Saving Louie

[LouieBird]

Louie. A Budgie. Pipped his egg and squirmed his way out on 2/14/2001. He has been my little green buddy ever since. I have always dreaded the unthinkable if something would ever happen to him.

How far would you go to save a Budgie?

Feb 16, 2009
3:30pm -- Sharon (my wife) calls me at work and says that she let Sami (the hormonal Indian Redneck) out of her cage to stretch her wings. It’s that time of year for her (Sami that is). She said she left the bird-room for only a few minutes and when she came back Louie was on the floor covered in blood.

5:00pm
Rush home to find Louie has a very nasty wing injury. He is in a lot of pain and bleeding too much for a little Budgie to handle.

8:16pm
Arrive at the Animal Emergency Clinic in St. Paul. Text of the procedure as follows (spelling is accurate):
Examination and Consultation:
History: Louie is a 8 years old. MI Parakeet. He was attacked by owners Indian Rink Neck and now has a left wing injury.
Physical exam:
Alert and responsive, RR- 60, HR>300, holding left wing abnormally (lower than normal) with blood seen on feathers. Beak appears normal, good overall condition. Does not appear shocky.
Assessment
Problem List – Possible fx wing.
Differential Diagnosis – Fx or soft tissue injury
Prognosis – pending diagnostics/response to therapy
Plan
Diagnostic Recommendations – X-rays
Therapeutic Recommendations – Sedation for x-rays and more through exam and treatment.
Case Discussion with Owner – Discussed PE findings and treatment plan with owner. Advised that he may not survive the injury or txt.
Plan Selected by Owner – Owner oapproved estimate.

10:21pm
Isoflurane chamber/mask induction performed
X-rays revealed mid shaft ulna facture.



Plucked and cleaned wound with dilute Nolvasan and irrigated with sterile saline. Despite moderate to severe swelling on the medial aspect of the radius and ulna there was no evidence of an open wound. However, it is an open fx with a very small laceration of the skin on the lateral aspect.
Cleaned and then placed a single suture of 6-0 PDS to close the wound.
Bandage applied: Applied triple antibiotic to laceration site and then wrapped the wing in a figure-8 wrap.
Enrofloxacin 22.7 mg/ml: 3 units Diluted and administered IM
Routine recovery.
Maintenance anesthesia – Isoflurane minutes: 18 minutes

11:01pm
Butrophanol 10 mg/ml: Administered 0.08mls im mll

Feb 17, 2009
5:29am
Shift Summary
Narrative – Louie presented to AEC last evening after being attacked by owners Indian Ring Neck. He has sedated and x-rays confirmed an open fx of the midshaft ulna. The skin was close with a single 6-0 PDS suture and the wing was immobilized in a bandage. He was given Butorphanol for pain and Baytril. He has done well overnight. He is drinking and eating but the amount is fairly small due to e-collar.
Current treatment plan: Send home with follow-up at rDRM.

6:07am
Enrofloxacin suspension 10 mg/ml: 0.06 mls once daily

8:35am
Louie is home.
$595.18.

Feb 18, 2009
3:07pm – Avian Examination / Isoflurane Bird Limited / Bandages and Sterile Dressing (Medium) / Clindamycin Drops
Louie should have access to a low perch only not a high perch. If he wants to climb up high in the cage he should be kept in a small cage or one with smooth sides.
- You must make sure Louie is eating
Medication – New medication = Clindamycin – give 0.15ml – make sure the bird is sitting up not laying on his back when getting the medicine – Give the medicine in 3 – 4 separate swallows – Give once a day around 6:00pm – stop the old medicine unless you are completely unable to give the new one then call
$139.21



Appointment to recheck the bandage on Feb 25, 2009
$44.50

Appointment to x-ray and evaluate progress on March 11, 2009
$120.60


It has not been a good week but Louie my little buddy is doing as well as can be expected. Sharon should have known better. She forgot the basic rules of the bird-room and got complacent in exiting the bird-room with a hormonal IRN at large. Accidents can happen and this little episode in our parrot keeping is something we all have to think about if the unthinkable suddenly happens.




Brad

[tabooh]

That is a sad story but at least the little one lived!

[lovesbudgies]

I am so sorry that Louie got hurt. I am happy he is getting better. I agree when an animal gets hurt weather it be small or big it deserves equal treatment in order to get better. i know if my budgie Aruba ever got hurt i would do the same you have done. Me and my husband have a dog and we had to take him to the emergency vet last Sunday and it cost us 300.00 to take him. But now he is doing much better then he was when we took him. To me you can't put a price tag on the care of a beloved animal no matter the size of the animal.

[greencinacheeks]

lesson learned i guess..on time my mother closed a door on my GC when he was hooked on the top like he always is with his beak...she did not see him thouhg. closed the door before i could say something. broke 3/16ths of his beak clean off. it was a scary time for us. but he pulled through.it is always sad when these things happen.
but i must say.
that is one lucky little budgie to have you guys for a family, even if accidents happen. sounds like he will pull through ok. YAY Louie!!!

[JenJenna]

Poor birdie! You're such a good Dad!

[kellywess]

Poor Louie, I too would have done the same thing. I agree with lovesbudgies you cant and shouldnt put a price tag on a beloved pet. Did the vet ever talk to you about wing amputation?

[Lisa B]

He's very lucky to be loved so much. most would not have done what you did. kudos for seeing his spirit, and not his size. If the world had more like you, it would be a better place for birds and humans alike.
I hope he is better soon.

[Ashling]

What a close call, you have a big heart for getting him all fixed up. My lorikeet loves my budgie, but is overzealous and once I found her (the budgie) with puncture wounds all over her face. I dressed these myself, but we're lucky it wasn't anything more serious. They're not allowed out together unsupervised anymore!

[travieso1]

Im sorry to be so nosy in a bad way but is all that red part of the bandage the blood he lost or is it just the color of the bandage

[Laura65177]

Travies I'm thinking it's the colour of the bandage, that's too much blood for a budgie too lose.

And anyway, good luck with your budgies recovery.
I can see how much you don't put a price on your budgie.