Hi everyone. It’s me, Birgit. I will take over for this important conversation.
I am not a vet but I feel we should talk openly about potential health threats so everybody understands the issues.
In my role as the CEO and human component of the San Francisco Bird Hotel I am proud to announce that we never have experienced any case of contagious disease in all the years we have operated our Birdy Bed& Breakfast services, and…I would like to keep it that way!
There is an endless flow of information available on the internet, in books or at our local vets about avian diseases and the progress of avian medicine.
I am reading articles and speak to people just to stay informed. But by the end it all boils down to one and the same. Preventive care. As long as we know our pet birds and we understand their diets, habits, personalities and behaviors we should be good.
It is the core service product of the Bird Hotel to integrate every guest into my life and monitor their behavior while being away from home. This takes a lot of TLC and patience. Once I detect any irregularities I will contact the owner immediately to inform them.
Having said that, I extend a certain level of trust to fellow bird owners to recognize that preventive care is the essential building block for a healthy and happy bird. When living in a protected environment like a regular household with the proper care, regular vet check-ups, cage hygiene, clean water and a balanced diet, no bird should ever have to experience any disease.
The San Francisco Bird Hotel recommends to test your bird at least once for the most feared disease of Psittacosis (Chlamydiosis) especially when a young bird just was bought in a pet store. The available veterinarian tests consist of either a combined blood and beak-palate swab test for approximately $ 200.– or only a blood test for approximately $ 110.–
I reserve the right to reject any guest suspected to be seriously sick or living in an unacceptable environment, but luckily, so far I have not met one bird I had to reject because it was mistreated or neglected.
I am looking forward to meeting many more healthy and happy feathered bird friends in the Bay Area.
Yours truly
Birgit (President and human)
Bacterial infection:
Psittacosis (Chlamydiosis)
Bacteria are a good thing and a bad thing. Once the bad bacteria take over, a bird can get sick. Transmission of the disease is primarily through inhalation of contaminated dust from droppings or feathers. This disease is more common in stressed birds (shipping, overcrowding and malnutrition) since birds tend to shed the organism when stressed.
Pet birds can be stressed in ways we as humans cannot even relate to and therefore it is important to know your bird and monitor all factors influencing their well being.
The clinical signs of Chlamydiosis are typically respiratory or gastrointestinal in nature and can manifest itself in lack of appetite, weight loss, diarrhea and discharge from the eyes or nares. Some birds don’t show any signs of illness when infected. If early enough detected the disease is treatable with antibiotics under the professional care of a vet.
Viral infection:
Viral infections can be avoided with diligent preventive care. When a bird eats and drinks well, is active and alert, a virus should never have chance to attack an organism. A virus only has a chance to enter into organisms with already compromised immune systems.
1. Newcastle Disease Virus (NDV) is being screened with quarantine measurements when importing/exporting pet birds and is more common with fowl. We as pet bird owners should know about this disease but the chances of dealing with NDV are close to never.
2. Psittacine Beak and Feather Disease (PBFD) shows abnormalities in the feathers or beak. Antibiotics have no effect on viruses but there are other treatment possibilities. PBFD can be treated and cured when detected in time.
Fungal infections:
Aspergillus or Candidiasis
is a fungal/yeast disease that may cause skin irritation. Fungal diseases cannot be transmitted from one bird to another. They are the result of poor hygiene and overall weak and poor health.
Fungal diseases come in many forms affecting the nose, lungs or air sacs. Remember, good hygiene, a clean cage and preventive care is a step in the right direction.
