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Recent Sudden Death

1K views 7 replies 7 participants last post by  FaeryBee 
#1 ·
Hi, I was recommended this forum by a friend.

Earlier this year, I lost my Conure to a sudden death. At the time, I attributed it to a toy he'd destroyed in a way he wasn't supposed to.

As my life has become busy, I decided I needed a less intensive bird that could be kept with companions during the day when I was gone, so I went back to the ever charming Budgie. I bought three "rare" cuties - an albino, a lutino, and a mottled violet. I had cleaned and sanitized the old cage, as it's a nice big flight cage. I've been slowly getting to know their personalities,so hadn't named any but the Lutino - Cara. She was the most receptive to my fingers and rather shy for a female. She's always been subdued and not as active as the other two, and they tended to pick on her a bit, so I added a third food dish and second water dish, figuring it was pecking order stuff.

last night, I triumphed and got the albino to step up onto my finger. But my victory was short lived because about 3 hours later, Cara fluttered down to the bottom of the cage and stayed there. I went to check on her, and she let me lift her -she's too new to me to accept that normally, so all the alarm bells went off! She was very lethargic, and her waste was too watery for comfort. Sometimes getting pooped on is a good thing, I guess.

So into the sick cage with a heating pad as the warming light is out. I gave her electrolyte, then placed some food in a dish, which she immediately tucked into. A bout 20 minutes later, She gave me a chirp, sat on the low perch, and went to sleep with her beak tucked.

Very early this morning, as I was getting ready to take her in to the vet, she fell off her perch, dead.

Now I'm not sure what to do. The others are active, eating, drinking, and being noisy (I leave budgie noises on for them when I'm puttering around the house, and they love it.) I'm feeling a little paranoid after losing the Conure and now little Cara. Do I need to take them to a vet? Money is tight right now, because of the holiday season and the heating bill. Should I just watch them super carefully?
 
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#2 ·
Hello and :welcome: to the forums!

I'm so tremendously sorry over the loss of your two birds in such a short period of time :(

I know it must be very frightening for you to see them die in such short succession. It sounds like Cara's illness was in very advanced stages when you got her. It sounds like she passed away very suddenly, so she must have been harboring an illness for several days already without showing it.

The holidays are a tough time financially, I completely understand! If you watch them for a few days and all seems fine, they could be okay, but since Cara was clearly hiding an illness, for my own peace of mind I would take them to the vet, if I were you.

As things settle down for the new year, I think it would be a great idea to start a "bird fund" in case an emergency happens (heaven forbid!) in the future.

Please keep us updated and I hope your other two birds are doing well. We'd love to see pictures of them, if you get a chance!

You can post a tribute to your birds in the "In Memory" section when you feel ready :hug:

I hope to see you around--there are plenty of great reading materials on the forums! If you have questions after reading everything, please ask :D

It's great to have you with us! :wave:
 
#4 ·
Lemnem, I am so sorry for your losses. I know it's super hard not knowing what happened. This may be a tough thing to think about, but have you thought about having a necropsy done to find out what happened to her? I did this with my Holly when she passed last year in April. I found out she had AGY and 2 types of hepatitis, and I never would have known had I not had the necropsy done.We were reluctant at first, but we thought, "It's for the good of the flock". Just something to think about.

Again, we both here are so very sorry for your losses. You have our deepest sympathies and sincerest condolences.
 
#5 ·
I am truly sorry for your losses, where do you keep the cage may I ask? Is it near any cooking fumes from the kitchen, non stick cookware is a definite NO as far as Budgies go. Cleaning products are also dangerous as far as fumes go. Scented candles, or air fresheners have you used any of these products around the birds?
 
#7 ·
I long ago got rid of Teflon cookware, as it wasn't safe with Screamscream Birdo (yeah, that was the conure's name,) in the house.

The majority of my cleaning products are natural vinegar and citrus, castile soap mixes, or mild unscented sensitive stuff, since I am skin sensitive to a lot of things, and have pets. Any scented stuff is used sparingly, and not in the living room or hallway where the birds are exposed to it. I prefer to open windows for freshness, anyway.

All my rooms are mildly drafty, this house is... special. During the winter, the birds are near the warmer end of the living room, and during the summer, I used to move the cage to the opposite side of the room to avoid the cold air drafts (and grant the bird some natural sunshine.) Dry air is the norm here in AZ, but the living room is the most humid-stable because of the fish tank.

The cat and dog situation isn't an issue... they're used to birds inside and outside. The cat used to snuggle up near Birdo for supervised naps. She also gets put in the bedroom to nap during birdy time.

Thanks, everyone, for your sympathy. I found another avi vet recently (I also keep chickens, and every now and then they need a vet too,) so I'm going to take them in just for my peace of mind.
 
#8 ·
My deepest condolences for the loss of Cara. :hug:

I'm glad you've decided to take your others into an Avian Vet for a check-up.
Having your budgies examined by an Avian Vet will allow you to develop a good relationship with the vet in case your bird needs care for an injury or illness in the future. Additionally, it is always helpful for the vet to have a baseline for your bird to refer to should it need future treatment.

Again, my sympathy for your loss of Cara as well as your conure.
It is because of Love we Grieve
and
Because of Love we are also comforted
in our Sorrow

In Memories, may you find Healing
In Time, may you find Peace
In the Power of Love, may you find Comfort.
 
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