What to do?

[Oviraptor]

Hello!

A friend of my mother owns a severe macaw. She's absolutely beautiful, 28 years old, and was a wild caught bird.

For the past few years her macaw has had bad plucking issues. Except for her wings-which she has recently began to pluck-she is almost naked from the waist down. She began plucking when she started working full-time and it only got worse when she stated babysitting her 2 grandsons who are very hyperactive. She will admit that before these things happened the bird spent alot of time outside the cage with her. Now she lucky if he only gets an hour with her between the other birds. Also, the young Hahn's macaw she also owns is beginning to pluck too.

She has stated that she tried using a product called "Pluck-No-More" and it actually worked. However she stopped using it as her vet told her that the spray isn't good for the bird.

To my utter shock she told me a week ago that she is considering having her bird "put down". I suggested that she really should consider giving her up for adoption instead of doing this. Her reply was something along the lines of "Oh, no I couldn't do that! She'd die of a broken heart!" To me this seems that she can't accept the fact that her bird would probably be better off and much happier under someone elses care.

I know it isn't any of my business as the bird isn't mine, but I can't understand why she'd want to do this.

Am I wrong for wanting to do or say something to reach a better solution?

[Xen]

She might have a hard time finding a vet who'll put down an otherwise healthy bird aside from the plucking issue, no?

[Oviraptor]

Originally Posted by Xen

She might have a hard time finding a vet who'll put down an otherwise healthy bird aside from the plucking issue, no?

Hmm..a valid point. I guess I'm just worrying for nothing then. Nevermind.

[Xen]

Nooooooo, it's good that you care... I'd be worried too!
I just hope that a vet refuses to do it for her reasoning that the bird will be better dead than heartbroken. Birds get rehomed at all ages and for all kinds of reasons. I bet some of them had stronger bonds than she thinks her bird has with her.

[Amie]

A (good) vet won't put down a healthy bird, it's against their ethics. The local SPCA usually doesn't deal with birds, so they'd end up bringing him to a shelter, or asking her to donate it.

let her know my ekkie has been plucking for 6 years. And she is incredibly healthy and is happy from all we can tell. Just because he's a nudist doesn't mean there is something wrong with him.

[Oviraptor]

Originally Posted by amiestgermain

A (good) vet won't put down a healthy bird, it's against their ethics. The local SPCA usually doesn't deal with birds, so they'd end up bringing him to a shelter, or asking her to donate it.

let her know my ekkie has been plucking for 6 years. And she is incredibly healthy and is happy from all we can tell. Just because he's a nudist doesn't mean there is something wrong with him.

Thank you! Your Ekkie is beautiful, by the way!

[macawlover]

I don't think any vet would put an otherwise-healthy bird down. Some friends of mine were going to put their cat down because he had some health issues, but nothing too serious. They simply didn't want to pay for the surgery. So they signed a form saying that the vets could keep the cat and perform the operation themselves instead of putting him down. The surgery went well, and they eventually adopted him out!
Hopefully the vets would just adopt the birds out instead of putting them down.

[kali]

i know a few vet's who will put down any animal that is bought into their surgery, with no questons asked. their reasoning behind that is if they refuse to do it, the person might kill the animal in an inhumane way.

i think it's awful they don't ask any questions and try to get the animal to another good home, hence why i don't go there anymore.