Sudden death of beloved budgie

One of my budgies, Dolly, suddenly died today. She was fine less than 24 hours ago, but she took a turn for the worse this morning and died in my hands. I could tell she was going to die, so I kept her out and held her to keep her warm in her last moments. Moments before she died, she had a burst of physical exertion, like she was suddenly trying to get away from something that was chasing her. Then she was gone.

She was always rambunctious and outgoing, and her sudden death has left my apartment unusually quiet. I'm extremely saddened by her death. I can't help but think I've done something wrong, that I did something that killed her. She'd stopped eating last night, and I fed her using an eye-dropper and some unsweetened applesauce to keep her strength up. I fed her in this fashion only a few hours before she ultimately died. She'd been laying eggs recently, and I should've done more to discourage this, as egg laying except under the right conditions can pose problems. The last egg she 'laid' broke inside her, and I should've taken that as a sign that something was wrong. She still passed the egg normally and without any sign of it affecting her health. But she didn't display any signs of illness until less than 24 hours before she passed away in my hands. Her picture is attached.

I can hear her former cage-mate chirping and I wonder if she's calling out to her. They know something is wrong because one of them is gone.

My condolences on the loss of your dear budgie. We have an aging dog. He's doing well at the moment. But we know things could take a turn for the worse at any time. I recall reading, in the past, that birds are adept at hiding illness. So it's not unusual for a feathered friend to seem okay & then unexpectedly die.

Here's a link to DocJohn's article, from PC's archives, on grieving the loss of a pet:

Losing a Pet Can Be Just as Hard as Losing a Loved One

Best wishes...

3rd rock, I'm sorry for your loss of Dolly. I'm sure it was not anything you did. It was just Dolly's time.

I'm going to repeat what Skeezks said, birds have to hide illness in the wild. Our feathered friends in our homes do the same. It's a survival trait. Please be gentle with yourself. Your being with Dolly at the end let her know she was loved.

side note - it is not unusual for there to be a burst of energy before something passes. Dolly was not suffering. It's a common occurrence.

Sorry, what I'm saying isn't coming out well. I'm sorry for your loss.

I agree with Skeezkys. When I lost my cat, that article in her post, and other articles, helped me to understand the grief, and to process it. It still hurts, but I am able to go on as well.

I'm really sorry for your loss of your budgie. I don't think you did anything wrong, and you comforted her at the end, which I'm sure she knew.

splitimage

Thank you all for your kind words. It's very hard. I will bury her outside when it stops raining. I hope that will help.

I'm so sorry for your loss! I know exactly how it feels. I even fully understand that burst of energy before the last breath. That's how we lost our 14 year old Pacific Parrotlet a few years ago.

Many people can't fully understand how much love a bird can give, unless they've lived with one. Many people don't fully understand how incredibly smart they are, and how much personality they have.

Always remember the loving look your budgie gave you throughout her life. It was real!

I can't speak for you, but I felt it was easier to have lost our Parrotlet with us in our home. About six months ago, we lost our Hahn's Macaw, but he was at the vet.

Please be sure that all of your birdie's toys and everything within their reach is lead-free. It was lead poisoning that took my Hahn's Macaw. We have no idea how that could have happened. It's possible that even bird toys made abroad could contain some lead. If I ever have the chance to live with a birdie again, I think I will be especially careful about this. Be sure no paints have lead. That could even paint on a laptop cushion, or a window sill.

I hope your sorrow is less acute. You made yourself knowledgeable about your budgies. You learned more through Dolly's illness. In hindsight you wish you understood more sooner. That's natural, but you're not allowing for being human. That's not fair to you.

My beloved dog had liver cancer and severe Cushing's Syndrome. I discovered this late in her disease. There were signs, of course. I wish I had gotten more concerned sooner. I feel like she had suffering I could have done something about sooner. If I get another dog, I will be way more careful about keeping up with veternary care. This is how we learn.

I look back and think I was stupider than I had a right to be . . . because I am a nurse. But I've forgiven myself. I loved her. I would have done some things very differently, if she hadn't been my first dog. I put a great deal of effort into making her life happy. I read and taught myself a lot about the needs of her breed. It sounds like that is exactly what you do. I made very considerable sacrifices to promote her well-being. But I didn't know everything that would have been good to know. And I did have other responsibilities. So I forgive myself. My next dog will be the beneficiary of a lot I learned from having my first dog. That's how it goes in life, and I believe we have to accept that. Don't hold yourself to an impossible standard. I believe that's unwise and wrong. Don't waste your mental energy regretting that you weren't born knowing everything. Value experience and how you can grow from it.