Theme: About health and invisible disease threats

"Prevention is much better than cure"

The above-mentioned statement applies especially in relation to birds, including parrots, as sick and weak specimens in a flock are quickly spotted by birds of prey and easily become a victim. By nature, a sick bird tries as far as possible to maintain an impression that it is healthy, so that when it first looks sick, it is really sick.

It is important that you continuously work to keep healthy birds in your bird collection, and that in the ongoing care and maintenance you do everything to maintain - and if possible, improve - the health of the birds, as this is a prerequisite for their well-being and the possibility of breeding.

This article does not address the parrot's proper care and maintenance, including:

The bird's need for correct nutrition through versatile and varied feed
The bird's need for the greatest possible development opportunities in aviaries
The bird's ability to seek shelter from wind and weather
The bird's well-being at an optimal living temperature
Recreating the bird's most natural biotope under protected conditions, or
Implementation of measures to stimulate behaviour.

Instead, this article is about:

How to determine that a bird is healthy
How to behave when you believe that the bird may be ill and needs to be seen by a veterinarian, as well as whether
The invisible threats that today threaten the population of parrots and parakeets in human care.

A bird can of course be injured, where the damage can either be temporary or be permanent in the form of e.g. injury or a disability, or perhaps - in the worst case - the bird may die from the injury. The latter can, for example, happen when a tame Budgerigar (Melopsittacus undulatus) flies directly towards a window in a living room in your home, breaks its neck and dies. A bird can also be temporarily ill from e.g. eye inflammation, which it can then be treated for medically. You can immediately relate to such traumas and minor illnesses. It immediately becomes much more difficult when one's bird collection is threatened by serious infectious diseases that are difficult to diagnose and either cannot or only very difficult can be treated, alternatively are costly to treat. It is an even greater threat today, when within the EU it is possible to buy and move birds among the various member states. However, in an open Europe this openness has a price alongside the possibilities of being able to acquire new exciting parrot species from another country, namely the risk of simultaneously importing different diseases. That is why, at the end of this article, I will address the so-called invisible threats from serious infectious diseases.

Common sense and caution are good qualities to have when working towards the goal of having healthy birds. In this connection, the following good advice can be pointed out:

Always be very careful when purchasing new birds
Always quarantine newly purchased birds for a certain period (in a quarantine which is physically separated from the rest of your stock, preferably in another location)
Remember to have laboratory tests carried out on samples of blood, feathers and cloacal swabs as well as samples of droppings on the same occasion
Make sure to limit the frequency and number of visitors to your bird collection - people can be sources of infection in a number of contexts
Ensure regular, thorough cleaning and maintain a high level of hygiene
Make physical separations between species (some aviculturists physically separate parrot species according to which continent they originate from, as certain serious infectious diseases can affect the individual species differently)
Make sure to continuously observe the appearance and behaviour of the birds, so that you get to know them and their behaviour as a measuring point for healthy birds
Never buy birds at a bird market, where the birds are crowded together in small and dirty cages, even if the organizers say that they follow the authorities' veterinary guidelines in all aspects; such markets are to be considered high-risk areas in terms of spreading serious infectious diseases
Never buy birds at an aviculturist/breeder, where the birds are crowded together in small and dirty cages
Be careful if you exhibit the birds, as they here too can be exposed to serious infectious diseases, in addition to which the birds are exposed to both stress and large temperature fluctuations over a relatively few days.

If you want to protect yourself optimally with regard to the health and well-being of your birds, you must - in addition to observing the bird itself and its behaviour - have it regularly examined by a veterinarian specialized in bird diseases for the invisible threats in the form of particularly serious infectious viral diseases. Aviculturists generally do not go this far unless the parrots are very expensive. Having said that, there are aviculturists who regularly have veterinary supervision, and only sell their (often expensive) parrots with newly issued health certificates, but more on this later.

You can also get random samples taken from birds for further investigation, e.g. blood samples, combined with regularly collection of droppings from different aviaries, which are then sent for laboratory examination via a veterinarian.

Of course, you can also - as already mentioned in the introduction - go a long way by using your common sense and experience, where you base your assessment of the bird's current state of health on the ongoing observations ("measuring points") of your birds, on which you have built up an impression of the natural behaviour of birds. Of course, this does not change the fact that there are a number of feared - serious, contagious - diseases, cf. below, which cannot be spotted without the necessary laboratory tests. Added to this is the whole issue surrounding “healthy” carriers of these diseases as well as the fact that not all serious infectious diseases can be detected via laboratory tests.

The healthy bird

The classic characteristics of a healthy bird's appearance are:

Attentive behaviour
Responds to stimuli
Sleeps with this one foot pulled up under the belly plumage
Defecates with lifting of the tail
Breathing is barely visible
The beak is closed.

All aviculturists should take their parrots in hand at least a once a year to physically examine them, including the bird's body (the bird must have a good body fullness and must not have a "sharply chest", i.e. a noticeably very prominent sternum). At the same time, if there is a need for this, you can see - and possibly - cut the birds' claws (leave it to a veterinarian specialized in bird diseases unless you are sure that you are not cutting the blood vessels of the individual toes).

The sick bird

In contrast, a sick bird can often be identified through the following appearance:

Apathetic and sleepy
Puts the weight on both legs, the wings hang down limply
Has diarrhea or straining when defecating
Breathing with open beak, tail moving.

A bird's plumage can reveal its state of health

A clean and intact plumage is always a good first sign that a bird is healthy and well, but it does not tell the whole truth. If you then experience birds that have problems with their plumage, it may have the following reasons:

Non-infectious causes:

Feather picking
Malnutrition
Liver disease
Physical injuries.

Infectious causes:

Avian Polyomavirus (APV) – see below
Psittacine Beak and Feather Disease (PBFD) – see below
Parasites
Skin infections (bacterial, fungal).

It is especially with the two virus-based diseases that you have to take immediate action so that it does not spread in the bird collection.

Origin of diseases (pathogens)

Diseases can basically be caused by either infections or traumas:

Infections:

Viral
Bacterial
Mushrooms
Parasites.

Non-infectious:

Trauma
Accommodation/Feed.

With this in mind, you can do your part to try to avoid disease-causing elements and situations. It is of course much easier to protect your bird against trauma (injuries) than it is to prevent serious infectious disease viruses. Here it is that you can make a difference by being careful when buying new birds (see separate article on this on this web site), just as in certain situations you can have laboratory tests carried out, which are initiated by a veterinarian specialized in bird diseases.

A photo series from Loro Parque's newly established and state-of-the-art "hospital department" with various laboratories, X-ray department, scanning department, operating rooms, extensive medico-technical equipment, which is dedicated to the treatment of parrots and the park's other animals (inaugurated September 2014 as part of the "Animal Embassy"). Loro Parque has their own healthcare staff, including their very own staff of highly specialized veterinarians within diseases that particularly affect parrots.

Good advice regarding veterinarians

Optimally, aviculturists, regardless of whether it is a very cheap parrot species, should have its state of health regularly checked by its veterinarian, as it can be fatal to overlook this in relation to serious infectious diseases. During the "VIII International Parrot Convention's" workshop in September 2014 on the subject “diseases among parrots”, one of the speakers, Professor Dr. Michael Lierz from Justus-Liebig-Universität, Gießen, in Germany, talked about an aviculturist who kept a flock of Red-tailed Black Cockatoos (Calyptorhynchus banksii) in a large outdoor aviary. This aviculturist was very tender about these birds, which are rare in human care in Europe and therefore very expensive. This aviculturist always ensured that newly purchased birds were properly quarantined, as well as blood samples and samples of droppings were taken. The aviculturist's son had wanted a pair of Budgerigars for a while, and finally the aviculturist gave in to his son's wish. The purchased Budgerigars were, without further measures, immediately introduced to the Red-tailed Black Cockatoos, which after a few days ended in disaster, as a number of these precious cockatoos died, as a result of the Budgerigars having brought a serious infectious disease (Pacheco's Disease, also called "avian herpes") into the aviary, with a very large financial loss as a result.

It is always recommended to make use of veterinarians who, in terms of training and experience, have specialized in bird diseases. In relation to the use of such veterinarians, reference can be made to the following good advice regarding consultation with a veterinarian:

See the veterinarian in time
DO NOT wait to do it
A visibly sick bird is always an emergency
Consider whether your own handling of the bird may be part of the problem.

What can you expect from the veterinarian?

With a veterinarian who uses a professional, systematic approach to work, you can expect some procedure similar to the one below to be followed when examining the parrot:

The veterinarian initially asks about the history of the bird (species, age, sex and markers (ring and/or chip)). Observation is then made from a distance (a bird should preferably be observed from a distance so that it shows its momentary natural behaviour which may indicate illness). Here, the focus is particularly on:

Breathing
Reaction to sudden sounds
Distribution of the weight on the legs (pet birds relax more quickly and can be perceived as sleepy)
Activity level
Abnormal behaviour (overeating, disturbances in the central nervous system)
Fixation.

It continues with:

A general survey, e.g. of plumage and auscultation (the term for listening to the internal sounds of the body, usually using a stethoscope). This is done in order to examine the circulation and airways (heart sounds and breath sounds) as well as the stomach/intestinal system (bowel sounds)
A possible further study.

Be prepared for the veterinarian's questions

Not unexpectedly, a veterinarian will focus on the parrot's clinical history, and here it is absolutely crucial that you, as a serious aviculturist, show responsibility by answering the veterinarian's questions sincerely and honestly!

There may typically be questions about:

Origin of the bird
Duration of ownership
Handling on a daily basis (is the bird sitting alone or is it part of a pair, hygiene, climate)
The bird's physical development possibilities
Last acquisitions, contact with other birds
Feeding procedure
Feed additive
Additional diseases in the herd
The time of onset of the disease (it should preferably be ascertainable)
Previous illnesses
Symptoms (since when, how often, what kind)
Feed and water intake
Faeces and urine
Previous treatments.

Serious infectious diseases in circulation

It falls outside the scope of www.birdkeeper.dk - as well as my education and skills in general - to report in more detail about possible diseases that can occur among parrots. That is why I always encourage anyone who has the slightest suspicion that one's bird may be ill to immediately seek out a veterinarian specialized in bird diseases. However, I consider it extremely important to help spread the word generally among aviculturists about the invisible dangers that threaten our parrot populations in human care in the form of serious infectious diseases. I find it very important to emphasize that one is careful with the selection of birds when these are purchased, and if applicable to the seller, demands that samples be taken in order to make sure, as far as possible, that the bird that one intends to buy, does not suffer from any of the serious infectious diseases, which are discussed in more detail below. In the face of these diseases, maintaining a high level of hygiene is unfortunately not enough, and birds that show even the slightest sign of especially the virus-based diseases, such as e.g. Avian Polyomavirus (APV) first in the form of immediate isolation in order to take samples for laboratory examination, then, if the test results are positive, immediately euthanize the bird. On the other hand, it is possible to medically treat Psittacosis, as it is bacteria-based.

It must therefore be emphasized that viral infections in particular are a serious invisible threat to parrots.

A major problem in today's bird collections is also "healthy” carriers of infection, i.e. birds that are latently infected but not diseased. “Healthy” carriers can excrete disease-causing substances for years, e.g. through droppings, without these birds themselves becoming ill.

Today, parrots and parakeets in human care are mainly threatened by 5 serious infectious diseases that pose a high risk to the parrots. In the table below you will find some further information about these diseases - click on the table in order to read a bigger version:

For Avian Polyomavirus (APV), feather changes are typical indications of this disease. Among Budgerigars, this disease was already known as "French Moult" many years ago. APV can cause a very high mortality among young birds that are still in the nest box, whereas adult birds are usually symptom-free carriers of the disease. If the birds survive the juvenile stage, normal plumage will usually grow after the next moult.

The classic characteristics of Psittacine Beak and Feather Disease (PBFD) are typical feather changes and physical changes in the horn of the beak, which are seen more rarely. However, the bird's immune system is severely weakened by this virus. Therefore, many birds die within a few years from secondary infections if these are not detected and treated in time. Often carriers of this virus are only discovered during routine examinations. The source of the disease - a circovirus - has an uncanny ability to survive in the environment for a very long time without a host and is also very resistant to most disinfectants. It is extremely difficult to get rid of this disease once you have it in your bird collection.

Pacheco's Disease is one of the potential bird diseases that generally causes the greatest loss of life. During an outbreak of this disease, it is not uncommon for the majority of infected parrots and parakeets to die within a few days. The source of the disease is the herpes virus, "avian herpes". Like all herpes viruses, it has the unpleasant property of being able to hide completely unnoticed in the bird's body for several years. If the bird is exposed to strong stress factors, the disease can be activated at any time. A specific vaccine can be used against Pacheco's Disease, which has not been heard of much in recent years, but which, at the time of writing, is unfortunately on the rise in a number of European countries.

Proventricular Dilatation Disease (PDD, previously called PDS for Proventricular Dilatation Syndrome), which is now considered to be caused by Avian Bornavirus, follows the classic disease picture (in the form of the affected bird having a very good appetite, but there are undigested seed kernels in its droppings, as an expression that the bird does not have a well-functioning food intake, which results in severe emaciation) increasingly in the background. At the end of the course of the disease, the bird will, as something new, refuse to take food in, combined with frequent regurgitation and persistent diarrhea. In addition, there may be adjacent neurological disturbances to varying degrees, such as tremors or lack of coordination of movements. Through these rather atypical symptoms, this disease becomes more difficult to distinguish from a number of other diseases. In 2008, Avian Bornavirus was established as the source of this disease, and only then could suitable laboratory tests be developed to detect the disease. For this reason, this virus has been able to spread wildly unnoticed and today probably must be considered the greatest viral threat to the population of parrots and parakeets in human care, while the detection of infection is becoming increasingly difficult. Birds suffering from PDD often look like healthy birds well into the disease stage, and sleep, among other things, on one foot, which is why it is also important to examine your birds more closely on a regular basis. Here you will immediately be able to reveal that underneath the continued beautiful plumage is a severely weakened and emaciated bird. That is why PDD is so dangerous!

Examinations during purchases

A quarantine of newly purchased parrots is always very necessary for a veterinarian, but it is worth pointing out that especially Psittacosis and viral infections can in most cases only be detected through further diagnostic tests during the quarantine period. It is therefore of great value to get a veterinarian specialized in bird diseases to take blood samples during this period, remove and examine feathers and have inoculations carried out with a view to being able to detect viruses (usually done through samples from the crop and the cloaca). Some viruses can be detected directly, while for other infections, blood samples must first be examined more closely in order to detect antibodies. If a viral infection is detected during the quarantine, it is very likely that the birds were already infected at the seller who sold the parrot. Once newly purchased parrots have been integrated into your bird collection after the end of the quarantine period, it is no longer possible to trace the source between the seller and one's bird collection.

Studies of a population of parrots

The individual bird collections are not hermetically cut off from the outside world, as aviculturists buy and sell birds, participate in exhibitions and markets, to which is added the influence of the wild birds in nature, etc. In order to detect any infectious diseases as quickly as possible, it is under all circumstances recommended to carry out a regular health check of the birds in your collection. Only in this way can major annoyances and losses be avoided over time. In most cases, it is sufficient to take a few random samples. If you experience one - or even worse - several unexplained deaths in your bird collection, for the sake of the other birds that you own, you must always have the bird autopsied by a veterinarian specialized in bird diseases, so that you learn how to proceed in the future.

What should be done if a viral infection is detected in your bird collection?

Detection of an infection does not mean that a given disease is in an outbreak. However, virus carriers should never be placed among the other parrots in your bird collection, but immediately removed and isolated. The attending avian expert veterinarian can best assess which measures are appropriate and whether there is a possibility that the infection can be overcome or whether one, several - or all birds - must be euthanized.

Conclusion

In relation to viruses, there are only a few exceptional cases of directly acting medicines or vaccinations. This is why prevention is better than cure. You must do everything to minimize the risk of getting these serious infectious diseases into your bird collection when new birds are purchased, also because the work to get your bird collection back on its feet often can involve large losses, is time-consuming and expensive. With the help of common sense and caution and - not least - the available preventive, diagnostic and therapeutic options available, you can protect your bird collection against dangerous viral diseases as far as possible.

The future

I think that in the future we will see that more serious aviculturists will make their bird collection "health-safe" through regular examinations carried out by veterinarians specialized in bird diseases, so that the aviculturist can advertise that they are free from the virus-based serious infectious diseases. In addition, to an even greater extent than is the case today, you will find that serious sellers offer health certificates for each bird, as serious buyers will increasingly demand this security, especially when buying expensive parrot species. This is already seen today mainly among serious German - and Dutch - breeders, which is expressed, for example, in the following wording from a highly professional German aviculturist's website:

“Alle meine Naturzucht sind geschlossen beringt, mit DNA-Test und Herkunftsnachweis. Sie stemmen aus meinen durch einen Fachtierarzt kontrolliten Tierbestand (PBFD, APV und ABV negative)”.

However, I also believe that the future will mean that some aviculturists, out of misguided benevolence towards the birds, will fail to take the necessary measures (= euthanizing) towards their birds, including the “healthy” carriers of the infection. This will especially apply in relation to the expensive parrot species, where you do not want to take the financial loss that euthanizing a bird will entail. These aviculturists will continue to let infected birds and “healthy” carriers live, even if they will not be treatable, and therefore should be euthanized, as they are a great danger to other bird collections.

Finally, it must be emphasized that I am not an educated veterinarian, nor am I professionally trained in veterinary nursing etc. The above-mentioned article has therefore been created on the basis of, among many other things, participation in a number of workshops on parrots, their health and diseases, which over the years, e.g. is organized by the Loro Parque Fundaciôn, which has made use of a number of the world's most highly educated and experienced veterinarians, researchers, etc. in the field of parrot diseases.

Jorgen Petersen

Conceived/Updated: 23.11.2014 / 17.01.2024

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