Hi Don,
I am so sorry about your tragic loss. What you described is very disturbing. I can’t say for sure because I was not there, but it sounds preventable. A hard fall can certainly kill a bird, especially if he lands hard on the breast bone. Improper handling can also cause a bird to die. And in rare cases, a bird can become so stressed during an exam or grooming that he can suddenly die. But given what happened, I feel like the Vet should have suggested that another Vet perform a necropsy to try to determine the cause of death. It’s only my opinion, but as a professional bird groomer, I would never allow an inexperienced handler to restrain a bird, because a bird can be suffocated if held wrong. Nothing will bring him back, but if this happened to my bird, I would want answers, and would want the clinic to offer some form of compensation if a necropsy revealed that the fall or restraint caused his death. Sadly there is a shortage of experienced Avian Vets and Vet techs in general. Good exotics techs are hard to find right now. A macaw is very hard to restrain, and perhaps the Vet should have held off on the nail trim until a more experienced tech was available. If this has just happened, it may not be too late to request a necropsy if your bird’s body is still at the Vet. Please understand I’m not saying there was any neglect here, but I do feel you need some answers and possibly some accountability.
Take care,
Brenda
