Ticked off at my friend's doctors

[PineappleMama]

I know ours were SO dusty when they were in their shower broody... but you're talking getting grown and they're straight outside right? So that's moot. They're still pretty dusty nowadays, and the DE... oh man... that stuff is nuts. So I can see why the docs would hesitate to say that it'd be fine and dandy... particularly when you consider the sue happy state this country is in. It's just not worth it for a doctor to take the slightest tiny chance recommending anything that they're not 100% sure about.

But on the same note if you're doing all the cleaning... she'll mostly just be gathering eggs and sitting on the porch watching them... then I don't see how that's going to be too much worse than if she just sat outside period. So unless they've ordered her to become a prisoner in her own home, forced agoraphobia so to speak, then I'd go ahead. And I'd buy a mask (don't they make fancy ones) so when she IS in there she'll be safe.

 

[aggie9296]

OK, speaking for a DOCTOR who also OWNS chickens and who is NOT an idiot about much of anything, you all are making a LOT of generalizations without all the facts and bashing ALL doctors is just irresponsible.

People that are on oxygen have compromised respiratory function. Regardless of the cause. Sometimes they are also on steroids and other immunocompromising drugs. Adding chickens along with the accompanying dust, poop, fungus, viral or bacterial illnesses, etc that can come along with it might give her a severe respiratory infection or allergic reaction that she cannot overcome and might just kill her.

If her medical doctors don't want her exposed to things that might kill her, that's probably good advice. If she wants to have chickens, but leave the cleaning, maintenence and "dirty" chores to someone else, she would probably be OK.

Yes, sometimes us doctors focus on keeping you alive, not making your life fulfilling. And I do believe having a pet (dog, cat or chicken, etc) could be done safely while giving her some quality of life. But it also must be done with the full knowledge that very real risks involved.

 

[theghostandmrchicken]

Quote:
Well said, I just have one other thing to add.

"We should not be too worried about 'just surviving' otherwise what would be the point of living."

Unknown

 

[redhen]

Thats so sad. She has such a horrible disease..

I'm not sure how keeping a few hens will compermise her lungs though... if you go over there and clean out her coop for her...
She shouldnt really even need to go inside the coop much at all... only to water and feed them, which only takes a few minutes.
But yes, chickens ARE BAAAAD dusty... so... i'd say the doc may have a valid concern... i cant blame him for that...