Goose lovers – please help!!

[Marty1876]

She sounds like a doll, Iain. I'm with you, blind is a special need that doesn't have to cause misery. My dad was blind. Still loads of life to enjoy, and under your care, she'll never need to know sorrow.

 

[Iain Utah]

It's been a while since I've posted pics of the juvenile africans and was asked to do so by a member. So, ask and ye shall receive. Here are pics taken this morning:

 

[sundancenbare]

The four grey boys are officially gone. I was sad to see them go, but happy that they are going to a great home. Not sure where in OK they are going. The adopter is the father of a local vet who is originally from there. I met the local vet today (we dropped the boys off at her clinic) and she seems very caring. I expect her dad will be the same. They will live on a 100 acre farm (they will be the only geese), free ranging by day, and locked in secure barn at night. The father/owner is an older guy who spends his day tooling around the property, hanging out with his animals. I couldn't ask for a better placement for these special guys!

As for my precious blind girl, she saw the eye specialist today. I was told she is 100% blind in both eyes and cataracts are in "mature stage" at this point. The surgery is more complicated than dogs/cats/human surgery in that they do not have a lens to implant in a goose. Therefore, surgery would give her mirror opposite reversed image at 4x magnification, which would be like what you would see in a house of mirrors. Additionally, it takes a good month to recover, with water restrictions. She will enter "hyper mature stage" very quickly, at which point surgery would no longer be an option.

We talked about the major improvement to her quality of life in the past two weeks. Vet said she is now experiencing a good life that she has never had before, and it was a long hard road to get there. If she was acting like she did two weeks ago, when she looked like she could die of depression, we would be scheduling surgery. However, as of today, she appears content (dare I say happy?) with her group of misfit companions in their "special needs pen", with a good appetite, a love for lounging in the kiddy pool and eating watermelon, and has even built confidence to approach her companions chattering. The vet believes she has adjusted extremely well to being blind.

Therefore, with the understanding that she is truly special needs for the rest of her long life, I do not believe surgery is in her best interest.

Here we are at the clinic. I carried/held her the whole time (everyone was sympathetic to all the messes they had to clean up). She was very calm and sweet... and quite the hit with the entire staff:

Let me tell you how hard it was for Janet to drop off those geese. She had tears in her eyes and Ian had to drag her away. It was tough on her. I arranged the placement and they will be fine, Poot Janet has such a vested interest in the time and care on these birds that while it is a relief it still tears at her heart.

 

[1MrsMagoo]

Let me tell you how hard it was for Janet to drop off those geese. She had tears in her eyes and Ian had to drag her away. It was tough on her. I arranged the placement and they will be fine, Poot Janet has such a vested interest in the time and care on these birds that while it is a relief it still tears at her heart.

Aww...hugs to you both.

 

[Miss Lydia]

Aww...hugs to you both.

X2

 

[psue]

Let me tell you how hard it was for Janet to drop off those geese. She had tears in her eyes and Ian had to drag her away. It was tough on her. I arranged the placement and they will be fine, Poot Janet has such a vested interest in the time and care on these birds that while it is a relief it still tears at her heart.

x3 and 4

 

[Marty1876]

Let me tell you how hard it was for Janet to drop off those geese. She had tears in her eyes and Ian had to drag her away. It was tough on her. I arranged the placement and they will be fine, Poot Janet has such a vested interest in the time and care on these birds that while it is a relief it still tears at her heart.

Aww, we're all so proud of Iain. Shes awesome.

 

[Iain Utah]

Thanks everyone!! Sundance is right... it was bittersweet to see them go yesterday. I expect it will only get harder the longer they are here, but then I will have more time to spend with my own personal geese, especially the new additions from the rescue group. Praying for a cold front to happen soon and I can begin shipping them to their new homes!

 

[Iain Utah]

Caught another fun picture of the africans this afternoon, playing in one of the ponds, that I thought I'd share.

 

[Miss Lydia]

Caught another fun picture of the africans this afternoon, playing in one of the ponds, that I thought I'd share.

Kinda reminds me of Martys avatar. LOL