- Jan 19, 2014
- 14,247
- 222
- Parrots
- Red Bellied Parrot /
Ruppell's Parrot /
Bronze Winged Pionus /
English Budgie
I HAVE had smelly bird poop a couple times in 20 years... Don't remember the details, but I'm sure the antibiotics will fix it. Besides, when you get your own full new bird vet check done, they'll do a fecal and make sure no bad bacteria is still hanging around.
So now that you said that, I HAVE TO tell you what happened when I got Raven... Similar situation but different particulars. First, he came from a very reputable breeder, and it was not her fault.
When Raven was a little boy and still at the breeder's not quite done weaning, at one point, she tells me... one of his siblings was so anxious to get out of the cage they were all in, that it ran right over the top of Raven and accidentally punctured his (needle sharp) toenail right into Raven's right nare
. Could you imagine how loud he must have screamed?! Ouch!! :11: well anyway, it left Raven with one permanently misshaped nare hole, and a nasty sinus infection. The out of state breeder called me right away to tell me what had happened to the baby I had picked out. I didn't want to change, I wanted a male, and not the skittish less colorful only other male in the clutch. She took him to her vet right away, and got some meds. Since she was an experienced breeder and handler, the vet gave her injectable meds to give to Raven for a couple weeks. I thought "WHY ME?!!"
He did seem better when she shipped him off to me a few weeks later. BUT, he must have had low level (hardly detectable at all) symptoms still brewing in there, because after a couple days of observing Raven up close in a quiet room, I did notice some subtle symptoms that his sinuses weren't quite right. My vet gave him a nasal flush, and swabbed for a culture, and it found 3 kinds of bacteria which were not supposed to be in a bird's sinuses. One was fecal bacteria (makes sense, introduced by the siblings toenail). Meds, injections, and more meds later, he became fine, but they say he'll never have completely normal sinuses and can be much more susceptible to bacterial infections during his lifetime.
Long story short, after communicating with the breeder, her vet, my vet... She (the breeder) ended up agreeing to my request of reimbursing me for some of the money I spent on treatment. Only a fraction of the money I spent, but of course she wasn't going to give me a bird for free. So, basically all said and done, it was as if I got him for $350. Not bad for a Bronze Winged Pionus which aren't seen too often, but then Pi's aren't ever expensive birds for some reason.
I'm bummed we may always have off/on problems. I had no idea it would be that serious when I had agreed to get him. I think in the case with the GW babies, it sounds like a MUCH more simple thing than Raven. These "things" happen sometimes, even in clean homes and environments. What says a lot is if a breeder has nothing to hide and tells you about it right away. Then it's up to you to go ahead or decline. Like I said, to ME, I don't THINK it's anything to worry about. What are you thinking about it?
So now that you said that, I HAVE TO tell you what happened when I got Raven... Similar situation but different particulars. First, he came from a very reputable breeder, and it was not her fault.
When Raven was a little boy and still at the breeder's not quite done weaning, at one point, she tells me... one of his siblings was so anxious to get out of the cage they were all in, that it ran right over the top of Raven and accidentally punctured his (needle sharp) toenail right into Raven's right nare
. Could you imagine how loud he must have screamed?! Ouch!! :11: well anyway, it left Raven with one permanently misshaped nare hole, and a nasty sinus infection. The out of state breeder called me right away to tell me what had happened to the baby I had picked out. I didn't want to change, I wanted a male, and not the skittish less colorful only other male in the clutch. She took him to her vet right away, and got some meds. Since she was an experienced breeder and handler, the vet gave her injectable meds to give to Raven for a couple weeks. I thought "WHY ME?!!"He did seem better when she shipped him off to me a few weeks later. BUT, he must have had low level (hardly detectable at all) symptoms still brewing in there, because after a couple days of observing Raven up close in a quiet room, I did notice some subtle symptoms that his sinuses weren't quite right. My vet gave him a nasal flush, and swabbed for a culture, and it found 3 kinds of bacteria which were not supposed to be in a bird's sinuses. One was fecal bacteria (makes sense, introduced by the siblings toenail). Meds, injections, and more meds later, he became fine, but they say he'll never have completely normal sinuses and can be much more susceptible to bacterial infections during his lifetime.
Long story short, after communicating with the breeder, her vet, my vet... She (the breeder) ended up agreeing to my request of reimbursing me for some of the money I spent on treatment. Only a fraction of the money I spent, but of course she wasn't going to give me a bird for free. So, basically all said and done, it was as if I got him for $350. Not bad for a Bronze Winged Pionus which aren't seen too often, but then Pi's aren't ever expensive birds for some reason.
I'm bummed we may always have off/on problems. I had no idea it would be that serious when I had agreed to get him.
I think in the case with the GW babies, it sounds like a MUCH more simple thing than Raven. These "things" happen sometimes, even in clean homes and environments. What says a lot is if a breeder has nothing to hide and tells you about it right away. Then it's up to you to go ahead or decline. Like I said, to ME, I don't THINK it's anything to worry about. What are you thinking about it? 
