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Posted by NateW on Mon, 04/12/2004 - 19:53 :: Companion Birds

It's a tad blurry and we're missing a couple of regulars in this photo, but this gives you some idea of the numbers of people and birds coming to these get-togethers.
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Posted by plumasverdes on Tue, 04/13/2004 - 12:13.
How can you be assured that none of the birds present carry any contagious disease that their owners are not aware of?

Ellen, Figaro (Quaker), Rocco (Green Cheek Conure), Moe and Millie (Zebra Finches)
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Posted by NateW on Tue, 04/13/2004 - 21:14.
But we have a health policy that's basically identical to that of bird boarding places - we need records of a physical exam, CBC, and fecal test. Opinions differ about how effective such testing really is against the most threatening diseases, and it was a pretty contentious subject while the group was forming.

A while back we had a meeting at which Dr. Jennifer Graham (the rightmost woman in the picture, holding an African Grey) briefed us on the diseases that posed the greatest risks, what could (and couldn't) be done about them, and so on. The health policy is basically what she suggested.

The risk does exist, but the chances of transmission are miniscule and the benefits are huge. Dr. Graham joined the group after that meeting and she's been bringing her two birds to our get-togethers (she also owns the cockatoo in the front row). She has a doctorate in veterinary medicine and worked in avian disease reasearch projects, so it would be tough to find someone in a better position to asses the risks... I have to admit it was a bit of a relief to find out that she agreed with what we'd been doing. The group started with just a few friends and we all felt comfortable largely because there were just a few of us... as it grew we started to question that assumption and there were some pretty heated discussions over this issue.

Nate Waddoups
Redmond WA USA
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Posted by jtholley03 on Wed, 04/14/2004 - 03:06.
Could you go into detail of exactly what the birds are tested for? I always like to see what is included and what is left out of one's test. The fact that you are a group and decided on a set test carries a bit of weight.
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Posted by NateW on Wed, 04/14/2004 - 14:57.
As a club, we probably should go into more detail. Right now we require a physical exam, CBC, and fecal test (either culture or gram stain). We're basically just assuming that "physical exam" and "CBC" mean approximately the same thing to all vets. We haven't set formal limits on the test results either but if someone brings a report with readings that are out of the normal range (which, incidentally, varies from lab to lab) we'd talk it over with Dr. Graham.

Nate Waddoups
Redmond WA USA
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