New baby lovebird, fearful of humans - how to proceed?

[Wolf]

There is really no controlling a bird they come to you because they want to, you do have to earn their trust as they are prey animals and do not trust new people or other animals or even other birds, because some birds are also predators. But once they love you they are totally loyal to you and will defend you with their life and they will try to guide you away from people and things that they view as threats. They are intelligent and you can't lie to them as they know the difference, it shows in your body language as well as in your voice. And as smart as they are they also remain like a small child in many ways. No two of them are ever the same as they each have their own distinctive personality. I am fascinated by them.

[thesilversakura]

We found Houdini collapsed this morning, barely breathing and ice cold. Took him to the vet and he managed to wake every few minutes when we warmed him up and talked to him. He has 24 hours to perk up back to normal or he'll be euthanized, he's not strong enough to survive anaesthetic to find out what's wrong with him. He won't eat or drink, far too weak for that. If we don't move him he closes his eyes and falls asleep. He's not going to last long.

We've phoned the garden centre and as soon as we get through we'll tell them what happened and ask them to quarantine their birds, I'm terrified it's viral and Peach is already sick with something despite me quarantining and washing my hands. Last night he had a cuddle and was fine, this morning he was nearly dead. I'm going to have the man's head who told us not to take them to the vet, 'don't waste your time or your money' were his words. It's irresponsible and dangerous to tell someone it's normal for a 10 week old bird to moult when they look like that. I don't know whether to get angry or cry.

Thank you all so much for your help, I don't know what I would've done without it. Now we just have to keep him comfortable until he goes.

[Wolf]

I am so sorry to hear this news. I know and understand how it feels to lose a friend and it doesn't matter if that friend has fur or feathers or wears clothes it hurts the same and leaves a very large hole in our hearts. Now I have to add insult to injury in order to hopefully assist in protecting your other bird. You need to have a necropsy done to determine the cause of death as well as take in your other bird in for blood work.
I won't go into how I feel about breeders or places that sell birds other than to say that you just can't trust them.
Again I am so sorry for this loss.

[thesilversakura]

He had two massive seziures and passed away. Rest in peace little man. We'll have a necropsy done and I'll take Peach in immediately, I'm terrified.

The man at the garden centre insisted there was nothing wrong with his birds and won't quarantine them despite the vet being very concerned, he wants a picture of him for god's sake. All he'll do is give us the money we paid back. I don't know what to do, there are more than 50 birds in those aviaries and if they're all carrying something....it's completely irresponsible. Never ever going there again.

[Wolf]

Based on your posts you are in the UK while I am in the USA, so I don't know what legal recourse you may have available. See what the vet has to say after the necropsy and get a copy of the results also any documentation of the bloodwork on your other bird. There must be some place that this can be reported if this is a communicable disease. I would discuss this with your vet as he/ she should know.
With Houdini being a mutation, it is possible that this is genetic, but apparently the vet suspects otherwise or he/she would not have expressed concern about all of the other birds in this places care.
I know it is hard, but please keep us informed.

[liz]

I am so sorry for you and Peach. The loss is devastating.
If the vet says it was contagious. I would take out an add in the pet section of the paper to warn others not to buy from him or even go into the area. I would also ask for the vet money.

[thesilversakura]

The necropsy is being done today I think, the vet took him in and is driving down to the main surgery where they are on call to the local zoo, they specialise in exotics. Hopefully we'll get a call later today. Peach is going for blood tests first thing tomorrow. As soon as we know what's going on we'll phone the garden centre again with all the paperwork and ask for the fees to be paid as well as the cost of the bird.

I also feel like complaining at some point about the man who sold him to us, for giving us false information and pretty irresponsible behaviour if you ask me. 'Oh, when I said moulting I meant all his feathers haven't come in. All my other birds are fine, if they were sick I would know. You should've phoned me as soon as you knew he was ill, we could've done something. Oh, and can you take a photo?' - can you believe it? *sigh* I need a lie down....

(Never seen anything so awful. Bird seziures are nasty, they really are. Watching him go like that, stiff as a board, beak opening and closing, eyes wide....then nothing. He'd had another flapping, hyperventilating one twenty minutes earlier, and his head was constantly twitching until he had the massive one. It's heartbreaking to watch, we were begging for him to let go when we realised he wasn't going to make it, but he fought for several hours. Birds are tough man, even babies. They hold on for dear life.)

[Pajarita]

Oh, Lordy, poor, poor little one! I am so sorry for your loss but, let me tell you that your experience with the seller is, unfortunately, VERY VERY common. I know of breeders here in the States that were selling sick babies left and right and even after this been communicated to them (as if they didn't know!), they had to be forced to shut down by the authorities (the vets know who they need to report this to so I am sure that if the poor baby has a contagious disease, your vet will take care of it).

People need to understand that breeders and owners of stores where they sell birds are not bird lovers, they are people who are making money exploiting animals. Period. If they really loved them they would not be breeding them when they are in overpopulation and, if there were not already too many of them out there, they still would not be selling the babies but giving them away to good homes). Also, employees usually know diddle squat about the birds they sell (molting the same as fledging?! Give me a break!).

[thesilversakura]

I should know the proper procedures but I don't. If I find out he's been selling birds after being informed they are potentially sick from a contagious disease and hiding it....there must be some sort of legal repercussions, because if there are he's sure as heck gonna get them. He's not even selling them on his own, he's employed by the garden centre and just works in the pet section. Methinks a little word with the management....

I am so so lucky I got Peach from a small scale breeder. A lovely young woman, only selling a clutch at a time once or twice a year from her one hen, who clearly loved her birds. We even met her parents who help her and are as enthusiastic as her, we met Peach's parents who co parented her and her other parrots who are stunning. She was knowledgeable and keeps in contact with any questions we might have....you just don't get many like that.

I am definitely, definitely thinking of adopting next time, but you don't get many small birds round our neck of the woods in need of rehoming. It would be a privilege though, and I'm not risking it like we have this time again. No pet shops, no aviaries, no one we don't trust. If a second hand big cage comes up, and a parrot in need of a home...who knows. Do it the right way in Houdini's memory I say.

[Pajarita]

Send the management a certified letter (I don't know if they are called the same in the UK but they are the ones that people need to sign to get and which you can use to prove they got it) explaining what happened, the misinformation given by the employee proving he was not qualified to care or answer questions about birds (it's their responsibility to have somebody trained properly) with copy to your avian vet (so they see that you are pursuing the issue through proper channels) and mention that a necropsy is been done to determine cause of death, in case it was a contagious disease. And, if your avian vet determines that it was, indeed, a contagious disease, there must be an equivalent to our USDA that handles this type of situations because there are diseases that parrots get that can be passed on to people and to domestic fowl so I am sure there is a procedure in place.