I have a 6 year old quaker parrot that has suddenly become ill. He is breathing rapidly and sounds as if he has asperated. His bm is brown and runny and he is hardly moving...we live 50 miles to the closest bird vet and I just don't know what to do

never mind...he's gone...thanks for all the help guys

oh...as in gone, gone? not just left...flew away... oh, sorry.

Sorry for your loss Kim

Sorry about the loss. it sounds to me like he had a bad respiratory condition going on. More than likely it was bacterial. Diarrhea like that can also mean parasites. If you have other birds get them checked out. Bacterial infections can kill very quickly. Sometimes they can be sick for a long time and you will not even see it because sick animal's may not behave differently. Fish are a classic example of this.

This is also an outside guess but Parrots are known to chew on everything. If he ate the wrong thing like bits of glass (And I have seen a parrot do this and die from it) they will die for no apparent reason. Parrots if I remember someone telling me this sometimes depending on the variety need to have gravel and or walnut shell (ground into small chunks) to aid in their digestion. Many birds rely on 'gastrolyths' to assist in digestion. Not all parrots rely on them but Parakeets and any seed eaters definitely eat gravel to help digest teh seed they eat.

Sorry for your loss. Parrots do have a lot of personality.

Yeah...he was the best friend anyone could ever have. never failed to say good morning and always told me he loved me. He was the only one I had, a gift from a friend....and now I am simply lost....thanks guys

Oh honey!!!!! I am so sorry. That was quick. My canary died last year really fast like that. Bless his heart and yours.

thanks you guys...the vet here said she was closing early and couldn't mess with it, that if I got him to Indy in time, they could give hims some medicine, she is 10 minutes away from me.