Eggbound hen - am I crazy to pay a vet $150?

[Zoopathy]

Ace...here's an idea:

Do you live near a zoo? I work for the San Diego Zoo and we sometimes help out the local community with large animals the need specialized xrays or whatever that we have the special, supersized equipment for (and local hospitals have done MRIs on our gorillas a time or two...!). While a chicken isn't super specialized, the zoo would have a vet and vet techs that are used to working with, and sedating, birds...they *might* just offer you an xray (and since they're not in the business of charging for their services, maybe it would be free). They might also be able to offer advice, and, if surgery would fix her, then *maybe* they could do it there.

It's a pie in the sky idea, I know, but my motto in life has become "It Never Hurts to Ask". Especially is there aren't any avian vets around. Where do you live?

 

[al6517]

There is no way I would even consider even visiting a vet with a chicken just doesn't make any sense to me. Then again I live in the country and have over a hundred chickens, chicks, turkeys, quail and the like, I always medicate or doctor all of our own birds, if they don't make it they don't make it and we move on. I know that this approach may seem strange to some but on a farm barnyard animals need to hold their own and pay their way, we don't name them hold them and talk to them or put cute little outfit's on them, but they are very happy and well cared for, they are not pet's, so to answer your question please save your $$ and learn a lesson, buy another bird and move on. I hope you can find some comfort and some sense in this and that whatever you choose to do works out for you.

AL

 

[Beekissed]

ayep....

 

[Buugette]

My girls are pets... pets go to the vet when needed. Its how I was raised. I understand those who can't, but if I can, I will.

Hope all those girls with problems get better soon and live a happy and wonderful life.

D

 

[BWchicken]

Hi Ace, haven't heard from you in a few days, how is Avril doing?

 

[aymer]

Quote:
my girls are pets too!

i will do anything needed to keep them happy and healthy.

 

[Sunny Side Up]

Each of us chicken-keepers must determine for ourselves what our limits are in how much we'll pay for professional care for our chickens. What is "crazy" for one person is perfectly reasonable for another. And no one has the right to pass judgement on another for their choice, whether they reach for an axe or reach for the phone to make an appointment at the vet when their chicken is ill or injured.

But if the backyard chicken movement continues to grow then I think we are going to see more veteranarians learning about and treating chickens. The books James Herriot wrote about his experiences as an English country vet in the 1930's & 1940's tell how he was trained primarily to treat horses, then cows, sheep & pigs, with little training in dogs & cats. At that time vets made the most calls to treat the draft, carriage & riding horses so much in use, and next were called for large livestock. Few countryfolk would bother with the expense of professional care for their farm dogs & cats at that time.

But by the time Herriot began his practice attitudes were changing. He had to learn a lot on the job about treating pet animals, and now the vet schools emphasize their treatment over other livestock. I think the same will be true in the near future about chickens. I know a local chicken breeder whose son is attending vet school, and he says they're beginning to learn more about treating pet poultry. They're even trying to figure out a practical way to surgically alter roosters to prevent them from crowing, so that more folks can keep them as pets in the cities & suburbs.

Until then, it's in our best interests to learn to tend to most of our birds' needs ourselves!

 

[BWchicken]

Quote:
That's not how pets are treated and this bird is a pet to the poster. I respect that your chickens are barnyard animals, and I know you take good care of them. Of course livestock and pets are treated differently and I respect that difference. To some, chickens are livestock. But to others, they are loved pets. We can't just learn to suddenly treat our birds like livestock and move on, any more than you can suddenly learn to fall in love with your chickens as pets. Whether someone has pet chickens or livestock chickens, there can be mutual understanding for each other. I don't think there are any "lessons" that need to be learned. One way isn't any better than the other, just different.

 

[dcrickman]

Ace,
I completely understand... I once paid over $300.00 to have an emergency C-section AND hysterectomy on a (free,like any animal is ever truly free) goat that was crippled! She's a great pet and hangs out with my chickens, keeping various predators away. Well worth the money, and it just happen to be the one time I had the extra money!

 

[al6517]

Quote:
That's not how pets are treated and this bird is a pet to the poster. I respect that your chickens are barnyard animals, and I know you take good care of them. Of course livestock and pets are treated differently and I respect that difference. To some, chickens are livestock. But to others, they are loved pets. We can't just learn to suddenly treat our birds like livestock and move on, any more than you can suddenly learn to fall in love with your chickens as pets. Whether someone has pet chickens or livestock chickens, there can be mutual understanding for each other. I don't think there are any "lessons" that need to be learned. One way isn't any better than the other, just different.

Well said, and I agree.

AL