The Oasis Sanctuary

posted by Sybil on Jun 8

Desperate Times

June 8^th 2009

When I can’t help someone, whether person, bird, or other animal —- that is the time that the weight of running The Oasis bears down on me.

I used to tell people that I was not worried about the birds that made it here, but that I worried about the ones out there we don’t know about….

…but at this time, in this economy, that has changed. Today I worry about the ones I do hear about, but simply cannot help.

I hear about birds who need our help, who are candidates for our program, the ones who need our specialized care — but until we are able to raise more funds to bring in more staff and build more appropriate housing for the birds, we simply cannot take in all too many of those who are in desperate need of help.

Yesterday alone I heard about several situations I could not help with.

….A woman called who was trying to find placement from yet another unsexed, unhandled and unloved Amazon living in terrible conditions…. I hope to be able to work with her and the bird in the fall, if our projects are completed and if we have room. But who knows??

….A woman called whose 4 year old male cockatoo had bitten her “too often.”  He is now languishing, unwanted and undoubtedly confused, in a pet-store boarding facility. When I suggested a reputable nearby adoption program, the woman announced that if she couldn’t take care of this bird, no one could. When I tried to suggest options, she became so verbally abusive and hostile I had to hang up. But the bird suffers…

….Another woman, recently widowed, about to lose her home, who has taken in handicapped and unwanted birds also called. She needs to place a pair of Macaws with papilloma.  There is another pair, older bonded siblings, one of whom has diabetes. Also needing placement are a one legged conure and another unsexed formerly aggressive (but not to her) Amazon.  I am attempting to get the little conure into care with one of The Oasis’ volunteers, but I am unsure whether she has room….

Additionally over the past few days I have replied to numerous e-mails from people…some of who had family birds for 20 and 30 years…and needed to find homes or placement options for their beloved animals.

There are people whose family members have died. There are people who are ill. There are people who have lost jobs and or are losing their homes.

When I can’t help them, direct them to a place of safety, not only do the people continue to worry and suffer, but the birds, the innocent ones, suffer the most…

In the past I would “triage”, assess the situation and the needs for the people and the parrots…and in 90% or more of the time would refer to one of the many adoption programs around the country we work with regularly. However, in today’s economy all too many of the reputable adoption programs are also full to overflowing, with many having to take back animals they placed in the past due to the caregiver’s economic situation.

In this economy, when the sanctuary has no “cushion,” no funds in the bank, and there is no available line of credit other than high rate credit cards…when we, like every other family around, is living check to check, hand to mouth…but we have 650 birds and a staff and other animals needing to be feed….700 souls….

It is at times like these, when the funds are short, my staff is putting in 12 hour days in order to properly care for the birds, while I sit on the phone hearing, again and again, of the suffering of the people and the animals….it is at times like these that the weight bears down.

posted by Sybil on Apr 27

There is that old adage: “Politics makes strange bedfellows.”

I have never found this to be more fitting than during my recent writing and mailing to Oasis News about the bill in committee in the house of Representitives – HR669.

There is a deep rift in the avian world (as I am sure in many areas or rescue/sanctuary vs the “pet trade” ) regarding this bill.

I find myself being accused of being manipulated by PIJAC and others…while my personal belief is that others are too trusting. I have been accused of furthering the “hysteria.”

For the first time in over ten years I find myself agreeing…although for completely different reasons… with people in the pet trade and aviculturists (breeders.) It is an odd and often uncomfortable feeling.

None the less, in my reading of the Bill as it stands today, there is too much leeway for “people in charge” to make decisions which could make it impossible to find new homes for parrots or take them across state lines if their current caregiver needs to move.  After my four month struggle to bring an American born parrot, Gulliver the Macaw, back into the country last year, I came to understand that beaurocracy is by definition conservative in interpreting legislation and law. It is the “safe” choice for them to make….

I had heard that the Bill had been killed…and now am learning from others that the Bill has just been “shelved” and is under review for a few weeks.

I encourage people to read the bill (see links below) and decide for yourselves.

And if, like me, you are worried or concerned… please contact your US House Representitive. There is a link for that as well.

And let me know what you think.

Sybil

For those of you who are unfamiliar with this Bill HR 669 —below is an official summary of the Bill:

posted by Sybil on Apr 25

Dear Friends of the Birds and of The Oasis Sanctuary—

I learned yesterday that HR 669 was killed in committee.

This is due to the (literally) tens of thousands of letters, emails and phone calls which poured in from caregivers of exotic companion animals around the country. To those in the Avian Community who called or wrote…your birds are thanking you.

My final words on the subject….and I know many will continue to disagree…..This is fine. We still are in the USA.

I had very mixed feelings about the bill. Although there were important issues addressed, the problems, as I see them, were that the decision making was left up to bureaucrats, who, based on my rather intense experience with the Federal government (USFW in particular) generally interpret regulations and legislation in the tightest and most conservative manner.

The thought of intelligent and sentient beings in particular for this conversation, parrots with a life expectancy of 60-80 years, not being able to go to new homes if their caregivers could not longer care for them, or not being able to cross lines should their caregiver have to move, would potentially put millions of parrots at risk of destruction.

Although I am against breeding of any animals until ALL animals have a life-long home…and I do not believe that parrots or other birds who should be flying aught to be relegated to cages in our living rooms and treated like objects or even little humans….I also believe in the sanctity of life and our obligation to care take all existing captive and or domestic animals appropriately throughout their lifetimes.

Many of the objectives outlined (as I understood it) in HR 669 are already covered by CITES regulations visa vi importation etc. Yet another layer of bureaucracy will not stop smuggling and in my opinion would have only created an illegal underground of exotic trading and breeding. Look at dog-fighting and cock-fighting as an example….

To sum up, it is my opinion that HR 669 was a potentially dangerous intrusion of government into an area which needs enlightenment rather than laws.

Sybil

posted by Sybil on Jan 10

I recently spoke to the Vet who had seen Anna’s bird Charlie and the rest of her flock.

He gave me a copy of the paperwork from Veterinary Molecular Diagnostics, Inc, a veterinary laboratory out of Ohio. The paperwork has a list of 26 possible tests ( a few of which are not avian, but reptile tests.) Included on the list are such things as DNA, Psittacine Beak and Feather (PBFD,) Aspergillosis, Mycobateria of various types, Polyoma, West Nile….

….AND the new PDD Assay.

Nowhere on the paperwork, front or back, is there anything which states that this is in the Beta testing or research stage. It does not ask you to call them or speak with them. It merely states that the results take 7-10 days.

At the bottom of the page, however, where it speaks of privacy etc it DOES state that they are not “liable for any….damages….”

And the Vet has to sign off.

So….it is easy to see why many of us are so confused about this test.

posted by Sybil on Jan 7

I should not be surprised at the interest and controversy which my previous post on the new PDD test brought to light. I very much appreciate the input from the public, and the communication, both pro and con, which I have received.

I am not an expert in these matters. In my Blog I merely discuss what happens to me or my friends  (and their birds) or to birds at The Oasis.  Obviously much of what I experience puts me on the learning curve. My greatest personal joy in life in learning something new….

Since the original was posted I spoke to my friend “Anna” who went to the lab’s website and found this: “VMD is accepting a limited number of samples from clinically, well-documented cases of birds affected with myenteric ganglioneuritis (Proventricular Dilation Disease, PDD) for validation of a molecular disease test. Please contact VMD for more details and submission guidelines.”

This is understandably most distressing to Anna as her Veterinarian did not tell her that this test was in the testing stages. Nor did the articles, passed around the internet, which crossed my desk last fall, talk about this being off in the future.

Remember that Anna’s Vet suggested that she might consider euthanizing her bird to protect her flock…

I have a meeting this week with The Oasis’ Vet. He said he would sit down and explain what he understands to be happening with this test. I will be happy to post what I learn.

So the question remains: are birds being destroyed due to “testing”….??

I remain curious but hopeful that the research being done in the US in the name of saving lives does not, incidentally or accidentally, do more harm than good.

posted by Sybil on Jan 4

Is It A Reliable Protocol?

A few months ago, in the fall of 2008, some incredible news was circulating through the Internet….

A bone fide test for PDD (Proventricular Dilation Disease, formerly called “Macaw Wasting Syndrome”) had been found.

PDD is a neurological disease which most commonly causes the nerves which trigger digestion in the proventriculus of the parrot to atrophy. Slowly, the bird starves to death… Sometimes this disease also can cause seizures or physical instability as it damages the brain.

Until this point in time, the only testing available were crop biopsies which were, all too often, inconclusive. A positive was a positive…but a negative didn’t mean much. All too often the only definitive diagnosis was made upon necropsy.

A true positive diagnosis is a death sentence. And since the disease is contagious…although no one knows for sure how contagious it is…many birds with a positive biopsy result, especially those who were in multiple bird households, were destroyed.

Recently, a close Friend of The Oasis, who for this article will be called “Anna,” took one of her birds, an African Grey named “Charlie” to the Vet.  Charlie was passing undigested seed and was not feeling well overall. The antibiotics first given didn’t resolve Charlie’s problem…so the Vet decided to try the new PDD test on the bird. Two other younger birds who had been tested by him, and came up positive, were truly found to be PDD positive on necropsy….

Anna’s bird came back positive. Since she has other birds in her home she arranged to bring the others in for testing. In the meanwhile, another antibiotic was given to Charlie to counteract what was seen as a secondary infection.

The Veterinarian suggested that Anna consider euthanizing Charlie.

Anna and I had several long talks. My personal belief system states that where there is life there is hope….

We discussed carefully isolating Charlie from any “negative” birds and to put certain basic bio-hazard or hospital protocols into place (last one fed, careful hygiene, sterilization procedures and clothing changes.)

All the birds were tested again, including Charlie.

A week later the Vet called with the second round of testing results. Apparently the lab felt there had been in error in the batch of tests….All except Charlie came back inconclusive… but Charlie now came back negative.

The lab said that they would do a complete re-test on all the birds at no cost.

The testing was done, but this time each and every one came back negative.

And by now Charlie is no longer passing seed. So Charlie has had one positive and two negative test results. All the other birds, who are acting healthy and appear well have had one positive and one negative.

Obviously neither the Vet nor Anna nor I know what to think. Since there is only one laboratory in the US doing the new PDD test, they cannot go elsewhere to have the testing redone. Although, even if they could, what would it mean at this point in time?

I spoke with Anna’s Vet to assuage my curiosity. He believes that in all likelihood if anyone has PDD it would be Charlie. Anna continues to keep him separated from the other birds and follows her new protocols.

But this puts into question the efficacy of the new test. Is it putting out false negatives? False positives? Is it lab error?

And the scariest thought is…are people euthanizing their birds out of fear, simply based on a new test??

posted by Sybil on Jan 1

Important Tests to Get Before Bringing your Bird Home…or Out of Quarantine

These are the tests that The Oasis Sanctuary considers “base line” introductory tests for any bird … particularly those joining a flock or a household with other birds:

For all birds (the exception is finches which are too small! They need some prophylactic meds for air-sac mites, as do canaries.)

1- CBC/Chemistry (Full Avian Panel)

2- Psittacosis (also called “Parrot Fever” or “Chlamydia”)

3- Fecal Culture and sensitivity

There also needs to be a thorough physical exam including, but not limited to:

1-     mouth

2-     nares

3-     joints (for arthritis)

For specific Breeds:

Old World Parrots (Africa, Asia, Indonesia)

Add:    PBFD (Psittacine Beak and Feather Disease) aka Circo Virus 1

For New World Parrots (Central and South America)

Add:    Physical exam for Papiloma

Annual visits to the Avian Vet should also include:

1-     CBC/Chem.

2-     Fecal Culture and sensitivity

As well as the physical exam

From time to time an electrophoresis might be needed, or x-rays. Your Vet will add what s/he thinks necessary for the care and well-being of your particular bird.