred on clothes and other things. I'm worried about my birds at my home too.
We'll take it one step at a time. We will have to test all the birds. All of them. Proper tests. Not home kits.
Please tell me everything will be ok.
EDITED TO ADD:
I'm home now and have a bit more time to elaborate on my first post.
The rescue Budgies came to me in July. I quarantined them immediately at my boyfriend's house. They went to the vet for a complete check-up including a Full Body Blood Test and Complete Blood Count.
They both showed that the Budgies had nothing they could pass on to other birds.
Still they remained in quarantine.
Soon after I noticed poop getting stuck on the male Budgie's vent and that his tail feathers were shorter than they should be. They went back to the vet and I asked about PBFD. I was told it is highly unlikely that they have PBFD. The male Budgie (because he is a large Exhibition Budgie) probably just has problems reaching his vent and tail feathers so can't preen them properly.
Still they remained in quarantine.
Except, something was still nagging at me. You know when you just get that feeling that something is wrong? So I insisted on having them both tested for PBFD. The tests would take 3 weeks.
Still they remained in quarantine.
The test results come back negative for both of the Budgies.
So maybe I'm just paranoid. The vet really, really does not think I should worry about PBFD. The Budgies have been in quarantine for 4 solid months or 120 days if you prefer. I relax quarantine and the Green Cheeks move to James' house because there they can have their own bird room. We no longer take as much care between birds. We mix utensils, we don't change clothes between cages, we share food... basically we do everything wrong.
Then I find a crooked feather near the male's vent.
I also find a short, stumpy, deformed feather shaft near his vent.
I often deal with PBFD infected birds at the wildlife hospital. These feathers are practically a dead give-away. It is either PBFD or Polyoma Virus. Both bad.
We go into full quarantine mode again. As much as we can with the Green Cheeks still there.
I order home testing kits and we collect blood from the Budgies and Green Cheeks to have them all tested for both PBFD and Polyoma Virus. These tests have to be sent to South Africa so the results take ages.
Fast forward to the weekend that has just passed. The results are due in 5 working days (17 December) and I check the male's vent again. There is a deformed feather shaft there that is so large it is at least 8 times the normal size it should be. I'm not exaggerating. It has ruptured the skin around it. It bleeds on contact. There are others like it as well.
The male is rushed to the vet again (this morning). The vet looks at the deformed feathers and gives his diagnosis: Psittacine Beak and Feather Disease.
We are waiting for the test results for the birds to confirm what we already know. The male Budgie is in pain and refuses to preen his feathers because it is too painful. He will be euthanised if his test comes back positive. So will the female.
We have to because we are trying to do damage control and protect the rest of the flock. I don't want to do this. I never, ever wanted it to get this far. It is not fair. These Budgies have only known bad things in their lives. They were abandoned in the middle of winter in a shoe box on the side of the road. They suffered from fatty liver disease because of a terrible diet. It's not fair. They've never known love or kindness. Now they never will.
I know it can be transferred on clothes and other things. I'm worried about my birds at my home too.
We'll take it one step at a time. We will have to test all the birds. All of them. Proper tests. Not home kits.
Please tell me everything will be ok.
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