Can a routine beak trim be fatal

[Mudkips]

This story makes me so angry and sad at the same time.
Perhaps there was some infected dust from another bird on the tool used for beak trimming?

I'm so sorry for the loss of your friend. It sounds like you both shared an amazing time together that you'll always remember.

R.I.P Rio

 

[Scott]

Our Cape has scissor beak, it requires careful trimming to keep it from becoming a problem.
That being said I do not allow them to take her from the room when its being done, she also is not allowed to eat prior to her trims.

Im so very sorry, thats devastating.

Sorry for your loss.
The last visit to our vet, my Amazon was toweled for nail trim, beak and wings. She was panting so hard, I asked the vet if she was towel d to tight. When they uncovered her she had feathers in her mouth and lost a feather on her head. From now on if I feel something is going wrong I'm not not to be afraid to speak up. Thanks for sharing your story.

So important to remain with your bird during these periodic procedures. Many parronts are squeamish and prefer to be absent, but IMHO it is necessary. Some vets and techs become tone-deaf to distress and remain focused on completing the task.

Please don't ever feel sheepish about questioning a vet - the good ones are open to your input and observations.

 

[blkdog]

Thank you everyone for your kind words. I think what happened to Rio is extremely rare and maybe, many factors played together to lead to this tragedy. I believe some birds do need to get their beaks trimmed. I had asked my vet right after I adopted Rio how I could avoid beak trims and he said especially in Eclectus it is hard to avoid since they do not chew harder woods. Eclectus love toys and love to chew softer, thinner wood and even cardboard and paper toys. I was extremely obsessive about feeding Rio a correct Eclectus diet. My vet always commented about Rio's feather condition and beak color which indicated a proper diet. I just want to point this out because I don't want people to feel they are doing something wrong if their bird needs a beak trim. We can not totally emulate a wild bird's environment and so in captivity a bird may need a beak trim even if he is on a proper diet and has plenty of chew toys.

I think what I would like to see people take away from this is:
- Do not feed your parrot before vet appointments, this had never occurred to me before.
- Have the vet do the beak trim with you present and don't be afraid to advocate for your bird if it seems to stressful for him.
- Lastly, and most importantly, cherish every moment with your bird, love him, play with him and enjoy him.

I was fortunate, I am a stay at home mom and so I was able to spend all day with my bird. He followed me from room to room, we had play stands in every room in our house. He took showers with me, ran errands with me and even had a parrot backpack so he could join me on walks with my two dogs. He loved hanging out in in outdoor aviary on beautiful days. He knew colors and shapes, loved to do tricks for a sunflower seed, played ball with my poodle and spoke a ton of words and even sentences. He was a kind, gentle soul who loved attention and loved everyone he met. He didn't have a mean bone in his body and never in all the years I lived with him did he ever bite anyone. He loved to eat, he loved helping me make the birdie bread, he loved singing along to the radio in the car and talking to unsuspecting people on the phone pretending to be me. Our time together was a gift that I will cherish until the last beat of my heart and if I am lucky we will than be together again.

Thank you for taking the time to read my post, I hope it has been helpful for people, I know writing this and reading all of your compassionate posts has been helpful for me.

 

[blkdog]

I am so deeply sorry for the loss of your beloved Rio. it sounds like the two of you had an amazing bond and that his life, while far too short, was an incredibly happy one.

Short of a necropsy, you'll never know for certain what caused Rio's death. But the scenario you described sounds plausible. Thank you so much for caring enough to take the time to post this warning for others who may want to give their birds a trim. My birds never need beak trims, but what I have taken from your story is to try to schedule any of their future veterinary appointments far enough away from their last meal that aspiration will be less likely. it's something I'd never even considered before this. Thank you for that.

If you would like, I can move this thread to the Bereavement sub-forum for you. Though if you would prefer, it can remain here. Whichever course makes you more comfortable.

My thoughts and prayers are with you in this difficult time.

Please feel free to move this to Bereavement or you can leave it here, I will leave it up to you. Thank you

 

[Anansi]

I am so deeply sorry for the loss of your beloved Rio. it sounds like the two of you had an amazing bond and that his life, while far too short, was an incredibly happy one.

Short of a necropsy, you'll never know for certain what caused Rio's death. But the scenario you described sounds plausible. Thank you so much for caring enough to take the time to post this warning for others who may want to give their birds a trim. My birds never need beak trims, but what I have taken from your story is to try to schedule any of their future veterinary appointments far enough away from their last meal that aspiration will be less likely. it's something I'd never even considered before this. Thank you for that.

If you would like, I can move this thread to the Bereavement sub-forum for you. Though if you would prefer, it can remain here. Whichever course makes you more comfortable.

My thoughts and prayers are with you in this difficult time.

Please feel free to move this to Bereavement or you can leave it here, I will leave it up to you. Thank you

You're welcome. I've moved it to Bereavement. And thanks again for sharing Rio's story with us. From the sound of it, you are an amazing parront and you did everything in your power to save your beloved ekkie.