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If you didn't attend this year's MARE, you missed another great symposium. Where else can you hang out with Chris Davis, Dr. Branson Ritchie, Dr. Kevin Flammer, Mark Hagen, Paul Butler and other important people in the aviculture field?
Recommendations for post purchase pet exams. Dr. Sam Vaughn from Kentucky (whose club will host next year's Expo), lectured on "The Use and Misuse of Diagnostic Tests". He recommended a post purchase or adoption exam for the "single parrot" (a condition that is difficult to maintain) family that includes: blood profile, physical exam, history and a gram stain. Depending on your circumstances, number and age of your parrots, more tests could be run to determine and maintain the health of the flock. He recommends for this same "single parrot" the following yearly blood tests: complete blood count (CBC) and blood protein levels, a physical exam and a gram stain. Again, other tests could be run depending on the age and species of parrot and its health history. Since January of this year, for the first time, he has not seen a single case of Polyoma virus. His breeders have been using the vaccine with no problems for the last year and a half.
Help for feather pickers! Dr. Vaughn's proceedings included finding yeast infections in the skin and feathers of feather pluckers. This yeast is not Candida, but a smaller yeast. I asked him how he diagnosed the yeast. He recommends a Gram Stain and Diff-quick stain on skin scrapings. He advised using Oxyfresh Pet Gel, which I purchased and have been using on my Moluccan and it seems to be helping.
Quarantine Recommendations - Dr. David Graham, director of the Schubot Exotic Bird Health Center, Texas A&M University, lectured on his "Quaran-damn-teed Successful Quarantine Program":
E ach new bird is placed in individual physical and managerial isolation and maintained there for the duration of its life. He says that anything less and you can compromise your flock. Of course, this kind of quarantine is not practical unless you have only one bird and never set foot out of your house. Quarantine is important but it will not eliminate all possibilities of infection.
When multiple birds are placed in one cage, the bird on the higher perch is known as the defecator and lower bird is the defectatee. Dr. Graham used these terms in explaining fecal feather contamination. Putting all your perches at the same height with multiple birds in the same cage will prevent this situation. Make sure you use the proper terms; your parrot is the defecator and we are the defecatee.
Proventricular Dilatation Disease (PDD) Update - Psittacine Disease Research group has isolated the organism. More research is needed. Hopefully, in about a year and a half, the tools to control this disease many be available.
Dr. David Graham, director of the Schubot Exotic Bird Health Center, Texas A&M University, wants necropsies and birds suspected of being infected with PDD for a study at his lab. They offered to pay for the shipping of diseased birds to the lab. Live birds will be maintained and not just be destroyed in this study.
Polyoma Virus - Use the vaccine! It's available and Dr. Ritchie recommends vaccinating all birds. Young birds can die from this disease, while older birds will probably just become slightly ill, but they allow the virus to multiply and be passed into the environment.
Psittacine Beak and Feather Disease Update- Dr. Ritchie recommends testing all birds. The last four birds sent in for necropsy were Amazons and Conures.
Behavior modification - Chris Davis recommends keeping parrot's heads at your heart level. Any higher and they think they are God or at least the dominate member of the flock. Once you have control of the situation, the parrot can occasionally be permitted higher. She also recommends talking to your birds and questioning them. Parrots have the intelligence of a five year old, but the emotions of a three year old. If we deal with them at this level, a better relationship can be formed. But, above all, she says to love them for themselves. Tell your plucked bird how beautiful it is and explain how you don't approve of the plucking behavior, but that you love him just the same. Chris is a wonderful speaker and it would be tremendous if we could have her speak at our club. Support the symposium fund!
Your presence is requested! - You will have a chance to attend a Bird Clubs of America Convention, November 2, 3 hosted by the Central Jersey Bird Club. They have some wonderful speakers lined up and it's right in your own state. Check out the lectures that are advertised in our newsletter. Do it for your parrot's health and safety and help support avian research at the same time!
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