Parrotlet's Sudden Death

Hi Sandee,
I have Very Bad news .Today My Parrotlet of 1 month Died…This morning it was acting just fine.. was out on our shoulders etc. eating & Drinking then back in its cage I noticed it was shacking its head as if trying to get something out of its throat or down its throat. But it seemed to manage ok ….I came back at noon and it was dead next to the water bowl. Of course my kids are devastated! I am wondering if it could have choked on the millet or something. Or what we could have done?

Your input would be appreciated.

Regards

Matt

Dear Matt:

I am so sorry to hear about the sudden loss of your parrotlet. I can’t imagine how upset the family must be. Unfortunately, no one can tell you what happened with that bird except a veterinarian trained in veterinary medicine who completed a necropsy (animal autopsy) with 24 hours of death. However, what you are describing sounds to me like some kind of seizure. It may have been caused by an injury – especially if the bird fell, flew into something or was dropped and hit its head. Or it could have been a stroke, a heart attack, a tumor, some kind of toxin exposure – most likely airborne, heavy metal poisoning or a number of other things. But, without a necropsy there is no definitive answer. It does sound to me like it was very sudden and probably nothing could have been done – especially if it were not an injury or the bird was exposed to some kind of toxin.

I am so sorry for you loss but I hope this helps as it does sound like nothing could have been done to prevent the bird’s death.

Sincerely yours,

Sandee L. Molenda, C.A.S.
Secretary, International Parrotlet Society