Back from the vet. I guess I got the best possible answer (other than a miraculous 'hes not dead, we can still save him').
- Nothing contagious or toxic, so the rest of the flock is safe
- Weight was normal, so I didn't forget to feed him
- He had a 'blood filled sac' (tumor) filling up all the space in his abdomen. The only way he could have been saved is if we brought him in and they used a needle to drain the fluid, but she said that wouldn't have been her first impulse. He felt a little swollen, but being a male bird she wouldn't have necessarily assumed a tumor.
I know he was strong and lively as of Tuesday night. He was eating millet on my finger and his grip was as tight as always.
Looking back, I think I did miss some signs on Wednesday.. when I saw him investigating the bottom of the cage, he was walking - not hopping. That's not his usual method of navigation, so I could have checked on him then and gotten him in to the vet.. but I don't know if that would have saved him.
He was always a greedy eater too. His whole life, he inhaled millet like a desperate addict - yet Cypress was the one who got pudgy. I could have taken that as a clue.. this might have been developing for a long long time..
I never worried about him as much as Cypress.. I thought he was my strong one.
- Nothing contagious or toxic, so the rest of the flock is safe
- Weight was normal, so I didn't forget to feed him
- He had a 'blood filled sac' (tumor) filling up all the space in his abdomen. The only way he could have been saved is if we brought him in and they used a needle to drain the fluid, but she said that wouldn't have been her first impulse. He felt a little swollen, but being a male bird she wouldn't have necessarily assumed a tumor.
I know he was strong and lively as of Tuesday night. He was eating millet on my finger and his grip was as tight as always.
Looking back, I think I did miss some signs on Wednesday.. when I saw him investigating the bottom of the cage, he was walking - not hopping. That's not his usual method of navigation, so I could have checked on him then and gotten him in to the vet.. but I don't know if that would have saved him.
He was always a greedy eater too. His whole life, he inhaled millet like a desperate addict - yet Cypress was the one who got pudgy. I could have taken that as a clue.. this might have been developing for a long long time..
I never worried about him as much as Cypress.. I thought he was my strong one.