I purchased a large bird, a Green Wing Macaw from here $5,500…read more
We would come up every week to visit during weaning (about an hour and half drive one way).
Their expected lifespan is about 80.
We breed birds, but not him, he was a pet, my pet, my baby.
Last May I had to put him down due to a disease, PDD.
This is spread through saliva and fecal matter, but since he was housed alone none of my other birds could have gotten it from him, thankfully! Our vet who informed us he probably got it during weaning from a breeder using one pipet between birds during hand feeding times.
I spoke with Bird Fever's Vet, Dr. Dahlhausen, along with the vet Hei Hei was being seen at, Med Vet Hillsboro, OH, that recommended we put him down at the age of 3!
This was a humane decision and I (and both of our vets stand by it) in-spite of how much it hurts me.
Hei Hei was a good bird, but they wont provide a replacement bird, or even a refund on the price. I can't seek legal recourse due to the "warranty" only lasting a year, regarding the sale.
We did our due diligence we did the autopsy after he was put down, we were broken and it took me time to stop crying to let them know what had happened, and finally to reach out and ask for a refund or replacement bird for the one who was ill.
Bird Fever's response to me was devastating and rude! The Audacity to tell me it wasn't a death sentence, and my terms were out of date, in-spite of me getting information directly from not only my own vet but one who is theirs as well! Mind you PDD can lay dormant for years, and is often found in the first 5 years an infected bird can have this disease and only be a carrier.
This means their aviary is infected with PDD.
This is exactly what Bird Fever told me:
"First, I am sorry to read that this happened. As for the health guarantee, it is not a lifetime guarantee. We guarantee the birds to be healthy and free of disease at the time of purchase. You took the bird to an avian vet when it went home, and the vet signed off that the bird was healthy and free of disease. If there was a problem we would have been notified, then. Once the bird leaves the store, we cannot control what happens to the bird or what it is exposed to.
As far as PDD is concerned, I am concerned that you went to a vet that is not knowledgeable in regard to the disease. Your terminology is outdated and most of your statements about it are incorrect. PDD is an expression of avian ganglioneuritis, or AGN. AGN is a neurological condition that expresses itself in different ways with PDD being one of the ways. The unfortunate part is if it was PDD, it is very treatable and is no longer a death sentence like it was years ago. There is no test for PDD as the only way to confirm the diagnosis is through histopathology. The only way to do that in a living bird is a crop biopsy. Unfortunately, I can't write everything there is about PDD in a Facebook message. I will gladly talk to you about this, or I can refer you to our Veterinarian for more information."