When is it time to stop treatment?

[lcbrink]

For those who don't know, I have a 10 year old cockatiel (Squeaky) who has had kidney disease for nearly a year. Recently some liver tests came back high and one of his medicines was stopped to see if it was the cause.

Thios morning when I woke up I saw he had regurgitated some seed and was more puffed up than usual. He was very listless, regurgiated the water & seed he ate in my presence, and had dark brown/black feces in his stool. During the drive to the hospital he sat at the bottom of the cage, and barely made any noise (He's not a big fan of car rides and gets very acitve, noisy, and grumpy usually).

He's currently at the Cornell Companion Hospital. If he's lucky, he's only going to get blood work done. If not, he's going to get a full battery of tests and an ultrasound.

I'm not particullary worried about my wallet (I've been poor before ) but the question I'm having go around in my mind is when do I stop treatment and decide to put him down? How do I decide when enough is enough and I'm just putting my pet through it more because of my fear of losing him than to actually treat/help/cure him?

How do you decide?

[mamalovesrico]

What does your vet think?

[lcbrink]

Originally Posted by mamalovesrico

What does your vet think?

My vet hasn't really said anything one way or the other. At the same time I haven't mentioned the subject until this morning when he agreed with me that a decision on when to stop treatment needs to be made.

Keep in mind that up to two weeks ago Squeaky has been taking his medicine with nor "problems" for over 10 months, so until recently there really wasn't a pressing need for a decision.

[Chariclo]

Lee I am so sorry. I have never had to make those decisions for a feathered friend - but have many times for the furry ones.

There comes a point in time when a certain quality of life has been lost. Everyone's opinion of what that point is - is obviously subjective to their own personal experience/tolerance. I wish I had some advice for you - but only you (and your vet) know what your little tiel appears to be capable of handling - as well as yourself.

I commend you for spending the time and money it takes to care for your Squeaky with his illness. Many would not go to such lengths. If and when the time comes for you to be in a place to make a decision - you should definately have the conviction of knowing that you did everything possible to give that little bird a better chance at life. Your devotion to your fid has been the greatest gift you could possibly give.

I think it's okay to speak for everyone hear when I say that - we understand how much you care for your birds - and certainly can relate to what you are going through. We are here for you should you need a shoulder to lean on.

[Dayna]

I recently had to make this decision with my cat this winter. She was 21 and had cronic renal failure. She had been going downhill for 2 years. For about a year her quality of life had been not so good. she would just eat and sleep and poop. then a few days before I put her down, she stopped eating. Nothing would tempt her. So I stopped all treatments, and had the vet come to my house. She died peacefully in my arms and a couple months later (hey it was december in alaska) we buried her in the back yard. I don't regret my choice. I think it was what she wanted since she did not struggle or get upset about the needles. I still cry though, I had her since she was a kitten. I am only 26 years old, so you can imagine that I don't remember life without her. Some mornings I still wake up and expect her to be there on my bed. Then I remember.....

Sometimes the hardest choice for us to make, is the right one for our pets. Some people say that you should figure out what your pets 3 most favorite things are. And you make the decision when those 3 things are no longer present.

[Takoda]

as mentioned, it's all about quality of life.

i put my 17 year old love of my life shih tzu down last year. he was arthritic (severely), blind in one eye and cataracts in the other, hard of hearing (possibly deaf), had tumors all over his body, and was at least 8 pounds underweight. He become incontinent, but I took him to work with me and snuggled him, he seemed happy. Gradually he started sleeping more, became extremely senile, but was always willing to have a snuggle with me. I finally faced reality one day when I came home and my mom informed me that scamp had peed blood all over the floor.

it was a very hard decision. I realize now what i did not then - scamp was ready to go long before i had him euthanized, he hung in there just for me until *I* was ready to let him go.

Fare thee well my baby, till we meet again.

[lcbrink]

Thanks for the replies.

I spend nearly an hour with the vet yesterday. According to the xrays Squeaky has been chewing on something he shouldn't have been and it's lodged in his stomach. The vet's not sure what it is, but he's starting treatment for both heavy metal poisoning (Which I can't find a source unless it's the new cage I bought him) and intestinal blockage.

Beyond that his uric acid numbers were good. The only potential problem with treatment is that the drugs for heavy metal poisoning have the potential to damage his kidneys.

Another case of the cure being as bad as the problem.

And if it is the cage that's the source, woe be to the dealer that sold it to me.

[LissaKokoKiwiKaseySam]

Originally Posted by lcbrink

Thanks for the replies.

I spend nearly an hour with the vet yesterday. According to the xrays Squeaky has been chewing on something he shouldn't have been and it's lodged in his stomach. The vet's not sure what it is, but he's starting treatment for both heavy metal poisoning (Which I can't find a source unless it's the new cage I bought him) and intestinal blockage.

Beyond that his uric acid numbers were good. The only potential problem with treatment is that the drugs for heavy metal poisoning have the potential to damage his kidneys.

Another case of the cure being as bad as the problem.

And if it is the cage that's the source, woe be to the dealer that sold it to me.

Lee,

check and see if there are any chips in the paint on your cage. If there are, you might want to pick up a lead test kit at your local hardware store.

I know there is a way to check for other metals ( something about using a magnet?) but I don't know what it is...maybe somebody can tell you.

Also check and see if squeaky has any keys he's been playing with- they are known to be heavy in zinc. I know keys are used alot in smaller bird toys- also maybe the chains?

As far as knowing when is enough- Squeaky will tell you...

[lcbrink]

The vet called while I was at lunch and said that Squeaky's blood tests came back negative for heavy metals.

IOW he has no idea what Squeaky has eaten. Hopefully he'll pass it and we can take a direct look at the culprit.

And when it comes to playing with poo, I'll leave it to the professionals.

[smallonion]

My best wishes for Squeaky. He is lucky that he has an owner who cares about him as much as you do. So many people think of tiels and budgies as 'throwaway' or 'starter' birds, and don't think of their worth for themselves! Squeaky is lucky that you are taking care of him - so many wouldn't. The previous statement has nothing to do with your question of when to stop treatment, by the way! The fact that you take him to the vet AT ALL means he has better care than many tiels.
Best wishes for you, him, and your decision later.