Another "Pet Loss"

I had to put one of my budgies down tonight. Awhile back she (Lady Bird) was very swollen in her "hind end". It looked like she'd swallowed a small ball and it was stuck at the butt end. After some time it went down, mostly, and I thought she'd be okay. While all this was happening, I'd phoned a couple vets in town and they both said the same thing... no one in town works on birds, so I'd have to take her to a nearby town to a specific vet there, and they gave me the number to phone. To see the vet would cost $60, then if there was any treatment or any surgery, it would cost more on top of that... and of course, the cost of my gas for what could be 2 or more trips. Also, for that $60, the vet might just say she had to be put down. A budgie bird sells for about $20.

I can't stand the thought of an animal in pain, but Lady Bird didn't seem to be, and she was still eating and drinking normally, so I just watched, and she finally went pretty much back to normal. However, that didn't last. She swelled back up again and in time this became worse than the first time around. I kept hoping it would go down again, but wasn't doing so. The last few days, she's been falling from the perch due to the weight of the swollen area. She'd climb back up again, mind you, so I still hoped. When she pooped, it would be all over her butt and dry there, so I'd periodically have to take her out and bathe her butt end. She bit a lot during this time, not at all grateful for what I was trying to do for her, haha. Tonight when I did this for her, she appeared a lot weaker than usual, and in more distress that before. I knew she was in pain and she was dying slowly. As much as I hated to do it, I knew that the kindest thing I could do for my pretty little bird was to put her out of her misery. I won't go into details on the how of it, but it was fast and I hope painless for her.

I feel bad for Tom Tom. He will sorely miss his lady love, and I will miss seeing them kissing each other and showing such love. I am wondering if budgies mate for life or if he would take a new mate if she was put into the cage with him. Guess I'll have to look into that.

I've had Tom Tom and Lady Bird for a little over 2 years now. I don't know what their ages are as I got them free off Freecycle from a family that no longer wanted to be bothered with them. That's cool. I was happy to give them a home. I've had to cut Lady Bird's beak several times as it kept growing too long. Once I cut it back, she was able to eat properly again and it took awhile for it to grow out again, so wasn't too bad, though neither her nor I liked it when I had to do the trim.

Tom Tom (yellow and green) and Lady Bird (yellow, white, blue)

Fly Free and in Peace, my pretty little Lady Bird!!

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A bird won't fly you there, but a private jet charter will.

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