... we paid the price.

 

Earlier this year we had the back door painted and the guy that did it had a parakeet. He said to keep the windows open as long as possible because budgies have very small lungs that get damaged very easily. We had two at the time.

 

Well I left the door and the windows open as long as possible, bearing in mind it was February and quite cold.

 

The next morning we came downstairs to find one bird unable to stand and very wobbly. It was a Saturday but I managed to get in touch with our avian vet and he said to keep him warm, try and get him to drink etc and he'd be in our area on the Tuesday.

 

Our poor, only 4yr old, budgie died!! His mate was fine.

 

It was probably our fault but I just want to let other people know our stupid mistake. I don't know whether it was the fumes or the cold (wasn't too bad at that time) I should've moved their cage well out of the way.

 

I'm always so careful about not letting sprays etc near them and like I say, probably common sense but we/I didn't do what I should've done and still feel guilty!!

Awww, so sorry to hear about your little budgie Jemini.

thanks for your advice though.. I think we can never be too careful with the little ones.

It may have been the cold their respiratory is so sensitive. We live and learn and you know what he could have been sick before you don't know. Pretty went down hill in 1 day and was gone by evening.

it was probably cold, thats why.

This is sad...

 

i wonder what temperature is dangerous for them. I had to air the room with them twice in winter. I moved them to a far corner of the room though.

Ya know, it was probably the combo. Their respiratory systems are very sensitive, and with the irritants, they probably had to fight. The cold probably reduced the energy they had to keep their lungs clear because they had to use more of it keeping warm.

 

Painting is something that worries me with my little guys. We haven't had to worry about it in the apartment, but then one day they painted the halls in the complex. It made our place smell up SOOO bad! It wasn't warm enough even for us to open the windows, and I was worried for them. I moved them into another room and took Baby to work with me. Luckily, they didn't seem to have any issues with it.

 

However, moving into our new place has me worried about a few things. The old owners smoked in the house for the 50 years they owned it. We didn't notice it till after we had our hearts set on it cuz they had candles burning. Supposedly, you can remove the smoke smell from houses though. We're planning on putting in a few air purifiers and running them on full blast for a couple of days before even moving anything in. At that time I'm going to wash all the curtains too. I heard that bread and onions can soak up or neutralize smoke and paint fumes (can't remember which is for which), so we're gonna put out that stuff in the rooms too. I'm just worried that if we don't get all the smell out, will it be bad for them? Heh, and even if we can't smell it, I bet they could still be sensitive to it. I think I'm going to start a new thread for ideas.

 

I'm so sorry that one of your guys didn't make it. It can be so difficult owning such sensitive little creatures.

Im sorry, but keep in mind it is not your fault.

excellent point :hap:

Budgies can stand the cold - but not sudden changes.

 

Elly - as for the smoking - yuk! I moved into an apartment that had a smoker/s, obviously heavy too, and I had to wash down the walls with sugar soap. When I wiped the cloth over it it came away bright yellow. It was disgusting. I had to do it twice, because it seeped out again over time. Carpet and soft furnishings like curtains hold the most stink. As for paint, you can buy low scent types, but I think it's only in acrylic, not enamel.