So hey if you guys remember way back when I first posted about my lovebird before I bought Pickles, I never knew why she died. But today I think I found out...she was egg bound. I remember her trying to lay an egg and for some reason her straining to try and pass the egg didn't alarm me, I thought it was a normal process and honestly didn't know it was a medical emergency. How could I be so stupid? I loved that bird so much and I remember trying to figure out what was wrong with her but I don't think egg binding ever came up...and then I left for work (she had stopped looking like she was trying to lay an egg and to me she seemed to be acting normal again so I wasn't worried about her when I left for work) ...but when I came home she was too weak to stand up and thats when we rushed her to the vet and she died in the vet's hands. It hurts me soooo much to know that I could have saved her...but I didn't know. I should have known and that's why she is dead...Avril I'm so sorry I know this happened a long time ago but I just found out how she must have died and I just need someone else to know...if I could go back in time and take her to the vet the first time I saw symtoms I would do anything just for the chance to save her. I feel awful... *cries*

You know sometimes these things happen and its beyond your control. I know its hard to lose a pet that you really loved, but try not to beat yourself up over it. Learn from the mistake so that it will be less likely to happen again to your future birds. I don't know if Pickles is male or female, But it would be wise to have a DNA test done on her just for that reason. So that you can watch for signs that might be signs of struggling etc. Read up on it as much as you can so you'll know what to do if it should ever happen again with other birds.

Hang in there...Sending big hugs your way.

(HUGS) I am so sorry for your loss and the pain you are feeling....

I'm very sorry for your loss.

There is no point in feeling guilty or beating yourself up. What is done, is done. All you can do is learn from it.

I am so sorry for your loss.

Sorry for your loss. Do not be too hard on yourself these things happen and I am sure you did all you could at the time. I had a terrible accident with my first QP and to this day I wish it was different but I can not go back and change it. Enjoy Pickles, he/she will heal you heart. Julie

Sorry to hear about Avril... it's never a nice way to learn about birds I agree, but at least you will have a heads-up if something like that crops up again. ( fingers crossed it won't).

I am sorry for your loss.

Thanks everyone for replying...your support is so helpful and I'm grateful for it

I just wanted to say that now a few months have passed since this post, and while I still miss Avril a ton, Pickles has completely made herself at home in another part of my heart. You know at first I couldn't even get close to her, all I could keep thinking was: I wish I had Avril back, I wish I had Avril back, but you're right she has healed my heart. I keep photos of Avril on my desk so every time I'm on my computer I can look at her.

And I have done lots of reading about egg binding, and if it helps others to know: Avril never showed many of the symtoms of it like laying on the bottom of her cage, being puffed up, appetite loss, or anything. Other than the fact that she was trying to lay an egg, she acted completely healthy and normal up until the last hour of her life (then she couldn't stand up). I just want others to know that just because your bird is acting normal, if you think something is wrong, there very well might be and it's better to be safe than sorry.

I am sorry for your loss.

Please dont beat your self up. Im sending your prayers and so sorry for your loss.

I know this won't be much comfort but I've lost hens to egg binding too. The last Lady Gouldian hen I had spent two days in a hospital cage, passed her egg, and seemed to be doing just fine. She seemed to rebound and be back to normal. I kept her in the hospital cage just to be safe and by that afternoon she died anyway. My point is that even if you had been able to get you lovie treated, with egg binding there are no guarantees. Prevention is the only thing you can count on. Lots of calcium for any female birds is a good thing. Make calcium perches and foods with lots of nutritional value available to them. Last spring my female canary got egg-bound (it's my personal curse I think) and she was treated immediately. What saved her was calcium. Although she passed the egg that was bound, she was still developing eggs inside and the calcium did some of its magic and kept her from being bound again with the next egg. Once she got started laying there was no stopping her so she got her calcium until the whole episode was over. Don't be hard on yourself over it, K? There's no guarantee that even if your lovie had gotten immediate treatment that things would have turned out any differently. You're armed now with defenses against egg binding that you didn't have before and that's the gift you're left with. Sorry you're feeling so awful. I know it's hard not to blame yourself when a fid dies. But you can use everything you know to help Pickles now and that's what has to count. Chin up Sweetie.

Thanks everyone