Hi there

This is my first time posting although I have found lots of valuable info over the last few months. Thanks!

Right now I am so upset. I just don't know what I am doing wrong. We got our first budgie last August. He was the sweetest little fellow. He adjusted to his new family very quickly but he had megabateria and died in April. He was a tough little fellow and we tried very hard to save him. After many visits to our Avian vet he lost his battle.

Over the last month or so I started looking around to adopt another budgie. I did a lot of reseach and thought I knew what to look for to find a healthy budgie. We picked our baby and although he was very timid, he was very active and seemed very happy. This morning I woke up to find on the bottom of the cage, dead. I just can't believe it. There were no signs at all.

I just don't know what happened. I cleaned his cage regularly, I gave him fresh water and food everyday. I was careful not to keep him near the kitchen or windows and didn't use any harmful household products. We had time in the fresh air and sun everyday. And our first baby - how did he get mega? He wasn't with any other birds. Could he have had it from when we first got him?

I really don't know if I will get another budgie. But am wondering if I did something wrong?

TIA

One of the best things to do to get answers is take the budgie to the vet and see what killed him. I know when I lost queenie I was sure that it was my fault and then found out that he had tumours at the base of his brain nothing I did.

 

Sometimes it is just a run of bad luck, talk to your vet it might be something as simple as no covering the cage (I know someone who lost 4 birds before we worked out this was the issue) through to they are picking something up from where ever you got them from.

 

Did they come from the same breeder? Sit in a chair near the cage is there a draft? I am sure that if you followed the basic rules then it is not something that you did.

 

Sorry to hear about your loss.

I am so sorry I can relate to you. Pretty died 5 months ago and he would have turned 2 just around now. I always think what did I do, what could have have done better? Merlin is friend is okay and never got sick. I don't know it is and I can't make any evidence toward anything Pretty was from a pet store and Merlin was a rescused baby that we adopted.

 

You will never know unless an autopsy is done and then at time you still don't know per the vet. A lot of it is diet with and I have read in many different books and articles that most birds are lacking in Vitamin A and more because they are fed a seed diet. Lacking in different vitamins can cause them to have immune system break downs. Who knows...

 

My heart goes out to you.

Oh what a horrible run of luck!!! Sometimes that's all it is, nothing that could be done to change it. Budgies can die unexpectedly for so many reasons. They can be fine one day and dead the next. Its hard to tell what's wrong with them cuz they hide illness and discomfort SO well. Their small size also makes it tough to treat them effectively.

 

This might sound like a dumb question, but did you use the same cage for the new bird? And if you did, did you disinfect it *REALLY* good? That's the only thing that I could think of that might lead you to a cause of death.

Sorry to hear of your experiences Mel, Mega is often carried in the system of most Budgies & stress can make it flair up. Also when you get a new bird, it is always a stressful time for it, changing its environment & feed. Budgies & other birds are very small things that don’t live that long in human terms & when you keep them some deaths are probable, some have birds that live 10 or even 20 years others only live a few years, it’s the luck of the game, as they say. As some have said, birds kept in small cages are venerable to draughts, so that’s something to look out for. I hope you don’t give up & your next bird will live a long & healthy life.

thanks for your replies.

 

I got them from 2 different breeders.

the 2nd one I was so careful in choosing. I found lots of places that did have healthy looking bugies but among the healthy there always seemed to be one that was all fluffed up. So I avoided those ones. I finally found a bird shop with what I thought to have only healthy looking budgies.

I was careful with the cage placement and I was wondering about the cage myself. I did use the same cage but gave it a really good clean. In fact I cleaned it 3 times and used the cleaning product that my avian vet gave me. I also used boiling water to rinse. He also had new toys, bowls and perches.

 

Thanks again

it sounds like you cleaned the cage well enough then. It shouldn't have been the issue.

 

Hi Mel

 

Welcome to the forum. I am so sorry to hear about you losing your birds. Having read your posts, you really did everything possible to try and ensure your birds health. As the others have said, we have to accept that these little chaps die very easily, even if you are doing everything you can for them. It is so hard, and something I am trying to accept myself.

 

You have probably seen all my posts about Lukie, who has a mystery illness. I, too, am a first time bird owner and have relied on the help and support that everyone here has so generously given me. I love this little bird so much and have a real bond with him. I know it will break my heart to lose him. My OH had a talk to me this weekend about having to accept that he may not make it. The thing is Mel, if I do lose him, I still won't regret having had the time I have had with him, as he has given us all so much happiness. I know you must feel like it isn't worth trying again with another bird, but you could be missing out on so much. These little birds respond to your love and care and give it back to you in bucketfulls. They are so entertaining to have around - Lukie gives us many laughs. They each have their own individual characters. It so cute to be greeted in the morning with their 'little back leg stretch' greeting! As my OH said the other day, Lukie really has added lots of sunshine to our lives and for him to say that, is something really unusual.

 

We just have to keep in mind that they do have a relatively short lifespan, anyway, so we will have to say goodbye to each bird eventually. You have just been really unlucky to lose both birds so quickly. Obviously, it is your choice, and perhaps you may need to wait a while before you feel able to take on another bird, but don't give up on having a pet bird because of these two unfortunate experiences.

 

Luv

 

Vonn