Neanderthal

Well it's been over ten days since I lost spy and I'd say emotionally it's been a rough ride. Constantly going over everything I could of or should have done. She was my companion and my friend. Better than any pet I've ever had and slipped right in as one of the family. I've been reading and researching furiously to find an answer yet I still come up blank. Everyone who I've spoken too said how good she was for me and how I shouldn't let her death stop me from buying another one in the future. However she is irreplaceable. I feel her personality was so unique and we trusted each other so much a new bird would never meet the mark. If there was ever to be a new African grey in the house it wouldn't be for at least six months now. That's after I've gone on a holiday and come back as I wouldn't want to leave a grey with my family in charge and for something to happen. What do you think guys is there love after losing one grey? Her cages and tree are still where they were and I bagged her toys up. I feel haunted where ever I go in the house as there are perches for her everywhere. But I did bury her in a sacred place in the grounds of a shrine at the top of a hill behind my house. So I know she will always be with me. I thank you all so much for your sympathy and kind words. Each post and time spent thinking of me and spy and my family is greatly appreciated and helped so much. Just knowing that there are others who have the same bond and understand what a loss it is. I feel African greys elevate themselves to be more than just pets and as such command much more respect. Your posts helped greatly when I felt alone. But only time can heal. Then only in time with much more research on finding what would have caused her death will I be able to consider another grey. An autopsy wasn't possible. I don't think the vet had the capability and my daughter wanted to bury her rather than have her messed about. I'm good at research and elimination so I will never give up until I find a list of what may have caused her death. She was my spy, my friend and companion and curiosity. May she rest in peace and may I hear her chirping amongst the other birds outside each day. Thank you again for all your kind words. I hope it's alright if I stay around and research through the archives and maybe ask a question or two. Also any advice would be taken gratefully on what I may have done wrong and what I may do better. Take care everyone and please give your greys and extra scritch from me and spy.

Within one week she went from perfect health to this.

Spy has just died. She started to breath heavily and then couldn't get her balance on her perch and she dropped dead. Tried to get her to the vets as there was a slightest sign of life and on the way on the phone he said there was nothing he could do. I'm devastated!!!

Heat pad, perch, uv lamp and bulb. Are these any good for my grey? Her being off color has made me look at everything I can do to help. Definitely the head pad and perch will be nice as we have air conditioning and right now when it's on she is either out on her tree out of the way or wrapped up in her cage covered in a thick towel let. She doesn't get much direct sunlight so I think the uv light will help. Well I'm still all very new to this and the pics are from Amazon.com. I can't find anything in Japan. What are your opinions?

Spy and I say a big thank you for all your support.

A huge phew!!! The vet was very good and knowledgable and checked her pooh and there were no germs. So he said she is probably just off color and prescribed a vitamin and stomach settling mix. 0.5ml morning and evening by a syringe. Then see how it goes for a week. He checked her heart and weight and everything was fine. He explained why she has gone off her toys and how she should return to full health soon. He gave me an out of hours number. Everything and it only cost 3000 yen. Usually there is a registration charge at most places so I'm guessing it included that, so around 30 dollars or 10 pounds. The hospital wasn't busy and the staff were very friendly. My daughter helped greatly so all I have to do now is wait for her to recover.

Thanks to google maps too I now know exactly where the vet is. 5-9, Nakadorimachi, Joetsu, Niigata, Japan 943-0883 Feeling much better as spy is taking an afternoon nap which isn't unusual.

I will let you know what the vet says and does. Hopefully it will help someone else in the future. I feel relieved knowing the help is just around the corner plus with all your support I've not driven myself crazy.

I've got the address and number and area of the vet and their times too. I've also got the money now. Spy is eating fine at the moment. The little oatmeal she did take may have given her an appetite for proper food. So now I have to wait 3 hrs until they are open and then I will feel much better and hopefully spy will get some meds.

I will. Thank you.

At the moment I'm not worried about the vet fee. I'm sure they will let me pay later as the Japanese are very honest people and do that sort of thing all the time. I've made contact with my wife and said its urgent that I get the vets details so I can go. But she is very busy and said she will send me the details at lunchtime in 30 minutes. Just reading through older posts makes me want to take her to the vet urgently. Ok. So I have to chill and wait for my wife to send the details and then I will go. Just before spy went mute she was trying hard to speak. She was saying "what are you doing" at six months old. Maybe she damaged some vocal chord by trying to talk too early? That or an internal sickness?

There are two vets who are able to deal with birds in my area and one of them has good reviews and is open later. The other had poor reviews. There are no specialist avian vets in our county. I live in a very small city where no one speaks English. The only other thing is I don't know exactly where this vet is. My wife found and called them from the Internet. Also my wife is away with all our money and credit cards as she needs them and I didn't. I can't get hold of my wife as she is a teacher of disabled students and they are all away on a school trip. I will try and get a message to her to call them and then give me the details. I've enough Japanese to say something is wrong and she needs a check. My daughters are with me and my eldest will be able to translate anything difficult. I just have to wait until they finish school. I just let spy cuddle up to me and she is still being very loving. I don't know what to do.

Well I'm taking spy to the vets on Saturday which is the earliest I can. She has gone mute and no longer playing with toys. I've tried everything possible. She is totally silent not even a chirp. She has gone passive. Not even a nip to my daughter when lightly petted which she only used to let me do. It looks like she is depressed. Yet I spend 23hrs of a day with her inside or mostly outside of her cage on her tree. She seems tired yet I spent all night last night checking that she is sleeping which she was. Bedtime was 7.30pm and woke up 6.00am when I took the cover off the cage - I had it in a way I could see her perched but apart from that total coverage. I never used to cover the cage when I first got her. But the other option is to leave her downstairs in a bigger cage alone and in an unfamiliar place. Which I decided would be more stressful as it would be dark and she'd have to search for her food and water. I've turned all fans and air conditioners off as I know they don't like breezes. I'm stumped!!! Also very worried!!! Something is obviously wrong. The only normal thing is that she will let me pick her up. The only thing it can be is internal or mental. She is fine from the outside although I think she is puffing her feathers up a little bit. Possibly to hide something but I've examined her and I can't find anything. She's been with me exactly 2 months. I've done everything in all the books and I've read about 7. I've researched on the net too so I know I'm treating her well. I show her only love as she has never done anything wrong and I wouldn't change even if she bit me or did something naughty. I can't get to the vets any sooner as I'm in Japan and my Japanese skills are below par for this situation. My wife is away on a business trip so all I can do is monitor her and try and motivate her. This morning I gave her a shower which she didn't complain about but she lacked the enthusiasm to shake off the excess water. I feel lost.

Thank you all so much for your replies. She was a bit more lively this morning which makes me happy. She was sending out the where are you chirp whenever I left her room. I wonder as she is in our bedroom - is she being quiet so I can sleep? She kind of mimics my snoring now and again. I only kept her in the bedroom since she was new to our family. Is it time to move her downstairs to the larger cage and more privacy? She just seems so content as she is just spying on me. But I feel this is the only option left. I will try tonight in the downstairs cage and see what results come in the morning.

Spy isn't as chirpy or vocal as usual? It's been for the past three days. She been eating fine, her pooh looks fine and there has been no change to her routine. I've rotated toys and still she just sits on her perch or on her tree watching me. Usually she'd be chirping to me or the tv or anything. She has just picked up "what are you doing?" Vocally but saying it when she's in a good mood. She is only 6 months old so I was never expecting such comprehension. She hasn't had an accident and she isn't plucking. I miss the usual vocalizations and I'm concerned it may be something I'm missing or not doing. Anybody have any ideas? When she was vocal I'd reward her with a sunflower seed. Not even some of them are bringing her back. She has always been shy with other family members around. But it's just been me and her for the past few days. She has even stopped the where are you chirp when I leave the room which I always reply back with a whistle. Hmmm?