Reason for bird's death

Pidfriend

Our much loved canary died a few days ago and, although I know he was just a bird, I am suffering more grief than I ever imagined I could. I'm convinced I failed him at the end and might even have caused his death. What I need more than anything are some honest answers about what was wrong with him and what I did right and wrong so I know whether the crippling blame and guilt I'm feeling are justified.

We'd had him for 5 1/2 years but he was a foundling so we don't know his age. He was a fully grown adult bird when we found him. This year he did not sing and had been starting to look old and tired. He had always had the free run of the room he was in but for months had been spending more and more time sitting quietly on his perch in his cage, although he was still actively moving around his cage to eat and drink. In the last week of his life he had started loudly wheezing and coughing almost all the time, only stopping when he was particularly rested or when he was asleep. He was clearly losing condition and I was very worried about him. I was going to give him a few days then take him to the vet. But he was still eating well, preening and sitting on his perch. His last night was very hot and close. I was working late so I covered over his cage (something we very rarely did) because I thought it would be good for him to have a really good night's sleep. But I used a thicker cover than usual and tucked it in tighter thinking that it woudl be good if he didn't wake up too early in the morning so he could get some more sleep and not be wheezing. When I went over to his cage he wasn't wheezing, which was unusual, but seemed a little whoozy. As I was covering him over I moved the cage and heard what I now think must have been him getting knocked off his perch but I didn't hear anything else - I'd expected this to start his whezzing but it didn't. I thought I should check but I didn't because I didn't want to start his wheezing and coughing again. When I went to bed I thought I should take the cover off so he could breath easier and not over-heat but something stopped me. I didn't want to wake him if he was asleep and something just held me back.

When I woke in the morning I had this feeling he was dead and, sure enough, when I went towards his cage I could hear nothing. I found him on the floor of his cage, dead.

I am tearing myself apart because I'm convinced I killed him and the reason he wasn't wheezing that night was because he was getting better. (He'd always coughed and cleared his throat quite a bit anyway). The cage was about 50cm by 50cm by 40cm - which I thought was enough air for him (he was covered for about 6 hours).

What would help me most is knowing how much of his death might have down to me and how much might have down to him being ill and (possibly) old. And also whether it sounds like he was slowing down and not singing because he was getting close to death.

I need some information from people who have more experience of birds and their diseases so I can get this into some sort of perspective.

Thanks

Pidfriend

nelly

sorry i dont nkow a great deal, sounds like old age tho, but good like and rip mate x

littlelab

I am so sorry for your loss, I don't have anything to add about Canarys, but please be patient for a reply by our vet nurses, they will reply I am sure shortly Very Happy

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Natalie and Co xxx

honeydlc

I'm so sorry for your sad loss, but please don't be too hard on yourself. The average lifespan for a Canary varies enormously, depending on whether they are male or female, whether they have ever had any diseases, and other things. The average age is between 5-10 years old, and your little one was obviously towards the end of that lifespan, being that you found him as an adult over 5 years ago.
The fact that he stopped singing in the last few months would suggest that he was an older bird, and his life was just running it's course.
Please don't feel as though you contributed to his passing in any way, I'm sure you didn't and that it was simply his time to go. He was a very lucky little bird, you took him in and looked after him in a way that many people wouldn't! Please don't feel bad, remember that you rescued him and that his life with you was so much happier than the life he had before.
Fly free at Rainbow Bridge little bird XXX
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Georgia, Honey Bear, Rosie, Obi, Timber, Mia, Oscar and Mango XXXX

Pidfriend

I think one of the most encourging things the web has shown is how people can be so kind to complete strangers. Thank you so much for your kind words, epecially Honeydlc.

You are right, it is important I remember that he was so lucky and, as far as any of us can tell, a very happy little bird. (His official name was Eeep, by the way, but we most often called him Pid). It was really only in the last few months and especially the last week that he showed any signs of not being completely contented. It's very comforting to know that he was almost certainly quite an old bird when he died - and perhaps even very old. When we found him his plumage was in good condition but in his very first moult with us he produced a feather that grew in the wrong direction and this problem got steadily worse with each moult until last year when he even had some that grew fully back on themselves in a spiral. I've had several people independently tell me this is something that often happens as birds age so it's very likely he was already entering middle age when we found him. Knowing that he was probably closer to the 10 year mark (or even older) is a comfort. It was clear that last moult really took it out of him and since then he had really been showing his age - and I could always see that, but being taken up with feelings of grief and blame I had forgotten just how much he looked to be failing. Thanks to you and the other people I have spoken to I no longer feel I robbed him of any of his life. Instead I am remembering so many times when Pid was a beautiful, happy bird flying from window sill to window sill in our flat, watching what we were doing and talking to us in the special pipping way he had. I will never forget him or the happiness he brought us.

One positive thing that has come out of this is the insight it has given me into some of the people I know. Many have dismissed the whole thing with "It was only a bird" but others, almost without saying anything, have shown that they really do understand how it is possible to love a tiny, vulnerable, beautiful little thing so much. You obviously know that, too. Thank you for being so kind and for your wishes for our special little bird.

Pidfriend

VJH

I know nothing about birds but wanted to say sorry for your loss - they are part of our family whatever type of animal they are.

Fly free little Pid xxx
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Vicky, Daisy and Ruby xx
Ruby´s album
Daisy´s album