A starving bird might pass away at any time, but most adult birds can go a week or two without food.
With low to no fat stores and at low temperatures, a medium-sized songbird will likely survive less than 24 hours. A small songbird without body fat will probably survive a far shorter amount of time without food, in cold conditions, likely around 12 - 18 hours.
Foods to offer: seed, millet, pellets, some fresh fruit, or easily digestible human foods such as mashed ripe bananas, applesauce, strained or soft vegetables such as peas or vegetables, infant rice cereal or baby food, oatmeal, or ground up pellets mixed with fruit juice.
I use 10-‐12 ml syringes and give two syringe full at a time, but doing this every 3-‐4 hours adds up to a reasonable amount of food. If you're out at work for most of the day, you will have to give more at one time, but should be able to feed at least three times a day (before work, after work and before bed).
Once restrained, allow the bird to calm down before beginning to give the medication. Place the tip of the eyedropper or oral syringe just inside the beak. The bird may begin to bite at the tip. After the tip has been placed in the beak, slowly administer the medication.
The body attempts to protect the brain, says Zucker, by shutting down the most metabolically intense functions first, like digestion, resulting in diarrhea. "The brain is relatively protected, but eventually we worry about neuronal death and brain matter loss," she says.
If you go long enough without eating, you will use up the glucose in your system and then enter ketosis. During ketosis, your body switches to an alternative fuel source, ketones, which your body makes from fat. If you've ever been to a decent holiday party you've noticed that putting on fat is pretty easy.
If your bird is not eating and drinking as he normally would, notify your veterinarian immediately. He may need to be hospitalized for force feeding if he will not eat on his own.
Weak or injured birds usually need rehydrating. They can slowly be given sips of Gatorade or a sugar water mixture which can then be given by dipping your finger in the liquid and running your finger along its beak so the liquid can slowly seep inside. Sugar water mixture is five parts water to one part sugar or honey.
Guinness World Records lists the longest recorded migration by a bird without stopping for food or rest as 12,200 km (7,580 miles) by a satellite-tagged male bar-tailed godwit flying from Alaska to New Zealand.
Robins feed on insects (especially beetles) and worms. You might notice one following you about as your dig up your garden hoping to nab a few worms as you unearth them. Robins can also eat fruit, seeds, suet, crushed peanuts, sunflower hearts and raisins. They particularly enjoy mealworms.
Young birds do not start drinking water until they have fledged and have left the nest with their parents. It is very easy for water given directly to a bird's mouth or beak to go down their airway accidently, and cause aspiration which can be fatal, especially in the case of baby birds who are begging for food.
Studies have shown that extended fasting, such as water fasting for a week or more, can result in positive effects like weight loss, body fat loss, reduced levels of perceived stress, increased ketogenesis, and decreased blood sugar levels.
After day two (maybe earlier) your body has nothing to run on but your own fat. The water weight you lose will come back quickly, but that fat loss is real. You can expect to lose ~1-2 pounds per day, but consider this a nice benefit, not the primary motivation.
It Will Not Lead To Fat Loss
While some people do this diet for the potential health benefits, many are attracted to the fasting for 3 days diet as a way to lose weight. However, as mentioned above most of the weight loss is water weight and not fat loss.
Your heart stops beating. Your brain stops. Other vital organs, including your kidneys and liver, stop. All your body systems powered by these organs shut down, too, so that they're no longer capable of carrying on the ongoing processes understood as, simply, living.
Visions and Hallucinations
Visual or auditory hallucinations are often part of the dying experience. The appearance of family members or loved ones who have died is common. These visions are considered normal. The dying may turn their focus to “another world” and talk to people or see things that others do not see.
Decompensation progresses over a period of minutes even after the pulse is lost. Even when vascular collapse is the primary event, brain and lung functions stops next. The heart is the last organ to fail.
It was concluded that acetaminophen does not cause any nephrotoxicity in birds like diclofenac and it can be used safely in treatment of birds.
Treatment of Aspiration Pneumonia in Birds
In cases where the aspiration pneumonia has been diagnosed in its early stages, you may be able to treat your bird at home with a prescribed antibiotic and/or antifungal medication. Be certain to follow the instructions carefully on any medications prescribed for your bird.
Subcutaneous fluid replacement can be achieved using a 26- or 25-gauge needle attached to a syringe filled with a warmed crystalloid or colloidal agent. The sites usually preferred for subcutaneous administration are the featherless inguinal and/or axillary regions of most avian species.