quarantine

[Flapjack]

>: GRRRRR! This quarantine stuff is for the birds!!! LOL

Boy, I didn't realize keeping Jack safe was going to be so much work!

When I get ready in the morning, I talk to Chino from the doorway, because I know I'll need to clean Jack's bowls and give him kisses before I leave for work. I don't go in Chino's room with my clean clothes.
Then, when I come home for lunch, I hold Jack for a few minutes and let him out to fly while I'm eating. Again, I say hello to Chino from the doorway.
After school, I let Jack back out, play with him for a while.
Now it's Chino's turn. I go play with him for as long as he wants, wash his bowls, change his paper, etc.
Sounds easy, right? Well.... inevitably I've forgotten to give Jack a certain food, or a toy, or whatever. Now I have to change my clothes, wash up, put on a hat. Sometimes this happens twice in a day. The laundry is piling up!

I complain, but really I wouldn't have it any other way. Jack is too important to take any chances with. And I'm happy to have Chino here too.

Chino is the quietest bird I've ever seen. Today for the first time Jack heard a chirp. You should have seen the look on his face! I can't wait to introduce the two.:) (Side by side in cages, of course)

[carrier]

Where are the pictures of Chino? 8o

I want pictures! :D

[Flapjack]

They're in the photo stories section.

I forgot to mention that there are 4 people and a dog that go in and out of the bedroom where Chino is... I also have to monitor how close they all come to the room Jack is in... :roll:

It's definitely worth it though!:blush:

[carrier]

OH MY GOODNESS! What a cutie-pie! :nyah: I would love to have seen Jack's reaction to hearing his new sibling...

Have you taken that sweet thing for his well-bird exam? Just wondering if you had any tests and/or results that might make you a little less stressed out about the dogs, people, etc....

How many more days of quarantine do you have? Stay strong! It will be over soon.

[Flapjack]

Unfortuately, it's only been since Saturday. I have a long way to go!
I've made his appt., and I'm really not concerned about the breeders home. While I was at the show, I heard from several people about how wonderful she is, and one of them, who runs a bird store, says they buy from her.
I was very impressed by the apparent health of the birds at the show (as compared to another show I went to in the spring), but you never know for sure if one of the birds in the room could've had something.
I wonder how likely it is that even if a bird was harboring some illness, and Chino was in the huge room with them for just a few hours, that he could've picked up something...
Better safe than sorry, I guess. :)

[Janie]

Jeni, this is what I did to help with the laundry piling up. I kept a couple of tops, easy to get on and off, in the quarantine room. I also kept a bottle of hand sanitizer in that room and a couple more in different parts of the house. Since Oliver's germs were already everywhere (just like Jack's) I never worried about Big Boi and Shy being exposed to my hands after I'd held Oliver or about being exposed to the same clothes that Oliver had crawled on. All you really need to do is to protect Jack during the quarantine. Chino is already going to be exposed to Jack since he's been in your home for a while.

[Flapjack]

Thanks, Janie :)

I haven't been at all concerned about Chino getting sick from Jack, cuz I know he's healthy. I do need to get some more big tops.

What about my hair, shoes, etc? How fanatical do I have to be? Is it primarily Chino pooping on me and holding him, or is there enough feather dust/dander landing on me that could make Jack sick? You mentioned hand sanitizer, but what about the airborne bacteria/germs?

That's when it gets hectic- I hold Jack and do what I have to for him earlier in the day when I'm clean. Then I go to Chino, but if I happen to forget something I have to do for Jack, that's when all the changing in and out of clothes happens. Because after I hold Chino, I have to change again anyway, because I can't sit around on the furniture or anything near Jack, and I put on a hat, too.

Boy, I can't wait till this is done! :)

[Janie]

Jeni, have you had Chino vet checked? That helps to rule out many things that could show up immediately. As far as hair, I always pulled mine back in a ponytail but never did anything more than that. Oliver never gets on top of my head and the other two weren't allowed there. The only "parts" of me that Big Boi and Shy touched were my shoulders, arms, and hands. I would not worry so much about dander, just keeping your hands really clean and change tops.

[Buy A Paper Doll]

Good job with the quarantine :) :) :)

It is exhausting, I can tell you that much! But you are right, it is a necessary step in bringing home a new birdy.

[Islandbirdies]

I'm up to the same stuff these days with Blue here now, it's been a week so 3 more to go, I know the breeder very well and have been to their house several time's so 30 day's is long enough for me, keep up the good work!

[Angelwing]

30 days seems like forever, but just be strong! Quarantine is so worth it. Good luck!

[Flapjack]

Jack is in a room off of the kitchen, and I can actually close the doors to the kitchen. I've had Chino for 2 wks now and he's doing great. However, he has yet to have his first bath at my house.
Jack bathes in the kitchen sink on a plate or in my hands with the water drizzling down on him.
I have not felt that Chino would be comfortable in the bathroom sinks with such a long tail. If I close the doors to the kitchen, and Chino was only in there long enough to see if he'll take a bath, would that be ok? Or is just having him on that side of the house too close?

[linda040899]

I was very impressed by the apparent health of the birds at the showThe operative word is apparent!
I came very, very close to a tragedy here but all my birds were safe because I observed strict quarantine. I agreed to hand feed a young Painted Conure for a close friend of mine while she took a long week-end to go visit her son. My friend had purchased the bird at a show from a very reputable breeder and she had only had him/her for about 2 weeks.

I kept her bird here while she was gone and returned him to her on a Monday morning. Tuesday, she called me to let me know the bird was sick and she was taking him to see her avian vet. I was absolutely shocked, as the bird was perfectly fine while he was here and there were no signs whatsoever that the bird was ill. Twelve hrs. later, the baby was dead and I could not imagine what I had possibly done wrong. :(

My friend had a necropsy done and the cause of death came back Polyomavirus! Polyomavirus has an incubation period of 14 days so he didn't get it here. However, I had him at his most contagious stage and had I not observed strict quarantine, my own birds would have been at huge risk!

The operative word is apparent! Learn the lesson without having to experience it.......

[Flapjack]

I'm sorry for the loss suffered by your friend, and for the scare you had to go through! Wow!
So, I guess you're saying that Chino should not even be on Jack's side of the house, with the doors closed, even long enough to take a bath?
I wasn't sure if you were responding to my very last post...?

[linda040899]

I wasn't responding to your last message but, no, I would not take that risk for at least 30 days. While Chino may very well be healthy, 30 days quarantine is absolute minimum, even with vet check that includes Polymavirus and PBFD! The ideal quarantine is completely different air space, although that's not always possible.

[Flapjack]

k- cool, thanks. We've been remodeling, and while MY sink is not big enough for Chino, once we get the boys' sink back in their bathroom, that one is much larger. I'll try then.

[Mummieeva]

Have you tried this. Getting large leaves of roman lettuce,spinach,or kale and getting them wet. Then you clip it to cage. He might rub up against it and kinda bath that way. Dracula likes to bath in a glass baking dish I have. I place it on the bottom of his cage for him.



Steph

[Janie]

The ideal quarantine is completely different air space, although that's not always possible.

That is exactly what I've read and heard....here, in books and from my avian vet. They should not share the same air space during quarantine.

[Flapjack]

12 more days... 12 more days... 12 more days...
It's getting really hard to make sure everyone gets enough individual attention. Now that it's getting darker earlier, my younger son is in the house more, going "Mom?" "hey Mom" "Mom!" "MMOOOOOOOOMMMMMMM!!!"
The dog isn't out playing on rainy days, so she's bored, Chino's still in quarantine, so it takes time to change into poop acceptable clothes, play with Jack, wash up, cook dinner, finish helping w/homework, play w/Chino, change clothes again, wash up, pay attention to husband, have a few minutes to myself, and be in bed by 12. I come home at lunch to spend a few minutes talking to the birds and giving fresh food & water. It'll be so nice to be able to see both birds at the same time! I can't wait to introduce them.
I got Chino on Oct 6th, and his vet appt is on Nov 6th. So, hopefully the new "brothers" will meet on the 7th. :happy:

OK- thanks for letting me get it out of my system... now I've got a little more room for the patience needed to last another 12 days.

[Flapjack]

:clap :clap :clap :clap :clap

It's almost over!!! Tomorrow is Chino's vet visit. It's pretty late in the day, though, do you think I'll get enough info for an all-clear, or do they usually send samples out to a lab somewhere?
Since it's going to be late when we get home, I guess I'll wait until Wednesday to move Chino's cage in next to Jack.
It sure will be wierd for Jack, he's not seen another bird since he was 2 weeks old. Chino was with his siblings for 3-4 months.
I can't wait to see the look on his face!!! :omg:
Chino is going to be surprised, too, at how much more activity goes on in the house than he sees. I spend time with him several times a day, but in my son's room, it's very quiet alot of the time. Chino still acts startled when there is a loud noise or someone walks by the door.
I'm a little worried about him having sensory overload.

Woohoo! Alot less laundry for me!!