# I said goodbuy to a friend today...



## Johnny579 (Aug 22, 2014)

I am writing mostly because I cant sleep because this is on my mind. My favorite pet above anything else has always been my parakeets. My first was a beautiful green girl named kaitee. The first day i had her she let me pet her belly, the second she was standing on my finger. Their were very pets and owners to ever have the relationship kaitee and i had, she was my girl. We spent 9 years together all the way into college when she started acting sick. An 8 hour round trip, about 400 dollars for gas and a vet to tell me there was 3 things that could be wrong and only 1 that could be fixed with no way to be sure. She was dead 3 weeks later.

I decided to try again after several months of silence and no seeds to pick up, I bought a pretty blue boy I named sam. I did everything i could to make sure he was healthy and his immune system up. It took a couple months but he became my little buddy, always wanted to be on my shoulder would tweet when i left the room would whine or squawk when i didnt pay attention to him. He could be a demon but i loved him. A while back i had bought a box of grit rated for parakeets, it did seem a bit large for parakeet grit but the box was boasting everything new and healtheir, the brand was ecotrition, sam seemed to like it like normal so i used it. Today the box is about half empty, sam was pecking around his grit bowl and i heard him hit the bottom of the cage and he was almost having a seizure but more like he was flying fdrunk. I walked over picked him up and heard him wheezing, i felt his throat, which he gave no argument to (a very bad sign), and there was a sharp lump poking out. I tried massaging it out or down, but either way it felt like it was going to break through his neck. It was sunday so no vet was open, not that their was a bird vet in an hours drive. He wheezing and struggled for 10 mins before a final shriek and a short seizure and he was gone. I had him for less than 2 years.

I hope this doesnt make me sound like a bad pet owner, i did all i knew to do and anyone i tried to call didnt answer right away. I poured a some of the grit from the box into my hand and the size of some chunks scared me,one i wondered how he would get down his throat. I had trusted the pet store owner when she said it was what she used for the birds in the store.

I wrapped him up and placed him in a ziplock bag in the freezer. Im going to find him a nice rock and bury him on my next day off. I did love that bird.


----------



## Romad (Jun 28, 2009)

I am so sorry to hear about Sam 

Please don't blame yourself for his death. What you did was try to provide the best for him which is why you got that food in the first place.

There is a parakeet out there waiting for a good home if you decide to get another.


----------



## kjg1029 (Jun 14, 2014)

awe! I am so sorry! It sounds like it was just an unfortunate accident, and by no means your fault. You obviously loved him very much, and I bet he enjoyed your company as well. Atlesst you were there when he died. Sorry fo your loss! R.I.P.!


----------



## bettacrazygirl86 (Jan 21, 2013)

I'm so sorry.  From the sounds of it, you loved him and he loved you, and you did everything you could. You were only trying to do what you thought was best for him, and you wanted him to be healthy. It isn't your fault, so don't blame yourself. I know it's hard. But you aren't a bad pet owner.  Don't give up! There are plenty of other birds out there that need homes, whenever you're ready to take in another. Maybe look into adoption? That way you know you're getting a healthy one, and ask them what they recommend feeding.


----------



## Lilypad (Oct 15, 2014)

I'm so sorry for your loss  It's so hard to lose such a beloved friend. Do not blame yourself.


----------



## Bettaz (Oct 6, 2014)

I am so sorry for your loss. I also have a parrot and I am devastated to hear that you've lost your friend. It is so easy to get attached to parrots and their quirky little personalities. It sounds like he was bonded to you, so you both must have loved each other very much. :-(

It sounds like he may have had an impacted crop from the grit. Sometimes parrots will eat too much grit if they see it as a food source or take too much in to get more calcium. Both can lead to crop impaction and the pieces are pretty sharp sometimes. Some parrot forums say not to give parrots grit for this reason. I hate that pet stores keep telling parrot owners that they need grit in their diets. They're not helping with the health of birds at all. There are smaller pieces of grit (crushed up powder quality) in parrot food, calcium supplements, and cuttlebones. These are much safer options. Other birds like pigeons need grit to help with digestion, but parrots digestive systems work differently. It is the pet store owner's fault that this happen to your little buddy. I am so sorry. :-(

If you ever get another parrot, I would look into a bird forum and not trust pet store people. They don't really know what they're talking about. They always try and sell me pine or cedar bedding for my Cockatiel. I'm like... really... both of those will kill my parrot. They don't know what they're talking about most of the time and just trying to sell stuff.


----------

