What Happened? Help?

inspectorQ

New member
Sep 5, 2015
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Parrots
Green Cheek Conure
Last night my little Green Cheek Conure passed away suddenly with no warning at all. He was less than 3 years old.

I spent the day playing with him, he did his usual chirping, biting, playing, and eating. Nothing abnormal at all.

In the evening when he was in his cage resting I was in my bedroom and I heard him making little sneezing sounds (several in a row) and it was bizarre so I went in to check on him. He looked fine, but started bobbing his head and then regurgitated something. It wasn't much so I couldn't actually see if it was a seed, or what it was. After that he began to act funny. He was weak, and hid in the back of his cage and wouldn't come out. (Typically, he would launch out of his cage when the door was opened, but he wouldn't come out). Then things got really bad, he started panting with his mouth open and his tail was bobbing. I tried to get him to drink water and offered him his favorite treat to no avail. My boyfriend and I frantically started calling vets but no one was open (his normal vet is an hour away and was closed) and then emergency vet in my area said they had no experience with birds at all. Finally I took him out of the cage because he was so weak he couldn't perch. I held him and talked to him and shortly after, he let out some squeaks, and was gone.

I'm going through some horrible, horrible grief. I went out of my way to make sure there was nothing unsafe for birds in my apartment. No Teflon use, no chemicals, only all natural cleaners, and I used bird-safe wipes for his cage that was cleaned daily. He ate a great diet, and was never anything but perfectly healthy until yesterday. His last vet visit was less than 2 months ago and they said he was good to go. The only thing they did was trim his nails a little bit because he wouldn't let me (he was a funny bird). Within an hour of his symptoms starting yesterday, he was gone. I didn't have a chance to do anything. I feel totally overwhelmed with the grief and sadness that I don't know what to do.

Could someone please tell me what could have happened to my sweet little bird? Has anyone else experienced this?

Thank you ahead of time for your help, I miss my conure so much :5_sad:
 

Mimsy01

New member
Jul 7, 2014
512
1
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GCC-Foofany
European Starling-Zeki
BCC-Ellie House Sparrow-Napolean Parakeet-Bean
I don't have any advice to offer. You have my deepest sympathy, I can only imagine how you must feel. My heart breaks for you.
 

WilliamKenyon

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Aug 21, 2015
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Mango: Male cockatiel, Ruby: Female eclectus
I feel so sad for you lost your baby in such a horrible way :( . As for what happened to him. Did he have a happy hut or something similar in his cage? if so he may have eaten the fibers and got a blocked gizzard or other problem. I have also heard of birds dying because they had a cold or other sickness that caused them to have their esophagus inflame and then when they eat they can't swallow the food and so choke. I hope you find out what happened to him as this is very sad, respects to your bird. :(
 

Aquila

New member
Nov 19, 2012
1,225
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Philadelphia
Parrots
Sydney - Blue Front Amazon
Gonzo - Congo African Grey
Willow - Cockatiel
RIP:
Snowy, Ivy, Kiwi, Ghost - Parakeets
Berry - Cinnamon GCC
It sounds like something might have been impacted in his crop, but I'm not a vet. If you want, a vet should be able to do an autopsy that might clear your mind.

I lost my GCC last December suddenly, no warning, happened overnight. Please don't blame yourself, because there's no possible way you can prepare for everything, and it seems as though you were doing everything right.
 
OP
inspectorQ

inspectorQ

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Sep 5, 2015
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Green Cheek Conure
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Thank you everyone for the sympathy. I'm hoping the grief will get better with time, but for today I'm deeply hurt and so confused.

My first thought was that he was choking but he didn't act like it and he did chirp here and there. It just all happened so fast - it was the fastest progressing sickness I've ever witnessed in my life. I hope and pray it wasn't from anything that I did.
 

RavensGryf

Supporting Member
Jan 19, 2014
14,233
190
College Station, Texas
Parrots
Red Bellied Parrot /
Ruppell's Parrot /
Bronze Winged Pionus /
English Budgie
I am so terribly sorry that you lost your baby. It's shocking and upsetting I know.

If you can consider a necropsy, that might reveal the cause and give you some closure, although sometimes they're inconclusive.
 
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inspectorQ

inspectorQ

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Sep 5, 2015
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Green Cheek Conure
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I thought about the necropsy butthere isn't a guarantee I'll get answers, like you said, but it is guaranteed that I'll be super upset and probably have a breakdown at the vets office. I don't know if I have it in me to have that done. He was my first parrot.
 

Aquila

New member
Nov 19, 2012
1,225
1
Philadelphia
Parrots
Sydney - Blue Front Amazon
Gonzo - Congo African Grey
Willow - Cockatiel
RIP:
Snowy, Ivy, Kiwi, Ghost - Parakeets
Berry - Cinnamon GCC
I thought about the necropsy butthere isn't a guarantee I'll get answers, like you said, but it is guaranteed that I'll be super upset and probably have a breakdown at the vets office. I don't know if I have it in me to have that done. He was my first parrot.

Mine was my first too, but I had her cremated and she sits in my living room with my family pictures. It's okay to be upset. PM me if you need someone to talk to.
 

Doublete

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Mar 15, 2015
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Maryland
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"Loki" turquoise GCC 1/4/15 hatch date-- "Chiqui" amazon 9/2010 hatch date---- "Banner" green parrotlet hatchdate 11/22/16

RIP "pineapple" lovebird
You don't have to be present for it.
It may help you so you can a) prevent it in the future or b) know there was nothing you did.

So it could help in the grief process.

I lost a foal last year and I was completely broken. My vet did a necropsy so he had piece of mind that we did all we could. But he wouldn't allow me to see and he loaded the body afterwards. I will say as upset as I wAs it helped a lot as we found there was nothing we could have ever done for the baby.

Very sorry for your loss. :(
 

Kyoto

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Mar 18, 2015
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Halifax, NS, Canada
Parrots
Kyoto (AKA Kyo)-Green Cheek Conure
Charlie - Canary
Tommy - Budgie
Sunny - budgie
:'( I am so so so sorry for you!! I would be heart broken too. hugs.
 

Scott

Supporting Member
Aug 21, 2010
32,673
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San Diego, California USA, Earth, Milky Way Galaxy
Parrots
Goffins: Gabby, Abby, Squeaky, Peanut, Popcorn / Citron: Alice / Eclectus: Angel /Timneh Grey: ET / Blue Fronted Amazon: Gonzo /

RIP Gandalf and Big Bird, you are missed.
I am so sorry you have lost Sprout.

On one level a necropsy is less compelling as there are no other birds possibly affected by a communicable and treatable illness. On the other it may be inconclusive and not helpful with the grieving process. As others have posted, you do not have to be present, and most vets will deliver the results with great empathy.
 

Mariar

Well-known member
May 9, 2014
1,021
169
Clearwater Florida but grew up in Wisconsin
Parrots
Doolie,Yellow nape amazon(r.i.p.03/10/15)
Sissy,severe macaw(rescued on 03-16-15) chirpy,sparrow(beak less) jack,Jill,chase,fiona,finch, and tiger,sulfer crested(rescued 04/15/20
so sorry to hear of your loss.lots of love and feathered hugs your way.
 
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inspectorQ

inspectorQ

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Sep 5, 2015
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Parrots
Green Cheek Conure
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Thank you all for the help and suggestions, I've decided not to do the necropsy as currently I have no other pets, including birds (so no risk of any other animals being sick) and I live alone. It will probably be several months at the very least before I even consider another parrot. I'm going to need time to overcome the loss and to prepare myself to care for another bird in the way and with the love that it would deserve.
 

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