Rickie's Parrot and Exotic Rescue and Sanctuary of South Florida

02/17/2025

Picking Homer up at 2pm. Looks like he’s pretty spunky!

02/17/2025

There are numerous diseases that can afflict parrots, budgies and the like and you as a bird owner should know about them, because it’s only possible to protect parrots from potential diseases with the relevant background knowledge. In this article, you will discover the most important parrot diseases.

1. Aspergillosis: One of the best-known parrot diseases

Aspergillosis is probably one of the best-known parrot diseases. If your parrot inhales the fungal spores of the Aspergillus fumigatus fungus found in the environment through the air, they enter its respiratory tract where they form a dangerous fungal growth.

How to recognize and treat aspergillosis

Affected parrots typically suffer from respiratory problems (e.g. agonal respiration) and sometimes from neurological symptoms (e.g. spasms, tremors). Once the vet has diagnosed aspergillosis, for instance, with an X-ray examination, they treat your parrot with anti-fungal medication (antimycotics). The effectiveness of the treatment depends on the extent of the fungal infestation.

2. Psittacosis: Notifiable infectious disease

Pittacosis is also one of the most important parrot diseases. It is a notifiable bacterial infectious disease and is triggered by Chlamydia psittaci.
Chlamydia enters the body of different bird species via different pathways and leads to flu-like symptoms when the disease breaks out. However, the disease can also affect both other animals and humans, when it is referred to as ornithosis.

How is psittacosis recognized and treated?

In case of suspicion, vets send swab samples to a laboratory that cultivates the bacteria or detects them by molecular biology. If the laboratory confirms the suspicion, your vet will treat your parrot with antibiotics. You should also follow the mitigation strategies suggested by your vet.

3. Pacheco’s disease: An often undiscovered parrot disease

Herpes viruses cause Pacheco’s disease in parrots. If your bird becomes infected with the causal virus through the air or its beak, it will infect numerous organs through the blood. However, most parrots or parakeets only get sick when they suffer from stress, but they die within a few days once they do show symptoms.

How is Pacheco’s disease recognized and treated?

Before birds die, their general condition is poor and they show gastrointestinal symptoms. As a result, vets only have a short period of time to detect the virus via a swab sample, which is why a pathologist usually makes the diagnosis first.

4. Psittacine beak and feather disease (PBFD)

Parrots and budgies contract deadly PBFD – also known as feather loss syndrome – via a droplet infection with circoviruses, which settle in the feather follicles, skin, oesophagus and goitre. Depending on the age of the infected bird, it becomes ill either peracutely (extremely fast outbreak), acutely or chronically.

Can you treat PBFD?

PBFD typically leads to changes in your exotic bird’s feathers and bones. If the vet has detected circoviruses via a PCR test, they can only prescribe your parrot supportive medication such as painkillers or vitamins. Unfortunately there is still no cure for this dangerous parrot disease.

5. Neuropathic gastric dilation (PDD): Fatal neurological disease

Researchers have not yet been able to clarify the exact cause of neuropathic gastric dilation (proventricular dilatation disease, PDD) in birds. However, they suspect that bornaviruses cause this fatal neurological disease. Parrots, parakeets and other bird species too can become infected via contact with contaminated faeces or feather dust. In the body, the avian bornaviruses that prefer to infect birds cause the nervous tissue to become inflamed.

How is this parrot disease recognized?

Infected birds gradually lose weight. They die acutely when their glandular stomach ruptures. The two typical characteristics of PDD are therefore gastric dilation and gastric wall thinning. Since there is currently no cure available to vets, treatment is based solely on supportive measures.

6. Polyoma virus: Budgies predominantly affected

Polyoma viruses predominantly affect budgies, so they are not a parrot disease strictly speaking. However, vets have also reported cases in some parrot species (e.g. macaws or eclectus parrots). They become infected through contact with contaminated faeces or feather dust. The viruses then migrate via the blood to the nervous system, skin and inner organs (e.g. liver).

How are polyoma viruses recognized and treated?

The course and clinical symptoms of a polyoma virus infection depend heavily on the age of the affected parrot. Should the vet have a suspicion, they can directly or indirectly detect the virus through several samples. There is currently no known remedy for polyoma virus, so vets can only relieve the symptoms.

02/17/2025

This idiot on marketplace is selling birds (the price he’s asking is not for cages only) with pbfd. He has ringnecks and lovebirds! Great way to spread a highly contagious disease! Ugh!

Psittacine Beak and Feather Disease is a highly contagious and an auto immune disease. The virus itself doesn’t kill the birds. They usually end up dying from an infection due to their weakened immune system. The disease causes their feathers to fall out and their beaks become weak. The virus remains active in the environment for up to 18 months without a host.

02/16/2025

I will be going out for more antibiotics either Wednesday or Thursday and will make sure the people followed through and pulled the triton.

02/16/2025

This is a wild adult mitred conure. He apparently ran into a building or a window. I will be picking him up tomorrow. Right now he’s blind. Let’s hope it’s temporary from hitting his head. Prayers and healing vibes needed.

02/16/2025

This is a wild adult mitred conure. He apparently ran into a building or a window. I will be picking him up tomorrow. Right now he’s blind. Let’s hope it’s temporary from hitting his head. Prayers and healing vibes needed.

02/16/2025

Please spread the word so we can reunite this found bird with its family! FOUND on February 15, 2025 in Deerfield Beach, FL 33442 near NW 41st Way and NW 5th Drive

Message from Finder: This is definitely somebody's pet. Very friendly, hops on your finger and goes to sleep. Very pretty bird.

Description: Blue parakeet, tame and very friendly. Clearly somebody's pet.

Do you have information? Contact finder here: https://www.pawboost.com/p/71271709

Lost or found a pet? Report it to PawBoost here: https://www.pawboost.com/l/rpf

02/16/2025

02/15/2025

This is Leon. Found in the Ft Lauderdale area. He had fallen from the top of a hollowed out palm tree…near a tennis court. In fear he tried to run away but then got his neck caught in the fence. Unfortunately he suffered a muscle injury but did recover. He needed to be handfed until he was old enough to be weaned. Funny fact…Leon was adopted out to a very nice couple who returned him days later…they said he was TOO QUIET! 😆. Leon has found his forever family and is loved very much

02/15/2025

The twins definitely aren’t twinning any more! 😆 but they are as cute as they’ve always been!

The “twins” were two wild conure babies that were found walking down the street in two different areas of Miami. I hand fed until they were ready for their new home. I’m so glad they were able to stay together.

02/15/2025

02/15/2025

First of all….I want to thank everyone who donated and shared to get these babies out of the flea market! As I’ve stated in the past… they have made some improvements and they are trying…but between all of the other birds and animals..and the crazy loud music and crowds on the weekends…it’s sensory overload and super scary for the tame babies that end up there because they aren’t used to it. The breeder birds do better there because they are used to being surrounded by other birds and not getting human interaction. It’s the tame birds that give up.

I was also informed of a few idiots that were trying to cause problems last night. They have been blocked as will any others that try the same thing.

Again…thank you my rescue army! I want to say angels but I think army fits because you come together and fight until we are able to pull them. Thank you!

02/15/2025

I pulled the African grey today because someone was showing some real interest in the triton. He was also crouched super low and scared. They said he wasn’t tame bit he was taking cashews very gently from my hand with the cage door open. I did bring grapes, cashews and pistachios for the birds today. I think if helps knowing they got some treats and attention. I am the only person they allow to open the cage doors and take pictures. The person interested in the triton were supposed to go back before close. I will go back sometime next week to double check. But I figured this way…3 birds would be pulled instead of two. I hope they were true to their word.

02/14/2025

lol! Picking his toe. He’s so sweet. I was allowed a bunch of beak kisses and to scratch his head. And yes…I’m naming him Valentine as suggested.

02/14/2025

Freedom ride!!! Thanks to everyone who donated!

02/14/2025

Sitting outside the flea market hoping to get the other 600 needed. I figured it was better to do this than to get my dogs going.