Seizures before dying? (WARNING, possible morbid topic)

[Bokkapooh]

I am wondering something, and I am curious for input, comments, etc.

But it seems like, whenever birds die, they have a seizure. We dont ever hear of a bird/parrot dying peacefully here on A.A, and Im wondering why this is?

And I greatly apologize for anyone who may feel this is a sensitive subject. Bokka had a huge seizure, and many before he died a day later after his big one. And it was believed that Gra had a seizure before she died (I found her dead) and Sydney did have a seizure before passing (I was there) and it just seems like this is the norm for birds.

 

[Anne & Gang]

I dont know..but the most horrible thing I ever witnessed was our rescue tiel BJ...she was dying..I had her on my lap and was comforting her..shegot up..and her entire body went into some kind of spasm and she fell over dead...Some people call it the "death throws" ..I realize now she had a seizure.

 

[Bokkapooh]

 

[animallover]

Very sad! I don't know why this happpens.......maybe it just it the way they go. I hope I never have to see this.

 

[April]

Both of the untamed tiels that I had,had a massive seizure before they both died within 24 hours of each other.

 

[sthiele]

Juliette (budgie) battled ovarian cysts and fluid in her abdomen for a couple of months. She went downhill after a visit to the vet for a Lupron injection and to be drained and had a seizure in my hands before she died.

 

[BraveheartDogs]

Mercedez,

I have only ever seen one bird die, Merlin. He did not have a seizure. Over a period of two hours, he went from being on the bottom of his cage and unable to climb to a perch (but still able to eat), to lying on his little cluster of perches, until I took him out and held him in my hands in my lap. His breathing became very slow and forced. At the very end, he gasped for air, put his head back, fully opened his wing, and then pulled it in, pulled his head into his body and then died, right there, in my hands. Aside from my crying and being very upset, it was very calm and peaceful. My husband was right there too and neither of us had ever seen anything like it. We felt really sad but REALLY grateful to be there with him. Anyway, sorry to ramble, but I just wanted to share that Merlin didn't seizure, unless that happened before I was with him, earlier that day. All of my other birds that have died here, died when I wasn't with them.

I am wondering something, and I am curious for input, comments, etc.

But it seems like, whenever birds die, they have a seizure. We dont ever hear of a bird/parrot dying peacefully here on A.A, and Im wondering why this is?

And I greatly apologize for anyone who may feel this is a sensitive subject. Bokka had a huge seizure, and many before he died a day later after his big one. And it was believed that Gra had a seizure before she died (I found her dead) and Sydney did have a seizure before passing (I was there) and it just seems like this is the norm for birds.

 

[BraveheartDogs]

What people are describing might not always be a seizure, it actually could be just the process of dying. If that makes sense?

 

[Macawnutz]

I have never witnessed a bird passing. Greg my late BG had seizures the last months of his life, but I had to have him put down. My GW Rosie had two strokes. Both are awful and I would never wish any bird to go out like that.

 

[Bailey]

When we found Krissi dead, her upper mandible was tucked into her lower mandible and her feet were curled into themselves. We think she may have seized but we were not there. My Ava died at the emergency vets so I do not know how it happened. They had her in an oxygen chamber and were crop feeding her, but she did not make it..I did not ask for details. She did have a seizure when we were waiting to be seen though. I thought I had lost her right then and there, but she was still holding on.

 

[southernbirds]

It could actually be the electrical activity of all the cells and the systemic electrolyte imbalance that causes the "seizure like" movements. A possible explanation rather than an actual seizure from the brain. When the heart stops the blood is not nourishing the cells and depleting nutrients occurs.

 

[lupe]

I called my avian vet and she explained that since birds have sensitive respiratory systems most that have seizures are due to arrythmia and loss of oxygen to the brain. That is why they gasp and flutter there wings at the end. This is the way a parrot passes thru this tragedy as well as loosing balance due to hyperactive brain activity.

However, there a many other factors that can come into play as well. But this is the most common.

I think this is really a very basic explanation, however it makes sense...How very sad indeed that the end is so exhasperating for them.

 

[VickiNC]

I think that, in birds, it would be very easy to mistake the involuntary muscle contractions that often occur just before or after a creature dies with a true seizure (ie, an epileptic seizure or something similar).

For example, if you had a pet dog that was passing away quietly in her bed, there would likely be some trembling just before she passed, and some involuntary muscle contracts just after, but even if you were there stroking her head, you wouldn't likely to think of those movements as a seizure. They're just part of the death process.

On the other hand, if your pet bird is on a perch, or even staying upright on the floor of her cage, and she suddenly falls down or falls over and starts twitching, you're more likely to think "seizure" even though that isn't really what is happening. Again, it's just part of the death process, but it looks more sudden and dramatic because she wasn't curled up quietly in her bed before it happened.

I've only ever seen one bird have a true seizure. I used to be a hobby breeder many years ago, and I had a pair of lovebirds in which the male was epileptic. I didn't breed them anymore after he was diagnosed, obviously, but I did witness his seizures for many years. It was touching how his mate would hover over him while he had his occasional seizures and then slowly recovered from them.

 

[cassiesdad]

The only bird that we've had that passed with us was Zenith,a little budgie. As his passing came closer,I was holding him. He looked up at me,and gave a small "chirrp"-that almost sounded like a question- at least to me. I told him that it was all right,that he could go. After that, he stopped breathing,and was gone-very peaceful...

 

[lupe]

The only bird that we've had that passed with us was Zenith,a little budgie. As his passing came closer,I was holding him. He looked up at me,and gave a small "chirrp"-that almost sounded like a question- at least to me. I told him that it was all right,that he could go. After that, he stopped breathing,and was gone-very peaceful...

 

[Clueless]

After reading this thread I want to go home and love on my parrots. . . . .

 

[macawpower58]

Gimli never seized, in fact he passed laying in my arms. I never even knew the exact moment that life left his body.

 

[Ankou]

What a sad thread, but interesting answers. That makes sense about the oxygen deprivation and spasms.

I always assumed the seizures shortly before death were a "symptom" more than anything, that something is seriously, seriously, wrong with the birds' health. Of course I have minimal medical knowledge, and have never been around a dieing bird.

When Pete, a dog, was euthanized he didn't even tremble. It was very peaceful, not that it made it any much heartbreaking but I can't imagine having him die in my arms from his illness. I am grateful he didn't have a painful or violent death though.

I'm very sorry to anyone who has ever had to endure watching their birds die, but that's beautiful in a way when they get to die in the arms of the people they love.

 

[Birdbabe]

Ive seen many a wild bird pass at the wildlife center and a couple of my own. Some did the final wing spread and some did the "seizure" type action, but its different for every one. The ones we have to put asleep do go very peacefully wrapped in a towel and laid in a soft bedding.

 

[tozie12]

my tiel, Tweety, died in my hands. I got up one morning and noticed he was on the bottom of his cage. he was quite nervous of me still. he had been an aviary bird and i adopted him a few months before. so i picked him up and cupped him in my hand. as i went to the hallway to call to my son "Andrew! i think something's wrong with Tweety!" he suddenly bit my thumb and died in my hands. i dont recall any seizure-like behaviors other than the sudden bite. and since it wasnt uncommon for him to bite my hands in fear, i really didnt think the bite to be unusual.