Urgent Can't decide is euthanasia is the right choice

[KiMa27]

I’m struggling to decide if euthanasia is the right choice for my bird.

My 20-year old Sun Conure, Boomer, has been having seizure-like episodes since I adopted her five months ago. It’s hard to say how frequent they are because I’m not always home but I’ve observed about 1 per week. Vet has been unsure of cause but Boomer does have an enlarged heart so the vet has tried her on several meds – she’s currently on Enilapril and Pentoxifyline.

This past week Boomer started having episodes almost daily and in the past 24 hours she’s had 3. No recent changes to meds, diet, etc.

The episodes last about 20-25 minutes, with temporary leg paralysis for about 10 minutes and the rest of the time she’s just kind of zoned out. They sometimes start with her freaking out and flying around the room until she’s exhausted and falls to the floor.

I spoke with my vet this morning. She offered to try switching meds again but stressed that it’s no guarantee. Since Boomer’s episodes are becoming more frequent, we discussed euthanasia. The vet feels it’s probably time.

I’m so torn up – I can’t decide. When she’s not having an episode she does pretty well though she does seem to be slowing down overall and her balance is getting worse. I also worry that I will lose her cage mate, Bobbi (who is also unwell) from heartbreak if I euthanize Boomer. When is the right time? Do I just wait it out and let her live her live or help her on her way so she doesn’t suffer and potentially die from a seizure when we’re not home?

 

[April]

Oh gosh I'm so sorry yall are going through this stress situation. If I were in your position I'd do Euthanasia. It sounds like her quality of life isn't great especially if she's already been on meds and they aren't helping.
This way you can chose when she goes and it will be peaceful. I'd be quite concerned that she's have a bad seizure when your not there and die panicked and alone or harm herself worse being possible stuck in the cage at a bad angle and break a wing or leg or if she crashes to the bottom of the cage she may break her neck. I'm not trying to be graphic but I've heard of parrots passing or being severely wounded in those ways and I'd hate for that to happen to her.

I'm sorry that your in such a difficult situation,she's incredibly lucky to have you you've gone above and beyond for her always and I'm sure she knows it and loves you. I wish the both of you peace in this difficult time.

 

[Pixiebeaks]

I'm so sorry you are having to make that last decision of love . Only you and your vet really know.
But if it was me , a 25 min seizure and multiple would have me feeling it's time . You have done everything else needed provided love and comfort and support..big hugs to you .

 

[Shezbug]

Knowing that seizures really stress, confuse, exhaust the patient and also cause them extreme discomfort or pain (sometimes for days afterwards) as well as other complications I would personally be inclined to take that suffering away after developing to the stage of 20min long episodes happening frequently. I often have asked my vet when I can’t make the hard decision for whatever reason what their chosen course of action would be if it were their animal and their choice.

 

[KiMa27]

Thank you all for your very kind words and feedback. Right now she's okay, just hanging out. That makes it so hard.

One last question - does anyone have any experience with how the cage mate of a euthanized bird handles it? In this situation Boomer and Bobbi have been together for at least 10 years, most of that time before I got them they only had each other, not other entertainment or much human companionship. What can I do to help Bobbi through it? Especially as she is pretty sickly herself.

 

[Toy]

I find if there are animals (dogs, cats, birds, etc.), that have long time companions, it seems to help them to lay the deceased animal near (in this case bottom of cage) so they can tell for themselves their mate has passed & not just abandoned them. Usually an hour or so is enough. Even then the remaining animal may go thru a period of grief. Talk to the remaining animal & let them know what happened. Animals are pretty intelligent & they understand.

 

[Pixiebeaks]

I also let all my animals view a passed friend if possible. They seem to understand that , and feel less distressed than if one is just suddenly missing.

They all grieve differently. Ta-dah my green cheek was very distressed after loosing Burt the Bird fur about 2 weeks. She barely ate didn't move and had the thousand yard stare . I even took her to the vet to be sure she was ok . I had to sit with her and hand feed her
With the loss of other flock mates the flock reacted less. With loss of one quaker , my other 2 took 2 days of choosing to stay inside their cage instead of coming out which is significant. But after that not anything I could determine.
My budgie lost his best buddy of 8 years , and became a solo budgie tho the rest of the flock was here. He never stopped singing or doing his normal things , like eating flying chewing stuff , he was just his normal self in the things I could observe

 

[rocky'smom]

This decision of euthanization it's a tough one. There are three questions you have to ask yourself and they're not easy to answer for anyone.
1. Is Boomer living her best life right now? With having multiple seizures and all the stress that goes with that, is she living her best life?
2. Is there anything more that can be done veterinarian wise to make her life better? What are the options?
3. Am I more afraid of losing her because of the loss or is it I'm afraid to do it?
I'm not trying to make up your mind that's your decision but those three questions are the ones that my veterinarian offered me. When Rocky, the bird in my avatar, was pretty sick with cancer. My poor Rocky had lost so much weight it was so miserable and I probably should have had him euthanized. But I didn't and do I kick myself for that now yeah sometimes I do. The last night that Rocky was alive i sat with him and held him in my arms. And I told him if it's time for you to go, then go. I will understand. I put him to bed, knowing in the morning that he would not be there. Did I grieve oh hell yeah i bawled my eyes out for a weeks. He was my velcro bird he was attached to me for 10 years after he lost his mate.
When we lost Tuffy, she died in my hands from what I believe was sudden heart attack/ stroke. Rocky didn't understand what had happened to his best friend. I was against showing him her lifeless body. But in the end, I lay her in bottom of their cage. wrapped in paper towels and waited. Rocky went down to see her, it was heartbreaking to watch. But he groomed her head for few seconds, something that she would have never allowed, when she was alive. Then he came to me and snuggled up to my neck and preened my ear, something he had never done before with me. We wrapped her body in paper towels and we buried her.

 

[KiMa27]

Thanks again, everyone, for all of your wonderful feedback.

My very first parrot, my favorite girl, had cancer and I should have euthanized her but couldn't let go and she had a tough death. I was heartbroken and guilt-ridden for ever it seemed like but finally realized the silver lining was that I would never put another bird through that. However, while cancer seems pretty final, the episodes Boomer has feel less certain because the vets at my clinic don't even know for sure what it causing it.

I lost another two of my feather babies this past year - one was my Alexandrian, Alex, who was bonded to Nikko (who I still have). I took them down together to the vet and let Nikko see him after he was gone. It was similar - Nikko preened his head a bit then came over to me. He struggled for about a month but is okay now. But he's a lot healthier than Boomer's cage mate, Bobbi.

All that aside, we ended up not going through with the euthanasia this afternoon, even though she had yet another episode this afternoon. When we got there the vet's office for the appointment, she offered a last suggestion of a different type of medicine. They have been giving her meds for her heart because they believed she was having 'syncopal episodes' but based on my latest description the vet decided to try an anti-seizure med. We're going to give it a few days to see if this makes a difference. My fingers are crossed but trying not to get too hopeful.

 

[Mockinbirdiva]

Wow, a tough decision to say the least but your are giving your best to Boomer and fingers crossed the anti-seizure med will help. Aside from that I would keep Boomer and Bobbi inside the new bigger cage for a couple of weeks with no outside flight time. I may be wrong but my thoughts are this - Boomer had less than ideal living conditions for a very long time and without regular flight exercise he is out of physical condition for flight. Many birds who don't have daily flight lose condition and are winded, wobbly, stressed and end up looking woozy and winded until they regain their energy/composure from the stress of physical movement they aren't used to. You've mentioned Boomer freaking out and taking wild flight until exhausted and that's not good. I realize going back to a sedentary lifestyle will be restricting but given the new meds and still new to your home a couple of weeks to control the freak out flying may be beneficial. I don't know their routine as to how much freedom they have and if they are climbing back in to the cage to eat and drink if they are out for extended periods.