TBD Cause of 11 Bird Deaths

[finchly]

oooh I like your style! I might try this too actually! Thank you!

funny, I was trying to support what YOU said!

Let me know how it goes.

 

[SandraK]

We were on kaytee and zupreem fruity. I wanted off the colored pellets but only half of my flock took to the new ones right away. I fed kaytee exact, zupreem fruity, zupreem naturals and pretty bird for forever! I got rid of the kaytee, then the fruity... when I removed the pretty bird I added harrisons. I like feeding more than one pellet. I find they switch back and forth certain times of year. I still feed zupreem naturals and harrisons. Some days they fill up on fresh foods only.. they are weird.

Nah, they're just like people. There are days when you really want a salad of a certain type and then there are others when you want chili w/onion & cheese, fries and onion rings. Go figure where they get it from ...

 

[finchly]

Nah, they're just like people. There are days when you really want a salad of a certain type and then there others when you want chili w/onion & cheese, fries and onion rings. Go figure where they get it from ...

Daddy always said if you are craving something, you need the nutrients.

I am craving loaded french fries.

 

[SandraK]

Daddy always said if you are craving something, you need the nutrients.

I am craving loaded french fries.

Loaded baked potato with Wendy's chili ... heartburn city, here I come!

 

[Hjarta5]

Loaded baked potato with Wendy's chili ... heartburn city, here I come!

Man, last time I woke up to read AA, I ended up getting a grocery story tiramisu because @saroj12 posted a photo. Now I may end up at Wendy's later today because of you!

 

[TikiMyn]

Man, last time I woke up to read AA, I ended up getting a grocery story tiramisu because @saroj12 posted a photo. Now I may end up at Wendy's later today because of you!

 

[camelotshadow]

My local bird rescue, Birds and Beaks (Battle Creek, MI) just posted the message below on its FB page and I wanted to share, because they have not yet received the results from what caused 11 deaths in their rescue on New Year's Day. You can also follow on FB for more developments, at This will likely be the most... - Birds And Beaks Rescue and Rehab | Facebook Be careful and love your feathered companions.

---

This will likely be the most heartbreaking post I ever write.

On the evening of January 1, 2018, we lost 11 birds. Most of the birds passed within about 30 minutes of each other, with the last one, a nanday conure not passing until around 4am.

We originally thought maybe carbon monoxide or something in the air, and began evacuation to the garage and called 911. The fire department tested both for carbon monoxide and noxious gases and our results were zero's across the board.

The next logical thought was food/water. We pulled all the food and water and put them on the counter.

The next morning, we took those birds to our veterinarian and had necropsies done for them. The initial things our doctor found were hearts were good, lungs were good, all seem to be in good health, except their stomachs were inflamed, there was a green sludge in their GI tracts and their livers were rock hard.

Gross necropsies were submitted by our vet for 2 birds to determine official cause of death with food toxicity being the suspicion.

There are another 3 birds that we are unsure if they will make it or not.

Today, January 3, 2018, I took the in-bowl samples of food to Michigan State University.

Before we go further, I want to make it clear I am not pointing fingers. There were 3 foods included in our mix, and thankfully we are fastidious - we have the packages that food came in so that batches can be pulled and we have contacted the companies. The foods are:

Zupreem Fruitblend, large size for macaws, cockatoos etc.
Higgins Vitaseed
Lefeber's Nutriberries

MSU is in receipt of 2lbs of the food that was in the bowls and we should have results back for WHAT the toxin is within 5-7 days.

We spoke with another Michigan Rescue to tell them what's going on, and they also experienced a die off in the last week of 3 birds. The foods they were feeding are Zupreem Fruit Flavored Blend and Higgins Vitaseed.

Our hearts are broken. In a million pieces. We are not ok. We will probably never be ok again.

I am happy to answer questions. What I don't want is mass hysteria. We are awaiting results back from the lab and necropsies - and all we can do is wait. What I'm concerned with is that birds are dying and unlike us - you guys usually have one or two birds. If something happens, you're thinking it's your fault. That you've done something wrong. You don't question the food because you trust it.

You need to have necropsies done. You need to save your food, your bags, and you need to get it tested.

We don't know which food it was at this point, and we're not pointing fingers. What I can tell you is that the companies are being very cooperative, helpful and working WITH us.

My personal opinion is that for now, if you are feeding any of those brands, please stop and feed fresh/frozen foods only until we have the results back for why this happened.

Please keep us in your thoughts. Our hearts are broken. We lost 11 family members. Watching my children try to give CPR to the birds we all love and care for in vain may be the worst thing I have ever witnessed, only second to walking into my aviary and seeing all but 3 of my birds in there gone.

Charlie
Max
Guido
Zook
Oliver
Rosie
Eddie
Cheech (M2, boarder)
Cheech (YN Amazon)
Chong
Pebbles

My loves. Rest in Heaven my angels.

My request to you - ask your questions here. Don't flood my inbox. When I have answers, you shall have answers. I'm an open book. I'll answer anything here in this thread. We are a by-the-book rescue. We don't cut corners. So ask away.

If you're negative - I just don't have any energy for you. I really don't. Be supportive or be gone.

Information about the food batches:
Zupreem, Large for macaws/cockatoos etc:
10287 865309107 Use By: 3/31/19
Zupreem, Large for macaws/cockatoos etc:

 

[RitaMcG]

I am sickened to see zupreem for sale. After all the losses, including two of mine....that is the only common factor. My heart goes out to all who have lost precious birds. To the haters...try to be kind.

 

[Donna turner]

Rita Mc G , am I understanding you to say you had 2 birds die with same symptoms right after eating zupreem ? I feed the cockatiel size with no problems. Did you use same batch dates etc. as the rescue ? Obviously I'm interested as of now I've tried and tried other brands with no success to get her to eat them. I know the store sells a lot of it because I've been checking batch dates. I asked my avian vet if he's seen or heard of any birds die this way in his practice and he said no. I'm trying to stay informed on this

 

[RitaMcG]

I do believe the zupreem killed my birds .I did not have access to the bags at the time. But comparing all info I had .....well that was the only thing in common . My other birds are now eating Tropican lifetime formula. It took some time but persistence paid off. My grey s feathers have really improved. My guys also eat Ecotrition parrot..my grey is the biggest pellet eater . I didn't give her a choice. The zupreem went in the garbage. She had access to the seed mix as well as the pellet.she wasn't sure at first but now loves it. I didn't feel that a choicchoice was an option.

 

[jmfleish]

I do believe the zupreem killed my birds .I did not have access to the bags at the time. But comparing all info I had .....well that was the only thing in common . My other birds are now eating Tropican lifetime formula. It took some time but persistence paid off. My grey s feathers have really improved. My guys also eat Ecotrition parrot..my grey is the biggest pellet eater . I didn't give her a choice. The zupreem went in the garbage. She had access to the seed mix as well as the pellet.she wasn't sure at first but now loves it. I didn't feel that a choicchoice was an option.

I don’t mean to be rude but did you have the food tested and did you have necropsies and histos done on the birds that passed? Without doing both of them, stating it was the food is really not much more than libel at this point.

 

[fuzzy buzzard]

I am SO very sorry :'(

 

[NK_717]

I'm sorry for your loss
My birds have been eating Zupreem and they are alive & healthy so I wouldn't blame the food without proof.

 

[Hjarta5]

More news from the Rescue about another Zupreem incident:

It is with a heavy heart that I must throw out yet another warning about Zupreem Fruit Flavored Blend Pellets and products containing those pellets such as Smart Selects and Pure Fun mix by Zupreem as well.

Batch Numbers:
10287 865309107 Use By: 3/31/19

09137 862908047 Use by: 2/28/19

We have NOT had any complaints about naturals. So if you must feed Zupreem, I'd recommend the naturals until this is figured out.

We've noted a trend in the death spikes, Every 2 months from around the 25th-5th of the next month, the deaths start getting reported again. The first one occurred when my birds died. Jan 1. There were a slew of related deaths from Christmas until about the 5th or 6th, and then again around the first of March, and now here we are, right on schedule end of April to early May.

People open the new bag, feed their birds and then a few hours later, they're drunk, wobbly, having seizures and profusely vomiting. Few survive it, but if they do, the symptoms are gone within about 48 hours and the bird basically goes back to normal with no long term effects.

For those having necropsies and histopathologies done, the cause of death is acute toxicity with a lot of pulmonary edema going on inside.

I've been trying like crazy to avoid putting out another one of these warnings because every time I do, the internet goes nuts, and the naysayers (with live birds) drag me through the mud for weeks on end. But, as this all started to begin with - I guess I just can't care what they think. This isn't about me. It's about giving you the information you need to make the right decisions for yourself about your birds.

You may have read that there is no FDA case. That there is no Department of Ag case. There is. There absolutely is. The Department of Ag in Michigan opened the case with the FDA. I do not have a direct line or human at the FDA. I talk to the DoA guys. I'm not sharing documents anymore. That's not going to happen. Because what happens when I do is that a bunch of amateur people who don't have degrees in any sort of science try to translate them and then spread misinformation across the internet.

The last histopathology was done by the FDA. Cause of death - Pulmonary Edema. Pretty much same as the first. This histopathology pointed towards possible mycotoxins, so last I heard from the science teams is that was what the FDA is focusing on for testing right now.

We still don't have an answer. If we remember back when the meniadone thing happened with the dog food, that took months and months to figure out. This is not really different from that.

In the past few days, the death spikes have begun again. One gal opened a new bag of Smart Selects, and only fed that to her to littles. She has several other birds who don't get that food. Gets up the next morning and only the birds that eat that food are dead. Another ended up in the emergency ER with same symptoms. That bird survived. Another passes after opening a new bag. Same symptoms.

So...it's still going. Please avoid these particular batches.

See the attached screenshots for the latest report of death just today.

Also, I've attached an image of just the top part of a document. Showing the FDA is involved. And my name as the owner of the birds.

If you don't agree the food is likely responsible - fine. Do what you want for your birds. But if you actively go around convincing people this food is sound and not compromised, and those people feed that food because they believe you, and their bird dies - that death is on you. We're doing all we can to try to get people educated about the risks. If they discard the information and feed it anyway - we've at least tried. That's all we're trying to do here.

IF YOUR BIRD GETS SICK OR DIES:

1) Keep the food
2) Refrigerate (but don't freeze) your bird until you can get them to the vet for necropsy/histopathology
3) Ask for a necropsy and histopathology
4) Contact your State's Department of Agriculture - Feed Manager
5) Have your Department of Ag contact the Michigan Department of Ag Feed Manager for information on getting your case connected to the FDA Case the MI Dept of Ag opened
6) Feel free to talk to us about it for support and love to get through this.

 

[Hjarta5]

Link: It is with a heavy heart that I must throw out yet another warning about Zupreem Fruit Flavored Blend Pellets and products containing those pellets such as Smart Selects and Pure Fun mix by Zupreem as well.Batch Numbers: 10287 865309107 Use By: 3/31/19 09137 862908047 Use by: 2/28/19We have NOT had any complaints about naturals. So if you must feed Zupreem, I'd recommend the naturals until this is figured out.We've noted a trend in the death spikes, Every 2 months from around the 25th-5th of the next month, the deaths start getting reported again. The first one occurred when my birds died. Jan 1. There were a slew of related deaths from Christmas until about the 5th or 6th, and then again around the first of March, and now here we are, right on schedule end of April to early May.People open the new bag, feed their birds and then a few hours later, they're drunk, wobbly, having seizures and profusely vomiting. Few survive it, but if they do, the symptoms are gone within about 48 hours and the bird basically goes back to normal with no long term effects.For those having necropsies and histopathologies done, the cause of death is acute toxicity with a lot of pulmonary edema going on inside. I've been trying like crazy to avoid putting out another one of these warnings because every time I do, the internet goes nuts, and the naysayers (with live birds) drag me through the mud for weeks on end. But, as this all started to begin with - I guess I just can't care what they think. This isn't about me. It's about giving you the information you need to make the right decisions for yourself about your birds.You may have read that there is no FDA case. That there is no Department of Ag case. There is. There absolutely is. The Department of Ag in Michigan opened the case with the FDA. I do not have a direct line or human at the FDA. I talk to the DoA guys. I'm not sharing documents anymore. That's not going to happen. Because what happens when I do is that a bunch of amateur people who don't have degrees in any sort of science try to translate them and then spread misinformation across the internet. The last histopathology was done by the FDA. Cause of death - Pulmonary Edema. Pretty much same as the first. This histopathology pointed towards possible mycotoxins, so last I heard from the science teams is that was what the FDA is focusing on for testing right now.We still don't have an answer. If we remember back when the meniadone thing happened with the dog food, that took months and months to figure out. This is not really different from that.In the past few days, the death spikes have begun again. One gal opened a new bag of Smart Selects, and only fed that to her to littles. She has several other birds who don't get that food. Gets up the next morning and only the birds that eat that food are dead. Another ended up in the emergency ER with same symptoms. That bird survived. Another passes after opening a new bag. Same symptoms. So...it's still going. Please avoid these particular batches. See the attached screenshots for the latest report of death just today. Also, I've attached an image of just the top part of a document. Showing the FDA is involved. And my name as the owner of the birds. If you don't agree the food is likely responsible - fine. Do what you want for your birds. But if you actively go around convincing people this food is sound and not compromised, and those people feed that food because they believe you, and their bird dies - that death is on you. We're doing all we can to try to get people educated about the risks. If they discard the information and feed it anyway - we've at least tried. That's all we're trying to do here.IF YOUR BIRD GETS SICK OR DIES:1) Keep the food2) Refrigerate (but don't freeze) your bird until you can get them to the vet for necropsy/histopathology3) Ask for a necropsy and histopathology4) Contact your State's Department of Agriculture - Feed Manager5) Have your Department of Ag contact the Michigan Department of Ag Feed Manager for information on getting your case connected to the FDA Case the MI Dept of Ag opened6) Feel free to talk to us about it for support and love to get through this.*****If you reply with any drama or crappy comments, you're out. We'll ban you without a second thought. ****Other Pellet Recommendations:Zupreem: Naturals. No reports on those.Higgins: InTune - my guys LOVE this stuff.Hari/Hagen: Tropimix - This is my staple pelletHarrison's LifetimeCaitec Oven BitesI'll likely never recommend artificially colored pellets again. So if you'd like to feed those - you'll want to do your own research.

 

[Mizzely]

I just saw this too

 

[Parakeet88]

Thinking of trying to switch my guys to Higgins intune. Is it a complete diet? They get chop in the morning and pellets for the rest of the day. They all love their zupreem fruit but I would like to get them on something else. Not only because of this whole scare but is it correct that zupreem fruit has added sugars and dyes? I just think it's time to try to switch them. They have no interest in plain brown pellets so intune seems like it might be an easier switch.

 

[Mizzely]

Thinking of trying to switch my guys to Higgins intune. Is it a complete diet? They get chop in the morning and pellets for the rest of the day. They all love their zupreem fruit but I would like to get them on something else. Not only because of this whole scare but is it correct that zupreem fruit has added sugars and dyes? I just think it's time to try to switch them. They have no interest in plain brown pellets so intune seems like it might be an easier switch.

Yes, the only ones that aren't complete are TOPS and Goldenfeast. I have been working on a pellet comparison on my website: https://www.lilmonstersbirdtoys.com/pellets-for-parrots

My zupreem addicts won't touch the Higgins inTune, but they love the Hagen Tropican!

 

[Hjarta5]

Wow, that's an impressive list @Mizzely !

I've almost done with my bags of Zupreem fruity and naturals, and working in Harrison's mash to transition away from the fruity.

 

[Parakeet88]

Yes, the only ones that aren't complete are TOPS and Goldenfeast. I have been working on a pellet comparison on my website: https://www.lilmonstersbirdtoys.com/pellets-for-parrots

My zupreem addicts won't touch the Higgins inTune, but they love the Hagen Tropican!

Thank you!