R.I.P Elliot & Twix

[Solace.]

I never thought I would be making a thread about these two, but I am, and I am so angry and upset. Elliot and Twix belong to my best friend, he has had them for years. They just "suddenly" died - my best friend uncovered them this morning and he found them both on the bottom of the cage, dead.

I hand-fed and hand-raised Twix from 3 weeks old, so he meant a lot to me, and I was hoping to see him again eventually, but it isn't going to happen now. He only just turned 2 years old 8 days ago, and now he is gone! :cry:

Photo of Twix:
http://c1.ac-images.myspacecdn.com/images02/42/l_5bf28f5ea5f04812b8601bbc3131540c.jpg

Elliot, he was a disabled bird, and couldn't fly or anything, not sure exactly what was wrong with him, but he still managed to live life like a normal Cockatiel would, and was still a very happy bird otherwise. I went with my best friend the day he got Elliot, so I know him well, and he was a real favorite of mine, not a mean bone in his body and was the best cuddler. :(

Photo of Elliot:
http://i33.tinypic.com/25gaqo9.jpg

R.I.P boys, fly high, and free.....

[AlbyPepper]

What a terrible shame. I'm so sorry to hear about this. Fly high little ones!

[Jess]

I'm sorry to hear about these two:( I also think your friend has some explaining to do, two birds don't just die like that, I wonder if some sort of fumes got to them?

[Cheryl]

Jess, the fumes thing was actually the first thing that popped in my head too.
I'm sorry it had to happen this way. :( RIP.

[xxxSpikexxx]

Oh no :( Poor babies

[tielmom]

so sad:(
I thought of the fumes too.
I am sorry this has happened...RIP Twix and Elliot

[mpayjr]

I'm so sorry for your loss. I feel your pain. I remember my first bird ever, Daisy (she was a budgie) and she died. I was like 8 and I cried for hours for her. But now her death has brought into my family 4 beautiful cockatiels. I hope Twix and Elliot will rest in peace! And I hope you feel better soon!

[Abby]

I'm so sorry. That's really not fair....I hope everything turns out okay.

Best of wishes.

[Berdnerd]

Solace, have you found out anything else? Poor birdlies.

[tielmom]

I was wondering the same thing.

[Solace.]

We are still unsure on what killed them.

My friend puts hairspray in his hair though, we think that if he has had the birds near his hair, and they have gone to preen his hair (you know how some 'tiels love to preen their owners hair) then that has what has killed them, but not 100% sure that is exactly what had done it.

If he had the money, he could have had a necropsy (?) done, but he lost his job not long before and he is struggling as it is, so that wasn't an option.

[Jynxstorm]

I am sorry about your loss Solace hopefully you'll figure out what the cause could have been. I do know what it is like losing a pet.

[Cockatiel love]

I am sorry for your loss, Charlie loves to preen my hair and copies the budgies so i think that was the cause of death i am soooooo sorry
Hope they fly high :)

[Evelyn]

Wow that is really sad news, fly high little ones.

[srtiels]

(((HUGS)))

This happened a couple times to a friend off mine. What had happened is she used extra Bounce drier sheet in the driet when she washed the cage covers and the faint smell of them was just enough to put the birds into respiratory arrest.

[tielmom]

srtiels...What??? I would have never even thought of that...I wash my birds cage covers all of the time, thankfully I do not use dryer sheets. I do use fabric softener, but I do not think I have used it on their cover sheets. I am very thankful that I have not done this...I had absolutely no idea that this would happen, never crossed my mind.
Thank you for sharing.

Matter of fact, I think I will stop covering up my birds at night all together, they seem to be able to sleep fine without the covers. I never cover the whole cage, only the front and sides. I only do this so they know it is bed time, because our family goes to bed much later than 8:00pm

[srtiels]

Yes...if the smell of detergents or fabric softeners are tooo strong it can irratate their sinues and air sacs that are used for breathing.

Plus when birds are covered and going thru a heavy molt this can contrubute to eye infections and irratations and sinus problems.

[Jess]

I use air filters in my birdroom, I have a ceiling/wall mounted type and I have a portable trion made by fedders table top one I couldn't be without filters, they make such a difference.

[mpayjr]

I don't use a cage cover at all...my birds seem to be fine without one. They figure out when it's time to go to sleep just by my daily schedule. They go to sleep around 10:00 pm and I got to sleep around 10:30 and they wake up when I wake up at 6:00 in the morning. Now that I know what detergent can do, I'm glad I don't use a cover...

[tielmom]

That is still blowing my mind...I can not believe that I have not thought of it before.
I never really thought about the heavy molting thing either. I am so glad that they have all been okay...there is so much to learn about them. Thank you again for helping our tiels:)
One of the reasons I cover them is because at night they tend to kind of get grumpy and one of them kind of nips at the other one. Stormy inches closer and closer and does this sweet little chirp thing to Lenny, but Lenny does not want to have any part of her cuddle time. He will sometimes preen her for a couple of seconds, but if she continues he gets kind of nippy to her. Covering them up seems to get them settled. She goes to her favorite sleep spot and he does the same. We have a night light by them too.