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Blood Test Results on CAG Baby
Question:
> We found a beautiful baby CAG at the pet store last week. Seemed to be > very healthy, happy and well adjusted. I put a deposit on him with the > stipulation that he have a check up. The vet called yesterday- said his > white count was close to 28,000. I need some advice- would you buy a bird > that has this? Could this be a reaccuring problem? I told the owner of the > pet shop that the problem would have to be taken care of before I would > buy him. He’s only four months old the vet thought he was on the thin side > too. I know the breeder- he raised our Green Cheek and can vouch for him. > I just don’t have that much experience with birds and would appreciate any > advice you can give me. > Thanks in advance! > Mary Gillette > Angola, IN
Mary, If I sell a baby and it vets with a high wbc, we compare it with the gram stain to see if they correspond – If the gram stain is ok, we may try to culture the bird. Any way, we pay for the medication OR offer to take the bird back to medicate it OURSELVES and re-vet it at no cost to you. As for your situation, ask them to do the vet/med for you and give them 1/2 down, and the other 1/2 when it is healthy —IF you really want that bird. Babies are somewhat immune suppressed just like human and dog and cat babies are. Stuff happens – in most cases it’s not a real big deal. 
Bambi 
Dist.of Ultimate Tip -SASE/sample -100/$10.00 s&h incl.(CA.+6.25%) . — Fox’s Feather Farm 25 different species of Parrots. Layaway/Payments Avail. African Greys, Amazons, Cockatoos, Conures, Macaws, and more. (408)761-0566
Response:
>We found a beautiful baby CAG at the pet store last week. Seemed to be >very healthy, happy and well adjusted. I put a deposit on him with the >stipulation that he have a check up. The vet called yesterday- said his >white count was close to 28,000. I need some advice- would you buy a bird >that has this? Could this be a reaccuring problem? I told the owner of the >pet shop that the problem would have to be taken care of before I would >buy him. He’s only four months old the vet thought he was on the thin side >too. I know the breeder- he raised our Green Cheek and can vouch for him. >I just don’t have that much experience with birds and would appreciate any >advice you can give me.
You are doing the right thing in demanding to buy a healthy bird. Consult with your veterinarian… he/she should be able to tell you what risks are involved, what kind of treatment is needed. Get all these purchasing agreements IN WRITING. A breeder who is also a professional will understand such an agreement protects both you AND the breeder and won’t balk at your insistance on a contract. The fact that you have done business with this breeder before doesn’t guarantee the birds he/she sells are healthy: only a thorough veterinary check can do that for you. So go with your gut feeling on this one: insist on a health bird, make a good investment. Quoting from a book called "Diseases of cage bird" edited by Elisha Burr, TFH publications, 1987, white blood cell counts for African greys [P. erithracus erithracus and P. erithracus timeh, 108 animals used in sample], normal white blood cell counts (x 10^3/mm^3) is 5-11. I don’t know how current this figure is. If you are consulting with an avian vet and the vet says high, you just ask how high to jump … the vet is the one that has the experience and background to make this call. In your case, the vet is noting both the wbc AND the bird’s weight as concerns. You should discuss what to do next with the veterinarian AND the breeder. If you are still thinking of buying this bird, you should be making some written arrangements about what happens now, e.g., who pays for any medications that get prescribed? when will the bird get its next check-up and who pays for THAT one? what happens if at weaning time the bird is still not 100% healthy? I am not going to say you should get your money back and run away from this bird & breeder, but that you should get all the terms down in writing and proceed knowing exactly what needs to be done in order for you to end up buying a healthy bird. Good luck and please keep us posted. It’s great that people are getting really aggressive about demanding healthy birds. It’s only fair for both you AND the bird that you start life together knowing the bird is physically healthy. —
Response:
We found a beautiful baby CAG at the pet store last week. Seemed to be very healthy, happy and well adjusted. I put a deposit on him with the stipulation that he have a check up. The vet called yesterday- said his white count was close to 28,000. I need some advice- would you buy a bird that has this? Could this be a reaccuring problem? I told the owner of the pet shop that the problem would have to be taken care of before I would buy him. He’s only four months old the vet thought he was on the thin side too. I know the breeder- he raised our Green Cheek and can vouch for him. I just don’t have that much experience with birds and would appreciate any advice you can give me. Thanks in advance! Mary Gillette Angola, IN