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Avian and Exotic Animal Medicine
with a passion!
Picture

​Infectious Diseases of Parrots

Katy A. Parr, DVM
Viral diseases

Beak and Feather Disease

Beak and Feather Disease is caused by a virus which attacks the beaks and feathers of parrots.  There is no cure for this disease, and it is spread through the feather dust and bodily fluids via inhalation, ingestion, or contact with open wounds.  Infected birds may have abnormally formed feathers and beaks which get worse with each molt, or may have no symptoms at all.  Affected birds often have additional bacterial or fungal infections as a result of the beak and feather abnormalities. Birds infected as babies usually die, while birds infected as adults may die, or become carriers and develop disease later in life.  Beak and feather disease is diagnosed through samples of blood or damaged feathers. Birds are eventually euthanised due to the severity of the deformations produced by the disease.

Papillomavirus/Herpes Virus

Papillomas are wart-like growths which are usually found in the mouth and vent, but can also affect the face and internal organs. They can still be seen from time to time but are less common now that many birds are captive bred instead of wild caught.  Both Herpes virus and Papillomavirus have been implicated as the cause for this disease, which is lifelong, and can have varying effects on the bird. In some birds the growths become large enough to block the normal function of the mouth or vent, and require surgical trimming.  In some cases, papillomas can lead to cancers of the liver and pancreas, and eventually death.    
PDD (Proventricular Dilatation Disorder)

Avian Bornavirus

The Bornavirus which causes PDD was only very recently identified.   The disease is latent, meaning that the virus may be present for many years before signs of disease develop.  The virus attacks nerves, especially those of the digestive system, so signs vary from vomiting and passing whole seed in the stools, to wobbling or seizures.  There is currently no cure for PDD, so it is eventually fatal, but some medications may help improve quality and length of life.  Read about testing here.

Polyoma

Polyomavirus is very contagious and is most commonly a problem in breeding colonies, especially in budgies.  Signs of this disease may include abnormal feathers, bruising, distended abdomen, or sudden death.  It is spread via feather dust and bodily fluids which are aerosolized, thus it is very difficult to decontaminate the environment.  There is no treatment, but a vaccine is available for prevention. This vaccine is usually recommended in baby birds, breeders, or those exposed frequently to other birds from outside the home (e.g. at bird fairs).
 
Bacterial Diseases

Psittacosis

This disease is caused by the bacterium Chlamydophila psittaci which is contagious to people.   It can cause respiratory disease and liver disease, so sick birds may have a variety of signs of illness ranging from sneezing, runny nose, eye discharge, and conjunctivitis, to diarrhea, yellow urates, vomiting, and lethargy.  However, birds can be carriers of the disease and never show clinical signs. Psittacosis is spread through contact with body fluids from infected animals or people, but it is usually not fatal and is curable with antibiotics.

Gram Negative Bacteria

There are many steps to identify bacteria.  One step in identification is a procedure called Gram staining, which separates bacteria into two large groups called “gram-positive” bacteria and “gram negative” bacteria.  These are very broad groups, and do not tell us the exact species of the bacteria, but help the veterinarian to determine the general health of the bird’s respiratory or intestinal tract.  Birds should normally have mostly (90%-100%) gram positive bacteria, while cats, dogs, reptiles and people can normally have many gram negative bacteria.  If gram negative bacteria are detected in the nasal sinus, crop smear or fecal smear of your bird, your veterinarian may culture the area in question and prescribe antibiotics and/or pro-biotics as is appropriate.

Fungal Disease   

Yeast

Yeast infections in birds most commonly affect the digestive system, and may overgrow due to a variety of conditions.  Baby birds often get yeast infections of the crop or stool because they are fed warm, soft foods which are a perfect environment for yeast growth.  Adult birds that dunk their food in water, or have a diet high in sugar may also get yeast infections.  Birds who have yeast infections may or may not show signs of infections such as vomiting, scratching the beak, or diarrhea.  These infections are usually easily treated with anti-fungal medications.                                                                      

Aspergillosis

Normal healthy birds are not usually prone to aspergillosis; however individuals with weakened immune systems, such as those with nutritional deficiencies, are more susceptible.  Aspergillosis is caused by the fungus Aspergillus sp. which is naturally found in the environment.  You may have seen Aspergillus sp. growing on rotten fruits and vegetables, stale bread, or as a component of mildew in your home.  It is so common in the environment that it is impossible to completely eradicate.  You can however reduce your bird’s exposure to it by promptly removing any uneaten soft, moist foods from your bird’s cage, and routine cleaning of the cage. 

Aspergillosis most commonly causes respiratory disease, and is often not noticed until the pet is very sick.   Common signs include sneezing, nasal discharge, general
weakness, inability to tolerate exercise or handling, open mouth breathing, and increased breathing effort.  Severely affected birds often need to be hospitalized.  Blood tests can be done to confirm whether a bird has aspergillosis, but diagnosis is often difficult and may require endoscopy.  Treatment is usually with liquid medications and nebulizations (aerosol medication) for several months.  Some birds recover from aspergillosis, but many do not. 
 
Parasites

Giardia and other protozoa

Protozoa are microscopic parasites, which can cause diarrhea, malodorous stools, feather-picking, or even no signs at all.  It is usually spread by oral contact with infected feces. In birds, flagyllated protozoans can be very difficult to clear completely, and may go away for some time, then return in times of stress.  Although this can be a frustrating infection, it is still important to treat it to keep your bird as healthy as possible.

Mites

The most commonly diagnosed mites in birds are the “Scaly Leg Mites” or Knemidocoptes sp., which is most often found in budgies and canaries.  These mites burrow into and around the beak, and under the skin on legs, causing a spongy, scaly appearance.   Canaries may also have tracheal mites, or Sternostoma tracheacolum, which can cause respiratory disease. Treatment for both types of mites consists of a series of injections which kill the mites.
 
Conclusion

While not all diseases and treatments are included here, these are some of the most common ones.  Contact your Chicago Exotics veterinarian if you have more questions or notice any unusual signs in your pet bird.  Having your bird examined yearly by an avian veterinarian increases the likelihood of detecting any of these diseases early, before they become a severe condition for your bird.  

​Thank you for giving us the opportunity to provide helpful service to you and your pet. If you have any questions, give us a call at 847-329-8709.

If you have any NON-EMERGENT questions, please feel free to call us at 847-329-8709
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  • Home
  • Emergency Care
  • Care Sheets
    • General Care >
      • Dilated Cardiomyopathy (DCM)
      • Heating Reptile Enclosures
      • Health Veggie Shopping for Reptiles
      • Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy
      • Metabolic Bone Disease Care
      • Vaccines in Exotic Animals
    • Birds >
      • Amazon Care
      • Avian Influenza Fact Sheet
      • Avian Influenza for Poultry Fact Sheet
      • Avian Bornavirus Testing
      • Budgie Care
      • Canaries
      • Chicken Care
      • Chronic Egg Laying
      • Cleaning and Disinfecting
      • Cockatiels (and other small Psittacines)
      • Cockatoo Care
      • ​Converting Your Bird to a Pelleted Diet
      • Feather Picking
      • General Parrot Care
      • Handfeeding Baby Parrots
      • Healthy Shopping for your Birds
      • Infectious Diseases of Parrots
      • Instructions for Physical Therapy in Birds
      • Lead Poisoning
      • McWatters Diet (Homemade Mash)
      • Macaw Care
      • Parrot Precautions
      • Polyoma Virus
      • Psittacine Beak and Feather Disease
      • Proventricular Dilatation Disease
      • Spiroform Pharangitis (Spirochetes)
      • Baby Starling and Sparrow guidelines
      • Territorial Aggression
      • Unsafe Plants for Birds
      • Weaning Baby Birds
      • What to Feed Your Pet Bird
      • Wing Injury and Rehabilitation
      • Wing Trims
      • Your Overly Reproductive Female Bird
      • Zinc Toxicity
    • Caiman Care
    • Ferret and Fox Care >
      • Your Ferret’s First Visit to the Vet
      • An Overview of Ferret Adrenal Disease
      • Chronic Diarrhea in Ferrets
      • Ferret Dentistry
      • Heart Disease in Ferrets
      • Heartworm Disease in Ferrets
      • Insulinoma in Ferrets
      • Lymphoma In Ferrets
      • Bob’s Chicken Gravy
      • Fennec Foxes
      • Red Foxes
    • Fish >
      • Algae in your Freshwater Aquarium
      • Eel Care
      • Freshwater Tropical Fish Care
      • Beginning a Freshwater Aquarium
      • Cleaning your Freshwater Aquarium
      • How to Feed your Fish
      • Aquarium Corals
      • Koi Care
      • General Goldfish Care
      • Hermit Crab Care
    • Invertebrate Care
    • Frogs, Toads, and Other Amphibians >
      • Argentine Horned Frogs
      • Bullfrog Care
      • Dart Frog Care
      • Feeding Pet Frogs and Toads
      • Fire Bellied Toad Care
      • Pixie Frog Care
      • Red Eyed Tree Frog Care
      • Short Tongue Syndrome
      • Tiger Salamander Care
      • Axolotl Care
      • White Lipped Tree Frog Care
      • White's Tree Frog Care
      • Ranavirus
    • Guinea Pigs and Rodents >
      • Chinchilla Care
      • Cuy Criollo (Giant Guinea Pig)
      • Health Problems with Guinea Pigs
      • Degu Care
      • Gerbil Care
      • Guinea Pig Care
      • Hamster Care
      • Diabetic Hamster Diet
      • Mice Care
      • Rat Care
      • Health Problems with Rats
      • Prairie Dog Care
      • Odontoma
      • Veggies For Guinea Pigs
      • Visible Tumors in Rodents
      • Vitamin C Deficiency In Guinea Pigs
    • Hedgehog Care >
      • Baby Hedgehog (Hoglet) Care
    • Kinkajoos and Armadillos >
      • Kinkajou Care
      • Nine Banded Armadillo Care
    • Lizards >
      • Anole Care
      • Bearded Dragon Care
      • Blue Tongued Skink Care
      • Crested Gecko Care
      • Geckos of New Caledonia
      • Crocodile Monitor Care
      • Frilled Lizard Care
      • Green Iguana Care
      • Jackson's Chameleon Care
      • Leopard Gecko Care
      • Nile Monitor Care
      • Old World Chameleon Care
      • Panther Chameleon Care
      • Red-Eyed Crocodile Skink Care
      • Savannah Monitor Care
      • Tegu Care
      • Thai Water Dragon Care
      • Uromastyx Care
      • Veiled Chameleon Care
    • Potbellied Pigs >
      • Pot Belly Pigs
      • Diamond Skin Disease
    • Rabbits >
      • Bonding Rabbits Bullet Point Checklist
      • Healthy Shopping for Rabbits
      • Complete Rabbit Care
      • Getting To Know Your New Bunny
      • Training Your Bunny
      • What To Feed Your Rabbit
      • Learning to Use the Litter Box
      • What To Expect From Your New Rabbit
      • Dental Disease in Rabbits
      • Heart Disease in Rabbits
      • Healthy Stool in Rabbits
      • Gastrointestinal Stasis in Rabbits
      • RHDV2 Fact Sheet
      • Parasites of Rabbits
      • Sore Hocks in Rabbits
      • Pasteurella in Rabbits
      • Medicating Your Rabbit or Guinea Pig
    • Snakes >
      • Amazon Tree Boa Care
      • Ball Python Care
      • Black Rat Snake Care
      • Boa Constrictor Care
      • Brazilian Rainbow Boa Care
      • Burmese Python Care
      • California Kingsnake Care
      • Cornsnake Care
      • Dumeril's Boa Care
      • Eastern Kingsnake Care
      • Emerald Tree Boa Care
      • Garter Snake Care
      • Green Tree Python Care
      • Western Hognose Care
      • Mexican Black Kingsnake Care
      • Rosy Boa Care
      • Sand Boa Care
      • Western Fox Snake Care
      • Inclusion Body Disease
    • Sugar Gliders and Marsupials
    • Turtles and Tortoises >
      • Alligator Snapping Turtle Care
      • Bell's Hingeback Care
      • Box Turtle Care
      • Chinese Box Turtle Care
      • Common Snapping Turtle Care
      • General Tortoise Husbandry
      • Leopard Tortoise Care
      • Mud Turtle Care
      • Musk Turtle Care
      • Painted Turtle Care
      • Red Eared Slider Care
      • Russian Tortoise Care
      • Soft Shelled Turtle Care
      • Sulcata Care >
        • Diet For Sulcata Tortoises
      • Common Health Problems
      • General Care of Aquatic Turtles
      • Redfoot tortoise Care
  • Contact
    • Referrals
  • Vets, Externs & Shelters
    • Xoran CT
    • Acupuncture and Chiropratic Medicine
    • Erchonia Laser
    • Vet Day Camp >
      • Heart Supplement Formula
      • Avian Hemotology
    • Shelters
    • Externships
    • Jobs
  • Products
  • Links
  • About Us
  • Chicago Exotics Blog
    • About Us April Fools Page
  • Happy Turtle Stories
  • Tour
  • ADV Testing Information
  • Lacy Act Summary