i am never going to the humane society again

[bookworm0550]

so my bf and I went to the humane society today. How sad, all the animals there and the puppies w/ their big, watery, and sad eyes. They see you and they all want to play and they reach out their paws for you. It was heartbreaking. I wish I could have taken them all home.

they had about 7 birds, mostly cockatiels. Can someone tell me what's wrong w/ this one. We were in there for like 20 seconds or so. I made my bf leave asap cuz there was something weird looking about one the tiels and I just didn't want to risk looking at them in case this bird had something.

this tiel was bald. she looked like a vulture. Can someone tell me what's wrong w/ her? my bf and i were talking about her and I was so paranoid about us bringing something home even though we were in there for mere seconds. Is this PBFD???

http://www.animalhumanesociety.org/adoption/detail?id=343110

anyway, seeing all the puppies made me sad cuz I really wanted one. and they are just so cute. and some of the reasons why they were there were even sadder. of course i'm going to the humane society again, i'm just saying....not anytime soon. And be proud that I walked away from the two parakeets though i wanted to take them cuz their cage was very lonely looking and they were so cute and I know they'd be happy at my house. I know if I volunteer there, i'd be bringing my set of homemade bird toys there every week. but until I move in April.....hehehe, j/k.

[bookworm0550]

i do wonder if they will take in homemade toys...obviously not used by my fids of course. I just felt so bad for them. they had like 2 toys in a cage and that was it. i'm such a sucker.

[jimpierce]

that poor tiel. Something would have had to pluck its head like that I think?

[StormyMom]

WOW that is the strangest thing ive ever seen. Id say another bird plucked him but it looks way too clean.

Ive never seen birds at the humane society by me. The last time we went it was to get my dog his rabies shot years ago. I left crying. Its extremely sad with all those dogs staring at you like..why am i here? I couldnt take it :(

[maya_exquisite]

I'm not a cat or dog or "small animal" person, but seeing them with their sad eyes at the Humane Society definitely makes me sad. :very_sad: Thankfully I've never seen birds there in my few times I've gone. Poor cockatiel... :(

[J.P.]

Is the cockatiel in with other cockatiels? She's been there since November. How sad. I hope someone adopts her.

The shelters by me frequently have birds. I try not to look online to see what they have as I want to go adopt them all. My local shelters take donations of supplies and then send them home with the adopted animal.

[HaleBoppPeachyluv]

ooooohhhhhh!! so sad, so sad! i wanna cry! did you see it said he was with his previous family for 12years!! how could you give up a pet of 12 years??

waaaaah!!

[newloviemom]

ooooohhhhhh!! so sad, so sad! i wanna cry! did you see it said he was with his previous family for 12years!! how could you give up a pet of 12 years??

waaaaah!!

I agree Hale...How could you have a pet for 12 years, and suddenly the "responsibility is too much"!!!? What the heck is that about? That is just the saddest thing I have ever heard...that poor bird!! I wonder if a vet has even looked at it to determine why it is bald? I'm going to call there tomorrow and find out more about the tiel. Bookworm and I both live in the same general area to this humane society.
Cindy

[linda040899]

For any bird to have a bald head such as the Tiel at the Humane Society, another bird would have had to had done the plucking. I have one male Blue Fischer's lovie that has a mate who has never had a feather on her head. He removes every single one, just as the Tiel in the photo had done to him/her.

I can't imagine giving up a pet after 12 yrs and I'm sure this bird is very traumatized as a result. I don't know that I could have left him/her there......

[newloviemom]

Well--just maybe this precious bird will have a new home soon to live out the rest of it's days in...:whistle: i would have to find somewhere in my home to use as a quarantine area though without her feeling alienated.

So, Linda--you would say it's a pretty sure bet that the baldness isn't caused by some disease? How far away from Zoe would I have to keep her for the quarantine period? Is keeping her in a separate room on the same floor of the house good enough? or do they need a completely closed off area for the quarantine period i.e. an area with no cracks under the doors? I just don't want to risk my little Zoe getting sick.
Cindy & Zoe

[linda040899]

So, Linda--you would say it's a pretty sure bet that the baldness isn't caused by some disease?
PBFD usually affects feathering all over the body and there are missing patches everywhere. This bird seems to be missing only the head feathering and I can guarantee the bird didn't remove them by herself. There's no guarantee that she's disease free but I don't think you are looking at PBFD but I would confirm that with a blood test should you decide to adopt this Tiel.

Quarantine means totally different air space, no contact with other birds for a minimum of 30 days. My own vet recommends 90 days. If you have central heat/air like I do, total quarantine is not possible under my own roof. If you spend time with this bird in your quarantine area, you would have to disinfect yourself before you go near Zoe. That could mean wearing a gown over your own clothing or changing clothes and something over your hair. Oxyfresh Gele is a wonderful disinfectant and could be used to clean exposed skin. That's true quarantine.

Tests I would do would be PBFD, Chlamydia and possibly Polyomavirus. At age 12, Polyoma is highly doubtful so that one really isn't necessary unless your vet wants to do it for whatever reason. I would also do a blood panel to see what values are returned.

[newloviemom]

Well-according to the humane society...the adoption fee includes the initial vet exam as well as a follow up exam within 30 days of adoption...I will see if I can get them to run those tests...they have vets right there who do the exams for them.
There is no way that I could have total complete seperation...I do have central heating/airconditioning-so they would always share air space...so as bad as I feel for the tiel...I don't know if I want to take the risk and then have something happen to Zoe.
If I did blood tests for the other diseases...I would also check for polyoma...would I be pretty well safe in not being able to do a complete quarantine?
Also by now this tiel is probably pretty use to it's new surroundings at the humane society, and this particular one is very nice and open, airy and good light....maybe she is better off there rather than being moved again?
I do have the Oxyfresh...I use it for all of Zoe's branches, toys, etc.
Also this guy was surrendered on the same date and is also 12 years old, so I am assuming they came from the same home...so if they are caged together at the Humane society, then he is probably the culprit...http://www.animalhumanesociety.org/adoption/detail?id=343109. He looks like he is in really good condition compared to the female.
Cindy

[linda040899]

Looks like you've found the reason the female Tiel has no head feathering!! He's gorgeous!

Come back with negatives on PBFD, Chlamydia and possibly Polyoma and I think separate rooms would work. Just keep Zoe away from the AC/heating vents and where the air flow goes once the air enters the room from those vents. This one is, of course, your call, as I know how much Zoe means to you and she's always your first priority. Do you have a friend or relative that could keep the Tiel for you for 30 days, should you decide to adopt her?

[newloviemom]

I will have to look into the possibility of a friend keeping her for me if I decided to adopt her...I just feel so bad for her...the thought of her being in the same home for 12 years and then just dumped off at the humane society...again...not that this humane society is a bad place...but just dumping a pet like that, and now her poor head is all plucked...poor baby.
however...after the pain of losing my little Skittles, and now having my precious little Zoe...I won't take the risk of bringing in another bird. I do have one very close friend who I know I could ask to keep her for me(the tiel) and she wouldn't hesitate. I just question if that would really be in the tiel's best interest to move her from where she is now to one new home, and then in a month or two, move her again...it might be best to leave her where she is.
Another question though...why on earth would he only pluck the feathers on her head???? what could he possibly be thinking in his little birdy mind??
Cindy

[linda040899]

Another question though...why on earth would he only pluck the feathers on her head???? what could he possibly be thinking in his little birdy mind??
Keep in mind that Tiels can live up to 30 yrs and I'm aware of several that have actually attained that age so 12 is not old by any means! At 12 and in good health, she's actually quite capable of breeding. Personally, if there's a possibility that they came from the same home, I would probably take both rather than separate. Tiels form very strong bonds between mates and just taking her would be almost as traumatic as her losing her home of 12 yrs.

Interestingly enough, while Tiels love their humans, they don't require as much attention as, say, a single lovebird. I love Tiel hens, as they tend to be very sweet and quiet. Males are the talkers and the singers, not the females.

You can trust one thing. The hen did not have a problem with her feathering being removed. My Blue Fischer's hen allowed the male to "over groom" her quite willingly. The feathering is chewed back to the skin line, rather than plucked. It's not as painful as you might think.

[newloviemom]

Well--that's good to know that it probably wasn't painful. The poor thing though...we live in Minnesota, and she doesn't even have a hat on her head to keep her ears warm!! I honestly don't feel that I could take another two birds right now. I have my Zoe, and my shih tzu, Roxy and they keep me busy making sure I give them both lots of undivided attention.
And now that I know she is probably mated with "Barney the head plucker" I feel a little bit better. If they are still together at the humane society, there is no way I would even consider separating them but I just can't take on two more birds right now...I want to continue to get to know my little Zoe well first. We'll have to wait for Bookworm to come back and let us know if they are together in a cage.
I didn't realize that cockatiels could live that long...that is amazing!! When budgies are cared for properly, how long can they live?

[linda040899]

When budgies are cared for properly, how long can they live?
12-13 years, with excellent, proper care.

[bookworm0550]

yeah, they were caged together. it said that they were a bonded pair and would like them to be together. we didn't stay long enough to read it cuz my bf wanted to see the dogs real bad plus the info was inside the bird room and i was outside of it trying to read the parts i saw.

[LauraO]

If you look on the site, there is a male tiel barney that looks like he could have been this tiel's mate for their whole lives. I know humane societies often separate pairs to keep breeding down, but it's very sad to think after twelve years these tiels are being separated for life:very_sad:.

[Pips mom]

It is really sad! Tiels are such sweet birds. It's great you guys are taking such an interest and even thinking of maybe taking them, but I do realize that risk that you take with your bird or birds at home. I am so glad that I have reached my limit and don't plan on adding anymore birds.....it's a big adjustment at first and then there's always the risk of a new bird making the ones you have sick.
I know you all are going on and on about the owner getting rid of them after 12 years together, but.....does anyone really know that they just dumped these birds and got rid of them? Before we go judging, could there be a chance that someone died? or someone got sick? and there was just no way they could care for the birds anymore?? I just can't picture someone giving up their birds after that long.

[Eliza]

I will have to look into the possibility of a friend keeping her for me if I decided to adopt her... I just feel so bad for her...

That's always a good option. Even if it's only temporarily while you're waiting for testing do be done.

I've seen other 'tiels in similar shape: the head & neck plucked bare by a cage mate. It's upsetting to see but the birds could be in good health otherwise.

[bookworm0550]

i'm just sad that whoever was taking care of her didn't bother to do anything about it when the feathers started to disappear. I would have taken her out asap and put her in a different cage or something.