Gorky (RIP)
Jacqui found Gorky walking along the road in 2010. He did not have many feathers and appeared to still be a youngster. Upon a trip to the vet we learned through a blood test that Gorky suffers from “Psittacine Beak and Feather Disease”. This virus is largely a death sentence and in its acute form the bird can die very quickly, in the chronic form, which Gorky has, he will slowly lose all his feathers and perhaps part of his beak. It is also likely that a bird with disease will die of other illnesses or infections due to a compromised immune system. Basically Gorky may have 12 months or less with us. He lives inside and is kept warm. He is quickly losing more feathers as can be seen below.
Despite this, Gorky loves life. He loves cuddles and kisses and his neck scratched. Due to other birds that call the sanctuary home, Gorky is kept separate to the others and a strict hygiene regime is adhered to. This disease can be spread through the birds feathers and faeces and can remain an active virus in nest hollows/boxes etc for a long period of time. In captivity it is important to make sure that good hygiene is practiced for all birds with clean cages and nesting boxes important for general bird health. There are many sites on the internet that can provide further information.
Gorky 2010 – Jan 2012
