PDD

[birdvet]

Good luck

Sometimes crop biopsies won't diagnose the disease I think it has a 70% sensitivity. Give this Abstract to your vet in case you get a negative result from biopsy. Alternatively, if there is a lab nearby she may opt for this test instead as it requires a blood sample so is less invasive and doesn't require an anaesthetic!

Again, good luck, she is a gorgeous bird, I hope she does well!!!

"The diagnosis of proventricular dilatation disease: Use of a Western blot assay to detect antibodies against avian Borna virus

Author(s): Villanueva I (Villanueva, Itamar)1, Gray P (Gray, Patricia)1, Mirhosseini N (Mirhosseini, Negin)1, Payne S (Payne, Susan)1, Hoppes S (Hoppes, Sharman)2, Honkavuori KS (Honkavuori, Kirsi S.)3, Briese T (Briese, Thomas)3, Turner D (Turner, Debra)1, Tizard I (Tizard, Ian)1
Source: VETERINARY MICROBIOLOGY Volume: 143 Issue: 2-4 Pages: 196-201 Published: JUL 14 2010

Abstract: Avian Borna virus (ABV) has recently been shown to be the causal agent of proventricular dilatation disease (PDD) a lethal neurologic disease of captive psittacines and other birds. An immunoblot assay was used to detect the presence of antibodies against avian Borna virus in the serum of affected birds. A lysate from ABV-infected duck embryo fibroblasts served as a source of antigen. The assay was used to test for the presence of antibodies to ABV in 117 birds. Thirty of these birds had biopsy or necropsy-confirmed proventricular dilatation disease (PDD), while the remaining 87 birds were apparently healthy or were suffering from diseases other than PDD. Sera from 27 of the 30 PDD cases (90%) contained antibodies to ABV. Seventy-three (84%) of the apparently "healthy" birds were seronegative. Additionally, sera from seven macaws and one parrot trapped in the Peruvian Amazon were seronegative. Positive sera recognized the bornaviral nucleoprotein (N-protein). While the presence of antibodies to ABV largely corresponded with the development of clinical PDD, 14 apparently healthy normal birds possessed detectable antibodies to ABV. The existence of a carrier state was confirmed when 13 of 15 apparently healthy cockatiels were shown by PCR to have detectable ABV RNA in their feces. Western blot assays may be of significant assistance in diagnosing proventricular dilatation disease. Many apparently healthy birds may however be seronegative while, at the same time, shedding ABV in their feces. (C) 2009 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved."

[GooseBlossom]

I know I am not there experiencing what you are with your baby, but if OG was my little bird, I would not think the crop biopsy to be the best means of investigating what may be wrong. The brief episodes of improvement are encouraging, and her recovery may take a very long time. Ya'll seem to be very loving and patient birdie parents.

Little OG is already under a lot of stress just being ill. I would think that any type of invasive procedure would add more stress and perhaps worsen her condition, especially at this vulnerable stage. If she has to have anesthesia for any procedure while already exhibiting some neurological difficulties, I would think that might worsen her condition. It is not without risks even for relatively healthy patients. Worst of all, she may not wake up. Not worth it when blood panels can be done. Invasive procedures on OG at this stage would likely add more to the problems than yield progress toward a solution.

If my vet would not consider blood work over an invasive procedure, I would opt to do nothing until I could find a more knowledgeable one, or at least one who would humor my request. I guess to me, quality of little OG's life is as important as quantity.

[entrancedbymyGCC]

I think this is exactly the kind of situation where having developed a relationship with, confidence in and a good rapport with your vet is important. A blood test is never going to give exactly the same information that examining a piece of affected tissue is going to give, and I'd personally feel that I'd need to read an awful lot of literature before I would be able to make a judgment call on which diagnostic to pursue better than my vet, who hopefully has hands-on experience and is good at what they do. I'd ask a lot of questions, and I wouldn't want to put my bird through a procedure that wasn't medically necessary, but I would defer to my vet's recommendation in a case like this and not insist on the less invasive procedure just because it is less invasive. Now, I'd be unlikely to be confident in a vet who wouldn't let me bring in an abstract like the one birdvet just posted and discuss it, but I wouldn't presume to be able to evaluate the research better having read just the one abstract and not even the whole paper. So I wouldn't go into that discussion with an ironclad preconception of what the right answer is. I'm kind of hard on my medical professionals, but I think I'm a pretty good patient/client...

[birdvet]

PDD has only recently been discovered to be caused by a Bornavirus so the test is relatively new. In some places the only way to diagnose the disease is still via crop biopsy. It doesn't diagnose all cases though but now that we know that its Bornavirus a more sensitive test can be developed. PCR tests are another great option to try detect avian bornavirus in faeces or blood. These tests are better than crop biopsy and are less invasive, a win win situation. I posted the abstract in case OGs vet is not an Avian vet, then she would probably not be aware that there are knew tests out there so I'm hopefully helping her make better, more informed recommendations

Keep us posted!

[Mona]

Hi "Birdvet" (sorry, I didn't see your name)

I think this is good information but people also need to be aware that the blood tests have given tons and tons of false positives. I have confidential information from friends who worked near the testing phase.

A "positive' on this blood test does not necessarily mean that your bird has PDD. I think they are still working on making this test more accurate.

Thanks

Mona

[kathis]

Hi,

I just wanted to let everyone know that OG died today. She took a great big chunk of my heart with her but I know she is flying high in birdie heaven.

Kathi

[pchela]

I'm so sorry. I know nothing I can say will make it better but I'll be thinking of you and OG and you have my deepest sympathies.

[entrancedbymyGCC]

I can't say it any better than pchela did. I am SO sorry.

[ptuga72]

My deepest sympathies are with you. May OG find peace at the rainbow bridge.

[a.susz]

RIP OG. I cringed every time i opened my inbox and saw "PDD" hoping today was not the day she would pass. I cannot express how sad i am that she is gone, i know you all have been through alot, and i hope she has blessed your lives in every way possible. Just remember all the wonderful things you were able to do with her before she was sick. Im so sorry for your loss.