very injured duck in need of help

Date sort Score sort
the vet was real nice and and explained the options. unfortunately the hole was in her esophagus and not crop, the esophagus is near impossible to repair properly. he explained why and said that even if i was able or willing to pay for hundreds (minimum) of possible surgical repairs there was no way to entirely fix is and if they succeeded in closing the hole she would need lifelong special care and a low quality of life. the vet agreed that the best option was to have her put down since the only other options would be months of recovery and more money then i could possibly afford with low likely hood of a good outcome or slowly starving to death.

So, thanks to everyone who helped me in trying to care for her and all the support. While this duck didn't end up making it, I am more confident about handling any future injuries that might (but hopefully wont) occur.
 
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I say a little prayer for her.
 
Just so you know, the esophagus tends to make tight scars called strictures. Its a likely outcome to some degree with any esophageal surgery or repair. I think you did the right thing. Even we vets can't save them all, not even our own sometimes. And while vet prices vary, most of us make a middle class living. We have loans from 8 years of college, then work 50 or more hours a week with little vacation, sick leave, or time off until we can buy our own practices, and that creates a new set of expenses, responsibilities, etc. Some practices will charge less for a pet chicken or a duck or hamster, etc., as a courtesy. Some won't. An avian certified vet is going to cost the most, because they see mostly high value birds. Please don't hate on veterinarians. Owners are also responsible not to get over their heads when it comes to the total cost of care. If you don't have a small savings set aside for emergencies, you should cut back or borrow from friends or family. If you just lost a job or have huge medical bills of your own, a lot of vets will try to work with you. And worst case, some will treat your animal free, but you have to relinquish ownership. I did this a few times for people in a bind who were about to euthanize fixable pets. I treated them and found them new homes with folks who had more stable finances. It's not about good or bad owners, or good or bad vets. It's about personal responsibility and giving back to your community.
 
kittydoc said:
Just so you know, the esophagus tends to make tight scars called strictures. Its a likely outcome to some degree with any esophageal surgery or repair. I think you did the right thing. Even we vets can't save them all, not even our own sometimes. And while vet prices vary, most of us make a middle class living. We have loans from 8 years of college, then work 50 or more hours a week with little vacation, sick leave, or time off until we can buy our own practices, and that creates a new set of expenses, responsibilities, etc. Some practices will charge less for a pet chicken or a duck or hamster, etc., as a courtesy. Some won't. An avian certified vet is going to cost the most, because they see mostly high value birds. Please don't hate on veterinarians. Owners are also responsible not to get over their heads when it comes to the total cost of care. If you don't have a small savings set aside for emergencies, you should cut back or borrow from friends or family. If you just lost a job or have huge medical bills of your own, a lot of vets will try to work with you. And worst case, some will treat your animal free, but you have to relinquish ownership. I did this a few times for people in a bind who were about to euthanize fixable pets. I treated them and found them new homes with folks who had more stable finances. It's not about good or bad owners, or good or bad vets. It's about personal responsibility and giving back to your community.
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-Kathy
 

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