|
Post by criswell on Feb 6, 2022 2:10:46 GMT
I'm pleased and surprised with how well Dexter has coped. Much better than me. He's been busy singing to various objects in his cage (like he usually does) and he had a good chat with Miss Peacock and 'fed' her this afternoon, which I haven't seen him do for a while so I think she will be much more in favour again now. He's been getting on so well with Dean Stockwell since it's been just the two of them - they sat next to each other for ages yesterday afternoon having a nice long chat - that he hasn't really needed Miss Peacock's company.
I'd like to get Dexter a friend but I'm not sure if he could be carrying the virus, even though he shows no signs of it. I wouldn't want any new budgies to be harmed. I will talk to the vet about it and will get Dexter tested if he thinks that's a sensible precaution. I would love to see him with a new friend that could fly about with him as Randolph Carter wasn't keeen on flying and Dean Stockwell couldn't, so he hasn't had a flying companion since Criswell left us four years ago, and it always made me sad seeing him fly up on to the curtains by himself.
|
|
|
Post by tweetiepiesmom on Feb 6, 2022 16:03:04 GMT
I hope your vet can tell you if Dexter is carrying the virus and if it might be transmitted to another budgie. It will put your mind at ease whether you get a new companion for Dexter or not. I often wonder the same thing about my Tweetie Pie with his AGY and Buddy who shows no signs of the infection.
|
|
|
Post by criswell on Feb 6, 2022 16:29:17 GMT
There are different opinions on whether BFD is passed on to adult birds. I've read that it's rarely passed on to birds over two years and also that if adult birds catch it then their imune systems can often deal with it so they don't become infected. But other info says that it is can be passed on to birds of any age. I think much of the information is anecdotal and I'm not sure how many proper studies have been done on it's transmissability to adult birds. I will have to do some more reading. If we do get a friend for him it will be safest to get an adult bird. I'm going to be really anxious about bringing another bird into the house in case it passes on something to Dexter. Dean Stockwell's feather loss didn't start until a couple of months after quarantine. We should get any new bird tested too but it's at least £100 for a PCR test per virus. So we will see.
I've email the vet so hopefully I will get a reply during the week. If not I will try to talk to him on the phone. Dexter is already unsettle enough without taking up to the vet so I'd like to know in advance if they think he should be tested so we don't have a wasted journey. It does scare me that they need a blood sample for the test. I think they also need a feather as well. It's doesn't sound fun for Dexter but if it enables him to have a new friend then he might not mind too much. We won't be rushing in to anything and will give Dexter a couple of weeks to settle before taking him to vets.
At the moment I can hear him singing in the lounge. He's in there by himself at the moment. I'm still making him anxious when I'm in the room and he was doing some of his stress behaviours when I was in there earlier. I did get him singig with me though. He hasn't called for me in the last hour so he seems happy.
I couldn't help looking at some sites to see if there are any unwanted budgies needing a home but it's all very cute baby budgies, or bonded pairs. I'd really like to give an older bugie a new start.
|
|
|
Post by tweetiepiesmom on Feb 6, 2022 16:39:11 GMT
Good luck with it all!
|
|
|
Post by criswell on Feb 6, 2022 18:54:16 GMT
|
|
|
Post by ariella on Feb 6, 2022 20:27:49 GMT
I really hope it works out well and you get the go-ahead from the vet criswell. Then I think the perfect friend will come up.
|
|
|
Post by skysmum on Feb 6, 2022 22:00:14 GMT
I'm so sorry criswell , Dean Stockwell had a lovely life with you. I had a French Moult bud, born and raised here, non of his sibling's had it and Jo was 2 years old before it appeared. Its a bit of a grey area, apparently FM is just a milder version of BFD. My JoJo shared his life with many budgies and i never had a problem with any others. Fly high little DS in fields of millet x
|
|
|
Post by criswell on Feb 7, 2022 0:24:00 GMT
Thanks ariellaAnd thank you skysmum From what I've read the BFD virus is more infectious than the FM one. The vet did think it was likely that Randolph Carter had it too but it's not possible to say who gave it to who. RC didn't have any feather abnormalities until after Dean Stockwell arrived, but neither did DS before he met the other two. Randolph Carter was about 1.5 years old when Dean Stockwell arrived so it might not have shown itself yet in RC. It does make me sad thinking that I've caused harm to one of the two of them by introducing them It was so sad seeing Dean Stockwell losing more of his feathers with each moult. But he was still a little cutie pie. Apart from the feather loss DS had been very healthy. The other two had a couple of infections but never at the same time but DS was always fine. His cere was always perfectly bright blue, and halways had perfect droppings. It was easy to see that he was keeping his weight up as most of his body was bald. He had grown some new feathers in the last month include an almost tail feather on his little butt. And it made me hopful that he might get a bit feathery again. That sort of tail feather fell out the day before he died I really wish I knew why he died. It is always going to worry me that I could have done something about it. I know you all understand that. A week or two before we got covid I noticed a little bump on his wing and was about to make an appointment to have it checked out when we had to start isolating. It didn't get any bigger and wasn't bothering him but I wish I'd had the chance to get him checked over. It was top of the list for when we were allowed out again. He looked so small lying on the floor of the cage. Before I saw him I noticed he wasn't on his swing so was looking all over the cage for him. I know others of you have woken up to a similar sight. It's so sad and such a shock. Thank you all for being so kind and supportive xx
|
|
|
Post by Hezz on Feb 8, 2022 1:04:22 GMT
I had a good talk to my vet about PBFD when I had the wild cockatoo with it. She said it was very contagious and to be very careful about any pet birds being anywhere near areas where they might have preened, sneezed or defecated.
You are only human for wondering why and what could you have done differently. He couldn’t have wished for a more loving home, though. Xx
|
|
|
Post by criswell on Feb 8, 2022 2:02:02 GMT
Thank you Hezz. It must be a worry knowing that your native birds carry it. It's not common out in the wild in the UK but has been seen in ferral parrot species but when I first took Dean Stockwell to the vets back in 2020 the vet was concerned about increasing prevalence of PBFD and APV in pet birds, due to breeders not testing their breeding stock. I do worry about other bird diseases passing from garden birds to my guys inside and I wash my hands really thoroughly after I've touched the feeders outside. Dean Stockwell seemed very happy here and he was always so busy and playful. Randolph Carter was very fond of him and Dexter grew to like him too, especially in he last few months. I'm glad to have know him xx
|
|
|
Post by Ira on Feb 8, 2022 8:33:01 GMT
Hopefully the vet can give you some answers or run a test, criswell. It would be nice to be able to get Dexter a friend, although it sounds like he isn't doing too badly as a singleton. (Would you like a linnie? )
|
|
|
Post by criswell on Feb 8, 2022 11:24:55 GMT
Yes, I can get Dexter tested. It's also a concern that the virus might persist in my lounge for a long time so I'm getting some environmental swabs tested too first. I'm quite anxious about letting the vet take a blood sample from Dexter or pluck some of his feathers for testing so don't want to do that at the moment as he's wary enough of me already now he's on his own. (I'm sure Dexter would be happy with any birdie companion as long as they can fly up on to the curtains with him as he hasn't had a friend to fly with in a long time )
|
|
|
Post by tweetiepiesmom on Feb 8, 2022 17:09:25 GMT
It is interesting what diseases are prevalent in the birds in different countries. Hezz I've also had discussions with a few avian vets about AGY since my Tweetie Pie was diagnosed with it. The vets are seeing a spike in cases here since the pandemic. They attribute it to the over breeding of budgies because everyone wants pets now. The vets say the large scale breeders are not checking the mating pairs for AGY, the hens give it to the chicks and most of the time it doesn't show up until the budgies are over a year old. I saw it in Tweetie Pie when he was 18 months old. The vets also say it is highly contagious and very likely that Buddy has it but his immune system is strong enough that he's not showing any symptoms. The vets tell me that any other budgie that comes in contact with them will catch it. However, I know a woman who has a flock of 10 budgies, 3 who had AGY. They went through the treatment and no longer show signs of it and none of the others in the flock have it. I do find it frustrating that we don't know more about how to treat diseases that our budgies get. One vet said that in the US there is no economic incentive to develop treatments. All the bird research is on chickens where money can be made. This vet said he regularly looks at the research from Australia where the parrot family is more important. I think criswell we just have to use our best judgment in caring for our little pals.
|
|
Oct 6, 2011 7:41:27 GMT
Marianne Marlow
Administrator
George, Daisy, Iris, Billy, Peter, Chipper, Dinku, Barney, Ayla and Rocky
Posts: 28,776
|
Post by Marianne Marlow on Feb 8, 2022 18:13:32 GMT
Funnily enough tweetiepiesmom, My Sky wasn't diagnosed with AGY until he was almost 12 years old.
|
|
|
Post by tweetiepiesmom on Feb 8, 2022 19:06:16 GMT
Marianne Marlow I'm guessing Sky had a strong immune system - good for him!
|
|