Desperately in need of help and some quick education

[Hankmacaw]

@Tanya You never gave up and Rhubarb is still here. I just don't think we have the right to make a life/death decision for them, until there is NO hope.

 

[enigma731]

I am in favor of euthanasia when it is clearly time. But I also think that we generally KNOW when it is time. So if it doesn't feel like that yet, keep trying.

 

[Tanya]

@Tanya You never gave up and Rhubarb is still here. I just don't think we have the right to make a life/death decision for them, until there is NO hope.

We definitely agree on this... Though I know that sometimes no hope comes at a different point for different circumstances.

For Ruffles, no hope was after one vet visit, because my family couldn't afford any more... I had finally talked my Mom into taking her to the vet because I thought that maybe Ruffles was eggbound. She was staining so hard to poo, was breathing shallowly and seemed to be swollen around the vent... But was so much worse. She only lasted a few more weeks, then my mom had to make little payments every month for almost a year to pay for just those two visits. Ruffles was a cast-off bird that someone didn't want when they had their first baby so we adopted her. She had a good, if somewhat wild, eight years with us. My mom knew how much I loved Ruffles, and was willing to sacrifice to pay for a vet visit.

With Rhubarb, my husband and I had the resources to push no hope into hundreds of hours (meds alone were 15 mins/day, 365 days/year for 2.5 years... so > 300 hours not even counting hand feeding, wound soaks and dressing, making soft collars, etc.) PLUS thousands of dollars (and counting) of care.

I want to be encouraging but also keep in mind both of these experiences because sometimes life is just plain cruel and what we want gets shredded by our limitations.

 

[Monica]

@Tanya thinking back that it's been 5 years since Rhubarb went through that entire ordeal... doesn't seem to be so long ago, and yet I still reference the thread about using incorrect bulbs to people every now and then, especially when it's brought up that products for other animals are often the same as those for birds, just cheaper. When it comes to bulbs, that's not always the case.

You've done great for Rhubarb!

 

[FlyingMacaws]

“Huge hugs”
Please know that your not at fault. Most people tend to forget that birds like people get heartbroken after they loose their person. Some birds but not all birds recover and eventually will find another person to bond to. Some though don’t. They suffer depression and anxiety. You’re doing a great job taking up the baton.

 

[Tanya]

Any news @mama.marci ?

 

[mama.marci]

Update posted!! Its under "Tilly lives on"