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Urgent How to feed a sick cockatiel? (Sad update post #5)

krupali

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My tiel, Luka is sick with a heart condition. The vet said that she has fluid in her heart. Right now she is resting at the bottom of the cage because she can't perch. I'm devastated. She has already lost weight and I don't want her to lose anymore. The vet gave her two types of meds so she is super tired. She refuses to eat and just screams when anyone tried to feed her. I don't know how to hand feed her but I know im gonna have to. Dies anyone here know how i can get her to eat even a little but of food? And what is in the formula, judt pellets?
 

Mizzely

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Formula is a more nutrient rich version of Pellets. You can definitely just moisten pellets for this situation.
 

krupali

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The question is how do i hand feed her. O have no idea
 

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I'm sorry, I was responding to the part of your post that I knew

And what is in the formula, judt pellets?
Have you asked the vet for assistance? Usually to avoid aspiration you would just offer it on a spoon.
 

Shezbug

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I am sorry for your loss :(
 

expressmailtome

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I am sorry for your loss.
 

Tiel Feathers

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I’m so very sorry for your loss.
 

krupali

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Does anyone here know if there is pet grief counseling available. I want to get into therapy but it's expensive but it's I've considered since it helped me when I was a teenager. I thought about getting outside help when my female tiel passed away in 2018. Since her passing, I've had ptsd-like symptoms like waking up in the middle of the night crying and looking for, calling her name at night. I fear this is going to get worse now that my other tiel is gone. I'm so heartbroken. It was so unexpected :( Her mate is constantly looking for her even though he saw her last moment. It's been 2 days and I've been crying my eyes out. My siblings are also grieving but they are much stronger than me. I used to change her water and feed her. She wasn't tamed but she was with me all the time. I miss covering her cage at night. I miss everything about her. For someone who suffers from hypochondria, this hurts so bad because I would always check her feathers, beak and poop looked. She had many pin feathers on her head that were there for many weeks. I wondered why? was she not taking care of herself? So I would give her showers hoping it would relief some of that itchiness. But the pins never went away. Sometimes I would get thoughts like "what would happen if she passed away, what will my other tiel do"? He is only two years old.
She was a seed junkie so for the last 2 years, I tried to feed her healthier foods. She loved quinoa so I would cook that for her and add veggies on top. She grew love for spinach so anytime there was spinach, I would give her a leaf and she would eat it. When she didn't eat her veggies, I felt sad and discouraged. All I wanted was a healthy life for her. She was a lutino so I was aware of the health issues that may arrive but I didn't expect the answer the vet gave us. According to the vet, she had a heart condition and fluid in her body. We were sent home with meds. I couldn't wait for her to get better. But as the hours passed by, she stopped eating completely went into heavy breathing. We waited for a few hours for her to get comfortable. I was going to make a trip to petco to get some formula and syringe. I checked on her before we decided to go but she was already gone. Worst moment of my life.

I'm so broken without her. I feel like my heart is physically in pain. I haven't stopped crying since. I start hyperventilating every time I cry:sad10: I feel sorry for my family because I'm not strong enough to support them and I know they are hurting too. Tomorrow is my birthday and I'm going to treat it like any other day. I hate birthdays anyways. I'm sorry for such a sad update
 

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I'm so sorry for your loss. I understand what you're going through. I was devastated when I lost my tiel, Sunny. I think you can get counseling for whatever you want. I know a lot of places are doing on-line counseling now because of Covid and I think it's less expensive than in person counseling. That might be something to look into.
 

krupali

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I'm so sorry for your loss. I understand what you're going through. I was devastated when I lost my tiel, Sunny. I think you can get counseling for whatever you want. I know a lot of places are doing on-line counseling now because of Covid and I think it's less expensive than in person counseling. That might be something to look into.
Thank you sunnysmom. I know how much you miss Sunny. You were a great mommy to him and he will always remember you for nurturing and caring for him. I saw that you have adopted Rosie and Scooter now. After Sunny, did you feel like you couldn't adopted anymore pets every again? I felt that way when my first tiel, Koyal passed away. My siblings and I promised to never adopt another pet but as time went by, we felt ready to have a new baby. Kuku who passed away recently would scream every day and we didn't know what to do. Once Luka entered our lives, not only did he make a positive impact on us, but he also helped my Kuku who wouldn't eat and just screamed all day. I'm forever grateful to have him in my life. Sometimes he reminds me of Koyal like they way he drinks water and makes little chirps just like she used to. He helped us get through the pain when we lost our Koyal. Maybe one day I will adopt a tiel from a foster home when my heart is ready. I look at kuku's cage and hate how empty it is. I changed her water and food bowl and her paper. I miss her presence so much. I felt like this when I lost my Koyal but I know it will take me time to get used to it :( I think it's affecting me the most in my family because I've been going through depression and can't seem to find happiness. It's worse when I have pmdd the time I feel a little suicidal. It's coming soon and it's gonna me like a bus without any warning.
 

sunnysmom

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Thank you sunnysmom. I know how much you miss Sunny. You were a great mommy to him and he will always remember you for nurturing and caring for him. I saw that you have adopted Rosie and Scooter now. After Sunny, did you feel like you couldn't adopted anymore pets every again? I felt that way when my first tiel, Koyal passed away. My siblings and I promised to never adopt another pet but as time went by, we felt ready to have a new baby. Kuku who passed away recently would scream every day and we didn't know what to do. Once Luka entered our lives, not only did he make a positive impact on us, but he also helped my Kuku who wouldn't eat and just screamed all day. I'm forever grateful to have him in my life. Sometimes he reminds me of Koyal like they way he drinks water and makes little chirps just like she used to. He helped us get through the pain when we lost our Koyal. Maybe one day I will adopt a tiel from a foster home when my heart is ready. I look at kuku's cage and hate how empty it is. I changed her water and food bowl and her paper. I miss her presence so much. I felt like this when I lost my Koyal but I know it will take me time to get used to it :( I think it's affecting me the most in my family because I've been going through depression and can't seem to find happiness. It's worse when I have pmdd the time I feel a little suicidal. It's coming soon and it's gonna me like a bus without any warning.
Thanks. The first week is definitely the worst. It gets better as time goes by but there's always a hole in your heart. It's hard but you can get through this. And when you're ready, there are so many animals out there in need of a good home- whether it's a bird or something else. You clearly have a big heart and any animal would be lucky to have you. And feel free to reach out to me or anyone here when you're sad.

It took me awhile before I was ready for another bird. I was so sad when I lost Sunny that for like 2 weeks my fiance wouldn't leave me alone in the house because he knew I would just sit and cry. So, even if he was just going to run a quick errand, he drug me with him. While I had Sunny, I had been asked by a local animal rescue if I would foster birds for them as they didn't have many people who could take in birds, but at the time I didn't think it was a good idea. I don't remember how long it was- maybe 8-12 months after we lost Sunny, my fiance suggested that I contact the rescue and see if they still needed foster moms. Which I did. That led me to fostering for the parrot rescue too. We fostered Elvis, my 'too next- although we started fostering him with the intention of possibly adopting. Then, with some fostered birds in between, I was asked to foster Scooter. Scooter's a senior- he was 20 when he came to me. It was never my plan to adopt him but he was a really good fit to our household and I have a soft spot for the old guys. I definitely didn't plan on having 3 birds. LoL. But shortly after i adopted Scooter, the rescue called about Rosie- who was 30! There was no way I could say no to fostering him (yes, he's a boy, named Rosie.) Rosie is technically a long-term foster. He's still a foster but because of his age the rescue doesn't have him up for adoption. He'll just stay with me. So that was a long answer to your question. :) But, I guess my point is, you never know what the future holds for you. I still miss Sunny and I'm sure I always will. But he taught me how to be a good bird mom, at least I hope I am, and that I can use what I learned from him to help other birds. But there's no right or wrong answer as to getting another bird or how long to wait. You'll know when the time is right.
 

krupali

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Thanks. The first week is definitely the worst. It gets better as time goes by but there's always a hole in your heart. It's hard but you can get through this. And when you're ready, there are so many animals out there in need of a good home- whether it's a bird or something else. You clearly have a big heart and any animal would be lucky to have you. And feel free to reach out to me or anyone here when you're sad.

It took me awhile before I was ready for another bird. I was so sad when I lost Sunny that for like 2 weeks my fiance wouldn't leave me alone in the house because he knew I would just sit and cry. So, even if he was just going to run a quick errand, he drug me with him. While I had Sunny, I had been asked by a local animal rescue if I would foster birds for them as they didn't have many people who could take in birds, but at the time I didn't think it was a good idea. I don't remember how long it was- maybe 8-12 months after we lost Sunny, my fiance suggested that I contact the rescue and see if they still needed foster moms. Which I did. That led me to fostering for the parrot rescue too. We fostered Elvis, my 'too next- although we started fostering him with the intention of possibly adopting. Then, with some fostered birds in between, I was asked to foster Scooter. Scooter's a senior- he was 20 when he came to me. It was never my plan to adopt him but he was a really good fit to our household and I have a soft spot for the old guys. I definitely didn't plan on having 3 birds. LoL. But shortly after i adopted Scooter, the rescue called about Rosie- who was 30! There was no way I could say no to fostering him (yes, he's a boy, named Rosie.) Rosie is technically a long-term foster. He's still a foster but because of his age the rescue doesn't have him up for adoption. He'll just stay with me. So that was a long answer to your question. :) But, I guess my point is, you never know what the future holds for you. I still miss Sunny and I'm sure I always will. But he taught me how to be a good bird mom, at least I hope I am, and that I can use what I learned from him to help other birds. But there's no right or wrong answer as to getting another bird or how long to wait. You'll know when the time is right.
Thank you. I agree the first week is the hardest. When my koyal passed, it took me 2 weeks to get a little better but I remember in those first two weeks I couldn't grasp the fact that she was gone. Even now I can't believe she is gone. I miss her the most when I'm ready to fall asleep. For the first couple of weeks, I went down the rabbit hole and searched for the cause of her death. I knew I had to find the cause. Sometimes I blamed myself for taking her to the wrong vet who didn't know wtf he was doing. She had recurring bumblefoot in both feet. Even after topical medication, It never went away. For the last 5 years of her life, she had polyuria. I would often post about her on this forum. She had diabetes and mostly likely liver problems as well. It hurts me the fact that I didn't see her last moment because I was too heart broken. I will always regret it. She wad taken to the vet many times only to be left untreated. The vet wouldn't draw her blood because she was too small. She would drink water as many sips as she can. I kept getting worse. We had to stop her from drinking because when she drank alot, she would try to throw up. She would drink water in the middle of the night. During bedtime, I would fill up the bowl so she can have some water before she falls asleep. It was especially scary in mornings when she became lethargic. She would only perk up after a few sips of water. In a way, I feel relieved because she suffered alot but I also wanted her to have a normal life. It was a long battle for her but she was strong and hid it so well. Both tiels were under 10 so I regret not being able to give them a long life. I remember blaming myself for giving her shelled peanuts. At that time, I thought it was fine to give her peanuts after doing research. And since they were in bird food, I assumed that it was ok. Just a few months ago, I found out that it could cause aspergillosis. I was mortified and couldn't help but blame myself. I felt like I gambled with her health.
I still have Kuku's cage in my room. I change her food and water. I've been doing it for almost a decade now so this change is not something I'm used to. When I enter my room, I look at her cage and just start crying because I forget that she's not here anymore.

Elvis is such a cutie! I think cockatoos are such smart birds! wow I can't believe Rosie is 30. I must say, he's got good genes lol. Thank you so much sunnysmom. I've been on and off this forum and you've always been very kind and helpful!
 

krupali

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My tiel, Luka is sick with a heart condition. The vet said that she has fluid in her heart. Right now she is resting at the bottom of the cage because she can't perch. I'm devastated. She has already lost weight and I don't want her to lose anymore. The vet gave her two types of meds so she is super tired. She refuses to eat and just screams when anyone tried to feed her. I don't know how to hand feed her but I know im gonna have to. Dies anyone here know how i can get her to eat even a little but of food? And what is in the formula, judt pellets?
Kuku* not Luka
 

sunnysmom

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Thank you. I agree the first week is the hardest. When my koyal passed, it took me 2 weeks to get a little better but I remember in those first two weeks I couldn't grasp the fact that she was gone. Even now I can't believe she is gone. I miss her the most when I'm ready to fall asleep. For the first couple of weeks, I went down the rabbit hole and searched for the cause of her death. I knew I had to find the cause. Sometimes I blamed myself for taking her to the wrong vet who didn't know wtf he was doing. She had recurring bumblefoot in both feet. Even after topical medication, It never went away. For the last 5 years of her life, she had polyuria. I would often post about her on this forum. She had diabetes and mostly likely liver problems as well. It hurts me the fact that I didn't see her last moment because I was too heart broken. I will always regret it. She wad taken to the vet many times only to be left untreated. The vet wouldn't draw her blood because she was too small. She would drink water as many sips as she can. I kept getting worse. We had to stop her from drinking because when she drank alot, she would try to throw up. She would drink water in the middle of the night. During bedtime, I would fill up the bowl so she can have some water before she falls asleep. It was especially scary in mornings when she became lethargic. She would only perk up after a few sips of water. In a way, I feel relieved because she suffered alot but I also wanted her to have a normal life. It was a long battle for her but she was strong and hid it so well. Both tiels were under 10 so I regret not being able to give them a long life. I remember blaming myself for giving her shelled peanuts. At that time, I thought it was fine to give her peanuts after doing research. And since they were in bird food, I assumed that it was ok. Just a few months ago, I found out that it could cause aspergillosis. I was mortified and couldn't help but blame myself. I felt like I gambled with her health.
I still have Kuku's cage in my room. I change her food and water. I've been doing it for almost a decade now so this change is not something I'm used to. When I enter my room, I look at her cage and just start crying because I forget that she's not here anymore.

Elvis is such a cutie! I think cockatoos are such smart birds! wow I can't believe Rosie is 30. I must say, he's got good genes lol. Thank you so much sunnysmom. I've been on and off this forum and you've always been very kind and helpful!
You tried your best. That's all we can do. I think everyone who has lost a bird wonders if they should have done something differently. I am sorry you went through all that. It's tough when a bird has health problems. Try to take comfort in knowing that she had a good home and was loved. Not every bird is so lucky .

And thanks. I think Elvis is a cutie too. And Rosie is actually 31 now. He's pretty amazing and definitely good genes.
 
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