Terrasage Posted June 24, 2008 Share Posted June 24, 2008 Hello fellow bird lovers, On Saturday night, totally unexpectedly, my Timneh African Grey of 20 years, "Smoky", died. At about 4 PM I noticed him sitting on the bottom of his cage all fluffed up. When I held out a peanut, he managed to climb up to his perch, but when he put out a foot to take the peanut, it looked like he was off-balance and he did not take the peanut. He took it in his mouth and tried to eat it though, which seemed like a good sign. He was also still responsive to my clucks and clucked back, which also seemed like a good sign. I called Cornell emergency, and they suggested bringing him in so they could do some tests but also warned that the drive could stress him out. I then recalled there was an avian vet close by, so I called him and made arrangements to bring Smoky in. I had a heckuva time getting Smoky to come out of his cage, and had to "peel" his claws from around the cage bars. I had to take him out of his cage because it would not fit in our truck all in one piece and the vet wanted us to bring it with us. I cradled Smoky in my arms and covered him up with a towel. He struggled a bit, so I took the blanket off. He didn't seem to know where to put his wings, so I helped him tuck them into his body. He snuggled in, then he looked up at me, he panted a couple of times and made these little "mewing" sounds and that he would make when ever he and I would cuddle. I kissed his beak and he kissed me back. I walked outside to our truck, and the truck door hadn't even shut before Smoky was gone. We just buried him in our garden a little while ago. I wanted to get an autopsy, and I am so dumbfounded at how little time there was between discovering he was ill and then his death. However, an autopsy is $350.00. My own inspection found nothing obviously unusual. His vent was clean, there were no obvious injuries of any type, his droppings looked normal. His appetite had not changed observably. Can anyone give me any insight at all as to what might have happened? There was nothing unusual in his environment, routines, etc. I am so shocked and confused and not handling this very well. Any help will be so very appreciated. Thank you, Tracy Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Toni Posted June 24, 2008 Share Posted June 24, 2008 So sorry for your loss. My sympathys with you. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Talon Posted June 24, 2008 Share Posted June 24, 2008 I am so sorry for your loss. But without further testing, there is no way to know what happened to your precious bird. It could have been many different things. My thoughts & prayers are with you. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
judygram Posted June 24, 2008 Share Posted June 24, 2008 Tracy, I am so sorry to hear of your loss, you have my deepest sympathy. Like Talon mentioned, without a necropsy done there is no way to know what he died of, it could have been one of many possibilities. As you know birds hide illness well until they can no longer so Smoky might have been ill for a while before he showed any symptoms. You did everything you possibly could so don't blame yourself in any way and I am sure he knew you loved him but this will take some time to get over, maybe you could put a piece about him in our memorial section. I have included a link to the Rainbow Bridge poem if you haven't read it already it is so comforting at this time in your life. http://rainbowsbridge.com/Poem.htm<br><br>Post edited by: judygram, at: 2008/06/24 04:51 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted June 24, 2008 Share Posted June 24, 2008 Oh, I am so sorry to hear about your loss. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
slmclean Posted June 24, 2008 Share Posted June 24, 2008 so sorry to hear about your loss my prayers and thoughts are with you. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
danmcq Posted June 24, 2008 Share Posted June 24, 2008 Tracey, what a heart wrenching story Smoky and his passing on in your Arms. :-( You have my condolences and prayers for you and your families hearts to mend. As others have said, an autopsy is the only way of knowing the underlying cause. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
casper Posted June 25, 2008 Share Posted June 25, 2008 I cant even imagine how you are feeling. I am so sorry for your loss. Caroline. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lyric Posted June 25, 2008 Share Posted June 25, 2008 Hi Tracy, we're all so sorry to hear about Smoky. It sounds like he was much loved and you can take comfort from the fact that he knew you loved him right up to the end. I wish we could help you understand what happened but with no unusual symptoms and no necropsy it would be impossible for us to know. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lovemyGreys Posted June 25, 2008 Share Posted June 25, 2008 Sorry for your sad loss.Im afraid an autopsy is the only way to find out exactly was wrong with Smokey. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Terrasage Posted June 25, 2008 Author Share Posted June 25, 2008 What a great group of people you are. Today somewhat of a miracle occurred. I had posted my experience with Smoky on one of our local chat boards, and someone referred me to a local certified avian vet who just opened a practice about 5 minutes away from where I live. I gave them a call, they were incredibly nice to deal with, and they charge only $100 for a necropsy. This sounds a bit macabre, but I exhumed Smoky and brought him in. They said as long as I hadn't frozen him, they should be able to get some reliable information--or at least that's how I interpreted it. I know even with Alex and all the resources available to his researchers, they could not determine what he died from. But I have to at least try. Even I can't believe how in shock I still am. Thank you for all of your kind words, I'll let you know the outcome. Sincerely, Tracy Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
di2008 Posted June 25, 2008 Share Posted June 25, 2008 hi tracy, so sorry for you very sad loss, can't even begin to imagine how you are feeling, but maybe when/if you have any results back they may ease the pain just a little, just remember that you loved him dearly, this im sure he knew. my thoughts and prayres are with you and your family at this time Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
yadel Posted June 25, 2008 Share Posted June 25, 2008 Im so sorry for your lost.My prayers will be with you all the way Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
judygram Posted June 25, 2008 Share Posted June 25, 2008 Good for you Tracy on exhuming Smoky's body to have a necropsy performed, in finding out why he died it may in some way prevent someone else from losing one the same way. Please keep us informed of whatever you find out. I will continue to keep you in my thoughts and prayers to help ease your pain. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted June 25, 2008 Share Posted June 25, 2008 You did good Tracy. Perhaps knowing will give you some feeling of acceptance... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
danmcq Posted June 25, 2008 Share Posted June 25, 2008 Thanks for the update and information on finding a good vet that is willing to perform the necropsy for $100. That will at least put some closure for you on the "What Happened" and give a small sense of closure. Secondly, it may well provide valuable information for all us "Other" Grey owners to perhaps avoid such a sudden and unexpected death. :-) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Terrasage Posted June 28, 2008 Author Share Posted June 28, 2008 Hi everyone, Well, a week later and it still hurts, but I feel a little better. Smoky's necropsy was done and I was able to discuss it with the vet yesterday. First of all, "he" turned out to be a "she"! She was unable to determine his age as there are no clear indicators until they hit about 60 years and possibly start developing arthritis. His body condition was not good. She said that the food I was feeding him was not ideal (Kaytee eXact). He had no discernible body fat. I was incredulous as he has been eating this food for at least ten years, plus added fruits and veggies. She said that a lot of research has been done on bird nutrition and that he probably was not metabolizing it correctly. I'm still a little confused by this as it sounds like he's been starving to death for the last ten years. Ultimately she feels that he died from hypocalcemia, which is common in greys. She said that if there is anything good about this whole thing, it's that he died from a chronic condition, not an acute one that could have been treated. I've attached the report for everyone's information, and if anyone is interested, you can view the video of him that the vet refers to in her report at http://picasaweb.google.com/tjligouri/VideoOfSmoky. Thanks again for your thoughts and prayers. Tracy [file name=Necropsy_report.pdf size=45137]http://www.greyforums.net/components/com_joomlaboard/uploaded/files/Necropsy_report.pdf[/file]<br><br>Post edited by: Terrasage, at: 2008/06/28 18:02 Necropsy_report.pdf Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted June 29, 2008 Share Posted June 29, 2008 So it takes 10 years to show signs of eating not the right food? I am dumbfounded :unsure: I am happy though that you have an answer - The report doesn't show when I click the link, I get a 404 msg. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
M2MM Posted June 29, 2008 Share Posted June 29, 2008 Terrasage wrote: a week later and it still hurts, but I feel a little better. It's going to take a long time the heal from this shock. You wouldn't be human if you got over it right away. Give yourself time to mourn, but you will recover more fully if you get yourself another bird (maybe a rescue?) We'll be thinking of you... :cheer: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Toni Posted June 29, 2008 Share Posted June 29, 2008 I couldnt look it up. The link says not found. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Terrasage Posted June 29, 2008 Author Share Posted June 29, 2008 Let me try this again... [file name=Necropsy_report.pdf size=45137]http://www.greyforums.net/components/com_joomlaboard/uploaded/files/Necropsy_report.pdf'>http://www.greyforums.net/components/com_joomlaboard/uploaded/files/Necropsy_report.pdf[/file] [file name=Necropsy_report.pdf size=45137]http://www.greyforums.net/components/com_joomlaboard/uploaded/files/Necropsy_report.pdf[/file][code:1] Ok, I'm doing something wrong when trying to attach that file. I'm working on it....<br><br>Post edited by: Terrasage, at: 2008/06/29 16:07 Necropsy_report.pdf Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
prrthead Posted June 29, 2008 Share Posted June 29, 2008 Dear Tracy I just finished reading about Smoky:( I am so sorry for your loss. As the others have said he knew that he was loved and cared for him/her to the best of your abilities. I am curious to know if there is a test or something a vet can do to catch this so it could possibly be reversed. My sympathy goes to you and your family. Thank you for letting us know what the cause was. Mary Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Terrasage Posted June 29, 2008 Author Share Posted June 29, 2008 Mary, I believe they will test their blood as part of an annual check up with an avian vet. My vet said that a lot of people don't do this because of the expense. I never took Smoky to the vet because he always seemed great and I didn't want to stress him out unnecessarily. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
danmcq Posted June 29, 2008 Share Posted June 29, 2008 Hello Tracy, If you are having problems posting a file. Please let me know what type it is and I can help you get it posted. As I stated in your initial post regarding "Smokey", you have my condolences..... I can not imagine the pain. Thank you for posting the necropsy in advance, as it will help others to perhaps avoid a similar event. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Terrasage Posted June 30, 2008 Author Share Posted June 30, 2008 Trying this as an image file... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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