# Black Tarry Seed Poop



## smfrank1 (Nov 18, 2009)

My 11+ year old female is pooping black tarry seed laden poop. She has a 10:30 a.m. appointment tomorrow with our avian vet. Has anyone's bird ever had this symptom and had a good outcome. Very concerned it may be PDD. Marie


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## Renae (Feb 9, 2008)

Has she had blueberries or blackberries by any chance? because them two things cause poop to go black.

If not, sounds like it could be  Lead poisoning or another possible problem is melena. If your bird has melena, it will produce black poop which is caused by bleeding high up in the digestive system.


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## smfrank1 (Nov 18, 2009)

No berries of any kind. This started out slow about 3 weeks ago. A seed here, a seed there. Then a couple of seeds. Then yesterday full blown black tarry seed laden poop. My heart is very heavy right now for her.


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## xxxSpikexxx (Jul 30, 2007)

Here is a link about bird medical diagnosis http://www.birdchannel.com/diagnostics/default.aspx This is not a vet alternative as you know  I hope your vet visit goes well and it is nothing serious.


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## Renae (Feb 9, 2008)

From what I can see in the link Spike posted PDD came up. 

If this is what she ends up having, you'll have to separate her because it's really contagious.
*
Immediate Care: There is no specific treatment to cure the virus causing PDD but bird owners should work with their avian vets to prolong the life of an infected bird. PDD is a contagious disease and infected birds should be isolated from any contact with other birds. Keep an infected bird in stress-free environment. Many birds exposed to a PDD infected bird will not develop signs of the disease, but all measures possible should be taken to isolate the infected bird from coming in contact with other birds. Diagnosis may be made presumptively by plain film radiographs and a barium series of the GI tract. Biopsy of the crop, including crop tissue and a large blood vessel (where a nerve likely will be located, as well) may show diagnostic lesions in the nerve. However, a biopsy may result in a false-negative report, since the virus attacks nerves segmentally, and is therefore not found in every single nerve or biopsy specimen. If a bird dies that is suspected of having PDD, the brain should always be submitted for histopathology as the lesions are most predictably found there.*

Fingers crossed everything goes OK.


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## fluoro.black (Nov 5, 2009)

Oh no , you've done the proper thing though organising a vet appointment. I'll be keeping my fingers crossed.


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## srtiels (May 1, 2009)

It is good that you can see a vet so quick. I hope the visit goes well.

As to the droppings...has there been any changes in the diet?

You can take some of the droppings and smear it on a white piece of tissue or paper and hold it up to a light. Look at the color. If a very dark green then it could be an indication of very slow GI movement. If brown, bleeding in the upper GI tract, and if red bleeding in the lower GI tract. Seed in the droppings can be from an intestinal flora imbalance to giardia or a bacterial infection. If bacteria the urates would also no longer be white.

Keep fresh paper under her so that the vet could see the dropping over several hours/days.


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## Clairey331 (Oct 21, 2009)

Any news? I hope all is ok.


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