Update on Appaloosa Girl w/PMV

[EarthaPidge]

Hello everyone,

For those of you who haved followed Appaloosa's story, just wanted to give you an update. Appaloosa is the feral pigeon I have had since January with suspected PMV. Recap: A few weeks after caring for her she began to exhibit severe neurologic signs which lasted several weeks. Slowly she returned to "normal" -- no neck twisting, etc. but still was not eating on her own.

Approximately 3 weeks ago, she was back to square one with her neuro signs so I took a blood sample and tracheal/cloacal samples and sent them to Cornell Univ. for testing. Serum was used in a hemagglutination test to determine that she does indeed have a titer for PMV (of course this just means she has been exposed). The coacal and tracheal swabs were used in a virus isolation test which was negative.

There have been a lot of questions in the field as to how long a bird sheds the virus after onset of clinical signs. I tend to go with the school of thought that long before you see neurologic or GI signs, the pij is probably no longer shedding the virus. Again, the jury's still out on that one. I'm just glad to know that Eartha has not been at risk as a result of Appaloosa's rescue.

Appaloosa is miserable, she tries to eat, but cannot. She has to use the top of her head to steady herself when she gets around. She still does not trust me despite my gentle handling and approach. I think keeping her alive is just torturing her. She has been tube fed 2-3 times a day for about 4 months and she hated the last time as much as the first. I don't want to give up on this girl, but feel at this point it might be the kindest thing.

Thanks for any thoughts or experiences anyone might have to share.

Laura

Hi, Laura

Appaloosa and you are going through so much.

Only you (and she) can know whether euthanasia is best. I tend to think it's not more often than i should.

I know you're going to get more answers that will come from lots more experience than i have.

Thanks for posting the results as we get closer to understanding contagion of PMV. Another question - people sometimes suspect that contagion returns later, when there's a relapse. What do you think?

Al Streit
Pigeon People http://groups.yahoo.com/group/pijnpeople

[cyro51]

Hi Laura,

I am so sorry that Appaloosa has had such a hard time of it. I have just had to have a wood pigeon euthanased because she needed to have a wing amputated and I know that they suffer from extreme stress in captivity. It is a terrible decision to have to make. Sadly we can't advise you on this, you are the only person that can decide whether or not there is quality in her life and whether to keep hoping.

Feefo the Beautiful was left with appalling neurological damage from PMV and although she really, really enjoyed her food and her flirting there were still times when I wondered whether it was cruel to keep her alive. I decided that it wasn't because I could see that although she fell over and made me suffer as a result she herself was actually a happy pidge...but that is something that only those close to their pigeons can determine.
Feefo showed great improvement after treatment with Connium Mac so I gave the three PMV pigeons that I took in at the end of January a course. They have all almost completely recovered although the one that was affected worst still has torticollis. This might be something other people would like to try.

I think that for those that read this thread I should mention that Myriam mentioned on another forum tonight that one of her PMV victims had recovered from the torticillis 4 years later!

Cynthia

[EarthaPidge]

Thanks for your kind replies. The reason I did the virus isolation test is because App had a relapse of sorts and I was curious to find out whether or not she was shedding during the relapse. The results of this test confirm that in this case she was not shedding after her relapse. What is Connium Mac?
Laura

Cynthia

Is that something homeopathic? I think our HP vet prescribed it for our cat once.

Al

[EarthaPidge]

I just found it on a google search. Yes it is homeopathic. What potency did you use and what schedule?
Thanks,
Laura

[Alexx]

Can you tell me some of the other systems for PMV? I think one of the birdies I feed in the morning here might have that.

[cyro51]

Hi Laura and Alexx,

Laura:

I used the 30 potency. I gave Feefo 1 pill a day for 10 days. I only treated my new intake until there were signs of improvement, which was for a couple of days.

I think that the effects of PMV resemble cerebral palsy and that a remedy for those symptoms migh work for pigeons, but Hypericum and Connium Mac are the closest I have found. I will need to do specific research on this!

Alexx:

A pigeon with PMV can display many or any of the following symptoms:

1) Inability to pick up seed. If you look closely you see them peck, peck, pecking but missing the seed altogether.

2) Seed tossing. If they manage to pick a seed up they toss it backwards over their heads.

3) Turning in circles...over and over again, rather like a dog that is tail chasing.

4) Crash landing.

5) Paralysis of leg(s),or wing(s) or just inability to fly.

6) Twisting head over so that the head rests on the ground while the pigeon gazes upwards (Stargazing).

7) Falling on side and being unable to get back up, flailing on ground.

8) Tiny tremor of eyes.

9) Poops that are a wet splash of clear liquid with little green "worms" of solids.

10) Staggering backwards.

If you thinks any pigeons in your flock have it grab them, keep them separate from any other pigeons you have, keep them warm and quiet in an empty cage with something soft like a towel at the bottom and give them free access to water and a deep dish of seed. Keep an eye on their poops to ensure that they are eating. If not, you will have to hand feed, which can be difficult in a pigeon that "can't tell the bottom from the top".

Cynthia

[TAWhatley]

Hi Laura .. as has been posted, only you can decide .. well, you and the bird .. very difficult, I know.

I have a relatively new pigeon that is either PMV or very severe trauma .. this poor bird has "fits" a couple of times per day even after now three months here with me. The bird does not like being handled, does not like me, but still knows that when I pick him/her up that feeding is going to happen, and the bird will readily take a crop needle feeding. Once back in his/her carrier, it's flap and crazy time for a few seconds.

Somehow I know that this bird wants to live .. if it didn't, it would have given up long, long ago .. thus, we are going to keep going until things are much better or the ultimate end comes .. I'm not going to quit on this one even though it seems to be frightened of me and uncomfortable with the handling.

Terry

[EarthaPidge]

Hello everyone,

Just wanted to give you the latest update on Appaloosa Girl. After the last entry on this thread, I ordered the Conium Mac in a 1M potency because I felt it best matched her disease picture and history. When I went to take her out of the cage to administer the remedy, I was quite surprised to find her head was almost completely upright and normal. I gave her the remedy anyway because I felt it couldn't hurt and might really help. I gave her three doses.

I am not sure if she would have gotten better on her own, but I am happy to report, she began eating on her own 3 days ago. Her weight is higher than it has ever been 314g!! I am so thrilled! She still sleeps with her head pulled tightly into her chest which is a bit reminiscent of some of her less severe torticolis days, but during the day, her head is completely upright, no tremors, takes baths, etc.

I am going to keep her here for at least a few more weeks until I can be sure she is out of the woods, and then will speak with a wildlife rehabber here who keeps an aviary for recovered PMV birds. I feel there isn't enough known about the disease to risk bonding her with my resident pigeon, Eartha.

So thank you all for your support and helping me to hang in there through everything. Keep your fingers crossed that she doesn't have another relapse.

Laura

[Eileen]

Go Appaloosa Girl! As you know, I'm really happy she's doing better. Keeping her in my thoughts that she continues on an excellent road to a happy life, she deserves it.
And so do you - you really put a lot into helping her.

[cyro51]

It is wonderful that she made such progress so suddenly. Just for the record, how long did it take for her to begin eating on her own?

Cynthia

[Eileen]

Laura's been feeding Appaloosa Girl since about mid-January, if my memory serves me correctly. She just started eating on her own
about May 12th, per Laura's update.
Whew.

[cyro51]

Thank you, Eileen. 16 weeks is a long time, specially when all aavailable information says they recover within 6 to 8 weeks. But this shows that even though some pigeons are slow to improve and things can look hopeless it is worth being patient!

Cynthia

[cyro51]

Bumping up!"