Hi All,
My 5yo leghorn, Karen, has always been a happy and healthy bird, but one of our other more elderly chooks passed away after a neighbours dog startled them, and since then Karen has been noticably depressed, stopped eating, and had trouble walking.
The avian vet has done xrays and ultrasounds, and found that two of her vertabrae have lesions, hence her walking issues. However she has other complications such as thickened oviducts, and even on some painkillers she isnt showing interest in food or movement. However, she is away from the flock.
There is the option of physical therapy for months, in the hope that she picks up and wants to eat when she is on stronger painkillers. But the avian vet has suggested that even if successful, her back will still be weakened and she is still unlikely to recover well. The other option is of course euthanasia.
The selfish part of me wants to try therapy. My chooks have generally lived well into their teens, and with the new pullets I would feel like I may be robbing her of a chance of a future, even if it is another year or so. But my logical part admits that she is in pain, and her recovery may be unlikely.
So what I want to know really is if anyone has had any experience with this, and if they found the physical therapy worked and was worthwhile, or if they felt euthanasia would have been the better option, etc?
My 5yo leghorn, Karen, has always been a happy and healthy bird, but one of our other more elderly chooks passed away after a neighbours dog startled them, and since then Karen has been noticably depressed, stopped eating, and had trouble walking.
The avian vet has done xrays and ultrasounds, and found that two of her vertabrae have lesions, hence her walking issues. However she has other complications such as thickened oviducts, and even on some painkillers she isnt showing interest in food or movement. However, she is away from the flock.
There is the option of physical therapy for months, in the hope that she picks up and wants to eat when she is on stronger painkillers. But the avian vet has suggested that even if successful, her back will still be weakened and she is still unlikely to recover well. The other option is of course euthanasia.
The selfish part of me wants to try therapy. My chooks have generally lived well into their teens, and with the new pullets I would feel like I may be robbing her of a chance of a future, even if it is another year or so. But my logical part admits that she is in pain, and her recovery may be unlikely.
So what I want to know really is if anyone has had any experience with this, and if they found the physical therapy worked and was worthwhile, or if they felt euthanasia would have been the better option, etc?
