Healthy, dies suddenly at 5?

Question
I am completely brokenhearted and and am grasping at answers as to how my
Merlin, 5 yr old Cag I had from the final two weeks of handfeeding, could be
happily chatting as normal one minute and dead the next.  He was in the
same place his cage has been for a over a year, doing his morning routine.  
Next thing, dead at the bottom of the cage.  Sadly I was not home, my mom
and sister were, and in their panic and grief ran him to the nearest vet, not a
bird specialist, and made the decision to cremate him "sparing" me the extra
grief of deciding what to do, so, no necropsy. Merlin got bloodwork every year
except 2010, since vet saw he was doing so well and so healthy that she put
him on every other year sched for bloodwork. His weight was stable and his
droppings were normal. No typical signs of illness that we look for in parrots.  
How could he be dead at 5?  I want another but am so shaken and don't want
to go into it if this 60-80 year lifespan is a myth.  There was no cleaning or
anything unusual going on in the house.  Please help.
Camille

Answer
-- I'm deeply sorry for your loss and I truly understand your heartbreak.  

It's more like a 50-60 year lifespan expectation, but just like with humans, we sometimes see the tragedy of a baby dying and the miracle of someone living past 100.   

We all get a "lifetime" - that's a guarantee.  It's just that they aren't all the same number.


As for your companion - one of the most difficult things to explain to humans is the degree of expertise a bird has at what's called "masking".  The ability to adeptly hide any illness, weakness or imperfection better than nearly any other animal in existence.

This includes singing, talking, acting perfectly fine right until the end.

It's just the "lucky" owners who see symptoms and get a chance to find veterinary intervention.   Even then, by the time symptoms are obvious, chances are the problem has been going on for a long time.


Bloodwork may have given a false sense of security.   While yearly or even twice a year check ups are highly recommended (I can understand skipping bloodwork, but I don't know of any good vet who would recommend anything less than a once a year physical check up).


There are many possible causation's - it may have been a cardiac episode or liver failure.

Does anyone use Teflon coated cookware in the home?   It surprises owners to learn that it doesn't have to burn or overheat in order to put out toxins throughout the house.

Had he been eating seeds?  Seeds, especially sunflower are like 'birdy junk food' - often leading to liver disease and other health problems.

Peanuts are another common treat that are extremely dangerous.  An infection called Aspergillosis can be devastating.

There's also the possibility of heavy metal toxicity if you can hold a magnet to any of the toys or links and you feel it 'pull' - chances are the item is lead, zinc or other toxic metal.   Gnawing or biting on these items can build up tiny amounts over time.  

Unless the bloodwork specifically looks for it and is read by a vet familiar with it, it will look 'normal' to most.

All anyone can do right now is guess and no matter what, it won't change anything.

Give yourself time to mourn for Merlin, but please, don't blame yourself and don't hesitate to adopt another bird when your heart tells you it's time.


Go over care options here  http://www.4animalcare.org/birds