Sun Conure passed away

henrygunson

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Jun 10, 2018
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Western Australia
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Jeff Jeff the Sun Conure
Hi all,

My beautiful best friend 'Jeff Jeff' passed away late last night. Nothing has been more upsetting in my life so far.

I'm posting today as I would like to know if anyone can offer answers as to why it happened. I came home from my partner's house to find Jeff in his bed sleeping in the middle of the day (which is very unusual for him) when normally he is squawking with excitement to see me. I tried to offer him some food - but nothing, he had lost all energy and his head would pick up and then slowly fall down and he would go into a deep 'sleep' if that's what you would call it. I read forums and I knew he could have a number of conditions so I kept him warm and in a quiet place while I called the vet. The vet didn't have any avian specialists until the morning after so I booked an appointment.

Throughout the night Jeff did start gaining some energy, he lifted his head a few times to look around and opened his eyes. Later in the night he tried to move from his bed and freaked out a little I think, so my partner (which he doesn't like) picked him up and he freaked out even more (probably because he doesn't like her) and then just went completely still and when I held him I knew straight away he had passed.

I love this bird so much and I did everything for him - the morning before I found him like this he was full of energy and happy to eat. My thought is that he might have caught a flu or virus overnight as our house was quite cold.

I feel absolutely horrible and I would just love some answers. Thank you.
 

Jen5200

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Mar 27, 2017
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I’m so sorry for your loss, nothing prepares you for the sudden loss of a best friend.

Birds hide illness so well, and it can be difficult to know something is wrong until it is urgent. The only way that I know to find out for sure what he passed away from is to have a necropsy done.
 

BoomBoom

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May 2, 2012
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Boomer (Sun Conure 9 yrs), Pewpew (Budgie 5 yrs), Ulap (Budgie 2 yrs), Eight & Kiki (Beloved Budgies, RIP)
I'm so sorry to hear about Jeff Jeff :( I understand what you're going through and many on this forum will as well.

I lost my 3 year old parakeet, Kiki, quite suddenly over 3 weeks ago. Active one minute, no longer alive the next. Like you, I was confused. I was searching for answers. What I should have done was take his body to the vet for a necropsy to determine the cause of death. But in the moments after his death, the heart ruled over the mind and so I decided to bury him the next day instead. I'm still wondering what happened. Perhaps knowing "why" would have softened the grief a little.

Perhaps you may consider a necropsy for Jeff Jeff? I offer this suggestion because I now wish I had - for my own peace of mind. It's the best way to determine the cause of death. If you think necropsy is something you can go through, I'd refrigerate (not freeze) Jeff Jeff's body as soon as possible to prevent further deterioration until you can speak to your avian vet. If you don't think you can manage necropsy, that's perfectly understandable.

How old was Jeff Jeff? Besides lethargy, loss of appetite and weakness, what other symptom did he exhibit? Was he vomiting (not to be confused with regurgitation)? When my sun conure got very, very sick all of a sudden a few years ago, he showed many of the same symptoms yours did. Evening before, he was normal, eating, etc. The very next morning, very little appetite and had a weak grip on my finger. His eyes were half closed and was too weak to really fly. He lost about 5 grams compared to his weight a few days prior. He vomited grayish, green liquid. It was vomit because he shook his head side to side as opposed to up and down. I was lucky because it was the weekend so I was at home and I managed to get him to a vet in a few hours. He was given a shot of antibiotic, followed through with oral antibiotic for 7 days. Blood test revealed that his white blood count was extremely high - a sign of massive infection that his body was trying to fight. The only thing I could pinpoint it to was a possible bad egg I served him. I ate the same egg and remembered feeling dizzy after. Needless to say, I avoided eggs at all cost after that point. Did Jeff Jeff eat anything out of the ordinary the past few days?
 
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Aratingettar

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May 29, 2018
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Peach faced lovebird Fionek (M)
I'm truly sorry for your loss. I know how strongly one can bond with a Sun, it makes things even harder.

I second the necropsy. The cause might be everything from the bacterial infection, heart attack, to poisoning (heavy metal, fumes). This way you'll learn what to do or what not to do if you decide to get a new feathered friend, after your wounds will heal.

Hopefully JeffJeff's time was a quality time he enjoyed much.
 

wrench13

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We ( Satly, Geri and I ) offer our condolences to you. We lost our little Maxie a number of years ago, and me, a big strong biker, a man of years, cried like a baby and I still get all choked up when I talk about him. Parrots have a way of latching onto our hearts and the loss of one is heart rendering. He is buried in our yard, under a massive bolder I had brought in and inscribed with his life and death. Usually I do this for long time members, but your loss of Jeff Jeff has touched me - I made a donation in Jeff Jeff's name to the Cornell College Vet school, specifically directed to be used for parrot related studies and programs. So he will be immortalized in that way. Fly free over the bridge Jeff Jeff. He will be waiting for you when you arrive.
 

itzjbean

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Jan 27, 2017
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So sorry for your loss. You said he was sleeping in his 'bed'...what kind of bed does he have? I ask this because with happy huts or any type of 'bed' with soft cotton bedding they can chew on the stuff and it gets compacted in their guts until it turns fatal.

If you can, get a necropsy done on your bid. I lost a cockatiel of mine this year and was devastated, had a necropsy done and found out she had passed of liver and kidney failure, something she was likely born with that I could not have prevented. Sad but it brought me much closure to know exactly for sure, and also to know she didn't spread an illness to my other bid.
 

Anansi

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I am so very sorry for your loss. Losing our feathered companions can be so difficult and painful. My thoughts and prayers go out to you and your partner.

As for possible causes, as has been mentioned already only a necropsy can say for certain. I can tell you, though, that birds don't catch colds or flus in the way we do. Cold might have been a factor, depending on just how cold you're talking, how quickly the temperature dropped to that low point, and whether or not there was a draft. Birds have an impressive ability to acclimate themselves to colder temps, given a gradual decline. They trap pockets of warm air within their down feathers to keep them appropriately warm. So if the temp in your house was even down to the 50's or so, as long as it wasn't a rapid drop and there weren't any drafts, it probably wasn't a factor.

As BoomBoom mentioned, if you decide to get a necropsy for him be sure to refrigerate him until the time comes to take him to the vet. Freezing will only damage the tissue and diminish the accuracy of the examination. Also, time is of the essence. It should be done within 3 days, and each day that passes heralds an additional loss of accuracy.

Again, my condolences for your loss.
 

EllenD

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I'm very sorry for your loss. I agree that taking him to an Avian Vet for a necropsy will not only give you an answer as to why he passed away, but it may also help you deal with the loss a bit more...

He did not catch a cold or flu/virus overnight from the cold, that doesn't happen that way, so don't think for a minute that he died because your apartment was cold. He may have contracted a viral, bacterial, or fungal infection days, weeks, or even months ago from being exposed to the microbes of such, and you just were not aware that he was sick at all. This is very common, as birds instinctively hide all outward signs of illness or injury/pain until they are often close to death. This is a survival technique that is innate in all birds, it protects them and their flockmates in the wild. So often their owners have no idea that they're sick until it's too late to help them.
 

GaleriaGila

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I can only add my sincere sympathy, and the hope that a necropsy can tell you something definitive.
Jeff Jeff passed away while loved and treasured, and that's an eternal gift.
 

Scott

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My deepest condolences for your loss of Jeff. Avian companions weave a bond of love few outside the community appreciate. I hope in time your memories are brighter than your current grief.
 

Kentuckienne

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My condolences on this sad day ... losing a parrot is one the worst experiences of my life, and it wasn’t even my parrot. I hope you get some answers. My vet says birds hide their illnesses so well that one day they are eating and singing and being fine, and the next day they are dead in the cage. By the time we notice something is wrong, it’s often too late. I wish I knew of some balm for your soul.
 
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henrygunson

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Jun 10, 2018
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Western Australia
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Jeff Jeff the Sun Conure
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Hi again everyone,

I am overwhelmed by the amount of love and support you have all provided. As many of you have said, the bond between yourself and a bird is like no other. Jeff Jeff truly had a unique character and an amazing personality.

Over discussion with my family last night, we have decided that we are instead going to bury him in our back garden. After reading your replies and other forums - it's evident that Jeff Jeff could have had absolutely anything.

To reply to some of your questions, his bed was indeed a happy hut, surrounded by a sort of fluff which he did like to occasionally chew. In terms of diet, I fed him the usual seed mix and whenever I have breakfast he climbs down onto the table and attempts to eat some. Sometimes I let him have a bit of my toast but nothing more.

Thanks again for all your support guys, it really means the world. :orange:
 

EllenD

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I'm so very sorry for your loss, it's a terribly difficult thing to go through, especially when it's sudden and unexpected as this was...

You're correct, it could have been anything, however, my guess is going to be the Happy-Hut, as they have been responsible for hundreds, if not thousands of bird deaths. They need to be completely removed from the marketplace and not sold at all. They think that putting a little disclaimer on the packaging about not being for certain conures is good enough, when in-fact every species of parrot has been injured and/or killed by those things...It needs to stop. Now.
 

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