Foot paralysis

[cassie]

Can anyone shed any light on what has happened? I just lost my baby African Grey, Freddy, he was only four months old. One morning when we got up he sat in the bottom of his cage, one foot was curled up and he could not use it. We took him straight to a vet, who came highly recommended, she used to work in a bird park prior to joining a private practice and had tendered to thousand of birds and their problems. She had never seen this problem but thought he may have badly strained it so gave him anti inflamatory injection. Later that day his other foot went the same way, so on the advice of the vet we took him to see another vet at the hospital, for a second opinion. He had never seen this problem either and precribed vitamins to try and build him up a bit. We took him home and made him comfortable with a towel in the bottom of his cage. He had no feeling at all in either foot. He loved a cuddle so my husband and I cuddled him during the evening until it was bed time. The next morning Freddy was having trouble breathing and his feet were no better, so we took him back to the first vet. She suggested that we hospitalise him so she could give him oxygen and monitor him. When we left the vet we went to see the man we had bought him from to see if he had come across this problem in any other birds, he is a very reputable dealer here in Singapore. He had no idea what could have caused it but said he would go to the the vets to see Freddy and have a look for himself to see if he could help. After he had been to see Freddy he rang me and said he was puzzled and had never seen that problem before. About three hours after we left Freddy with the vet he had a seizure and died. I know it is to late for little Freddy but if anyone has any idea what this could have been I would appreciate knowing. We only had him for a few weeks but he stole our hearts and the grief at losing him is very painful. Although I did lots of research before I got him I wonder if it was something I did, or didn't do. Poisoning was ruled out because he was never out of his cage without supervision.

[The Outlaw]

My gut tells me that this bird needs to be necropsied. Sometimes, PDD will manifest with neurological symptoms first. I think there's a good chance that your baby may have been a victim. Frankly, greys are quite vulnerable to the disease as are Eclectus parrots. Usually the macaws will have the more common symptoms, ie undigested seed in the poops and vomiting.

If you do have PDD positively diagnosed, you cannot add any more birds to your home for quite some time. PDD is highly contagious. Its not truly understood how the disease is transmitted, but it is likely from contaminated droppings. I urge you to have the necropsy performed. And, if you get a positive diagnosis, the breeder must be informed immediately.

THE OUTLAW

[cassie]

Thank you for your reply, I really appreciate it. It is to late to have any tests done with little Freddy. Would you mind explaining in a little more detail please, that way I can contact the breeder and give him the details. Thank goodness you replied so quickly because my first instinct was to go and get another one, not to replace Freddy because that would not be possible but to give another one the love I had for Freddy. It would have been unbearable if it had happened again. How long should I leave it to make sure there is no infection left in the house, is there anything I can do to get rid of it quicker? Where would it have come from, Freddy was the only bird I had, my first ever actually. Also, should I get rid of the cage? It is the only thing I have kept.

[The Outlaw]

Cassie:

There are a lot of possibilities for the demise of your young bird. It was because you described neurlogical symptoms that made bells go off in my head.

You should do a web search on Proventricular Dilitation Disease (PDD) and read for yourself. If you bird's symptoms were mentioned in the writings, then the quarantine would be for no less than one year. You cannot reuse anything your baby touched. All perches, dishes, toys, and anything porous would have to be destroyed and certainly not donated or sold. The cage is salvagable as is the carrier IF its properly disinfected and allowed to stay out in the sunshine for a few weeks. PDD is becoming an epidemic here in the States and soon globably. It's incubation can be up to 8 years, meaning that even well birds today may already be harboring the disease. Most birds will die within a few months of contracting it. If put on Celebrex or Mobic therapy and carefully monitored for opportunistic diseases such as yeast and megabac, birds that respond well to the therapy can expect almost normal lifespans. However, the therapy and diagnostic tests are brutally expensive. The crop biopsy and lab tests can run in the thousands and the monthly meds are about $30 per bird per month.

I think its unlikely that a bird as young as this died of metal toxicity. It wouldn't have been exposed to metals long enough for the cumulative effect of the toxins to kill it yet. That normally takes much longer.

Did you wean this bird yourself? At four months, that's early for greys to be weaned. If you were still handfeeding, there is also the possibility that the formula had gone bad.

That's why I suggested a necropsy. So you would know what you're dealing with. In any event, the breeder needs to have a copy of your vet reports so that they can track the rest of the clutch. Its absolutely essential.

By the way, I'm so terribly sorry for your loss. They are God's most amazing creatures. I hope that you can get some answers and try again.

THE OUTLAW

[cassie]

I researched PDD, there were some of the symptoms there, of course we will never know for sure. I have informed the dealer of my findings, also sent a copy to the vet. There is nothing else I can do now. I will try again because Freddy was lovely. Even at his age he had learned to say Hello and make kissing sounds. We also felt very privaledged because he took to both me and my husband equally, which I understand is quite rare.

So glad I found this site, only problem is I am becoming hooked and read all the topics. Thanks again for your help.

[The Outlaw]

Cassie:

Just for the future, you should always order a necropsy, unless accident is evident. Frankly, that's an awfully early demise for a healthy bird. I really think that you should try to work out some kind of arrangement with the seller. Of course, if his/her aviary is infected with disease, then of course you don't want to take another bird from there.

Had the necropsy been performed, you would have had legal right, likely, to a refund if the bird was ill when you obtained it. Also, the tracking of disease is very important to all bird owners. You weren't aware of the risks, but now you know. Frankly, I'm surprised your vet didn't push hard for one.

Again, had he been posititve for PDD, the seller probably would have had to pay you for that test as well.

THE OUTLAW

[cathy]

Hi:
If it was PDD and the breeder got one of the cluch mates checked , if he can track any of them down , I would think it might show up there.
Sorry for the loss of a special part of your family.

[The Outlaw]

Cathy:

Frankly, the seller won't likely have a crop biospsy performed on a young bird unless he's forced to. For the most part, most young birds sell long before their symptoms show. The only test that even works at all is the crop biopsy and its surgery. Add to that the cost and the need for a 3 day stay and the use of anesthia, its not likely the breeder would order it unless forced to do so.

THE OUTLAW

[cathy]

Hi:
I was thinking more just to see if any of the others in the clutch were sick or had similar symptoms.I didn't realize that it would be that hard to check for PDD.

[cassie]

Can birds have epilepsy? Going over everything since little Freddy died I remembered that a couple of weeks before I heard a clatter in his cage, when I went to look at him he sat in the bottom of his cage. I picked him up and had a look at him and he seemed fine, he walked up my arm and sat on my shoulder. So I just put it down to him being young and clumsy as he was just learning to climb around inside his cage.

Someone told me that the water in Singapore has copper in it, would that have done it? Or would it have taken longer than his four months to effect him?

It has been two weeks now and he is on my mind all day every day. I go over and over everything I did and I can't see that it was anything I did. I cleaned his cage out every morning, hosed it down with just water. Fresh fruit and water twice a day. I have marble floors in the apartment and so as not to take any chances I even used just water, with no cleaning chemicals in it, to wash the floor.

Thanks again for your replys.