# Mysterious death, please advise



## peacefulpigeon (Jul 1, 2016)

My male pigeon Hulk's mate Pixie passed away today mysteriously. I am so disillusioned because I
dont know if its my curse or what not, but she was healthy 3 days ago,pecking at me and building nest etc, suddenly she looked very quiet the next day and some people advised to force feed her green peas frozen thawed. I have no idea what happened or if that was a bad advice, or she foraged around my home and ate some bacteria from somewhere from my shoes I dont know. Her crop became tight and it got better the next day but threw up whole peas the next day I fed her. It was not even digested. So
something happened there, or the bacteria if that was the cause
stopped from digesting it. Her poop during her last days were very bright green and so watery. I manually fed her water too drop by drop and she stopped eating altogether. I manually gave her some seeds very little, and it seems like it was thrown up as well.
But I am so guilty that I am the one that gave her the peas, and she hated it and flew away from me when I was attempted to feed,, I cant get over this. But Hulk seems healthy and he is alone now and depressed or its my imagination. Can someone tell me why she passed away? I did everything by the book. Her poop was green and slimely with white before I fed her and a pigeon expert told me thats no good and she is not eating, so you have to feed her. Was that bad advice? How does an indoor pigeon become violently sick in 2 days and die on me? She looked a little better too by standing on one leg today, I went for an hour and I come back to witness her collapsed on the floor on her own throw up. I couldn't stop crying not even embarrassed to cry and the worst thing is her half bulilt nest she was all exited about keeps flashing in my head. Another theory is she was heavily mating a few days ago, can egg issues cause any of these symtoms? Who knew green peas can be dangerous, its offered as a default advice everywhere with probiotics, which I gave too. Man I am so guilty that I want to move out of this apartment as soon as possible, wherever I look I used to have her around, often flying into my room to check on me like she misses me. This is brutal. What should I do? Should I give away my male bird, is he going to be okay without her?


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## wiggles and puddles (Sep 3, 2015)

You should not give away your male. In my opinion. He will mourn her loss, but he should move on. More change, like moving or giving him to a new home only causes more stress and would make it harder for him. It is hard to say what caused the female, Pixie, to pass. How old was she? Had she ever laid eggs before? Exhibited similar symptoms previously, then it cleared up? I am sorry you lost her. Like you, I have two indoor pet pigeons. Do you feed them calcium /vit d3 and grit? I would not advise force feeding unless absolutely necessary, and would strongly advise not forcing water. Birds can aspirate very easily. Not saying that happened here, just a bit of information for future use. They can usually get fluid from foods like peas, but if you are in a dire situation where it has been more then a day you could come on here, or do your best to seek out a vet. There are much more experienced people on here that can help you possibly root out a potential cause to your beloved Pixie's passing. I know it is hard. Just a few days ago I lost my very first horse I got as a 3 year old girl. That was over 20 years ago. All we can do is know that we loved them, and know, that they knew, that they were loved.


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## cwebster (Dec 11, 2010)

I am sorry for your losses. I have lost a lot of loved critters this year and it is hard. Hope you will keep looking forward and treasure the time with each living thing.


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## peacefulpigeon (Jul 1, 2016)

wiggles and puddles said:


> You should not give away your male. In my opinion. He will mourn her loss, but he should move on. More change, like moving or giving him to a new home only causes more stress and would make it harder for him. It is hard to say what caused the female, Pixie, to pass. How old was she? Had she ever laid eggs before? Exhibited similar symptoms previously, then it cleared up? I am sorry you lost her. Like you, I have two indoor pet pigeons. Do you feed them calcium /vit d3 and grit? I would not advise force feeding unless absolutely necessary, and would strongly advise not forcing water. Birds can aspirate very easily. Not saying that happened here, just a bit of information for future use. They can usually get fluid from foods like peas, but if you are in a dire situation where it has been more then a day you could come on here, or do your best to seek out a vet. There are much more experienced people on here that can help you possibly root out a potential cause to your beloved Pixie's passing. I know it is hard. Just a few days ago I lost my very first horse I got as a 3 year old girl. That was over 20 years ago. All we can do is know that we loved them, and know, that they knew, that they were loved.



Here is a video of her I took, the day before she died. She had a hunched back, and was mating heavily. She so far had laid about 12 eggs or 10 eggs in about 8 months. I gave her vit d3 and calcium regularly time to time. But she was always weak before passing the egg, she wont coo, but always passed the egg properly. But this time she had the same hunch back, please check the video, but I think it got to her.

https://vid.me/1X5s

What I am now worried is, the male is alone and looks very sad and not eating. Which is alarming because I dont want him to die as he drank the water from the same cup and billled and mated with her. Are there any signs to see if he is sick or he is mourning so he is alone. I am terrified of force feeding him anything. Is it common for the male to mourn by being quiet and not eating or drinking

He didnt drink the garlic water, he smelled it and moved it away. But he is preening well, and molting. Howeveer when I gave him clean water he drank it. 

https://vid.me/1X5s


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## FredaH (Apr 5, 2016)

Could she have been egg bound? My hen has only laid four eggs so far but I've noticed each time before she's laid her back end feathers are fluffed up like your girl. Someone mentioned a hens 'egg laying stance' on a group the other day and I assumed that ruffed up end is what they meant. I could be wrong of course. My male still wanted to mate with her at this point but I put him in the cage while she was out in case she was about to lay and on each occasion she has.


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## Jay3 (May 4, 2008)

Your bird wasn't feeling well in that video. That posture usually means pain. She may have been unable to pass an egg. 
When she lays eggs, do you replace them with fake eggs? How long do you let her sit on her eggs before taking them?
You can't take them away unless you replace them. If you do, then you are causing her to lay again to replace the ones you took. If you take them, then you need to replace with fake eggs, so that she will sit on them and this gives her a rest from laying too much. Laying too much will use up her calcium stores, and she will have all sorts of problems. One being egg bound, where she can't pass the egg. She can die from that. 
They should be getting a good calcium/D3 supplement like CalciBoost or CalciVet a couple of times a week. Regular vitamins won't contain enough. 

You also should have a good avian vet, because when you need one, you need one. It could have been something else that she had, but I think it may have well been calcium related. Could also have had canker, which is easily treated with Metronidazole. When you keep pigeons there are a few meds that you need to have on hand. When you need them, you don't have time to order them.
Feeding her peas didn't kill her, as if a bird isn't eating, they do have to be fed.


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## peacefulpigeon (Jul 1, 2016)

Unfortunately the male passed away too. I dont know he was flying yesterday, once to check on her in her isolated box. Then he drank her water. I dont believe within a day he can die drinking the same water. He must have been sick or died in sadness. When I came back I came home with corn muffin and peanuts, to cheer him up. He wasnt there in the same spot he was perching earlier. No where to be found. Then found him in his favorite spot sitting on a cushion eyes closed with throw up. He was warm, must have died just before I arrived. I kept kissing him for 10 minutes my tears drenched his eyes, I didn't care his throw up was in my lips. This is juss too sad, never dealt with anyone close to me dying before. I put him in the freezer, and going to give notice to move out of this apt tomorrow or I will loose my mind.

I never replaced eggs cuz their eggs hatched, although they were fertilized, I simply froze them early on. But after a month of sitting they will mate again and try it again, she always passed eggs fine but the first egg was a discomfort. 

Anyways this time something else happened, or some kind of bacteria, they both died. I dont believe he died in sadness. He was fine until yesterday. This morning he was very quiet and only drank water when I offered him. Only fresh water no garlic water. 

He showed signs of sickness 2 weeks ago, then a friend of mine gave me 4 in 1 formula that cures 4 diseases. 

http://diransales1.en.hisupplier.co...ine-4-in-1-Furaltadone-Ronidazole-Powder.html

He got much better after 10 days of treatment and was starting to molt too. They mated and were just happy and tried to find new location for the nest. etc

After she became ill 2 days ago, he was still calling for her as you saw in that video. But then he gave up and just perched on his own occassionaly looking at her. yesterday he drank the water from her cup before I could stop him but not sure if something drinking a sip of water can kill him within a day. This is incredibly heart breaking and how could this happen? They were doing so fine for so long, what entered the apartment that could have caused them to fall violently ill. Did she give him anything recenly during mating?

Anyone knows why they both threw up and died at the end is the process of dying? 

I had made arrangements for him to go to a vet tomorrow morning but he quit on me before that. If he had hung on just for one more day, I could have saved him. He has come a long way since I rescued him one of the best companion I had. I cannot live in this apartment for longer as every corner reminds me of them. I have put them in the freezer and I am going to get taxxidermy done for them however much it is going to cost me. I dont think I can keep a pet bird again as this is too much. 

What caused their death, if it was egg bound for her how did he die? is there any pathogen that can kill them shortly? was that medication bad? could it have played a part in their death?


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## cwebster (Dec 11, 2010)

Am so very sorry for the loss of your wonderful birds. It is so hard I know having lost several loved ones this year. I hope you will find peace knowing they were loved and that whatever it was that took them must have been very sudden. I hope you will find it in your heart to have more birds some day as you obviously care for them a lot. When I lose a beloved pet, when I can, I usually try to find another to love hoping there is a small part of the lost loved creature reincarnated in them.


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## peacefulpigeon (Jul 1, 2016)

cwebster said:


> Am so very sorry for the loss of your wonderful birds. It is so hard I know having lost several loved ones this year. I hope you will find peace knowing they were loved and that whatever it was that took them must have been very sudden. I hope you will find it in your heart to have more birds some day as you obviously care for them a lot. When I lose a beloved pet, when I can, I usually try to find another to love hoping there is a small part of the lost loved creature reincarnated in them.



Can we move this thread to an appropriate thread, like general discussions, so more people see it and advice me. I do not want to double post it.


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## Jay3 (May 4, 2008)

Who knows what they were sick with. No one can tell you, unless you have a necropsy done, that would show what they had. When he was sick 2 weeks ago, if he had seen an avian vet then you would have known for sure what was wrong, and gotten the right meds to treat it. 4 in 1's are no good at treating most things, as there isn't enough of any one drug in them to actually cure anything. It's better to know what you are treating for, and then give the right med. If he was sick 2 weeks ago, she may very well have gotten something from him.
You said when you came home that you couldn't find him. Do you let them fly freely in the apartment all the time? They should only be let out when you are there to watch them.
They may have gotten into something that was bad for them. Not safe to let them out without supervision. They must have both had whatever it was. He didn't get something from drinking her water. They were together all this time, so it is easy for whatever one has, that they would both have it. That is usually what happens. If one is sick, then both need to be treated. Could have been many things, but no way anyone can guess at what it was. That's all it would be is a guess. Still won't answer your question.


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