Dana
Meeting neighbors
- Joined
- 11/13/09
- Messages
- 35
I brought home a retired breeder Chestnut Eared Aracari over the weekend. He has the most severe case of gout I've ever seen. The feet are swollen and the toes are nearly fused together at the base of the foot, not to mention that nearly half the toes have just rotted away at the tips, or have been torn to shreds from being kept in a metal grated cage. After getting this bird cleaned up (he was kept in a very "less than desireable" condition) I looked at the bottom of the feet. There is a an open black sore. I cleaned it the best I could, but I'm sure it's gangrenous.
I'm taking this bird, Stormy is his new name, to the vet this week. His feet are so bad that his quality of life probably won't be all that great. I've got him in a handicapped cage where the floor is soft plush blanketing and flat-ish logs that he can get up onto to clean his beak.
He is spunky as can be, although he can't move around really well, he is eating great, his eyes are bright and he "talks" to the other toucans in the room. He has a lot of life in him, but his feet may just be unrepairable. I have another retired breeder that came to me with the same condition, although not as bad as this one and he has really come full circle. The swelling from gout has been greatly reduced, he has grown back all of his missing feathers (just about 1/2 of his body) and he is even able to fly a little bit now. I don't know if the new bird will be all that lucky, but I need to try.
I can imagine that I will have a lot of tough choices to make concerning his healthcare, treatment, amputation or otherwise, paying for treatment and the overall quality of his life.
I'm looking for anyone who can share their experiences on the decisions they've made with a bird in a situation such as this, and the outcome of it all. Expecting the worst, but trying for the best, I'd like to be armed with the advice and opinions of others while I'm taking him to the vet!!!
I'm taking this bird, Stormy is his new name, to the vet this week. His feet are so bad that his quality of life probably won't be all that great. I've got him in a handicapped cage where the floor is soft plush blanketing and flat-ish logs that he can get up onto to clean his beak.
He is spunky as can be, although he can't move around really well, he is eating great, his eyes are bright and he "talks" to the other toucans in the room. He has a lot of life in him, but his feet may just be unrepairable. I have another retired breeder that came to me with the same condition, although not as bad as this one and he has really come full circle. The swelling from gout has been greatly reduced, he has grown back all of his missing feathers (just about 1/2 of his body) and he is even able to fly a little bit now. I don't know if the new bird will be all that lucky, but I need to try.
I can imagine that I will have a lot of tough choices to make concerning his healthcare, treatment, amputation or otherwise, paying for treatment and the overall quality of his life.
I'm looking for anyone who can share their experiences on the decisions they've made with a bird in a situation such as this, and the outcome of it all. Expecting the worst, but trying for the best, I'd like to be armed with the advice and opinions of others while I'm taking him to the vet!!!
Hope he's able to be fixed up.
I so thank you for trying to help him, and hope he can recover and live some kind of comfortable life.
