Ask Lafeber

Love bird suddenly dies

Can a love bird die while being groom? Manga was fine before groom started filling her nails

Hi Cindy,

Yes, birds can die suddenly while being groomed, although it is very rare. If this was a professional bird groomer or a Vet, then most likely it was just an unavoidable, sad loss. As a professional bird groomer, I’ve groomed thousands of birds, and only lost one. The Vet did a necropsy and could find no cause of death. Sometimes there us an underlying cause that is discovered afterwards, and sometimes it remains a mystery. You do have to be careful when restraining a bird, because you can literally smother a bird by squeezing it too hard. Their breast bone has to be able to rise and fall in order for a bird to breathe. So sadly, some bird owners have caused their own bird to die by trying to do their own grooming or letting friend do it. This is why I always stress to use a professional.

I am so sorry for your loss. It is a terrible way to lose a pet bird. Some birds do get more stressed than others, but a groomer would notice undue stress. And elderly birds need extra care and time when being groomed. I know none of this is of comfort. Again, I’m very sorry this happened.

Take care,

Brenda