RIP Puffy: 1998-2023

[James121515]

I am not a regular forum user, and hopefully I’m not just the next person coming on here seeking sympathy for a recently deceased bird, but I am a mess right now, and realize that you all would understand better than anyone else the pain I’m in. My beloved 25 year old sun conure who has been with me for 25 years since I was 12 years old fell ill suddenly and died within hours yesterday morning. I’m a 37 year old man and I spent the entire day balling my eyes out almost continuously and I’m worried it might be my fault. My birds are on an exclusively roudy-bush diet (with the very rare fruit treat but I have to admit I haven’t been very attentive to their diet) The only change lately is the other day I ran out of roudybush but still had a backup food bag of a different type (the colorful ones that look like Fruity Pebbles). Here’s my theory: my sun conure had never had his beak trimmed and possibly he wasn’t able to eat the other food and he slowly starved to death over the last few days. The reason being I think is that is because he would always drop his rough bush in water to eat it but this food doesn’t seem to absorb moisture. I also noticed he seemed suddenly underweight during those final hours. Would a basic necropsy be able to determine if starving was cause of death?

 

[wrench13]

I am very sorry to read of the passing of your sun conure. Most of us here have lost a treasured parrot over the years, I knwo I have. The pain recedes after awhile, try to remember all the good times and things, it helps a lot.

Parrots are very capable of starving themselves to death if the food they like is not available, that is why switching foods when getting a weanling, in example, to switch to pellets or chop is best done over weeks and months. It took my Amazon almost a year of having pellets available to recognize/accept them as food.

 

[LaManuka]

I am not a regular forum user, and hopefully I’m not just the next person coming on here seeking sympathy for a recently deceased bird, but I am a mess right now, and realize that you all would understand better than anyone else the pain I’m in. My beloved 25 year old sun conure who has been with me for 25 years since I was 12 years old fell ill suddenly and died within hours yesterday morning. I’m a 37 year old man and I spent the entire day balling my eyes out almost continuously and I’m worried it might be my fault. My birds are on an exclusively roudy-bush diet (with the very rare fruit treat but I have to admit I haven’t been very attentive to their diet) The only change lately is the other day I ran out of roudybush but still had a backup food bag of a different type (the colorful ones that look like Fruity Pebbles). Here’s my theory: my sun conure had never had his beak trimmed and possibly he wasn’t able to eat the other food and he slowly starved to death over the last few days. The reason being I think is that is because he would always drop his rough bush in water to eat it but this food doesn’t seem to absorb moisture. I also noticed he seemed suddenly underweight during those final hours. Would a basic necropsy be able to determine if starving was cause of death?

@James121515, I'm so sorry for your loss. Certainly the passing of a beloved bird breaks our hearts like so few other things can, as I unfortunately know only too well. But the best place you can possibly be right now is here, among people who do understand how very deeply it hurts. Whether a necropsy would help you in this case I'm not sure, sometimes they're inconclusive, sometimes they provide closure but sometimes it just makes us feel worse. Puffy was a VERY lucky bird indeed to have been so beloved by you for his whole life - a million years with one so loved would never be enough. My very deepest condolences go out to you and I wish for strength, comfort and peace for your broken heart.

Godspeed to the Rainbow Bridge, Puffy, until we all meet again, and I firmly believe that we will! 🙏 🌈

 

[Jcas]

I’m so sorry for your loss 💔. Having a pet who has lived most of your life with you suddenly pass is so heartbreaking. It’s hard to even wrap your head around. I don’t know how recent the picture you posted is, but in that picture your bird’s beak does not look long enough to stop him from eating. 25 is pretty old for a conure and at that age it is so hard to know what could have caused his death. It’s very possible there was something going on, like organ failure, that he just hid until the last day. It sounds like your bird lived a loved life and that’s what matters most. It’s okay to cry and grieve ; he was your friend. It takes time but we do slowly heal. ❤️

 

[4 way borbs]

It seemed you two were very close. Im am so sorry for your loss. may his spirit rise in the holy land of heaven.😢

 

[DonnaBudgie]

I am not a regular forum user, and hopefully I’m not just the next person coming on here seeking sympathy for a recently deceased bird, but I am a mess right now, and realize that you all would understand better than anyone else the pain I’m in. My beloved 25 year old sun conure who has been with me for 25 years since I was 12 years old fell ill suddenly and died within hours yesterday morning. I’m a 37 year old man and I spent the entire day balling my eyes out almost continuously and I’m worried it might be my fault. My birds are on an exclusively roudy-bush diet (with the very rare fruit treat but I have to admit I haven’t been very attentive to their diet) The only change lately is the other day I ran out of roudybush but still had a backup food bag of a different type (the colorful ones that look like Fruity Pebbles). Here’s my theory: my sun conure had never had his beak trimmed and possibly he wasn’t able to eat the other food and he slowly starved to death over the last few days. The reason being I think is that is because he would always drop his rough bush in water to eat it but this food doesn’t seem to absorb moisture. I also noticed he seemed suddenly underweight during those final hours. Would a basic necropsy be able to determine if starving was cause of death?

I'm so sorry for your loss! We all understand how losing a beloved birdie can make grown men cry buckets.

I don't think your conure (what was his name?) starved because you gave him a different food for a few days and couldn't eat it. An overgrown beak rarely prevents a parrot from eating. The tip of the beak, the part that overgrows sometimes, isn't even involved in eating that much. The lower beak grinds food against the inside surface of the upper beak until it's the right size to swallow. I've had a few budgies that had beak overgrowth problems and they never had any problem cracking seed and eating. Your bird was probably sick for quite a while and slowly lost weight without you noticing while sick but hid it well until the end. It's hard to tell when a bird has lost weight without feeling their breast area because their feathers cover their bodies so well.
A necropsy would give his weight and may reveal a cause of death but wouldn't be able to say whether he starved because he didn't eat his food. He probably wasn't eating well but it was probably because he was sick, not be wise he didn't like or couldn't eat the food. It would take longer than a few days of not eating well for a healthy sun conure to lose that much weight and starve to death.
At your conure's advanced age of 25, he may have died of whatever parrots die from in their old age. Maybe he had cancer, heart disease, kidney failure (very common in old parrots) or some other disease of old aged parrots. I don't know if a necropsy could give you the precise cause of death unless it was obvious. Kidney failure is a slow but relatively painless way for a parrot to die (according to my avian vet) and loss of appetite and weight loss are often seen with it.

Feel free to cry and grieve for as long as you need to. Maybe after some time passes you will want another bird to share your life with. Any bird you adopt will be a lucky one- you obviously loved your conure and will love another bird someday.

 

[DonnaBudgie]

I'm so sorry for your loss! We all understand how losing a beloved birdie can make grown men cry buckets.

I don't think your conure (what was his name?) starved because you gave him a different food for a few days and couldn't eat it. An overgrown beak rarely prevents a parrot from eating. The tip of the beak, the part that overgrows sometimes, isn't even involved in eating that much. The lower beak grinds food against the inside surface of the upper beak until it's the right size to swallow. I've had a few budgies that had beak overgrowth problems and they never had any problem cracking seed and eating. Your bird was probably sick for quite a while and slowly lost weight without you noticing while sick but hid it well until the end. It's hard to tell when a bird has lost weight without feeling their breast area because their feathers cover their bodies so well.
A necropsy would give his weight and may reveal a cause of death but wouldn't be able to say whether he starved because he didn't eat his food. He probably wasn't eating well but it was probably because he was sick, not be wise he didn't like or couldn't eat the food. It would take longer than a few days of not eating well for a healthy sun conure to lose that much weight and starve to death.
At your conure's advanced age of 25, he may have died of whatever parrots die from in their old age. Maybe he had cancer, heart disease, kidney failure (very common in old parrots) or some other disease of old aged parrots. I don't know if a necropsy could give you the precise cause of death unless it was obvious. Kidney failure is a slow but relatively painless way for a parrot to die (according to my avian vet) and loss of appetite and weight loss are often seen with it.

Feel free to cry and grieve for as long as you need to. Maybe after some time passes you will want another bird to share your life with. Any bird you adopt will be a lucky one- you obviously loved your conure and will love another bird someday.

Oh I see his name was Puffy! He was beautiful!

 

[Island-time]

I am new to this forum however, I did want to say how sorry I am for the loss of your loved little bird! I understand Loss and to let you know I have cried for a year and a half over the loss of someone I love so much! It is normal to grieve, so please cry as much as you feel you need to! it does take time to heal. Again, I am so sorry for your loss!kindly, islandtime

 

[LoveMyFids]

I am not a regular forum user, and hopefully I’m not just the next person coming on here seeking sympathy for a recently deceased bird, but I am a mess right now, and realize that you all would understand better than anyone else the pain I’m in. My beloved 25 year old sun conure who has been with me for 25 years since I was 12 years old fell ill suddenly and died within hours yesterday morning. I’m a 37 year old man and I spent the entire day balling my eyes out almost continuously and I’m worried it might be my fault. My birds are on an exclusively roudy-bush diet (with the very rare fruit treat but I have to admit I haven’t been very attentive to their diet) The only change lately is the other day I ran out of roudybush but still had a backup food bag of a different type (the colorful ones that look like Fruity Pebbles). Here’s my theory: my sun conure had never had his beak trimmed and possibly he wasn’t able to eat the other food and he slowly starved to death over the last few days. The reason being I think is that is because he would always drop his rough bush in water to eat it but this food doesn’t seem to absorb moisture. I also noticed he seemed suddenly underweight during those final hours. Would a basic necropsy be able to determine if starving was cause of death?

I'm so sorry to hear about your loss & I can completely relate to it, because I'm going through this as well. In late Aug. I lost my 21 yr. old Grey, who I have had since she was around 5-6mo. old & she was literally my side kick. She went to work w/me, went through moves w/me, new jobs, college, etc. The loss is brutal & when you're super close to a bird like that & have had it for decades, the void is really difficult to deal with, let alone try to accept as a new version of reality. It SUCKS. I cried daily as well for the first 2 weeks & even now (though I'm past the meltdown stage), there is sadness daily as I walk past her manzanita tree, her cage, etc. It's not something you "get over", but more something you are forced (unwillingly) to have to adapt to. In time, it will be easier to process. YES, a necropsy by an avian vet can certainly tell you a lot & determine the cause of death in most cases. There are many unseen reasons why a bird seemingly falls ill quickly-especially at ages past 15 yrs. old. It can be kidney disease/failure, heart attack from high cholesterol, stroke, seizures, ingestion of something which has blocked their stomach or intestines (that's what happened to mine), etc. Usually, when you are able to visually witness a change in behavior, eating or weight, the issue has been going on for awhile internally. Only blood tests really show these problems, which is why it's recommended to get that yrly. health check up w/a full blood panel, so you can start treating an issue earlier than later if needed. Most people don't bother if the bird seems fine + it isn't cheap, but it's really an important thing to do. It may have nothing to do w/the food change at all, but something else the bird already had. They can have chronic things go on that you don't see like high uric acid levels or liver enzymes being off. Again, I'm sorry for your loss & my sincere condolences to you. I hope you will feel better soon. If you do get a necropsy, please do share on here to help others. The more info. we share from all of our experiences, the better we all can be to stay informed & be better parents. Peace to you.

 

[GaleriaGila]

We are so glad you came to us for sympathy and understanding. There is something I always say to somebody who loses a beloved pet...
Your darling passed while adored and treasured and loved, and that lasts and shines into Eternity.
Godspeed.