How to Wing Amputation????

[duckluck]

Quote:
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That would be your opinion not a fact. I stated my opinion earlier.

Yes, and the fact is, a vet for birds can get way out of the stratusphere on price...here's one small example: I wanted to take my three parrots in just to have their beaks and nails trimmed. That would have cost just under $200, and for something that needs done a few times a year! A nail job on a dog would run maybe $15 at a groomer. You can get three horses trimmed for a lot less than that. I went and bought a cordless Dremmel for a fraction of the cost and now I do it myself. You can't begin to imagine what anything more complicated than beaks or nails will cost, because lots of these folks don't know either until they start writing the bill. Then they get cranky with you when you ask how much it will cost.

I also had a sick bird once and went to see a so-called "avian vet"...drove through a blizzard to get there to find out that this person didn't even know how to give a parrot a shot. After waiting 45 minutes till she got her act together, I asked her if she wanted me to give the shot too and told the person at the desk that I wasn't paying for anything but the med after the fiasco I went through that night with them.

Probably one of the best things to do is, before huge emergencies arise, decide what you can spend on vet care and aftercare in money and other resources for a given animal and then have that number in mind so that you don't make huge financial committments when you are under duress and emotional stress. I did that recently with one of my animals and stuck to it, and am glad I did, because when you're on a crying jag is not the time to be making big decisions. It always hurts when you have to make these kind of decisions but then you're not hit with the "why on earth did I go through with this" mindset later, especially if the animal is going to be affected for life. Better to consider the possible outcomes and make an informed decision and have that decision in your back pocket before the worst can happen.

 

[FenDruadin]

Can't wait for the update! I'll bet she'll pull through just fine.

And I'm glad there are many voices on these boards with a wide range of opinions. It's makes us all richer to listen to others and hear their concerns. I love when I hear folks discussing different opinions without judgment. I noticed some folks in this thread making a point to be supportive of the decisions they agree with, even when they don't agree with everything in the thread. That makes me proud to be a part of this community.

Unfortunately, I'm also disturbed by the fact that some folks choose to attack. It's scary to ask for help, and it's even scarier if you think someone might flame you for not thinking the way they do. And unfortunately it seems that often when someone asks for health assistance with their birds, someone steps in and tells them they're a bad bird owner for not taking the animal to the vet.

I understand there are folks who think that non-human animals should be treated equally with humans (presumably those folks also don't eat meat or kill the roaches or ants that come into their home). I respect that. I have friends who are vegan (they use absolutely no animal products) and I get where they're coming from.

But not everyone thinks that way (myself included), and it doesn't mean we're terrible people who should never own pets. All of my animals receive nutritious food, a high quality environment, fresh water (for as long as it stays fresh, which isn't long for the ducks, lol), daily care, protection from major dangers (predators especially), and humane treatment in the case of injuries and illness. Does that mean they always go to the vet when medical care might help? Sometimes, sometimes not. They certainly don't receive the same extreme measures I would exert on my children. Sorry, but my family comes before my animals.

Right after my husband lost his job in Feb and we were trying desperately to make ends meet, one of my goats got a triple-pronged fish hook stuck in his lip. We tried to remove the hook ourselves but in the end took him to the vet despite the expense (and I WISH I could walk through a vet's door for $25 around here--it's more like $45 just to see the vet's smiling face). The rationale? He's a pet, we're attached to him in particular, the injury would be inexpensive and low trauma to fix, and his recovery was nearly guaranteed. Putting him down would have been ridiculous under the circumstances, and leaving a fish hook in his lip uncomfortable and dangerous for him. We did what made sense at the time.

On the other hand, I had a duck break a leg in half so that the bone was sticking out. We "culled" her. It was a very difficult decision, and we did briefly consider a vet visit. However, even had we found one that could help, it's likely the duck would never have healed and the quality of life would have been low. Additionally, it would have been expensive, and--sorry if this is offensive to some--but the ducks on our property are livestock, and we raise them for practical purposes, so sometimes we make practical decisions that are different from how we would treat a pet. I'm at peace with that and don't believe it makes us bad duck owners. My birds have a much better life than the short brutish one nature offers her children, even if it's not the pampered one they might live as an aristocrat's pet.

Likewise, I don't think I'm a bad cat owner for taking in a stray cat at a time when we can't afford much. She was scrawny, skinny, infested with fleas and mites, and missing half her teeth with bad breath to match. We took her in, fed her a high quality diet, took her to the vet (after a couple weeks when we'd had a chance to save up for it), and she quickly gained 25% of her weight, developed a glossy coat, lost the fleas (we're still working on the mites), and her breath is fresh and clean. She thanks us every day for bringing her home with us. If we hadn't she'd probably not be walking this earth any longer--any animal control facility would have sent her quickly to the gas chamber. Now, am I a bad owner if next month she develops a severe illness that could be treated with several thousand dollars worth of medical assistance, and I decide not to do it because we can't afford it?

And if I come to a community of animal lovers and ask if there is anything I can do at home to make her more comfortable, it would be nice to think I could ask for that help without someone jumping down my throat about having a cat when I "can't afford it."

Many apologies to the original poster for hijacking the thread.

 

[katharinad]

You know it is not always what can be done, but what it best for the animal. A good vet should not sell your the skill or technology, but should give you the best and worst scenario in any case. Then the likely hood and how the animals live will be. For example we had a cat with thyroid cancer. A very slow growing cancer and the vet suggested to keep her on meds that slow it down, yet they said that eventually comes the point where it is in best interest of the cat to stop medication. The medication was not expensive at all so we decided to put her on it, but she also needed blood work done every 3 months. We were willing to pay for that, and it was not that expensive either. She was like a new cat happy and active for about 10 months. Then she started to act sick again and we knew it was her time to go. We took her back to the vet and they said we can up the dose and may get another month, but that would be it. We decided not to go for a higher dose, because it does have side effects and we felt that it was not fair to push on. The vet agreed and put her down. She had a good live and I like to think like that then having horrible memories of a suffering animal. We adopted this cat as an adult cat (6 years old already) and she lived happily with us for another 6 years.

I think it is a good idea to set a limit, and everyone should think about it before even getting an animal. I would not put a value to an animal depending on how much it has cost you to get it. The value should be on what the animal means to you. Still never think about yourself and that you want to hang on if it is bad. Think what the animal would have wanted and what is fair to the animal. I had to let go of animals in the past, it is heart breaking regardless. All I can say they had a full happy live, and are in a better place now. Good memories all around.

 

[chickensioux]

First of all let me say that if an animal needs to go to the vet that should always be the first choice. There are situations, too great to list here, where this should be the only choice. But if someone is bound and determined to help an animal at home (and there are plenty who do. For ex. the pitbull we treated cause the owner tried to do his own earcrop) this forum is where they come for information and tips they might need. Would I offer assisstance to someone wanting to do an earcrop...of course not. But people are going to do what they do and thank goodness this OP had the intelligence and the presence of mind (in a stressfull situation) to ask for assisstance, many don't. As a certified animal health technician (yes, I went to school and got certified so the education is real) when someone asks for help, I will offer help where I can. They then can do with it what they please. The OP asked how to do this procedure and I explained what I would do. Per the OP the wing was barely attached and with this info I offered her information. She ultimately decided to seek vet care and overlook the cost.....YAY. To me what is ludicrous is to suggest that you have 2 options: vet care or death. It is irrelevent how many of my own animals I have treated and saved (there's been plenty) or how many dollars I have spent at the vet (there's been plenty) I could go on all day about it. But I can honestly say for those I have saved on my own I have no regrets.

 

[Quackmire]

You can't begin to imagine what anything more complicated than beaks or nails will cost, because lots of these folks don't know either until they start writing the bill.

I come from a family of parrot owners. Being the owner of several 'exotics', yes, I know exactly what the price of 'extensive' care can be on a bird. My $200 sun conure was a sickly boy from the get go. And he has been quite an expense. And this is the type of thing that should be taken into consideration when someone thinks they want that cool bird that said hello to them when they walked past it's cage in a pet store. Avian vets are not cheap. Neither is the day to day care of a parrot, if you're doing it correctly.

I am not a bleeding heart. I have made the call to euthanize when injureds come in. I am not a vegan, and I am guilty of squashing bugs in the house on occassion.

I've put out some cash on my own animals, as well as the care of animals that are dumped on me. We are not rich by any stretch and at times find ourselves living paycheck to paycheck. But the fact is, when I take in an animal, i also take on the responsibility of it's comfort. Whether I do that by providing vet care, or ending it's suffering, it is what is best for the animal.

I think that, common sense should be, if you wouldn't amputate your own arm at home, slap some neosporin and a bandaid on it and hope for the best, doing the same to another living being (no matter WHAT you paid for it) is equally as ludicrous a thought.​

 

[chickensioux]

Question:
How about the Mtn. climber whose arm was pinned under a boulder for days? Should he have figured out a way to end his suffering? Or did he cut off his own arm with a pocket knife to survive? He chose life and whatever means it took to keep it. A thought.

 

[CityChicker]

Quote:
I agree in part. Where we differ is about taking the duck to a vet. In the first place most vets know little about poultry. Secondly it's not cost effective. Around here the cheapest vet office visit is $25. That's to walk in the door anything beyond the basic exam is extra. A surgical amputation would no doubt be costly. Put the duck out of it's misery & buy a new duck with a fraction of the money you might have spent on a vet bill.
I have birds & I can afford a vet but I wouldn't consider taking a bird to the vet.

I totally agree. I didn't say or mean to imply that *I* would take the bird to the vet. I meant that those were the only two options that seemed reasonable to me in this situation, especially given the owner's level of experience. Cull or get the bird medical attention. I personally would have put the bird out of its' misery the second I found it in that condition. This is just yet another thread on BYC where I feel I can't say what I am really thinking.

 

[CityChicker]

Quote:
Yea! That's awesome. Somehow I knew that calling a vet would be the best approach in your situation. I'm so glad you found one to help you. If you are that attached to the bird and see it as a pet, then the expense is probably worth it. I, personally, would probably not pay for an amputation unless it was one of my pet birds (which seem to cost a fortune to get care for). If you only have a few birds though and they are pets, I say go for it if you want to spend the bucks. I hope all works out well!

 

[chickensioux]

 

[Woods_Woman]

Praying the surgery goes well..Keep us updated.