My Shay Butter

[Terry57]

Several years ago we took in the birds from a breeder , and we knew that the Red Bellied pair were old. According to her band she was 25 when they joined our family.
The breeder told me she would let the birds free if I didn't take them, so I took every bird she had. I kept the older ones and found homes for the younger ones through the parrot club I belong to. These birds were bred multiple times a year, no matter how hard it was on them.

Her mate, Severide died overnight a few years ago out of the blue, but Shay has survived. She has had several strokes since then, and sadly there isn't anything the vet can do.
She is in her 30s now, and has been getting along okay despite her strokes that caused her head to tilt. She loves her toys as long as they are attached to a wire rack made for her to sit on.

She remained in the cage where she had been with Severide, and it hasn't been an issue until this week.

Today was the third time this week where I found her on the bottom of the cage and she couldn't get back up.

We just moved her to a cage with smaller bar spacing, and set the food, water, etc. up on the floor.
We have a few perches in there, all close to the bottom, although this cage is not nearly as tall and she should be fine if she falls because we padded the bottom of the cage.

It is so hard to see her struggling, and I wish with all my heart I could fix it.

Taking in older birds is my calling, but man, it hurts so much when they start failing and there is nothing that can be done.
I'm praying that she gets used to the new cage so things are easier for her.
If her quality of life deteriorates any more, I fear that I will have a hard decision on my hands. Either way, I don't think that she has much time left.

Would y'all mind saying a prayer for my Shay Butter? I would appreciate it so much.

Shay (on the left ) and Severide in better days.

Truly though, as much pain as it brings, what they add to my life is so much more than the pain. If you get the chance to take in an older bird, especially one who is wild, they will bring you so much joy when you watch them being happy, perhaps for the first time in their lives.

 

[HeatherG]

I will pray for her.

Have you tried meloxicam for arthritis? It helped my very old Quaker loosen up and be a bit more dexterous on her bad days. It’s an NSAID and tastes like honey.

Warm perches, block heaters, and pads can help a sore bird feel better too.

Bless your sweet old birdie.

 

[Briburd]

Aw, I’m so sorry to hear your Shay is struggling with age. It takes a special person to do what you do and I will definitely keep you both in my thoughts.

 

[BirdyBee]

Several years ago we took in the birds from a breeder , and we knew that the Red Bellied pair were old. According to her band she was 25 when they joined our family.
The breeder told me she would let the birds free if I didn't take them, so I took every bird she had. I kept the older ones and found homes for the younger ones through the parrot club I belong to. These birds were bred multiple times a year, no matter how hard it was on them.

Her mate, Severide died overnight a few years ago out of the blue, but Shay has survived. She has had several strokes since then, and sadly there isn't anything the vet can do.
She is in her 30s now, and has been getting along okay despite her strokes that caused her head to tilt. She loves her toys as long as they are attached to a wire rack made for her to sit on.

She remained in the cage where she had been with Severide, and it hasn't been an issue until this week.

Today was the third time this week where I found her on the bottom of the cage and she couldn't get back up.

We just moved her to a cage with smaller bar spacing, and set the food, water, etc. up on the floor.
We have a few perches in there, all close to the bottom, although this cage is not nearly as tall and she should be fine if she falls because we padded the bottom of the cage.

It is so hard to see her struggling, and I wish with all my heart I could fix it.

Taking in older birds is my calling, but man, it hurts so much when they start failing and there is nothing that can be done.
I'm praying that she gets used to the new cage so things are easier for her.
If her quality of life deteriorates any more, I fear that I will have a hard decision on my hands. Either way, I don't think that she has much time left.

Would y'all mind saying a prayer for my Shay Butter? I would appreciate it so much.

Shay (on the left ) and Severide in better days.

View attachment 40560


Truly though, as much pain as it brings, what they add to my life is so much more than the pain. If you get the chance to take in an older bird, especially one who is wild, they will bring you so much joy when you watch them being happy, perhaps for the first time in their lives.

Prayers for sweet Shay

 

[LaManuka]

Oh Terry, I’m so sorry to hear that your Shay Butter is deteriorating this way. When my Lilly was nearing the end of her life I could see the unmistakeable signs with her too and it is truly gut wrenching to witness, I’m so sorry that it seems to have reached this point for Shay. Every prayer and good wish that I have are with you both, you provided her with the best home and care that she and Severide could possibly have wanted. Whatever time Shay may have left to her, she is so blessed to be able to spend it wrapped up in your boundless love.

 

[Terry57]

I will pray for her.

Have you tried meloxicam for arthritis? It helped my very old Quaker loosen up and be a bit more dexterous on her bad days. It’s an NSAID and tastes like honey.

Warm perches, block heaters, and pads can help a sore bird feel better too.

Bless your sweet old birdie.

Thank you Heather, the vet had her on Metacam for a bit, but it made her balance worse. I will call and ask about the drug you mentioned, thank you for that.
Unlike our older DYA, she doesn't seem to be in pain. She is just losing more control, which is sad to see.

Aw, I’m so sorry to hear your Shay is struggling with age. It takes a special person to do what you do and I will definitely keep you both in my thoughts.

Thank you so much for your kind words. I was terrified when it all came about, and had only a few minutes to decide. As soon as she said she was turning everyone loose I didn't need any more time.
There were 19 birds altogether, and we took in 9 birds and found homes for the others.

 

[Terry57]

Prayers for sweet Shay

Thank you, Pipp. Your prayers are much appreciated. I know how much your heart hurts right now, and it I can't thank you enough.

Oh Terry, I’m so sorry to hear that your Shay Butter is deteriorating this way. When my Lilly was nearing the end of her life I could see the unmistakeable signs with her too and it is truly gut wrenching to witness, I’m so sorry that it seems to have reached this point for Shay. Every prayer and good wish that I have are with you both, you provided her with the best home and care that she and Severide could possibly have wanted. Whatever time Shay may have left to her, she is so blessed to be able to spend it wrapped up in your boundless love.

Thank you so much, Sis, and please forgive me if I brought up sad memories for you.
The signs we can see make it so much harder. Or perhaps it gives us a chance to ready our heart for the end. I am so sorry that it brought up Lilly for you, I know how much her loss hurts.
Thank you for the kind words, I appreciate it so much.

 

[HeatherG]

Hi, I am guessing that metacam and meloxicam are quite similar. I can’t imagine why metacam made your bird’s balance worse and that is disappointing.

My very old Quaker had terrible arthritis from being mishandled by a toddler when she was younger. She got more and more stiff and clumsy in her last years. But She really seemed to get relief from heat like a heat block or heated perch. She also slept on her tummy and took the weight off her feet which made her rest much better. She would have preferred to lay in my hand all the time and actually liked raspberries on her tummy.

I wrote a long post already tonight to someone with an old arthritic Amazon. It is late here and I am sore so I can’t rewrite it right now. But I can tell you that ladders laid horizontally made super perches for my Lucy when she was very old and tottery. I think it’s hard to fall off a ladder. I put hooks on both ends of the ladder and hung it across the cage. Lucy could hold the ladder in her feet or she could rest on her tummy or whatever. Ladders can also be cut shorter if need be and you can get very long firemens ladders too. They could also be only a few inches above the floor to give comfort of a “perch” to grip but no falling distance.

Wide flat perches might be an option. Like 1/2” up and down by 2” or 3” wide by whatever length.

A grapevine or wicker wreath laid flat could be a steady and wide and washable cheap perch.

For Lucy, I also used an oversized heated perch wrapped in slightly tacky vet wrap because she could rest her tummy on that and hold on easily.

Is it possible to have a cage with perches only an inch above the floor? That’s how Lucy’s travel cage was. She had the comfort of a perch to hold onto but nowhere to fall. And we had chuck pads over the grate so she didn’t slip through.

I will be thinking of your girl. Thank you for giving her a happy old age.

 

[LaManuka]

Thank you, Pipp. Your prayers are much appreciated.


Thank you so much, Sis, and please forgive me if I brought up sad memories for you.
The signs we can see make it so much harder. Or perhaps it gives us a chance to ready our heart for the end. I am so sorry that it brought up Lilly for you, I know how much her loss hurts.
Thank you for the kind words, I appreciate it so much.

No apology necessary, Terry, your post hasn't brought anything up for me that isn't there every day anyway. I think you may be right when you say the signs that we see give our hearts a chance to prepare for the inevitable – I wish it didn’t have to hurt so much but I know that it only hurts because of how very much we love them. I’m so glad that you were able to be there to rescue Shay and Severide and give them such a loving home, and I am sending much love and many hugs to you tonight

 

[Terry57]

Hi, I am guessing that metacam and meloxicam are quite similar. I can’t imagine why metacam made your bird’s balance worse and that is disappointing.

My very old Quaker had terrible arthritis from being mishandled by a toddler when she was younger. She really seemed to get relief from heat like a heat block or heated perch. She also slept on her tummy and took the weight off her feet which made her rest much better. She would have preferred to lay in my hand all the time and actually liked raspberries on her tummy.

I wrote a long post already tonight to someone with an old arthritic Amazon. It is late here and I am sore so I can’t rewrite it right now. But I can tell you that ladders laid horizontally made super perches for my Lucy when she was very old and tottery. I think it’s hard to fall off a ladder. I put hooks on both ends of the ladder and hung it across the cage. Lucy could hold the ladder in her feet or she could rest on her tummy or whatever. Ladders can also be cut shorter if need be and you can get very long firemens ladders too. They could also be only a few inches above the floor to give comfort of a “perch” to grip but no falling distance.

Wide flat perches might be an option. Like 1/2” up and down by 2” or 3” wide by whatever length.

A grapevine or wicker wreath laid flat could be a steady and wide and washable cheap perch.

For Lucy, I also used an oversized heated perch wrapped in slightly tacky vet wrap because she could rest her tummy on that and hold on easily.

Is it possible to have a cage with perches only an inch above the floor? That’s how Lucy’s travel cage was. She had the comfort of a perch to hold onto but nowhere to fall. And we had chuck pads over the grate so she didn’t slip through.

I will be thinking of your girl.

The perches in her new cage are no more than an inch off the floor, and there is a rope perch that is laying across the bottom. Metacam is a pain killer so I assume that is why she was unable to maintain her balance.
We had a DYA who was in her sixties and she had gout in her feet. She didn't act at all like Shay, her pain as she moved from perch to perch was obvious. The Metacam really helped with her pain.

Shay really hasn't appeared to be in pain, she just can't make her right foot work right.

I am going to order a heated perch, thank you for the suggestion. I just cleaned off a ladder that I can add to her cage, and will add it in the morning.

Thank you for your help, I appreciate it so much

 

[Terry57]

No apology necessary, Terry, your post hasn't brought anything up for me that isn't there every day anyway. I think you may be right when you say the signs that we see give our hearts a chance to prepare for the inevitable – I wish it didn’t have to hurt so much but I know that it only hurts because of how very much we love them. I’m so glad that you were able to be there to rescue Shay and Severide and give them such a loving home, and I am sending much love and many hugs to you tonight

I think you are exactly right. I believe we see things that will help lessen the shock, that our minds are protecting us as much as they can.
I was just talking about this with a friend here today, how strange that this would come up now that soon after I said that in a PM.

I love you, Sis.

 

[HeatherG]

The perches in her new cage are no more than an inch off the floor, and there is a rope perch that is laying across the bottom. Metacam is a pain killer so I assume that is why she was unable to maintain her balance.
We had a DYA who was in her sixties and she had gout in her feet. She didn't act at all like Shay, her pain as she moved from perch to perch was obvious. The Metacam really helped with her pain.

Shay really hasn't appeared to be in pain, she just can't make her right foot work right.

I am going to order a heated perch, thank you for the suggestion. I just cleaned off a ladder that I can add to her cage, and will add it in the morning.

Thank you for your help, I appreciate it so much

Do you think she would be able to perch on a flat piece of trim lumber, like 2” wide? Or would that be difficult?

I bet two rope perches right next to each other might work nicely, too. Can be laid on (tummy resting) or gripped in feet.

heat may relax the muscle spasm in her foot and help things to work better. That sounds very much like Lucy. Her foot of her injured leg didn’t grip very well. But Lucy liked foot rubs. I don’t know that you can manage that with Shay.

I tried so many things to keep Lucy comfortable and safe. I am sorry you have to watch your old friend be tottery and frail. It hurts. I trust she had a good life with her mate in your home.

 

[Terry57]

Do you think she would be able to perch on a flat piece of trim lumber, like 2” wide? Or would that be difficult?

I bet two rope perched next to each other might work nicely, too. Can be laid on or gripped.

I tried so many things to keep Lucy comfortable and safe. I am sorry you have to watch your old friend be tottery and frail. It hurts. I trust she had a good life with her mate in your home.

Her perches she has been using are a couple of inches wide and have bark on them that is easier for her to hold onto it seems. I'm glad you mentioned that as I don't think we moved those this evening. I'll do it in the morning.

It does hurt to see her fading, but she still has so much life left. She still chews her toys, and when I sing to them she stands as close to the side of the cage I'm on and watches intently.
Honestly, I feel blessed that I get to spend her last years with her. That is so worth the pain I feel of knowing what is coming.

 

[Vampiric_Conure]

**HUgs** Sending up Prayers for your Baby. Old age can be a cruel and frustrating mistress.

 

[Cottonoid]

Feeling blessed to spend the last years with our elderly pets - it really is such a wonderful gift.

Prayers for your sweet Shay

 

[saxguy64]

Awww, Terry, I didn't know about Shay. It's so hard. Doesn't matter if it's your only bird, or one of a large flock. They all earn a special place in our hearts, and they take that with them when their time comes. The saving grace is that whenever that time is, she knows how much she's loved. You, my dear friend, give her that very special gift every day. You are truly an angel.

Sending many prayers and hugs to you and Reg, Shay Butter, and all of your beautiful flock.

 

[Terry57]

**HUgs** Sending up Prayers for your Baby. Old age can be a cruel and frustrating mistress.

Thank you so much for the prayers, I so appreciate it. Great quote about old age, so true

Feeling blessed to spend the last years with our elderly pets - it really is such a wonderful gift.

Prayers for your sweet Shay

It truly is a gift, and one whose value can't be measured.
Thank you the prayers, that means so much to me.

 

[Terry57]

Awww, Terry, I didn't know about Shay. It's so hard. Doesn't matter if it's your only bird, or one of a large flock. They all earn a special place in our hearts, and they take that with them when their time comes. The saving grace is that whenever that time is, she knows how much she's loved. You, my dear friend, give her that very special gift every day. You are truly an angel.

Sending many prayers and hugs to you and Reg, Shay Butter, and all of your beautiful flock.

She just started getting worse about getting around her cage, and I was hoping she would come back from it like she has before. When I went inn to feed that room, Shay was resting on the bottom. As soon as she saw me she started climbing the cage all the way to the top then went around the cage like that.

She seems stressed, I knew she would be. She has been in her 1st cage for over 8 years.
I do think the smaller bars will help her to get around better.

They really do carve out a place that is just theirs right into your heart, even the ones who aren't tame like Shay. She is such a fighter, and so inquisitive. She amazes me with her strength, and I would call her the angel in this story

Thank you so much for the prayers & hugs, we all thank you

 

[Laurasea]

sending sweet Shay and you prayers!

You provided so much for so many!

We are all lucky if we get to live out our bodies in the natural progression. But it isn't easy. My neighbor is always sharing with me getting older isn't for the faint if heart ..
My Alf ( pup) is nearing his time and needs lots if help now. I think he is enjoying ordering me around and being Xtra pampered

Hopefully Shay will get enjoying much more pampering for a long time to come.

Oldies but goodies!! I certainly enjoy my old lady bird Penny. She is always glued to my shoulder

 

[HeatherG]

Her perches she has been using are a couple of inches wide and have bark on them that is easier for her to hold onto it seems. I'm glad you mentioned that as I don't think we moved those this evening. I'll do it in the morning.

It does hurt to see her fading, but she still has so much life left. She still chews her toys, and when I sing to them she stands as close to the side of the cage I'm on and watches intently.
Honestly, I feel blessed that I get to spend her last years with her. That is so worth the pain I feel of knowing what is coming.

Those perches sound like just the right thing! It sounds like you have naturally given her a really good setup.

I think Lucy couldn’t feel her bad foot much and that is why she was clumsy. She lost the tips of her toes when she broke her leg and was casted in old age. Maybe that’s what’s going on with your bird—she just can’t feel the foot. If the leg is spasmed and not gripping right something is going wrong with the nerves somewhere.