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Advice- 3 month (15 week) old Macaw **Sad Update**

rocky'smom

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I am so, so, very sorry for your loss.:sorrow::crycry::sorrow:
They fly into our hearts and leave feather dust on our souls forever.......
Fly high and straight over the Rainbow Bridge, little one, you were greatly loved in your short life.:sad7:
 

zoo mom

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I am so sorry for your loss. It doesn't take long for a bird to take over your heart. Many hugs heading your way.
 

camelotshadow

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:sorrow::crycry::cry::cry3::crycry2::darkcloud::sad8::sad1::sad2::sad3::sad4::sad6::sad7::shakehead::sorrow:

Poor poor Koko,,,suffering all those weeks starving putting up a brave face.

Makes me sad, angry & so sick! Mistake or neglience whatever it cost a dear sweet bird her life!
Nothing was saved. Her last days in the hospital with a tube down her throat struggling to live.
She suffered & there is a huge vet bill all because of what? A sick twisted greedy breeder? Somehow he should pay.

:angry101::extremeanger::watching::judge:


You realized it & tried to give her more food but it was trouble when she wasn't taking it.
You got her the vet care. You did all you could...
I hope the store kicks in the money to do the autopsy or perhaps the vet will do it gratis as it could help another bird or help figure out if they could have done something or missed something. She likely did have problems from the breeders underfeeding & the stores & the neigbors but could have had some

other problem. It would really be nice to know.

:sadhug2:
 
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TWR

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Oh no - I'm so very sorry for your loss. Fly free, sweet Koko
 

WendyN

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I am sorry.
 

janicedyh

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I am so sorry. I know that I don't just speak for myself here when I say that when we read threads such as this we get emotionally invested pretty quickly. I'm so sad to hear about your baby. You did everything in your power to keep him alive. I hope something happens to stop such negligence on the breeders behalf and stop pet stores from taking birds without regard to their condition. Again...my heart felt condolences.
 

SpecialistElbru

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I am so sorry. I know that I don't just speak for myself here when I say that when we read threads such as this we get emotionally invested pretty quickly. I'm so sad to hear about your baby. You did everything in your power to keep him alive. I hope something happens to stop such negligence on the breeders behalf and stop pet stores from taking birds without regard to their condition. Again...my heart felt condolences.
When I looked on my alerts tab and read *sad update* my heart just sank, I'm sure we all did. After the 10:26 update we were thinking the little one was going to pull though. I"m sure ArcticFix is feeling the sorrow.
 

ArcticFox

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Thank you for your thoughts. Spoke to the store- though we didn't actually purchase her from the store they are 'refunding' us the cost of her and everything we had purchased for her. Many employees cried today when we went in and talked to them. While, I didn't want the money or ask for it- it will be helpful in that we did just move. We are not required to return anything.

Tonight we are cleaning out and breaking down the cage. Tomorrow's mission is the clean and sanitize it and we will begin cleaning and packing away toys and perches. While we are not ready for this stage, with a 3 year old it's easiest to not prolong the event. We'll be keeping everything however- we hadn't realized exactly how much we missed having a feathered friend until we had one again. The cage is huge, massive and so we'll hold onto it. We don't know when we will meet our next feathered friend, or what it will be, but the cage is large enough to house them no matter the size.

Unknown if the autopsy will be authorized. The vet's goal is to have it performed tonight, if possible. They still think there could have been an underlying neurological condition however it is just as possible that the brain was damaged from prolonged low sugar levels.

This has been a hard lesson, emotionally for us. But financially we got out of this untouched. We were lucky it worked out that way. For the store however, it was both an emotional lesson and a very real financial one. I am happy to report that they have terminated their contract with the breeder. Further- they have signed a veterinary contract with the animal hospital that was caring for Koko.

The same doctors who put all their effort into saving my baby's life will be doing monthly inspections of the store, advising them on weaning and diet and training the staff on avian handling. In addition, each bird will be weighed every day by the staff and once weekly by an avian vet for all weaning and handfed babies. Weaned birds will be weighed monthly during their inspection.

This appears to be a case of ignorance and lack of education. It and a hobby breeder who liked money more then her chicks cost my Koko her life. But in Koko's passing she has improved the care of Sammy, the scarlet who had likely been force feeding her while she was at the store during the day as well as the other birds in their care. It's easy to demonize pet stores as well as those who are ignorant. Sadly though, when a breeder is the one giving bad information it can be hard to know where to turn and good breeders seem so hard to find. I know birds, and even I had a hard time tracking down feeding and weaning information for a bird her age. I had to ask multiple forums and often was met with condescending and scorn rather than answers.

I'll probably be lurking the forums for a bit in the next few weeks. We'll probably wait a few months to take in another bird. In the meantime we'll be trying to find a good breeder. It would be cool to purchase a chick and have a hand in raising it while it's safe in the care of a kind, loving and knowledgeable breeder. I know, while my daughter is still so young I don't want to take in any rescues and a baby to grow with the family, come what comes, would be nice. Anyone know anyone?
 

ArcticFox

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When I looked on my alerts tab and read *sad update* my heart just sank, I'm sure we all did. After the 10:26 update we were thinking the little one was going to pull though. I"m sure ArcticFix is feeling the sorrow.


That's actually the reason why they think she may have had an underlying condition. She was doing better. She was getting better. She should have been out of the woods. She should have been in the clear. She should have just needed to gain some weight and strength.

But it is looking like the klutzy baby bird may have been more then her just being a klutzy baby bird- Vet said it would have been easy to miss as she was a baby, she was expected to be klutzy. So those type of things are hard to catch. Even more so for the uneducated who don't know the 'normal' amount of klutz for a baby macaw. She loved having her beak rubbed, but that too could have been a sign- she could have liked it so much as it allowed her to rest her beak down and not hold her 'big scary beak' up for a bit.

I'm sure there were other signs, but with the stress of relocating her four times in 2.5 weeks, those signs could and and were likely attributed to the changes and stress. As for why the breeder didn't notice anything, if in fact there was a underlying condition, goes back to negligence as it is their job to know what is normal for their birds.

But I'm holding on to the positive. This was a reality check for the shop and in her passing she as secured better vet care for those feathered friends of her's that she left behind.
 

melissasparrots

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I'm so sorry for your loss. I didn't notice this thread until she had already gone to the vet. I hope you keep us posted on the necropsy results if any. Its been my very limited experience that babies who don't want to eat are either so well fed they aren't hungry(obviously not your situation) or they have some fairly major pre-existing condition going on. I've seen it with injured babies although I'm sure the same would be true of sick ones. Shame on the breeder and store for selling this bird.
 

macawpower58

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Such a heart rending end to your and Koko's saga. I know though, that whatever baby falls again into your arms, will be a lucky bird.
 

melissasparrots

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I know, while my daughter is still so young I don't want to take in any rescues and a baby to grow with the family, come what comes, would be nice. Anyone know anyone?
Make sure to ask lots of open ended questions about feeding schedules, weaning practices and weight gains. Let the bad or lazy breeders hang themselves with their responses. Also ask about what they do to prevent disease in their aviary. Stay away from people that hand-feed for other breeders, go to fairs with babies etc. There is a whole bunch of that going on and its hard to find a really top notch breeder that doesn't partake in the sleeze aspect of breeding parrots. That said, babies are awesome and good luck.
 

Hankmacaw

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I'm sorry, Artic Fox, but that baby starved to death. The breeder, the store, the first owner and to a very small amount yourself can all share blame. A baby of that age should be eating 90 - 100 cc three times a day. Any one who knows anything about baby birds knows that. A baby at that age should be messing around and eating a little outside food. Again anyone who knows anything about baby birds knows that.

It was a sad, sad thing and my stomach turns when I think of the suffering Koko went through.
 

camelotshadow

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It was a sad, sad thing and my stomach turns when I think of the suffering Koko went through.
Me too.

:crycry:

A bird store should not be selling or handfeeding young baby birds if they are not acquainted with feeding amounts & schedules. It's a huge mistake & Koko paid horribly.
They are a business & if they don't know its there business to learn before they take on the responsibility.

They just seem pitifully unaware but its there business & they should have someone knowledgeable. Now they will get some guidance & hopefully no other bird will slowly starve to death.



 
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Macawnutz

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I had to ask multiple forums and often was met with condescending and scorn rather than answers.

I don't want to take in any rescues and a baby to grow with the family, come what comes, would be nice. Anyone know anyone?


It's hard for many to push back the feelings when we have seen this many times before. I too was met with huge resistance when joining forums for help with a sick infant macaw. Often times, the vets available don't know any better either.

I would read some threads about babies before making another purchase. This would be a good read.

Baby to adult. Will they still love me? | Avian Avenue Parrot Forum
 

ArcticFox

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I'm sorry, Artic Fox, but that baby starved to death. The breeder, the store, the first owner and to a very small amount yourself can all share blame. A baby of that age should be eating 90 - 100 cc three times a day. Any one who knows anything about baby birds knows that. A baby at that age should be messing around and eating a little outside food. Again anyone who knows anything about baby birds knows that.

It was a sad, sad thing and my stomach turns when I think of the suffering Koko went through.

I can assure you I'm blaming myself plenty in addition to the 'what ifs'. what if we we took her right away would it have been enough to make a difference.

We spent over an hour talking with the vet- before even saying our goodbyes to koko. she said there was nothing we could have done. those few days wouldn't have made enough of a difference. even if she showed up in office week earlier they likely would have still lost her.

Could she be saying that just so we don't bear ourselves up? yeah- totally. but she also let us see her cry and so often the professionals are the ones to hide in the bathroom - to swallow their tears till they go home. so- even if I feel guilty as he'll, I'm holding onto her words.
 

ArcticFox

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I also want to add that I didn't speak out an unweaned bird. while we have very much been working directly with her store of purchase- she was a rehome from a neighbor who got in over her head. personally- I feel raising them through the weaning age is the breeders job and responsibly.

She somewhat fell into our lap. the store was tired of housing her for free while the neighbor looked for someone else to take her. they refused to take her back for a refund.

So we took her and did our best by her. our best wasn't good enough. but I don't know if at that point anyone'seen best could have saved her.
 
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