Recently Sugar started acting strangely. She was letting me hold her. She even came up behind me in the aviary and leaned against me. Either she had been replaced with a doppelgänger, chose a mysterious behavioral change for her own reasons, or she was sick. I was leaning towards sickness because this behavior is so far from her normal approach to life. The problem with this is that her droppings we’re normal and her weight, although a little low because I had slightly increased her Haldol after the mutilation incident, Had only dropped slightly over 5%. When their weight drops 10% or more it’s straight to the vet.
At this point everything is back to normal including behavior. She is gaining weight and the strange behavior has evaporated. At this point I am willing to except that it was a doppelgänger. Lol. Almost. I think that it is behavioral because she considers me her mate and Jazmin is a threat to her relationship. We shall see. As usual, I am keeping a close watch.
But now to the story of another bird. Freddy. Things did not work out quite so well for him. First, a little background.
Veterinary sources proclaim that the average lifespan of a large parrot kept as a companion animal in the United States is from 3-15 years. In the wild some biologists think that some may live into their eighties. Informed parrot caretakers are aware of the dangers of chemicals, non-stick pans and appliances, Carpet Fresh, candles, perfumes, smoke and much more. Those in the know take steps to protect those in their charge from harm.
Once you have had a bird for a few months you should have a baseline if you have been doing your homework. You should be keeping track of their weight, their droppings and their behavior. After 6 months of this accounting, journaling and study you are better prepared to see signs of life-threatening health issues.
Freddy had just come into a new household. His caretaker was dedicated and knowledgeable, had a properly-sized cage for him, a nutritious diet of pellets, fresh fruits and vegetables, and had arranged the environment to best suit Freddy’s introduction into her flock.
Freddy came with a veterinary certification and medical history. His behavioral issues were also well-known. He came to his caretaker with a lung infection and was properly treated with antibiotics and retested.
After a short time in his new home he suddenly began biting; these were intense attacks. This occurred after what we call “the honeymoon period” the first two weeks after a re-homing. Parrot caretakers have observed that after this lapse of time parrots reveal their “emotional baggage.” This is the time we expect functional misbehaviors such as biting and screaming to occur.
Since this behavior came at the time when we usually expect such issues his illness went undiagnosed. Freddy was dying. The possibility of illness did not come to mind because issues often arise during this honeymoon period. Nothing comes “out of the blue.” Everything a living organism does it does for a reason. Freddy was a Seram cockatoo. Parrots hide their illness; this is the nature of prey animals. Suffering and in pain the best he could do was bite and attack those closest to him. No parrot shows signs of illness willingly. He had a reason to bite. Keeping others at bay is usually the last resort of the dying.
Freddy’s illness claimed him. He was found dead at the bottom of the cage. He kept his secret until the end.
So that his death may not be in vain, let’s try to learn from his story. If your companion bird that you know well suddenly starts acting strangely please make a trip to the vet that day, if possible. There is no time to waste. Freddy was new to the flock so his behavior was not well known. Freddy had been vet certified. What are you doing to insure the health and safety of captive birds i your care? Your own companion should see the weight scale daily, should have their poop scrutinized daily, should have an examination by you weekly, yearly exams at an avian vet and should be watched for signs of unusual behavior.
There was no way to know that Freddy was at death’s door. He was just beginning a new life with a new caretaker, someone who cared deeply for him nonetheless. He had the best of care. If his new Mommy had been living with him for six months to a year answers would have come sooner.
A necropsy is required on any bird that dies of sickness. The examination showed that Freddy had deformed nare passages. The airway in a parrot or cockatoo from the nares to the lungs is a narrow one. The chances of such a deformity in birds with 200 million years of evolution behind them are almost nonexistent. Evolution works out issues like this over tens of thousands of years—cockatoos have had much longer than this to tackle the issue. This kind of genetic deformity may be due to inbreeding; commercial breeding practices. This deformity made him prone to lung issues and infection. There was no way his new caretaker could have known this so quickly after adopting him.
Many birds do die of lung-related illness. Usually it is from perfumes, candles, Teflon, hot oil in the air, and other air contaminants. Their parabronchii cannot filter these poisons the way that our alveoli do. Either immediately, or over time, they die from the effects of these airborne pollutants. Please take care to learn how to provide breathable air for your companions.
According to my veterinary reference works there is no surgery for such a problem, no successful protocol. Until breeders accept an ethical code of that includes free-flight cages, parental involvement, large flock maintenance and the counsel of zoological biologists who maintain diversity in their flocks, we shall have a growing problem. On the one hand we have genetic mutations such as Freddy’s causing suffering and death. On the other we have parrots with no idea what it is to be a parrot living with people who do not understand their nature. In a recent study it was shown that leaving a bird with its parents in a large aviary and handling it for 20 minutes a day produced healthy and happy birds. I know of no one in the breeder community who has taken advantage of this scientific study. Capitalism cares only about profit.
Parrots not raised by their parents spend their five year juvenile dependency with “aliens,” humans who profit from their sale instead of their own kind—this is like a human child being raised until the age of seven by monkeys. How can they ever be emotionally whole? The story “A Doll’s Eyes” dramatically explains this issue. Emotionally unstable parrots are prone to feather destructive behavior, biting, screaming, and other neuroses and psychoses. Because parrots are often brought home as if they were just a “change from the regular fare” of pets, their emotional instability is magnified by human ignorance.
We all must be home-style behaviorists, poopologists, and amateur veterinary technicians who weigh and examine our birds regularly. Living with these wild angels is payment enough for all our hard work. Every day with them brings back the wonder of childhood to those of us that pay attention and treat them with loving kindness.
Please remember Freddy. A change in behavior can be a silent cry for help. Although there was no way that Freddy could have been saved most birds have a chance. A quick trip to the vet is usually the only answer. Be ready when the time comes. Shed a tear for Freddy when you do.
At this point everything is back to normal including behavior. She is gaining weight and the strange behavior has evaporated. At this point I am willing to except that it was a doppelgänger. Lol. Almost. I think that it is behavioral because she considers me her mate and Jazmin is a threat to her relationship. We shall see. As usual, I am keeping a close watch.
But now to the story of another bird. Freddy. Things did not work out quite so well for him. First, a little background.
Veterinary sources proclaim that the average lifespan of a large parrot kept as a companion animal in the United States is from 3-15 years. In the wild some biologists think that some may live into their eighties. Informed parrot caretakers are aware of the dangers of chemicals, non-stick pans and appliances, Carpet Fresh, candles, perfumes, smoke and much more. Those in the know take steps to protect those in their charge from harm.
Once you have had a bird for a few months you should have a baseline if you have been doing your homework. You should be keeping track of their weight, their droppings and their behavior. After 6 months of this accounting, journaling and study you are better prepared to see signs of life-threatening health issues.
Freddy had just come into a new household. His caretaker was dedicated and knowledgeable, had a properly-sized cage for him, a nutritious diet of pellets, fresh fruits and vegetables, and had arranged the environment to best suit Freddy’s introduction into her flock.
Freddy came with a veterinary certification and medical history. His behavioral issues were also well-known. He came to his caretaker with a lung infection and was properly treated with antibiotics and retested.
After a short time in his new home he suddenly began biting; these were intense attacks. This occurred after what we call “the honeymoon period” the first two weeks after a re-homing. Parrot caretakers have observed that after this lapse of time parrots reveal their “emotional baggage.” This is the time we expect functional misbehaviors such as biting and screaming to occur.
Since this behavior came at the time when we usually expect such issues his illness went undiagnosed. Freddy was dying. The possibility of illness did not come to mind because issues often arise during this honeymoon period. Nothing comes “out of the blue.” Everything a living organism does it does for a reason. Freddy was a Seram cockatoo. Parrots hide their illness; this is the nature of prey animals. Suffering and in pain the best he could do was bite and attack those closest to him. No parrot shows signs of illness willingly. He had a reason to bite. Keeping others at bay is usually the last resort of the dying.
Freddy’s illness claimed him. He was found dead at the bottom of the cage. He kept his secret until the end.
So that his death may not be in vain, let’s try to learn from his story. If your companion bird that you know well suddenly starts acting strangely please make a trip to the vet that day, if possible. There is no time to waste. Freddy was new to the flock so his behavior was not well known. Freddy had been vet certified. What are you doing to insure the health and safety of captive birds i your care? Your own companion should see the weight scale daily, should have their poop scrutinized daily, should have an examination by you weekly, yearly exams at an avian vet and should be watched for signs of unusual behavior.
There was no way to know that Freddy was at death’s door. He was just beginning a new life with a new caretaker, someone who cared deeply for him nonetheless. He had the best of care. If his new Mommy had been living with him for six months to a year answers would have come sooner.
A necropsy is required on any bird that dies of sickness. The examination showed that Freddy had deformed nare passages. The airway in a parrot or cockatoo from the nares to the lungs is a narrow one. The chances of such a deformity in birds with 200 million years of evolution behind them are almost nonexistent. Evolution works out issues like this over tens of thousands of years—cockatoos have had much longer than this to tackle the issue. This kind of genetic deformity may be due to inbreeding; commercial breeding practices. This deformity made him prone to lung issues and infection. There was no way his new caretaker could have known this so quickly after adopting him.
Many birds do die of lung-related illness. Usually it is from perfumes, candles, Teflon, hot oil in the air, and other air contaminants. Their parabronchii cannot filter these poisons the way that our alveoli do. Either immediately, or over time, they die from the effects of these airborne pollutants. Please take care to learn how to provide breathable air for your companions.
According to my veterinary reference works there is no surgery for such a problem, no successful protocol. Until breeders accept an ethical code of that includes free-flight cages, parental involvement, large flock maintenance and the counsel of zoological biologists who maintain diversity in their flocks, we shall have a growing problem. On the one hand we have genetic mutations such as Freddy’s causing suffering and death. On the other we have parrots with no idea what it is to be a parrot living with people who do not understand their nature. In a recent study it was shown that leaving a bird with its parents in a large aviary and handling it for 20 minutes a day produced healthy and happy birds. I know of no one in the breeder community who has taken advantage of this scientific study. Capitalism cares only about profit.
Parrots not raised by their parents spend their five year juvenile dependency with “aliens,” humans who profit from their sale instead of their own kind—this is like a human child being raised until the age of seven by monkeys. How can they ever be emotionally whole? The story “A Doll’s Eyes” dramatically explains this issue. Emotionally unstable parrots are prone to feather destructive behavior, biting, screaming, and other neuroses and psychoses. Because parrots are often brought home as if they were just a “change from the regular fare” of pets, their emotional instability is magnified by human ignorance.
We all must be home-style behaviorists, poopologists, and amateur veterinary technicians who weigh and examine our birds regularly. Living with these wild angels is payment enough for all our hard work. Every day with them brings back the wonder of childhood to those of us that pay attention and treat them with loving kindness.
Please remember Freddy. A change in behavior can be a silent cry for help. Although there was no way that Freddy could have been saved most birds have a chance. A quick trip to the vet is usually the only answer. Be ready when the time comes. Shed a tear for Freddy when you do.
