Blind Emu???

[nurselisa]

I picked up a 2-3 week old Emu the other day. She seemed fine when I got her but now is very shaky on her legs, and does no tseem to eat or drink unless I put the dish directly in front if her. Even then she will sometimes "miss " the bowl. She seems to stumble over things as well. I know a chicken had pecked at her one eye, but it didnt seem too bad. Now, as I look in her eyes, they are dark with small white dots in the middle in BOTH eyes. Is she blind??? Are Emu chicks supposed to have white dots or full dark eyes??
What do I do with a blind Emu???

Thanks for your help!

 

[briefvisit]

I begin with an apology, Nurselisa. I see many views and no replies. A forum such as this can't exist on Happy Happy Vibes only. We must be prepared to frankly help people who come to us for advice.

It's bad. Very bad.

Would someone with experience of chicks at close range please answer the question about spots on the eyes?

Nurselisa, here are the ugly facts:

One: a lone blind bird would have a very low quality of life, particularly if it has anything less than a huge space of wooded area to roam in.

Two: a blind bird among other emus will be attacked and killed. It's ugly. It's the nature of the species.

So, I frankly suggest that you wait until you are quite sure the chick is blind, then decide whether you must -- for its sake, not yours -- have it put down.

This community will be here to offer condolences. The 'attrition rate' of emus is high. In the wild, less than half the chicks survive the first year.

One must strike a balance between 'investing emotion' in these goofy lovable critters, and the fact that It doesn't always go well.

Mark Blair, Unicup, Western Australia

 

[nurselisa]

Briefvisit,
Thank you so much for answering my post. I was so frantic for someone to answer. i finally just had to take my little one in to the vet. She was indeed blind. I was given powdered suppliment and vitamins to boost her energy and told that i would have to provide a pretty consistant and stable environment for her to be able to compensate for her lost vision. This was a bit more thatn I was bargaining for. I contacted a santuary about an hour away from me that was willing to take her. They have many birds that are blind or in need of more specialized care. Unfortunatly she never made it there. The night before I was to meet the lady, she died. i worry that I did something wrong with the syringe feeding supplements. I feel horrible. I cried. But in the end, it was probably for the best. i just think with the Emu's strong sense of curiosity and boundless energy to run, she would have had a very sad and boring life. I will miss my little bind Em though.
Thank you again for reaching out to help. It was words i needed to hear.
Best to you!
Lisa

 

[briefvisit]

Deep breath, nurselisa!

My personal position is that euthanasia is better than blind at a sanctuary. I think people get caught up in . . . it's a difficult politics to explain . . . but critters are magnificent because they are wild (as humans once were).

A blind wild critter needing human help, without its normal species interaction, without the chance to spazzy dance wildly in the dawn light on cold wet mornings, and squabble, and mate, is not 'an emu,' and is better put down.


Please stay in orbit. We all have these stories. (I found a chick hanging upside down in a fence a mile from home. Nursed 'Sikecil' for four days and nights 'til it toppled dead from its little straw-filled box. There is still a blood stain on the back landing. R.I.P. Sikecil.)

Supreme Emu