I think I've poisoned our bird. :-(

Backstory: A few weeks ago, I discovered a new air freshener.

It's AIR WICK Aqua Mist, Lavender & Mountain Breeze flavor. I was excited to try it out because it's one of the only air fresheners I've ever seen that doesn't use aerosols (aka horrible ozone killing propellants) and it comes in a recyclable bottle. I bought one last week and used it a few times in the bathroom. Given that it looks like a bottle of just water, the scent was surprisingly strong, but pleasant. Who doesn't love lavender?

My bird. That's who. Because he struggled with the cold temperatures downstairs, Stuka has been living in the upstairs hallway, where it's warmer, all winter. His cage is against the wall just outside of the bathroom, where I used the air freshener. Normally, he's a very talkative bird - always chirping, singing and making noises. On Friday, I noticed it was awfully quiet in the hallway. By Saturday, the reason why was obvious. Stuka looked awful and was really struggling to breathe. When I checked on him in the morning, he was sitting on one branch and hanging onto another with his mouth just to stay upright. I immediately transferred him to the small cage, which we use as a hospital/transport cage, and brought him into the office to keep an eye on him. I, honestly, didn't think he was going to make it through the day.

Fortunately, I was wrong. As the day wore on, he started to perk up and ate a little bit. While he appeared to have taken a step back from death's door, he was still very poorly. I played his favorite bird song recording for him. He tried to sing along a little, but I could hear that his lungs were very wet and he was still struggling to breathe. Of course, it was Saturday night and the avian vet wouldn't be open until Monday morning. Why do pets always get sick as soon as the vet's office closes for the weekend? We just had to wait and see if he survived long enough.

Much to my relief, he not only made it, he seemed to be improving ever so slightly. He still had a lot of fluid in his lungs and sounded like he was underwater, but he wasn't nearly as fluffed up as he had been and his panting had minimized. I called the doctor first thing in the morning. After a long talk with one of the vet techs, we decided, since he was eating, pooping and being active, he didn't need to be brought in immediately for emergency care. I took the earliest open appointment, which is today at 1800.

Mr Moo will be taking us because we need to have a discussion with the doctor about Stuka's long term prognosis. He'll be 8 years old next month and has been getting sick a lot lately. I know Mr Moo is not happy with how much money we've spent on this $10 parakeet and I can understand where he is coming from. I, however, feel he is just as much a part of our family as the cat or the dog, and feel it wouldn't be right to put him to sleep just because he's getting expensive. First things first, however. We need to find out why he's sick. I'm fairly certain it's a reaction to the new air freshener. (I poisoned my bird. How long do you think I'll be carrying around that guilt?) It could be he just has a cold. Or he could have terminal pneumonia. We just won't know until we run some tests. Obviously, if it is something terminal, the decision will be made for us. If not, it will fall onto us, which is what I dread. I know what Mr Moo's choice will be, but it will be an agonizing decision for me. I am so not looking forward to this.