Expert: Marie Charon - 11/16/2009

Question
QUESTION: Yesterday my son found our budgie bird struggling to crawl up side of cage with one foot appearing paralyzed hanging with foot curled. The bird had been fine only minutes before. She died today about 20 hours after. Last evening she was cleaning self yet and eating seeds. We were giving her water through syringe to keep her hydrated. We noticed she was acting alittle confused and wanted to be held. Looking back past few months she was sleeping more and stools more watery. We had her to vet about 3 weeks and noticed nothing specific. We went to have nails trimmed. We had the budgie for about 10 year and we are not sure how old when we got her maybe a year or two. We had called the vet yesterday and we were going to bring the bird in early tomorrow morning (Monday). Would a bird die so suddenly if only for a broken or sprained leg/foot? Or was is due to age and possible inter disease such as a tumor/stroke or of the liver? I worried she fell off because of something placed wrong in cage.  My son is 17 and grew up with the bird and he was very attached to her--having her with him outside of cage daily--she slept in in hands all the time. She died in his hand today. I am hoping it is related to a natural death and not something we did to harm the bird.  Any thoughts--does this sound like something that happens to birds in old age?  Thank you for your input.

ANSWER: My guess is the bird became ill and passed away from natural causes. It actually sounds like diabetes to me.

I very much doubt that something in the cage hurt her. It sounds like you guys gave her a life filled with love and care, so please, rest easy. You provided a wonderful home for your pet, and she died in the hands of someone who loved her. What more can anyone ask for when it is out time to pass?

Love and Blessings,
Marie

---------- FOLLOW-UP ----------

QUESTION: Thank you for your response. I had not thought about diabetes but had heard about it. I thought it may have been a stroke or tumor. Is there anything we could have done to protect the bird from getting diabetes or if my son would ever get another budgie?  Thanks again for your kind words. My son is taking the bird to be cremated and put her ashes away out of respect. The weather in Minnesota is cold already and the ground to hard to properly bury the bird.  

Answer
No other than a healthy diet, with a lot of fruit and vegies and insulin(to control it)their is nothing that you can really do for birds getting diabetes any more than you can prevent humans from getting it. It is just kinda the unlucky draw.

God bless and peace be with you!

Happy Holidays
-m