FINCHforum

My little Bella (Isabel Star) has passed. From the day I brought her home from the Atlanta bird mart in Late Feb. Early March, she has been sick. Always ruffled and fluffed up, always sleeping, always loosing feathers or getting colds. Nothing could ever make her better. She seemed like she was getting better.. than yesterday I came home and she had something wrong with her eye. I always felt like she was blind in one eye... well yesterday it looked really nasty.. out of the blue too. Like it had ruptured from the inside. I did the only thing I could, put her in the hospital cage, ramped up the heat, loaded f vite, nv powder, medicine, blah blah blah. I called into work and took half a personal day. Stayed home till 10 am and then went in. She slept all day. Came home, and there she lie, on the bottom of the cage. My first loss.

By far my favorite finch to date (only 8 so not many) but my fav nonetheless because I was always handling her and taking care of her.

A moment of silence for my little feathered girl, Bella.

(thats her in my avatar)

As in my PM Chris, I'm so sorry for your loss.

Sorry for your loss thats the bad part of keeping finches

So sorry for your loss.

Gosh Chris, I am so very sorry to hear about that. It is not an easy thing when one dies and especially when you have tried so hard to make it better. I remember when my first finch died..... how sad I was. And it doesn't get any easily either. Agian, so sorry.

Sorry for your loss.

Sorry to hear about your little Bella, Chris. As you know we lost our "Bella" as well, just a couple of weeks ago. I can completely relate to your thoughts about bonding with the sick birds, since you invest so much time and energy in trying to help them get better. With our Bella, I generally had to catch her 3 or 4 times a week and pick dried poop off of her vent. And that went on for about a year and a half.

Some of our other girls, we had to medicate on a regular basis, which of course involved catching and holding them a good bit. We had to admire their courageous spirit cause even in their weakened state the feisty little things would try and nip at our fingers. At least 2 of our girls stared to seize while we were home so I got them out of the cage and held them for a couple of minutes until they passed. That was excruciating.

Unfortunately as some have already mentioned, it doesn't get any easier. Take condolence in knowing that you did the best you could to ease her suffering.

Rory and Sherry

So sorry for the loss of your little Bella, Chris. It is always hard, but when you put so much into it, makes it even harder. I think sometimes they just aren't in the best of health when we get them. I recently lost one of my Swees (don't even know if it was the hen or cock, as I could never tell them apart). From the time I brought them home, this one has been 'off'. Not sick enough to make me get out the hospital cage, etc., just 'off'. Sometimes you can turn them around, but sometimes they just don't make it.

Yah, it was tough. She was a fighter. I always thought she just didnt get along with my male star finch when in fact, it was she that was just not doing well herself. She really is in a better place given what she has been through.

Sorry to hear about Bella

Belated "very sorry for your loss".

We'll think of Bella.

Sorry for your loss. When I lose a bird it makes me ill for days. I can't think of anything but what could I have done better to try to save it. Although we do everything we can.

Wow, resurrection of a post.

Hmm..2 months, so much has changed. I am not sad anymore but I have to admit, I was surprised just how bent out of shape I was when she did pass. How I could have gotten so attached to her in such a short period of time.

Indeed, we can sit around and wonder what if, but its best not to. I did everything within my power to save her. For now, the little icon I use as my avatar is my silent memorial to her.

Thanks again for the kind words everyone! As I said before, she truly is in a better place now.