My budgie died from illness. What was wrong? Is my other budgie safe?

I am sorry to hear about Thorin's passing. Unfortunately, without a necropsy (animal autopsy) it would be hard to tell what caused him to pass away. Heart problems, illness, infection, parasites, disease, etc can all be possible causes of the symptoms you mentioned and can all lead to severe illness or death. If you are having trouble coping with your loss, seeking out resources such as The Rainbow Bridge may help you find some peace in your time of loss.

Thanks for your question, and I am sorry that you are losing birds in your collection. With the multiple losses that you are experiencing, I would suspect that there is an infectious process occurring (such as a bacterial infection, parasites, etc). You can attempt to provide supportive care through ensuring the cages are very clean, a proper diet, and adequate ventilation, but this may not be enough to prevent additional losses. There are services that allow for clients to submit their animals that have passed away for a necropsy (essentially an autopsy for animals). This may be an option for you. These are often associated with universities that have veterinary schools. They have instructions for handling and shipping online oftentimes, or you can call for instructions as well. I hope that gives you a place to start, and I wish you the best of luck.

I'm sorry to hear that Blue passed away. Unfortunately, the symptoms you mentioned are very vague signs of illness and can be caused by a number of things including infections, illness, malnutrition, respiratory diseases, injury and more. Without a necropsy (animal autopsy) to determine the cause of death, it would be impossible to tell what happened. If you have any other birds, thoroughly cleaning the cage and moving any sick birds to an isolated hospital cage can help prevent the spread of illness to other birds in your home. If you are having trouble coping with Blue's passing, checking out resources such as The Rainbow Bridge may help give you some peace of mind during your time of loss.

I'm sorry to hear about your loss! It is very normal for birds to mourn the loss of their friend, just as people do, so spending a little extra time together or offering up a favorite treat may help. Birds are extremely good at hiding illness, and if you suspect your other bird was ill at all, thoroughly cleaning the cage/shared dishes/etc can help prevent the spread of illness. Signs of illness to watch out for include listless behavior, sleeping all the time, fluffed feathers, difficulty breathing, changes in weight, appetite changes, drinking changes, feather loss, etc. If you do see these signs, or suspect Cameron may have caught something from your other bird, seeking out an exam in person is always best. If you're having trouble coping with the loss of Barney, I highly recommend checking out some resources such as The Rainbow Bridge where you can talk to other owners and even make a virtual pet memorial.

Thanks for your question, and I am so sorry about your loss. It is never easy to lose a member of the family. From the photos that you sent, it looks like your budgie was very sick. In the photo of her before she passed away, she appears very fluffed and sitting low on your head. These both are indicators that a bird doesn’t feel well. Since they are prey animals, they are very good at hiding their illness, even from their family members like you. The blood in the droppings could have originated from numerous areas in her body. These include her intestinal tract, her urinary tract, and her reproductive tract. With an issue in any of these areas, she could have had problems that were severe enough that they could have led to her death. I am so sorry again for your loss - she was a very cute bird.

Nutritional deficiency, liver or kidney disease, intestinal parasites or bacterial, viral or fungal infection are all possibilities. An exam with your veterinarian or an experienced avian veterinarian is strongly recommended to diagnose the exact illness or injury. The vet can administer supportive care if indicated. Offer a commercial pelleted diet moistened with warm water or a hand feeding formula to stimulate his appetite and get some nutrition into him. Keep him warm and as stress free as possible until he sees the veterinarian.

That is a lot of questions! And one I don't really have a good answer to. Sudden death can be caused by a number of things including illness, parasites, infections, nutritional issues, etc. It's always a good idea to first make sure the environment your birds are in is kept clean, and that they have access to a balanced diet and fresh water at all times. It is also a good idea to quarantine any new birds for a few days before introducing them to the other birds you own in order to prevent the spread of any illness. Stress from being put with strange birds, recently re-homed, switched to a new cage, etc can also cause a bird to act ill. Making sure they are in an environment that is free from harassment by other pets or people, is in a warm-draft free area, and that all birds can easily access food, water, perches and sleeping space is best. If you suspect one or more birds are ill it is best to separate them immediately into a hospital cage that is kept warm and with easy access to food and water to prevent the spread of illness and to keep any sick birds from being picked on. Seeking veterinary care to check for the cause of their illness is also a good idea.