upatsix.com - Your Source For Pet Bird Information

Adele,

I'm so sorry to hear of your birds death, and I grieve with you. I lost my own Coco the 19th of June, and I cried for two weeks over her death, and still think of her constantly. I know that is a shock to think you have a perfectly healthy bird and then find it had died during the night. As for a reason, there could be any number of things, and I won't even attempt to guess, as that is all it would be. The only way to find out would be a necropsy, and that has to be done very shortly after death. As you probably know, 'tiels are masters of hiding any illness, so they don't appear to be weak and a target for a predator. Perhaps the bird had some disease which flared up during the stress of moving to a new home. Dormant diseases that 'tiels can have can be brought to an active state if the bird is stressed. Perhaps you could elaborate on anything you noticed about its behavior in the past couple of days that might give some kind of clue about what happened.

My most sincere condolences....

Sam

I am sorry to hear of your new birdie dying.....that is just so sad. But please don't blame yourself....like Sam said birds hide their illnesses very well.

It is usually best to bring a new bird to the Vet for a "new bird checkup" but it almost sounds like your bird was just too sick already. I would not buy another bird at that store.....whatever your bird died of could be in the other birds systems.

Please don't let this keep you from getting another bird....you seem to have a lot of love to give so keep searching for another bird to bring home.

I'm sorry your new friend has gone so soon. How sad. There are 4 important reasons to refrigerate the body ASAP and take it to your avian vet today for a necropsy.

First, but least important, as your heart knows, is to get Petsmart to give you another cockatiel. The "warranty" that is fairly standard in the industry is that your bird will be "replaced" if you took it to a vet within 3 days of purchase. But if the vet doing the necropsy on your baby finds evidence of an illness that would most likely have taken longer than 2 weeks to develop and kill the baby, Petsmart will most likely agree to give you another bird.

The second reason a necropsy is important to you is to know if the baby died of something contagious because you don't want another bird from that same Petsmart if all their tiels have been exposed to the same killer disease. And third, if it was something contagious that killed the baby, you need to know what kind of cleanser will kill that deadly organism before you bring another bird into your home.

Fourth, if it was not something contagious, it might have been something in your home that was deadly, and you need to know what it was before exposing a new bird to the same threat. Here is a good list of common hazards: http://www.landofvos.com/articles/safety.html

I'm very sorry this happened. I read your earlier posts and wonder if maybe the smell you noticed was the bird's droppings. Normally droppings have no odor, but if there is bacteria in them, they often smell strong and rather sweet, like rotting garbage can smell yucky sweet.

I believe the articles you read about birds not smelling meant they don't detect scents as we do, so the aroma of food is not as meaningful to them as it might be to us. Many birds have wonderful scents in their feathers and each species (genus) is different. Those of us who've been fortunate enough to know many birds could identify birds by their scent if we were blindfolded! Cockatiels have a delicious scent. I hope you'll have the chance to learn to love it soon as I do.

We were talking in other posts yesterday about the deadly fumes from non-stick cookware. As you'll see in the article I've linked, there are many other hazards in our homes that a newcomer to birds might have no knowledge of, such as cleansers, especially aerosols. On the different chats where I read each day, it is all too common to read of birds suddenly dying. I fear it is often exposure to a toxic substance that the grieving parront might unwittingly continue to use even after bringing another bird into the home. I hope everyone will read the list carefully.

My condolences to you, Paca

Hi Adele - I am so sorry to hear about your baby. I lost my Diego just 5 short weeks ago. We had only had her for 5 weeks. She did have a cold when we got her at Petsmart, but I decided to nurse her myself with instruction from my vet rather than bringing her back to the store for a refund. But the night before she died, she played, picked at my crafting collection as I worked on things. But I came out at 2 AM to check on everything and she was sleeping on the floor of her cage. Bad sign, according to my vet, that means they don't have the strength to climb up. And at 7 AM, she was gone.

I really am sorry, I do know what you are going through. It doesn't matter how long you have them. You get attached so quick.

I don't know if others recommend this, but I went out and got another one right away. That empty cage, that empty table, it really haunted me. I will love Diego forever and nothing could ever replace her, but Casper filled a void. I don't regret it at all.

Hi Adele. I just want to say how sorry I am for the loss of your bird! I lost my female (Buddie) back in January and had to take a couple days off work to deal with it! I still miss her. Don't let this make you shy away from getting another tiel. I do agree with ParrontPlus in that you should read up on all of the many things you need to know about cockatiels...what makes them sick.....teflon....nutrition, etc. There are many websites out there with wonderful information! I adopted another tiel in February and the day I brought him home I scheduled a vet appointment and he checked out OK. As we all know, vet visits can be expensive for birds so I also recommend checking out VPI for a health insurance policy. They are relatively inexpensive.

adele wrote:Oh and if we do get another one, what should we clean the cage with? I don't want it to get sick too:(

Use a solution of 1 part bleach to 10 parts water. Clean EVERYTHING. Be sure to clean the bars one by one.
I'm sorry you lost your fid. My own opinion is I would not get another one from PetSmart or any other chain.
Have you considered adopting a cockatiel? I got my Sun Conure from Petfinders.com and I couldn't ask for a sweeter bird. My Cockatoo is also a rescue. My Cockatiel was purchased from a breeder. If you adopt from Petfinders the bird is checked out thoughly by an avian vet before you adopt.
Gloria

This may be a silly question, but what do you mean when you refer to your bird as a "fid". Is it short for "feathered kid"? I am not familiar with that term but I see it often.

Oh Adele, I'm so sorry. My parents had a cockatiel and I was staying with them for a while after I divorced, and you get attached quick. After their cockatiel died, I knew I wanted to still have a cockatiel in my life, so I knew I would get one-----one month and a half later, I got my boy, and it really does help to get another one.

Adele,
Don't beat yourself up. And yes, Fids mean Feathered Kids. For some reason I (and others like me, I'm sure) love their birds so much and DO so much for them (like their little kids). I get up 1/2 hour earlier than I normally would so I can get their food ready. Fresh water 2 or 3 times a day, more if I can. I've changed cleaning products, I don't burn scented candles anymore, I spend my day off cooking for them! So much of my life has changed........for them. We paid a fortune to bring Annie (my cockatoo) to good health. She was so sick when we got her. Her previous owner neglected her so bad. I couldn't stand to see her like that. We only paid $200 for her but, believe me, we more than made up for it in vet bills. And she is worth every dollar! We didn't get Annie from Petfinders but I'm so glad that we saved her. She is the most hilarious addition. We laugh at her every night.
I can't say enough good things about adoption (thru a reputable place). I'm glad that your considering it.

You might want to talk to your vet too. Mine is really great. She had Diego on meds so she knew what she was going thru. My doc is so understanding and took the time to make me feel less responsible and guilty!

So did the members of the group. Most of us on the group are on the group because we love our babies so much, like Gloria Jean said. They are more than pets.

I don't care if I have a dog, a hamster, or a cockatiel, they are the special.

Good luck if you get a new baby. We want to hear all about him/her!

I'm sorry for your loss. Although everyone is giving you really good advice, don't be surprised if you just never know what happened. I am also a big fan of petfinder.com, but would not write off PetSmart either. I have had lots of birds from there (and children, and grandchildren). It just depends on how they keep the store and where they got the birds. When you are ready, do get another fid & we will all keep our fingers (and claws) crossed for you.

Adele - I'm really sorry for your loss! I'm sure you did the best you could and I personally feel getting another with ease the pain. We'll be thinking of you ...

Sherwins Mom -
FIDS = Feathered Kids
FRATS = Feathered Brats - quite appropriate for my two!!

I'm so sorry for your loss. It is always hard to loose one of your feathered or furred kids.

Everyone has given you great advice. Another place you can look for a new birdie is at rescues. If you would like some help finding one, just let us know what city/state you are in and maybe we can help.

Here is a poem for you:
RAINBOW BRIDGE FOR BIRDS

Just this side of Heaven is a place called Rainbow Bridge. When a bird dies that has been especially close to someone here, that companion goes to Rainbow Bridge. At Rainbow Bridge there are meadows and hills and beautiful trees of all kinds where all our special friends can fly and climb, hang and flap, hop and run, jump and play, squawk and squeal and sing together. There is plenty of good food, including grapes and peanuts, ice cream and cheese and spaghetti, and especially lots of pizza. There is crystal clear water in brooks, and springs are filled with water as well as every kind of delicious fresh fruit juice. One warm spring even runs full of the coffee they can now drink their fill of without hearing a single no-no. There is lots of glorious sunshine, and sweet warm rain when they want it, and our friends are warm and comfortable and totally at peace.
All the birds who had been ill or old are restored to health and vigor and to their natural incredible beauty. Their feathers shine, their wings feathers are whole, and their eyes gleam once again with vitality. Those who were hurt or maimed or ignored or broken-hearted are made whole and strong and free of fear again, just as we remember them in our dreams of days gone by.
The birds are happy and content..... except for one small thing -- they each miss someone very special to them who had to be left behind when the bird returned home. Still they all fly and play happily and safely and noisily together - even the grouchiest greys and orneriest senegals, the tiniest finches and the grandest macaws.

But the day comes for each bird when he suddenly stops and looks far into the distance. His body freezes and his bright eyes are intent as he watches and listens in silence. Suddenly he begins to fly from the group, soaring over the green grass, his wings flapping harder and harder!!!

You have been spotted, and he shrieks to you and then calls your name and his own and cries again and again and as he rushes toward you. When you and your bird finally meet, you cling to each other in joyous reunion, knowing you will never be parted again. Your face and your fingers - and even your toes - and covered with beak nibbles and soft ecstatic kisses. Your hair is preened by that special beak, and his head bends under your fingers to invite your touch. Your hands again find their way under beloved wings, to caress the downy softness beneath. You look once more into the trusting eyes of your companion-- so long gone from your physical life on earth, but never for an instant absent from your heart.

Your tears of joy are gently brushed away by those beloved wings... and feeling immersed once more in total contentment and love, you and your beloved companion cross Rainbow Bridge together."[/url]

When Buddie passed away back in January, my sister sent me a copy of Rainbow Bridge and although it didn't take the pain away, it was nice to imagine your pet at this place. Thank you for sharing that!!

Spoiltfrats - thanks for the explanation! I figured it was something like that and absolutely appropriate for my tiel! It's my fault though....I love to spoil him!!

Adele, sorry to hear of your loss, I've had Luna for 10 months and when I don't hear her, I worry!

You and your family did a good thing by bringing her to your home. You gave her love and compassion - that's what every living thing needs and wants. You gave her a good life for the last two weeks, that's more then alot of us get.

Give yourselves a few days or a week or two but get another. Make it a family outing to find the newest member to your family. I got Luna at a bird store, just find one that fits your family wherever it may be now.

Best wishes to you and your family.