Devastation of PDD-Spix's Macaw Video Clip

[Tiki]

This is the video clip that hit me like a ton of bricks. We Aussies are lucky that we have very few cases here so we really don't know much about PDD or what it really does. Well if a picture is worth a thousand words, a video must be worth a million.

This beautiful Spix's Macaw, originally from the Phillippines collection moved to Qatar should have been one of the "pioneers" to help save his species from extinction. He was one of less than 40 in the world. Instead, he and two others succumbed to PDD in 2004.

Full story: http://alwabra.com/awwp/sci-pdd.php

It broke my heart to see the suffering of this beautiful bird. Please don't let his death be in vain. Support Dr Ritchie's efforts to stop PDD so no bird ever has to go through this again.

www.stoppdd.org

Until we get the technical issues sorted out with the Birdboard album, we will have to host it on Zippy Videos.

http://www.zippyvideos.com/2486992725605216/100_2993/

[Dayna]

Tara, that video was truly heartbreaking. Not only is PDD a terrible disease, but the Spixs macaws are just so rare, that loosing one is like loosing thousands of another type of macaw. Now I have a better idea of what this disease does to our companions.

Thanks for posting this link.

[Captain Jack]

That is so sad. Every time I see a video like this I tear up.

[candi4me]

OHHH my gosh I have never seen anything like that. I have read everything posted about this disease... but never dreamed how bad it is on the lil fids. I don't know how anyone could recover from loosing a fid to this disease. Makes me tear up just watching it.

[The Outlaw]

On your worst day you will never know how awful this disease is until you know a bird and love it and then watch it die before your very eyes. I've been there and I still have that nightmare. Maybe its because of the feathers and the bright eyes and the fact that so many of them speak our language. When you hold a bird in your hands and the vet gives the final shot, its like watching an angel die. If we way we love them, we HAVE to protect them. Its our moral obligation. I have cried as I've lost my dogs and cats along the way, but its just plain different. And, it wasn't even MY bird..........

[Dani#2]

Originally Posted by The Outlaw

On your worst day you will never know how awful this disease is until you know a bird and love it and then watch it die before your very eyes. I've been there and I still have that nightmare. Maybe its because of the feathers and the bright eyes and the fact that so many of them speak our language. When you hold a bird in your hands and the vet gives the final shot, its like watching an angel die. If we way we love them, we HAVE to protect them. Its our moral obligation. I have cried as I've lost my dogs and cats along the way, but its just plain different. And, it wasn't even MY bird..........

Yep, my poor Hazel, I lost her at 7 months. I cannot watch the video.....i'll be a mess if I do.

[CALVINS MOM]

Originally Posted by The Outlaw

On your worst day you will never know how awful this disease is until you know a bird and love it and then watch it die before your very eyes. I've been there and I still have that nightmare. Maybe its because of the feathers and the bright eyes and the fact that so many of them speak our language. When you hold a bird in your hands and the vet gives the final shot, its like watching an angel die. If we way we love them, we HAVE to protect them. Its our moral obligation. I have cried as I've lost my dogs and cats along the way, but its just plain different. And, it wasn't even MY bird..........

So beautifully put, Nancy, for such a horrible disease. Angels. Their little eyes. The trust they hold in us to keep them healthy. And all they ask is that you make them feel better. Make the spinning stop. Stop the starvation. Make it all go away. And we can't. If every person who reads these posts goes in and buys one ticket - just one - for the Birds of a Feather Quilt, can you imagine how much can be raised in just the next day or two? It's only $20.00. And when you make your payment, smile and know that you may have just saved a life. www.stoppdd.org - do it for our fids.

Thanks Tara for sharing this with us. It's horrible to watch; I cried; but maybe this will finally get the word out. We all have to support this. Remember - PDD DOES NOT DISCRIMINATE.

[Lisa B]

I too can not bare to watch the video, beacuse I know about loosing one you love so much, tho it was a differnt disease. With that said, It is important we all learn as much as we can, no matter how hard it it to watch.
Thanks Tiki for posting that.

[Machelle]

that is so horrible! I am going to go home and hug my faby's tonight.

[kikibird]

Hi there Tiki,

Cases in Australia of PDD are slowly rising. The diesease has been introduced to Aus and it is now up to all of us as aviculturists, companion parrot keepers and breeders, we are all aviculturists, to help eliminate this nasty disease.

I dont know if you read ABK at all, but there was an article by DR Bob Donnely on PDD.

I will write an extract from it here about the cases.

The first case in Australia was seen in 1993, in a legally imported GWM. However in 2004-2006, cases have been reported in two eclectus parrots, two BGM'S, an Indian Ringneck, one probably 2 Moluccan Cockatoos, a Black Cockatoo and a Grey Parrot. The large time gap between the first case and the subsequent cases makes it extremely unlikely that the disease has been present in Australia all that time, ie the disease has only been recently introduced. I will leave it up to you to work how that may have happened.

It is really a very nasty disease.

I have to say though that I do not agree with that video at all. fair enough it was made to show people how debilitating the disease is but that poor bird spix should have been put to sleep long before the end of that clip and not kept alive to suffer for our benefit. as cruel as this disease is I find that video even crueler.

Sorry but that is just my opinion.

But anyway, yes this is a disease that needs to be stopped and donating to the cause is a great way to help us all achieve that goal.