What is it with Vets and Birds???

[destinduck]

ive been in a lot of forums

Joe you rock.

My hats off to you and your indoor ducks. To me thats a lot of hard work and dedication!

I lost alot of respect for evy and several other posters on that site.

Now with that said and trying to help always and never hurt .my personal opinion about bumblefoot is years ago I used to put my domestic ducks inside my house alot ,long story short thats the only time I got bumblefoot .I do check my birds everyday and have lost some for no apparent reasons.(No avain vets here or I would have a autopsy or two)keep doing them indoor ducks and God forbid your ducks get bumblefoot but if they do Netties shoes will fix it.

 

[Funky Feathers]

Quote:
Are you these people?

http://www.poultryconnection.com/forums/showthread.php?t=1027

That's us. Not surprising that much of the comments about us are either totally inaccurate or pointlessly vicious... that's internet forums for you - react without getting any facts straight. yeah, we're incompetent because Victor is a girl and we didn't change "his" name...

OMG, I just went (to that other forum) and read all that nonsense!! Those people are a bunch of PETA-kissing nutjobs. Joe, don't let them get you down. They can't do anything about it, so they are just screaming at walls. You and Nettie are doing great things for ducks and chickens! They deserve to walk (and heal) in comfort with your wonderful shoes! And as for indoor pets wearing diapers, harnesses & leashes, last I checked this was a free country! Want to rule the world & tell people what to do? Go live in Iraq. JMO.

Nettie & Joe Rock!

 

[tia]

I was just venting a little - didn't know I was going to get such a debate going. One of my vets did do the surgery on Angel's foot this afternoon. I was so grateful that she would undertake it, knowing that it wasn't her specialty. Angel is at home resting now. She gave me oral antibiotics to give her twice a day, and I have to flush the sore twice a day with iodine solution for four days. I would have spent a thousand dollars on her, even if I had to make payments. Luckily it was only around 170. I thought that was very reasonable.

I didn't mean to be critical of vets because they have been wonderful with my dogs, and cats. They are on call just like a doctor in case of an emergency and I am sure it is hard for them to have a regular life. I guess I was just feeling a bit helpless, because I thought it was more serious and wasn't sure if they would be able to help me.

It is funny but I'm like Nettie and Joe when I have an animal it is like part of my family, and I can't look at a little duck that is so full of life and say just because I could replace you for a few bucks your not worth anything. I feel like they trust me and when I decided to have them as pets then I took on a responsibility and I have to do everything I can to take care of them. But I am not a farm girl either.

 

[Trenary Ducks]

Moderator, please delete our account. As a duck farm, we do not want to affiliate ourselves with duck diapers, duck shoes, and unsanitary conditions as indoorduck.com has presented itself. They deserve to be investigated by PETA and organization for animal abuse.

 

[Mom 2em All]

I personally think the chicken/duck diapers and shoes make much MORE sense to me than the ridiculous clothing you can purchase for pet dogs.
Silly frilly dresses and doggie STROLLERS- people rather put their DOG in a stroller than allow them to walk and run and be a dog- then bring them in to see me when they are grossly obese and wonder why Fifi is sick.
Trying to talk about nutrition and exercise to those who equate strollers and treats and people food with love is like trying to talk to a rock. You can- just won't make a difference.

I think the duck shoes are fantastic. If anyone has ever tried to wrap an injured foot- or keep it clean and DRY on ANY animal- ie; the morning dew on the grass, they would realize how great the shoes are.
People buy shoes for DOGS. They work as extra protection against injury in rough territory- such as search and rescue and protect against freezing when Fifii leaves her stroller and is forced to potty outside on the ice and snow.
It is no different for a duck foot injury to keep it clean and dry.

People use belly bands on boy dogs to keep them from urinating in the house, and doggy diapers for the little Fifis that wont housebreak (have a set myself for an obstinate wiener dog) but people then freak out because someone puts one on a house chicken/duck? I suppose the same people think its wrong to protect a hens back from an overzealous over-spurred rooster?

My opinion on vets and birds and vets and ducks has already been stated here earlier in this thread. The truth is they are difficult to diagnose, they don't bring in the revenue- how many people do you know that are willing to pay for the bloodwork/testing to be done to determine what illnesses the duck has been hiding until it is so late? How many are willing to pay for the cost of treating the illness? The numbers are few, and animal is usually brought in so far gone, so debilitated, that drastic immediate measures need to be taken-and then the stress of going to the vets, collecting samples for the diagnostic workup and medical treatments, can actually speed up their imminent death.

For what? People to go online and tell their neighbors and anyone that will listen at the pet/feed store: "I took my canary to the vet when it was sick once. Cost me $600 dollars and it died the next day. Vet didn't do anything but take our money."

For those that think people shouldnt keep a duck as an indoor pet- even though the ducks needs are provided for, or a chicken for that matter- I wonder, what is their take on people who keep large snakes as pets or lizards or other birds for that matter?

 

[Duck_feeder]

The irony in the complaints about Nettie and I is astounding: People want us investigated by that certain animal rights group for abusing ducks while they raise ducks for meat and eggs and refuse vet care because ducks it is not cost effective. To those of you that want me investigated, do you even know what that group's beliefs include? I'll give you a clue - they're all vegetarians or vegans.

I'm more than happy to calmly and rationally discuss the pros and cons of keeping ducks indoors (in a separate thread as we are totally off-topic now). I'm very aware of the limitations imposed on the ducks by keeping them indoors, but there are many benefits. However, I will not respond to close-minded behavior full of double standards, baseless assumptions, and personal attacks.

Thanks to everyone that has shown us support and to those of you that disagreed with us but did so in a perfectly reasonable and constructive manner.

 

[Cerelia]

Nicely said about respect.

I'm fairly new here, as you can see. I rescued a duck from the farm pond across the road. She and two of her two cohorts were dumped there by someone, although we know for certain where one of them came from (an Indian Runner (?) bought for a child for Easter), no one has claimed the two Pekins yet. These ducks have been following us around everytime we went outside. They got along with the cat and the dog (actually, the dog and cat kept a respectful distance). First the little Indian Runner disappeared, then the one Pekin disappeared about a month ago. Then, the last Pekin came for us for help, she was lame.

I admit I was fowl ignorant until about a little over a week ago. I have learned a lot from this boards and other sites in a very short time.

Personally, I am always caught in a dilemma about eating any kind of meat. I do eat beef, occasionally chicken, and I always feel badly about it. But, that is my problem.

I think that people are entitled to their opinions about that, and personal attacks aren't really necessary. A group of email buddies got into that discussion that week, and it was quite civil.

I never really planned on having a pet duck, but the duck decided to have pet people. ; ) She is ruling our roost here. I have been blown away by her intelligence and her grace at putting up with our efforts to make her swim and switch her to duck food. I posted a NOVA site on another thread about "bird brains" (song birds, but I think duck brains probably qualify). I think I have a lot to learn from Daffodil. I'm and admin on a crime victim's site (have been for five years now)...and frankly, I have rarely seen the kind of controversy that has come up on this thread.

If you want to know what duck abuse is, take a look at sweet Daffodil. Someone clipped her wings. The vet said that it looked like someone had kicked her hip and it shattered (although we don't know if that is what it is, and if so, who did it). That is animal abuse. Feeding a duck a healthy diet, giving it clean water, etc., that is duck care.

Just my .02.

 

[nettie]

Everyone has different opinions about ducks and chickens and their care... We all have to agree to disagree on some points... That's all I expect. I get attacked frequently for the way i care for my animals, but any investigator can come over and see how awesome they have it here. Their new pen is going to be one of the most awesomeness I can think of, lol. I think even the Peabody Ducks would get jealous. lol.

As for getting back on topic... Some people choose to care for their animals by going to vets and pay the bills... Good for them... Others take care of it themselves... good for them... For those who cull the animal, good for them.... but those who just let their animals suffer, now those are the ones.... that drives most sane people crazy.

Tia, I hope that you will be able to find a vet that can help you when you want to be helped... I hope that continuing to post at BYC will help you treat your animals yourself when you can not find help.

For those with ducks who want to seek vet care but always get turned down, I recommend going to an emergency place that has an avian vet. Don't call ahead.... Just show up.... It's more likely they'll see your animal anyway (esp with all the other patients in the waiting room) then send you away and risk bad PR. If it's not a bad injury or illness, post here on BYC for at home treatments... There are a lot of things one can do at home to help their animals....

I'm glad that we have an environment of understanding and tolerance, and that we have good moderators who keep people in line and to the rules here at BYC.... Obviously it's the best poultry forum online.... when other forums can go off on rants that BYC would never tolerate, it just tells you what kind of forum it is...

 

[nettie]

Oh and I'll be keeping my eye on those names of those who post such nastiness at other forums.... Just so when they come running to me for shoes for their animal with bumblefoot, I can remind them of their cheap shots and mean thoughts....

hehe

I also reminded them that I've been a member there since july of 2008... I don't post there, just read when I feel like it..... I reported all the rule breaking and flaming.... so ha to them....

Tia, I sent you a pm asking for details about the shoes! Let me know when you can!

 

[bikergirl]

I HAVE THE BEST VET EVER! Dr. Bruce Singbeil

"Since working on the farm, he has circumnavigated the globe. From pharmaceutical companies to outfits dealing with poultry genetics, he has worked in 26 different countries using his avian expertise. He has dealt with bird flu in Asia and poultry farms in Brazil and Korea. As exciting as it was, the companies kept gobbling each other up, he said, and spending chunks of every month away from his family was wearing on him."

"people struggle to find a vet that takes them seriously,” he said. These animals are as much of a pet to these people as a cat or dog, he said, and are no longer barnyard animals."

http://www.pnwlocalnews.com/east_king/bel/news/39916148.html