FINCHforum

Milo passed away tonight in my hand.

Even after Petsmart's vet said he was fine.

So my first Finch experience with Omar and Milo ends in the passing of Milo.

Just got another cage to match their cage and now I'm afraid to get more and a friend for Omar.

So sad, what to do?

RIP Milo....

Oh I'm so sorry to hear that. I hate loosing birds. I just lost a hen to egg binding last week. She went so fast I couldn't help her. Sometimes no matter what we do we can't make them better.

Personally I really haven't had much luck with pet store finches. I find overall they aren't looked after that well and are usually malnourished, picked on, or even sick. I just got a bird from a pet store and she has air sac mites. I called the store to let them know and they had no clue what I was talking about which means they're going to sell other birds with the same issue.
Still don't let one bad experience turn you off getting another friend for Omar. He'll be much happier. I usually put any pet store birds in quarantine for 3 weeks and treat with worm away, cocci-care and S76 plus vitamins in the water. If it's a hen I give them calcium supplement to. They usually improve drastically by the end of the three weeks even if they weren't 'sick' to begin with.

I've also found that some pet stores allow their birds to breed in store without watching who's breeding with who. It may be that poor Milo had genetic defects that caused him to pass away. Not to rag on all pet store as I know there are some good ones out there but this has been my experience.

Still I know it's hard and really sucks to loose a pet. I'm so sorry for your loss!!

Sorry to hear about losing Milo! I was so upset when I lost a zebra I loved in my hand. I've lost many birds here and there over the years, but when there's human contact, the memory goes deeper I think.

Oh that's terrible. I'm so sorry to hear this.

Rest in peace, little Milo.

I would definitely get him a friend ASAP. A lone finch is a sad finch, in my experience.

Heidi's advice on pet shop birds is spot on. I assume they're infested with everything/anything and treat accordingly.

I'd also call to find out when they're getting they're next batch of birds in-shop. (They typically quarantine for a few days before putting them out for sale, so be sure you differentiate between the arrival of the next batch of birds and when they're going out on the floor for sale.)
Getting them asap will help because they'll have been in a stressful pet shop setting for a couple days vs. weeks. Weeks of stress can take its toll on the healthiest birds.

Really, though, my experiences with pet shop birds have been okay. I've seen some illnesses and fragility in the beginning. But aside from my first birds, the others I've bought from the pet shop I bought *because* they were sick/injured. Rough start aside, I haven't seen a noticeable difference in the overall quality of the birds. I've gotten some beautiful pet shop birds who lived very long, healthy lives.

Of course, you have to remember that breeders generally don't give their best birds to pet shops.
And the top breeders usually don't deal with pet shops at all.

I might see if you can find someone locally. I found a small hobby breeder whom I can trust and that really makes all the difference.
But then again, the pet shop birds do need good homes too. I say do whatever makes you feel comfortable.

Sorry to hear you lost your Zebra Barb. I had lost a Zebra couple months ago too. He was fine one day and dead the next….no symptoms.

I agree with the others….get another one so you have a pair.

So sorry you lost Milo, but I hope it doesn't discourage you from getting a friend for Omar. Unfortunately, keeping finches means you will lose them from time to time, just as with any other pet, but they do have a shorter life span than many others.

I agree with MiaCarter's comment on breeders who sell to pet shops. When I started out with Zebra finches and Societies and couldn't find homes for them, I took them to my local pet shop. They paid $2-3 per bird. I tried to keep the best ones for my breeding program, but I knew so little at that time, I probably inadvertently gave away my best!

Barb
So sorry about Milo. Do you know what happened to him? Was he sick?
As for getting a companion for Omar, I WOULD get a companion for him. I know that it might seem like a betrayel of Milo, but for the sake of Omar I would get get another bird.

lovezebs@Sally@FrostyFinch and all my Finch Friends:

Thank you so much for all your help.

I did buy that cage that matches my other one which I was going to get 4 Society males, but now I'll get it cleaned up and decorated to put another Zeb in and quarantine him for awhile.

Can they be in the same room to see each other before I put them together?

Let me know, I want to do this right and not have another tragedy...

I really need and appreciate your help...

I am so sorry Milo didn't make it , but you tried the best you could. FYI- PetSmart vets are not avian vets and don't have specific certification for avian care. They are general vets, mostly for cats and dogs; although they do treat other animals.

Also, as far as quarantine. I'd put the new one in a different room, like a bathroom. Just in case there is an airborne illness, you don't want the other finch to contract anything. He'll love a new friend, but remember to introduce them slowly. For example, once quarantine is over. Place the other cage next to Omar's for a few days. Then, when you put them together, put them in a different cage or make lots of changes to the cage you choose, so neither one will view the cage as their own territory. I change location of perches, water and food dishes, greenery, as much as possible, if I'm adding a finch to a cage with other finches, especially with males. Good Luck and again, so sorry you lost Milo. RIP Milo!

finchmix22 said it nicely.
I've found the cage re-arranging is very important to help avoid territorial aggression, so definitely a good thing.

Does your cage have a divider panel? If so, you can use that to help with integration when the time comes.

Also make sure to wash your hands between tending to each cage so you don't spread any illness that way. And I'd tend to Omar's cage before you tend to the new guy.

For newcomers, I also treat for parasites and protozoa and all that good stuff. But I give them a week or so to settle down first, so I'm not treating while they're all stressed out over moving to a new location.

Barb
So sorry for your loss. That would be heartbreaking.