Update on Oliver

[Birdmom99]

Took my budgie Oliver him to the vet for a sedated X-ray and they said his proventriculus is enlarged and they suspect borna virus. They are going to put him on metcam to see if he responds.

Does anyone have any experience of this disease with a parakeet? They haven’t taken any bloodwork to confirm as yet because he bruised himself while they tried to get blood from him.

I’m really worried because the disease is uncurable and contagious.

 

[.........]

@Hankmacaw might be able to help

 

[Hankmacaw]

My Kitty ( female GW macaw) has clinical PDD. ABV does not mean automatic PDD. ABV can be a precursor to PDD but many times isn't. Ask your vet to have an "anti-ganglioside assay" done on your bird. It is rather new and is definitive for ABV. PDD is manageable now with recent discoveries in treatment - but make no mistake, if your bird has PDD it will die of it or a complication from PDD. Many birds have ABV and live for many years or even their entire natural life time with ABV.

My vet and I prefer Celebrex to metacam for proventricular dialation.

Here is Dr. Dalhausens definitive paper on ABV/PDD.

https://lafeber.com/vet/wp-content/uploads/Avian-Bornaviral-Ganglioneuritis-in-Clinical-Practice.pdf

 

[Birdmom99]

Thank you! I will get him tested for it.
The vet didn’t diagnose anything officially but suspects it is ABV. The proventriculus is just enlarged but she said the X-rays don’t necessarily give a definitive answer.

She also said his testicles looked enlarged and it could be because it’s mating season or cancer, which is regulated by hormones.

My Kitty ( female GW macaw) has clinical PDD. ABV does not mean automatic PDD. ABV can be a precursor to PDD but many times isn't. Ask your vet to have an "anti-ganglioside assay" done on your bird. It is rather new and is definitive for ABV. PDD is manageable now with recent discoveries in treatment - but make no mistake, if your bird has PDD it will die of it or a complication from PDD. Many birds have ABV and live for many years or even their entire natural life time with ABV.

My vet and I prefer Celebrex to metacam for proventricular dialation.

Here is Dr. Dalhausens definitive paper on ABV/PDD.

https://lafeber.com/vet/wp-content/uploads/Avian-Bornaviral-Ganglioneuritis-in-Clinical-Practice.pdf

 

[Birdmom99]

Hello,
I just have one more question. What is an anti-ganglioside assay? Is it a blood test? Are there risks involved in taking it? I tried googling it and I didn’t get much information on it.

Thank you!

My Kitty ( female GW macaw) has clinical PDD. ABV does not mean automatic PDD. ABV can be a precursor to PDD but many times isn't. Ask your vet to have an "anti-ganglioside assay" done on your bird. It is rather new and is definitive for ABV. PDD is manageable now with recent discoveries in treatment - but make no mistake, if your bird has PDD it will die of it or a complication from PDD. Many birds have ABV and live for many years or even their entire natural life time with ABV.

My vet and I prefer Celebrex to metacam for proventricular dialation.

Here is Dr. Dalhausens definitive paper on ABV/PDD.

https://lafeber.com/vet/wp-content/uploads/Avian-Bornaviral-Ganglioneuritis-in-Clinical-Practice.pdf

 

[Hankmacaw]

An anti-ganglioside assay is a blood test - relatively new - for ABV and unlike former tests it is highly accurate. It is a blood test an has no more risks associated with it than any other blood test.

 

[Birdmom99]

Thank you so much!

An anti-ganglioside assay is a blood test - relatively new - for ABV and unlike former tests it is highly accurate. It is a blood test an has no more risks associated with it than any other blood test.

 

[Birdmom99]

Adding one more question here….

I really hope my budgie does well with the blood test. Does anyone know how I can help him recuperate after so much loss of blood? Any supplements or food I should give him to make sure his reserves don’t decline?

Thank you all for your help!

 

[Fergus Mom]

I don't know anything about the diseases, or supplements, but I did want to say I hope he will be in good health soon! Maybe it won't turn out to be ABV, I hope, but what Mary said is a world of info, so even if it is, it sounds like he can live a lifetime of happiness.

 

[Birdmom99]

Thanks so much! Crossing my fingers as well.

I don't know anything about the diseases, or supplements, but I did want to say I hope he will be in good health soon! Maybe it won't turn out to be ABV, I hope, but what Mary said is a world of info, so even if it is, it sounds like he can live a lifetime of happiness.

 

[Birdmom99]

Vet just called. Oliver was given a fluoroscopy and anti ganglioside assay. The fluoroscopy did confirm signs of a defective GI tract which I’m disappointed to hear. The blood test will take a week to get results and in the mean time I’m hoping he still doesn’t have PDD and this is just simple GI issues that can be resolved. I’m so sad right now and was hoping to hear some optimistic news

 

[Hankmacaw]

It's not time to get sad yet - wait for that assay to come back. In the meantime make sure he has only bland foods - very, very few seeds.

 

[Birdmom99]

thank you so much for your kind words

It's not time to get sad yet - wait for that assay to come back. In the meantime make sure he has only bland foods - very, very few seeds.

 

[Dorcas George]

Hoping with you.