waterfaller1
Ripping up the road
Avenue Veteran
Celebirdy of the Month
Mayor of the Avenue
Avenue Spotlight Award
- Joined
- 10/16/09
- Messages
- 26,782
- Real Name
- carole
This is the story of Yuna. Miss Birdiemarie gave us an inspiration award for her, thanks so much!
I first knew of Yuna when Judy{Greycloud} brought her thread to my attention, in the rehome hwy. Danielle{mythreeiggys} had posted her ad there on Jul 3rd. Yuna is a Hawkheaded parrot, and I have experience with Cochise, a Hawkhead that I brought into our flock in 09'. She was only a couple hours away. I read her ad, and you just couldn't help but fall in love with her in the photo. She has only one segment of one of her legs, no foot. I did not understand why at the time, but I could not get her out of my head. So we met on a Friday. The person got out of their vehicle with her in their hands, and I asked if she was clipped? They said no, but she didn't know how to fly, so they never worried about it. I noticed right away she was breathing hard and her tail was bobbing. I asked and the person said this was the first time they noticed that...on this trip. As I drove home I saw that there was white fluid bubbling up from one nostril, with each labored breath. I became very upset, fearing the worst, that this could be life threatening, and potentially contagious to my other birds. When I got home I brought her into a spare room that is quiet and separate from my flock. I made an appt for the next day at my avian vet. I was starting to think she might not make it. Her breathing was very congested, and her eyes looked like there was a film over them. The next day we went for our appt and my fears were confirmed. The vet took what little blood he could, and did xrays and swab tests. Yuna's upper and lower respiratory system were all full of a bacterial infection.Her nare was totally occluded on one side. Her heart and spleen were enlarged. I asked the vet if he could keep her for a few days, and he agreed this was a good idea. She would need oxygen and intravenous injections. The vet showed me where he set her up in a sterilite with oxygen, and she was immediately going to sleep from exhaustion. She only weighed 161 gms, where an average weight is 240gms or more.
The dr said she had a chance, but was not extremely optimistic.
We waited the weekend, and everyone here kept her in their thoughts and prayers{thank you!}
Monday came and we went to bring her home. She was doing a little better, and had gained a few grams. They gave me four kinds of meds she had to take for 21 days. She started improving with each day!The report came back that her white blood cell count was over 65,000, and her liver was involved some as urates were tan in color.The first test for psittacosis was neg.
By the time she was done with her meds she was alert, breathing and eating well, had picked up weight, was bright eyed, playing, and lo and behold that bird could fly!!!
Yuna is one of the most endearing, engaging, sweetest birds I have ever known. She has taken a huge chunk of my heart.
I have been working on, and still trying to come up with ways to make her life more comfortable. The first time I showed her a soft rope perch, was the first time she had seen one I believe. I have given her some shelf perches, and placed a soft blanket under the paper in the bottom in case she slips and falls. I do not clutter her cage with a ton of toys, she has some...but navigating is a little challenging for her. She does really well though. She is very chatty and says wee wee, hi, O'la, bye, ok, and a few other things. She is a LOVE!
I first knew of Yuna when Judy{Greycloud} brought her thread to my attention, in the rehome hwy. Danielle{mythreeiggys} had posted her ad there on Jul 3rd. Yuna is a Hawkheaded parrot, and I have experience with Cochise, a Hawkhead that I brought into our flock in 09'. She was only a couple hours away. I read her ad, and you just couldn't help but fall in love with her in the photo. She has only one segment of one of her legs, no foot. I did not understand why at the time, but I could not get her out of my head. So we met on a Friday. The person got out of their vehicle with her in their hands, and I asked if she was clipped? They said no, but she didn't know how to fly, so they never worried about it. I noticed right away she was breathing hard and her tail was bobbing. I asked and the person said this was the first time they noticed that...on this trip. As I drove home I saw that there was white fluid bubbling up from one nostril, with each labored breath. I became very upset, fearing the worst, that this could be life threatening, and potentially contagious to my other birds. When I got home I brought her into a spare room that is quiet and separate from my flock. I made an appt for the next day at my avian vet. I was starting to think she might not make it. Her breathing was very congested, and her eyes looked like there was a film over them. The next day we went for our appt and my fears were confirmed. The vet took what little blood he could, and did xrays and swab tests. Yuna's upper and lower respiratory system were all full of a bacterial infection.Her nare was totally occluded on one side. Her heart and spleen were enlarged. I asked the vet if he could keep her for a few days, and he agreed this was a good idea. She would need oxygen and intravenous injections. The vet showed me where he set her up in a sterilite with oxygen, and she was immediately going to sleep from exhaustion. She only weighed 161 gms, where an average weight is 240gms or more.
The dr said she had a chance, but was not extremely optimistic.
We waited the weekend, and everyone here kept her in their thoughts and prayers{thank you!}
Monday came and we went to bring her home. She was doing a little better, and had gained a few grams. They gave me four kinds of meds she had to take for 21 days. She started improving with each day!The report came back that her white blood cell count was over 65,000, and her liver was involved some as urates were tan in color.The first test for psittacosis was neg.
By the time she was done with her meds she was alert, breathing and eating well, had picked up weight, was bright eyed, playing, and lo and behold that bird could fly!!!
Yuna is one of the most endearing, engaging, sweetest birds I have ever known. She has taken a huge chunk of my heart.
I have been working on, and still trying to come up with ways to make her life more comfortable. The first time I showed her a soft rope perch, was the first time she had seen one I believe. I have given her some shelf perches, and placed a soft blanket under the paper in the bottom in case she slips and falls. I do not clutter her cage with a ton of toys, she has some...but navigating is a little challenging for her. She does really well though. She is very chatty and says wee wee, hi, O'la, bye, ok, and a few other things. She is a LOVE!