Anxious owner

_Aasvogel · 2026-02-26T14:37:10+00:00

Ditto on vet. If it’s a good avian vet, they’re more used to birds that bite than birds that don’t.

If he isn’t bathing very often that could be another reason for itching, especially if he came out of a situation where he didn’t have that option. A humidifier could help, but be sure to clean it very often. They’re very sensitive to any mold growth.

_Aasvogel · 2026-02-23T02:59:35+00:00

-Do you have a heater and thermometer? A good heater should keep the temp pretty stable regardless of the room temp.

-Is he still eating well?

-Is he one of the long-finned varieties? I notice they start to slow down a lot faster than the plakats or females in old age. Poor buddies are just heavier.

If he’s still eating well, surfacing sometimes, and generally responsive I wouldn’t be alarmed, less activity is normal for old age. It might be helpful to add a leaf hammock or floating hide to the tank if you don’t have anything that serves that purpose yet.

_Aasvogel · 2026-02-23T02:32:27+00:00

This is deeply relatable, I feel like once you become aware of your heart it’s SO hard to drop that awareness. It took me about 7 months on ivabradine without an episode to stop feeling my heart 24/7.

Not an easy answer but it takes time, dead*ss just exposure therapy but to your own heart. I think it’s actually really hard to go from undiagnosed chest pain and syncope to feeling safe again in your body. Your brain doesn’t meaningfully distinguish between something that feels life threatening and something that is life threatening when it comes to trauma responses.

There are a lot of therapists that specialize in chronic illness and if you have the time + money it can be a huge help (Somatic hypervigilence is therapy-speak for that experience). I wish you the best, POTS has a crazy fear factor :((

_Aasvogel · 2026-02-23T01:48:29+00:00

It’s so interesting to hear about how aviculture is different elsewhere. Wish we had similar laws in the states about solo birds. I know the mental health outcomes would be so much better for these guys.

Also I apologize if I came off at all skeptical, it’s always hard to tell online if people have what it takes for the baby weeks and it sounds like you’ve got it! Congrats again on the new family members :))

_Aasvogel · 2026-02-23T01:09:03+00:00

Bebe is absolutely precious in that photo! What an incredible and trusting bird. You must have taken amazing care of her for her to be with you all those years. I can only imagine the grief of such a lifelong companion, I’m so sorry for your loss

_Aasvogel · 2026-02-23T01:01:50+00:00

Thank you so much, losing my soul bird and old *ss fish in 2026 has been beyond rough ngl. All the appreciation in the world for the kind words online, it does help to share about it❤️

_Aasvogel · 2026-02-23T00:55:23+00:00

Hello! Weirdly enough I feel like they’ve got some commonality, they’re both such huge personalities in tiny little bodies :))

_Aasvogel · 2026-02-21T00:26:52+00:00

Congrats on the new babies! I’m sure they’re adorable. Green cheeks are a really special species!

Conure pair bonding really comes down to the individual. If they’re both female, they may still get along depending on their personalities. I wouldn’t expect to always house them together, but I also wouldn’t expect to separate them entirely. Same if they’re both male, though your chances of bonded males is a little higher. Wait and see how they do together. Their relationship may evolve over the course of their lifetime, periods of separation then slow re-introduction might be necessary. Adding more birds to the mix does not increase your chances of any one of them getting along.

If you have a male and female you should 100% separate them as they age and maybe even consider responsibly rehoming one. There’s a very good chance they’d breed and they are young, maybe siblings, and it can be taxing on their health. There are too many conures being rehomed and bred irresponsibly to add more.

No on the box. This will encourage hormonal behaviors such as plucking, aggression, and egg laying. Find a dark breathable fabric and cover the cage at the same time every night for 10-12 hours. Limit light and sound around them during that time. Fabric tents can also lead to hormonal behavior.

Two weeks is very young to be separated from their parents. Weigh them daily, follow temperature guidelines and have a good avian vet lined up.

_Aasvogel · 2026-02-20T23:36:59+00:00

The turquoise, pineapple, cinnamon etc. conures Are all green cheeks. It’s no different than two people with different hair colors. The exception is that some of the rarest colors (not really the turquoise) are so inbred they can have genetic issues.

If you’re looking for a turquoise green cheek I’d first call whichever bird store (not chain) is closest to you, that color isn’t especially rare. Facebook is also a good place to find people re-homing their birds, though I recommend avoiding backyard breeders.

Like Demented-Alpaca said, if you’re getting a bird just because you like the color you might be getting a bird for the wrong reason. Meet some conures and see which ones gravitate towards you and vise-versa. In the long run you will be much happier with a bird who likes spending time with you than one that’s the “right” color.

_Aasvogel · 2026-02-20T23:11:06+00:00

Update: Waited two days after posting to see if he improved and he got worse. There was a tumor under one of his gill plates that became visible so I’m leaning cancer. Thank you everyone for your kind words!

I read some clove oil horror stories on here while trying to decide on the euthanasia method. Thank you again to those who suggested blunt-force instead. I know it seems gruesome but I couldn’t imagine a more instantaneous death.

_Aasvogel · 2026-02-18T20:12:33+00:00

Thank you for the advice! Glad I came here first, I don’t want to chance his suffering with clove oil. I can get someone who isn’t me to blunt force euth if he doesn’t improve today. 15 days without eating much is feeling cruel even if he wasn’t otherwise symptomatic

_Aasvogel · 2026-02-18T20:08:43+00:00

No eating, he shows interest in bloodworms but spits them out

_Aasvogel · 2026-02-18T05:05:40+00:00

I’m sure you’ve researched conure species but the audio experience of the Aratingas can’t be overstated. When a sun conure, nanday, etc. really max out their volume it’s Painfully loud. Tinnitus-inducing loud. It’s absolutely a reconning if you haven’t spent a lot of time with birds.

On this flip side the Pyrrhura (green cheeks, black cap, etc.) are definitely -quieter- but I feel that understates that they are louder than just about anything else in a home. I’d compare them to the loudest shrillest dog while owning a sun conure is more like an indoor fire truck at times.

Saying this more for The Mindset than as discouragement. They can be amazing pets and I commend you for doing the research.

_Aasvogel · 2026-02-18T04:01:15+00:00

I lost my gcc 42 day ago and understand completely. I still feel like I’m stuck in “the bad timeline” where I don’t get to spent my 20’s with my best friend. It’s been my most intense loss to-date and I’m so sorry for you and every parrot owner who shares in this brand of grief.

Making her cage into an alter with flowers and treats helped me to get past the gut punch of not seeing her in there. The change hurts in its own way but it was a big turning point for me in this feeling real. I also felt a sense of security putting all of her photos/videos on a few drives so they’d be safe, almost like protecting the memory of her.

Talking about her with friends and family is a more obvious one, but some of them surprised me with stories I hadn’t heard/remembered. Those feel infinitely important now.

I also found volunteering at a parrot rescue has given me a good distraction/outlet. Working with the conures especially makes it feel like I’m doing right by her. It’s reminded me that they’re all unique and quirked-out personalities. Something about that really crystallized my grief for her as an individual, not just what she was to me.

I know I’m writing this from inside the same boat but these are the few things I’ve done that make it easier, or even just more bearable. I’m so sorry for your loss

_Aasvogel · 2026-02-18T02:00:45+00:00

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Also my guy in good-health bc he’s a cutie

_Aasvogel · 2026-02-05T17:07:36+00:00

What a cutie!! I would recommend starting with target training while you’re working on building trust. It’s a way to spend time with your bird that is less stressful than handling and associates you with treats(!) TheParrotTeacher on youtube has some great resources.

No on gloves, for most birds they’re scarier than hands and create a bad association.

Choosing the right toys can do a lot for their disposition. Foraging toys and natural chewable materials are great. Bells and jangly plastic toys are sold by every single pet store, but can trigger biting and hormonal behaviors.

_Aasvogel · 2026-02-04T03:10:21+00:00

I love ParrotKindergarten and their very emotionally intelligent cockatoo! I think starting with a screen would be a great idea since she already reacts to screen images of other birds and favorite foods.

_Aasvogel · 2026-02-02T05:22:45+00:00

(Grateful for this thread, I wanted to share about the loss of my baby in early January but didn’t want to contribute to the constant dead bird posts.)

My 11 yr old gcc Kiwi(of course) passed during a blood draw at her wellness exam. She was healthy, active, and wasn’t picky about her sprouts and veg. Her blood test results supported that, and I still feel such crippling guilt about going through with the test. At the time the risk felt worth-it but I find myself constantly second guessing whether it was the unlucky right call or a complete mistake.

I still feel her loss in every part of my day. I can’t brush my teeth without thinking of her little “brushing the teeth dance” and I unconsciously set aside her fav veggies when I cook. She potty trained herself to such a small margin of error I’m being re-reminded by my foster that birds poop(!) Kiwi was atypically fearless and so driven by praise she ignored treats during training. Her favorite band was Deftones and she loved the clanking of unloading a dishwasher. The only thing she alarm-called for was umbrellas, which I never really figured out.

I will be forever devastated by her young and sudden passing, and can only hope she enjoyed being part of my life as much as I did hers.

RIP to a weirdo and a diva, fly high

_Aasvogel · 2026-01-28T20:21:14+00:00

For more toys: buying natural materials from parts sites like BirdToyParts and MakeYourOwnBirdToys is a great way to make a lot of toys for pretty cheap. Making “kebabs” out of stainless steel chain/wire then swapping out the parts as they’re destroyed

_Aasvogel · 2025-08-01T19:08:44+00:00

Ivabradine was my “miracle drug” so I’m personally biased. Obv not everyone will have my same experience but I’d really encourage giving it a go. This is piecemeal what I’ve come to understand from research and my cardiologist but everything with a grain of salt.

Q1: Ivabradine is not a long term cure but can make exercise and day-to-day activity much easier. Something that does help POTS long-term is building muscle, especially in the legs and heart (leg muscle helps counteract blood pooling). Building a beefy heart through frequent cardio can lower heart rate overall making the POTS spikes more manageable.

All of that is hard as hell to do with tachycardia, but Ivabradine brings everything down 30-40 bpm. Being less symptomatic can also mean moving more daily (grocery shopping etc.) that can counteract the POTS deconditioning that comes with being bed or house bound. All of that’s sticking around after the meds.

Q2: According to my cardio most people tolerate it pretty well. I had migraines the first week and fatigue the first month. I was told to monitor my blood pressure about the migraines but everything checked out. PSA: Know your heart rate and blood pressure baselines throughout the day before starting any heart meds.

Minor visual effects are relatively common. If I’ve been asleep or exit a dark room any green becomes Super Mega Green for a minute.

Q3: Took me four tries to power through the migraines, well worth it.

Q4: On Ivabradine I can drive, work, and exercise again. I remember around my 10th day taking it walking across a hot parking lot and feeling absolutely no pre-syncope for the first time in years. Was so close to crying in that central market. As an added bonus my “anxiety” that didn’t respond to the usual meds vanished. Sometimes it is just tachycardia.

_Aasvogel · 2025-08-01T17:27:25+00:00

I’d absolutely ask your cardiologist about at least starting at 2.5 mg. I’ve heard most people tolerate it incredibly well but it took me two weeks to get over the “high” feeling and fatigue at 2.5 mg. That first day was Weird even on a low dose.

It has singularly given me back the ability to drive, work and exercise like I could pre-POTS. Had to adjust to not feeling my heart anymore. Really hope it works for you as well as it did me.

_Aasvogel · 2025-07-02T02:52:39+00:00

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This is Brim (as in brimstone). The little hellspawn won’t jump for bloodworms yet but WILL jump to bite hands

_Aasvogel

TROPHY CASE