necropsy results.

[LovelySydney]

I got the necropsy results back regarding my lovebirds and we know there is no illness in or around our house, our home check last week also came back fine (air/heating ducts, asbestos, mold, etc.). Unfortunately it is believed they passed due to an accident that I do not want to post about. It is heartbreaking all over again but an experience we have to learn from. It has shown us more than anything how fragile our little babies really were & how quickly something can become deadly to their bodies.


We have since taken every single thing out of our home (again) that we believe may be harmful or could be harmful at some point. We cleaned this weekend, I cleaned this morning. It is a very hard process to go through, throwing things out that 'might' have a negative effect, but it's worth it knowing it won't be near a bird again. We threw out two more pots, just incase & we bought a new cookware set. We are trying to be as prepared as possible.



I am still talking to a parrotlet breeder in our area. My boyfriend and I spent a lot of time over the weekend talking and weighing all of our options about whether or not to continue with our plans to bring a parrotlet into our home. Getting the necropsy results today has given us a lot more to talk about.


As always, thanks for the unlimited support on this board. You are all very wonderful people and I appreciate everyone very much:)

[Pips mom]

Thanks for sharing the results with us. I totally understand you not wanting to share every little detail about what may have happened, but also remember......we do learn from these things and are more likely to avoid the accident in the future. Accidents happen.....to birds, to people....to everyone and there is no avoiding that fact. Sometimes though, we don't even realize a certain kind of accident could even happen until it's too late. We do the best we can and try to protect them, but we're human and we don't always do everything perfect.
At least now knowing there was no sickness allows you more options, more happy times sooner so that you can give another feathered friend the loving home that he needs, and he can help you through this difficult time.
I know it's still hard, but it's good that you feel like you can move ahead and not dwell ALL in the past. I don't know if I'd be quite that strong!

[Jally]

I can understand you not wanting to share, but we're not here to judge but here to learn and support each other. As I sit typing, I can't help but think that I may have the same potential hazards in my home.

There can't be any more 2 dedicated and devoted possible birdie parents than you guys. I do hope that you open your heart and home to another fiddie, soon.

[Mummieeva]

I am glad that you got possible answers. Hopefully when the time is right a fid will come into your life again.




Steph

[Flip]

I'm glad that you got the results back. And I agree with Pips mom and Jally; if it is a potential danger to our birds as well, we would be better to know what it is. I would not judge. I hope that you find your new fid as soon as you are ready. {{HUG}}

[bookworm0550]

i think you guys are great parronts and when the time is right, you'll have another bird in your life.

[LovelySydney]

Thanks everyone. I just didn't want to post it because I feel tremendous guilt about it, as does my boyfriend. We really feel terrible because this could have been prevented have we thought a little more about it.

I think I have posted that we are somewhat re-modeling our home. There is a room upstairs we have recently began the process on, and we had to remove layers and layers of wallpaper and glue and things none of the previous owners took care of. We had to use very harsh (even to humans, we had to wear face masks and gloves) chemicals to remove most of the crap off the walls. We also used various paint thinners. We had the birds downstairs in a separate room during this process. After we were done we let the place air out for two days or so before we brought the birds back. It wasn't soon enough, because Gus and Oslo both got sick that day and died nearly 24 hours later, not even. We thought that because we couldn't smell it the air was fine but that was not the case. My vet says that in a situation like that its better to remove the birds from the home until you are done working on things. He said paints and thinners and anything really with a fume could potentially be harmful, which again we knew but weren't aware it would stick around for so long.

Even today (the bedroom is now finished) I can still smell the paint in there and the thinners we used. I just wish we would have thought more about it before this all happened. Even with all the windows upstairs it made no difference. I can't sit in there without getting a headache, I don't know why I ever thought my birds would be OK.

[Jally]

Aw, LovelySydney, I am so sorry about that. We all make mistakes, and that is how we learn. We can only move forward now.

Some how, our English Budgie got his top beak torn off- I don't know how or who did it, but his top beak was almost all gone. Anyway, we took him to the vet and the vet said that with lots of TLC and round the clock nursing, he should be fine. So, we left there with hope, meds, and handfeeding supplies, even though we have never done that before. But, I felt confident that I could do it. I fed him twice a day, handfeeding formula mixed in with pureed veggies and some baby food. I also gave him water and some Pedilyte. But, it still wasn't enough. The poor guy passed away a week later due to not getting enough to eat and he was dehydrated.

I have lots of guilt, lots of what if's, lots of if only's. But, it doesn't help. I can't beat myself up any longer over it. I still do, of course, but the only thing I can do is to take better care of my fids. Not let Binky's death go unnoticed. Just like you are. You found answers and you are being proactive. I'll never know what happened to Binky, I don't know if his beak injury was an accident or someone got aggressive with him. But I do know that I need to pay better attention to all my fids and not assume that all is OK.

Big hugs. And thanks for telling us what happened. We will remember Gus and Oslo and double check whenever doing any home improvements. Just the other day, hubby was waxing his bowling ball at the dining room table and I nearly had a fit!! Now, I can share this with him and let him see that things like this can happen, unfortunately. :(

[wilkiecoco]

I don't think there is one of us who hasn't felt guilty at one time or another when it comes to our birds. They are so incredibly fragile, and it is difficult to think of every thing that could possibly harm them. All we can do is learn from our past experiences, share them with others, so that we can make our homes safer for our little companions.

I know how difficult it must have been to hear the results and then to share them with us. I appreciate that you did - I'm sending hugs your way. ((((((hugs)))))))

[cp.lovebird]

Thank you lovelysydney for sharing the necropsy results and what happened. I am so sorry you are going through this. It is amazing how sensitive and delicate birds are. This is an important reminder of that for all of us.

Please keep in touch and take care. (((HUGS)))

[Pips mom]

I am so sorry.....it must feel aweful to know that this was preventable. The thing with birds though is that there are SO many things that can make them sick or even kill them. You took them out of the house and did what you thought was right.....sometimes it's hard to judge when something is unsafe. My boyfriend put a new door in here and it had to be painted on the outside, but the door was open when he was painting. I wasn't home at the time he started painted but he knew I would have a fit and knew enough to move them into a bedroom with door closed and open windows. Turned out the paint hardly had a smell and they probably would have been just fine to stay in the living room, but I am Sooo overly careful with ANYthing that has fumes! Even when we cook, and we don't have teflon, I am watching over my boyfriend telling he better not burn it or have it on too high! then there's the outdoor grill......when he lights it up and the windows are open, there's a smell, or when he burns stuff outside, I run around closing the windows. I'm always sniffing for fumes! and the reason I'm like this??? because of stories I've heard like yours. Sharing your story with us will make people think and never forget when it comes to ANYthing that produces fumes, and it's possible in the future that you sharing this may save the lives of other birds. This is why people should never judge harshly.....we all know how much you loved your little guys.....just like parents love their children, we just can't ALWays protect them from everything.

[dani]

Thank you so much for sharing the results with us. It just may save the life of one of our birds. Last year we took our back gate down to replace it, and our yard was open. I let my dog Bitsy outside in the garden for just about ten minutes after her dinner, waiting for her to poop and come back in side as per usual. Fifteen minutes later, i could not find her. She ran through the open back gate, ran into the road, and was hit by a car and killed not a stone's throw from our house. Lovelysydney, I can't tell you how I blamed myself. i could not eat nor sleep with that vision of her lying in the road, and how helpless and horrible I felt.

We all have similar experiences, please don't blame yourself. As you can see from the post, it happens to all of us, we can never anticipate what is going to happen, and life is such a strange, fragile thing. Take care of yourself, and I am praying for you, and sending hugs your way.

(((((((Hugs))))))

dani.

[michael]

Lovelysydney....You have our prayers that never again will you ever have to experience such a tragedy. Hopefully too, by informing everyone of the possible causes, you've allowed others the chance to avoid going through the same ordeal. Thanks so much for sharing an important part of parronthood. Please take care.

[dieflying]

the last two birds i had i lost to the stupidest mistakes you could even guess, so don't feel ashamed. you thought you were doing the best you could for your little guys, and they knew that they were loved!

i hope soon you guys will find rooms in your hearts for a new little featherball. i know it's hard, you think you're hurrying to replace the little guys, but they are such a joy to have, that it is hard not to want more in time!

[JudiNh]

Im so sorry for your loss. I understand your guilt...been there myself, but try to be kind to yourself. We have ALL made mistakes with our birds, and you may have just prevented another one from happening to another bird, by sharing what happened to your sweet babies. I would have thought like you did, that if the smell is gone, the air is okay. Very logical assumption. But now I and all of us here know that it may not be the case, and to give it more time after using those types of chemicals. You may have saved another bird, by being willing to share your own painful experience. Thank you.
(((hugs)))

[Enko_chan]

re: things with fumes

there are MANY gasses that have no color, no odor and are undetectable by the human senses, yet many of these are as deadly to both the human and avian respiratory system. If you are dealing with any kind of home repair, new carpets, new furnitures- even the fumes from teflon are odorless- there are probably fumes there whether you can smell them or not. Its a very tough call when dealing with birds, how quickly to move them back in. I just wanted to make sure that everyone knows that not all deadly fumes carry tell-tale odors.

(sorry to seem callous- I've already discussed this privately with LovelySidney, though, and she knows this is not directed at her. In fact, this message isn't for her at all considering that she went through her house and tested for all kinds of gasses... both smelly and smell-free.)

[FuzzyAga]

Thank you for sharing your necropsy results. Far be it for me to judge you, LovelyS. I appreciate that it was difficult for you to write about it but please don't let the corrosive guilt do its damage on you.

You may not want to think about getting another fid just yet, but when the time is right for you, do think about opening your heart and lightening your spirit by bringing another lovie or two into your home.

Best.

[LauraO]

Kristy. I so appreciate your openess about the cause of Gus and Oslo's necropsy results. I understand the guilt you feel, but your honesty is only positive and can save the lives of many more fids in the future. Many folks come to the board thinking the moderators are overly sensative or harsh in their warnings, but with posts like yours we have reference points and can save the lives of future fids.

I shared the recent tragedy in our own home that has caused tremendous guilt for our family, but my husband and I have been through so many birdy tragedies and many could have been prevented. However, we get through knowing we did the best for our fids and they enjoyed their life with us while they were here. We use our mistakes to provide better care for those birdies still with us.

You provided the best home possible for Gus and Oslo and they passed loved and cared for.

:):)

[lemonypickett]

Hi LovelySydney,

Thanks for sharing what happened. Don't feel guilty. I know it is hard, but things happen. I wouldn't have thought that if you couldn't smell it, it was still dangerous.

Thank you for sharing, you may have saved my birds.... I am doing a home renovation and will now make the time before I bring them back very extended. Thanks so much.

So sorry for your loss.

[andreap]

I just want to say that my heart goes out to you. I get teary-eyed just thinking of how your must feel. Thank you so much for sharing with us, I know it's not easy, but it helps us to understand - like you said - how fragile our babies truly are. Thank you again for sharing.

[Janie]

I also want to thank you for sharing. It is important for all of us to know how careful we have to be around those fragile little respiratory systems.

[LoveBug12]

Wow, thank you for sharing about this. My sister just painted her room about 2 months ago and her room is in front of the house. When her room was done being painted, my mom put my bird in there with the windows open. I thought quickly that this might hurt Junior so I took him out. Now I know not to have him around any paint or chemical of any sort. Thanks to you, you might have saved some birdy lives due to your experience :). I'm so sorry for your loss and I wish you the best in finding another bird!



-Katelyn