Any luck with surgery??

[Kiki]

Yes, she's had two x-rays so far. One preliminary about a week ago and another follow-up this morning. The egg has been the same shape and in the same place for a week while she's progressively gotten much worse. Our options at the moment are to prepare for end of life arrangements or consider the spay. She's such a tough girl and the sweetest chicken. I really want to try to prolong her life as much as I can but I'm really struggling with the difficulty and invasiveness of the spay. At the same time she's so special to us, I'm not doing well with the thought of euthanizing either.

I am so sorry.


Will they have to put her to sleep for the procedure?
Is that the scariest part?

 

[leighks]

I know this is an old thread but I just wanted to say how encouraging this has been to read this. We have Winnie, the equivalent of your Willow. She's our special girl and has had egg laying issues her whole 1.5 years of life. She's currently incredibly sick and I'm considering the spay which would be in 7 days. I'm so worried about the surgery complications, aftercare and recovery, and quality of life after surgery but this has helped so much. I haven't made a decision yet, but the only other option is to euthanize and I just can't bring myself to think about that. Just wanted to stop by and say thank you for the detailed updates and for sharing Willow's story.

Pics below of Winnie during healthier times:
View attachment 1910728 View attachment 1910729

Winnie is beautiful!! I’m so sorry she’s going through this, I know how tough it is to make these decisions.

We are now 8 months post surgery and Willow is perfectly wonderful! The vet who did Willow’s procedure said chickens typically do well with this surgery in his experience. Her after complications were not typical at all. I ended up suspecting her complication came from a heating pad malfunction on her skin and not a result of surgery. The actual surgery itself was routine, it was the superficial skin that was blackened. Long story, but know that in the end I’m very glad I did the surgery on Willow and would do it again if another one of my hens needed it. Please keep us posted. Prayers and love to Winnie from Willow!!

 

[Wyorp Rock]

I know this is an old thread but I just wanted to say how encouraging this has been to read this. We have Winnie, the equivalent of your Willow. She's our special girl and has had egg laying issues her whole 1.5 years of life. She's currently incredibly sick and I'm considering the spay which would be in 7 days. I'm so worried about the surgery complications, aftercare and recovery, and quality of life after surgery but this has helped so much. I haven't made a decision yet, but the only other option is to euthanize and I just can't bring myself to think about that. Just wanted to stop by and say thank you for the detailed updates and for sharing Willow's story.

Pics below of Winnie during healthier times:
View attachment 1910728 View attachment 1910729

Winnie is lovely. I hope your vet is able to help you. Keep us posted on how she's doing.

@leighks Willow looks so good!

 

[CatBarr]

I am so sorry.


Will they have to put her to sleep for the procedure?
Is that the scariest part?

The time that she'll be out for the procedure is concerning but at the same time, she's been under anesthesia for all of her other egg extractions and did very well. I think I'm just afraid of causing her pain and not knowing if this is the right thing to do. I did end up officially scheduling the appointment for next Wednesday and will try to keep her as healthy as possible until then.

 

[CatBarr]

Winnie is beautiful!! I’m so sorry she’s going through this, I know how tough it is to make these decisions.

We are now 8 months post surgery and Willow is perfectly wonderful! The vet who did Willow’s procedure said chickens typically do well with this surgery in his experience. Her after complications were not typical at all. I ended up suspecting her complication came from a heating pad malfunction on her skin and not a result of surgery. The actual surgery itself was routine, it was the superficial skin that was blackened. Long story, but know that in the end I’m very glad I did the surgery on Willow and would do it again if another one of my hens needed it. Please keep us posted. Prayers and love to Winnie from Willow!!
View attachment 1910961
View attachment 1910960

It is so great to see Willow looking so good! She looks so happy and healthy! Thank you for replying and again, for this whole thread. I was a mess yesterday after I got the news that I'd have to make a decision and your posts have helped so much. Our vet says they do about one hen spay a month and assured us it's fairly routine, like you said. I'm really hoping for the best

 

[CatBarr]

Winnie is lovely. I hope your vet is able to help you. Keep us posted on how she's doing.

@leighks Willow looks so good!

Thank you so much for the encouraging words. I'll definitely update when I can.

 

[aart]

Our vet says they do about one hen spay a month and assured us it's fairly routine

Wow, really?!
Most vets have no clue about birds, let alone chickens.

Welcome to BYC! @CatBarr
Where in this world are you located?
Climate, and time of year, is almost always a factor.
Please add your general geographical location to your profile.
It's easy to do, (laptop version shown), then it's always there!

 

[CatBarr]

Wow, really?!
Most vets have no clue about birds, let alone chickens.

Welcome to BYC! @CatBarr
Where in this world are you located?
Climate, and time of year, is almost always a factor.
Please add your general geographical location to your profile.
It's easy to do, (laptop version shown), then it's always there!
View attachment 1911772

Oops, sorry! I'm new to this. Location has been added

I'm in an area about half an hour outside of Seattle and am very fortunate that we have a vet just 15 minutes away who sees all kinds of animals and specializes in birds. I was kind of shocked when I heard they do this frequently but it also made me feel a little better about it.

 

[leighks]

It is so great to see Willow looking so good! She looks so happy and healthy! Thank you for replying and again, for this whole thread. I was a mess yesterday after I got the news that I'd have to make a decision and your posts have helped so much. Our vet says they do about one hen spay a month and assured us it's fairly routine, like you said. I'm really hoping for the best

I know what it’s like, I had sleepless nights, doubt, and tears when Willow got sick. We wanted to give her a chance, and were blessed it worked out well for her. Hoping for the best for Winnie, these little birds are pretty resilient!!

 

[GermanKennhuhn]

She might like Nat.Geo.Wild since they are doing 12 Days of Dr. Pol this week, LOL. Glad to hear that she is doing well.

Haha!!! I love Dr. Pol!!!