Pet Surgery - Not Radio Related

[W1EUJ]

Non-radio related...feel free to delete.

I have a 16 year old cockatiel, named Jasper.

<------ He's in my avatar

Can't blame anybody, we didn't know it was a girl until the problems started up. A month ago, Jasper's rear end was bulging out, and we thought - damn, Jasper, you're getting fat. A couple of weeks ago, it got very big, and knew something was wrong.

We took him to the vet - "Boy, this is the first time I've seen this in my 30 years as a vet!" Masses in Jasper's belly were pushing his lungs and heart up, and the abdomen out, seemed like old collasped eggs and yolk material. A thick mucus-like fluid was filling his belly, but it was too thick to suction. An operation could be done to find out what was going on, but there is a 20% mortality rate with that sort of operation.

After review of this and that my several vets over the last week, two things were clear. 1 - Doing nothing would eventually kill Jasper. 2. Surgery was the only option for correcting the issue.

This morning Meli and I said a little goodbye to Jasper, and dropped him off at the vet's office at 8AM. We'd hear back at noontime how it turned out. 11:55, I get a call from the vet. "Jasper made it through the surgery, and is doing fell. His x-rays look great now, everything is back where it should be."

Today, I'm happy. The little guy that waits for me at the end of the workday by the front door, who napped by me when I was sick with a bad flu, and that keeps Meli company when she is studying, lives to see another day.

Tomorrow, I get to see the bills...


Those whitish lumps above and below the leg-joint line? Shouldn't be there.
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[W1RKW]

Never seen an x-ray of a bird before.  Interesting structure. 

Hope Jasper pulls through 100% and has many more years ahead.

Can't wait to hear her on the radio.  Now it's radio related.

[Ed/KB1HYS]

Wow, avian surgery is risky at best. Hope she heals well.

So now that you know he's a she do you change her name from Jasper? 

[W1EUJ]

We decided to stick with 'he' and 'boy', since Jasper been called a male for so long. He'll only be a girl at the vet's office. Have to put him on bird 'birth control' however!

It's difficult to determine the sex of some birds; only after a DNA test or a egg on the bottom of the cage, do you figure boy from girl.

Only when the new house's dipole is up, and the HW-101 thoroughly restored and checked, would the inevitable cute photo of a napping bird on top of a boatanchor occur. I will keep that in mind to do.

[WB3JOK]

Unless "he" lives in the same cage with a real male bird, I don't think you have to worry about the pitter-patter of little wings 

[W1UJR]

Glad everything worked out OK David. 

I remember when my dog was hit by a car when I lived back in Buffalo.
Man, that was agonizing. Like Jasper, she survived, and went on to a happy life.

It is really quite amazing what vets can do with our pets nowadays, near or at the level of care offered to humans.
A good friend of mine had a Great Pyrenees dog who unfortunately developed an aggressive form of cancer.
They made a regular series of pilgrimages from CT to NY for care, the vet team treated the dog with radiation, much like a human might have. The outcome was a success, the doggie lived and the "parents" are happy.

Wishing you, Jasper and Meli many happy years to come!

-Bruce

[WA1GFZ]

Yup, we are saps here also.
Man you sure get attached to pets.
The Cat and I eat oatmeal every morning 

[K1JJ]

Glad Jasper is doing well, David!

That's quite the X-ray.  Interesting how vets can become so specialized considering the many, many different pet anatomies they must learn. 

Yes, we sure can get attached to our birds. After 16 years, they learn all our habits and you there's.

Best of luck, OM.

Tom, K1JJ

[Opcom]

I'm glad he's OK. Hope he makes a full recovery. I had no idea eggs could build up inside a bird like that. You'd think they'd come on out.

[Steve - WB3HUZ]

Bet that sucker would taste good stir-fried!

All kidding aside, glad your friend is back on the mend. Our pets are wonderful parts of our lives.

[W1EUJ]

I'm glad he's OK. Hope he makes a full recovery. I had no idea eggs could build up inside a bird like that. You'd think they'd come on out.

It's not frequent, but sometimes the muscles push inward instead of outward.

When he is bad, I joke, "Cut it out, or I'm making lunch out of you!" Doesn't help he smells a little like lemons.

[Carl WA1KPD]

"Pets is Pets" Dick-the origonal W1RMZ

No matter what they are we love em

Glad to hear she/he is doing better
73
Carl
/KPD

[W1EUJ]

After a 24 hour stay at the vet's, Jasper is back home and tired on painkillers.

So, let's nap!