Why do they have to just drop dead so suddenly, without any warning? Why do I have to keep finding them like that? It feels like my heart gets ripped out every time.
It's something I do wish wasn't the case !! It's absolutely hardwired into them to hide illness .
This was to protect them from being targeted by predators and hopefully give them time to recover. It's also from being part of a flock , or in other animals a herd or society group. They evict or kill sick or those with abnormal behavior, this can save a group from the ravages of a communicable disease , sacrifice the one for the many.
I don't know if continued domestication will have an effect on that or not . Probably not much , as their have been studies that show dogs and cats will hide the extent of pain they are in , until unobserved. Like in a veterinarian setting, post surgery. In college they showed a video , and monitoring equipment like heart rate and blood pressure, to show the changes when people are out of the room . And we with dogs and cats know they are willing to show pain , but they are evidently still masking the extent .
I have witnessed herd animals, like hoof stock and horses turn on acuyely ill members and drive off or kill . Tho often I'll ones will seperate themselves. The horse killed had EEE on necropsy, tho that disease isn't spread horse to horse , they don't know that , and causes neurological issues making the horse behave weird. In hoof stock, we had to keep separate after immobilization for proceedure untill fully reversed or herd members would turn in them and try and kill them .
So our birdies can't choose , it's hardwired. If the health conditions is something that shows symptoms at all we should take very seriously.
Our only few tools , and they aren't foolproof at all, is to regularly monitor weight, monitor poops, monitor food intake , monitor activity and vocalizations. Tho I have experienced my self a bird fake eating, fake play only to pass hours later from a severe sinus infection. Anything off at all take seriously and seek advice from your established avian veterinarian. Acting quick saves lives . Be happy if the vet says it's just a minor infection or something, because treating quickly saves them before it becomes overwhelming and before they have exhausted their body resources. A bird not eating or not moving is a same day emergency, it's not a wait and see , either it's something bad and acute, or something that has been going on for awhile and they can not longer mask .
Lastly, birds do not have to go through stages of symptoms, they do not have to show being a little off , and then worse fluffed not eating not moving, they often go from zero to dead . As so many of us have experienced. So if you are lucky enough your birds show any symptoms, take it very seriously.
The above isn't directed at you bird momma!! It's for all of us who read this . For all of those who have never experienced this before, who didn't know birds hardwired behavior to mask health issues.
We have our tools , of weight checks, poop checks, food and behavior monitoring, but they are not foolproof, we will still have cases of sudden death. But they will help save some
