Yesterday morning I took the seagull with the broken leg to the Moray Coast vets in Nairn . I left strict instructions with the nurse that I did not want the bird put to sleep and told her two options to be considered. One was to have the leg fixed if possible, or amputate if that was not possible. I was told I would be contacted but heard nothing until I phoned this morning - to be informed that the bird had been put to sleep !!! I was livid that a perfectly healthy bird that could have been saved albeit with one leg, had been put down without any reference to me. I asked for an explanation and was told that Sarah the vet would contact me. Sarah phoned later and told me she thought rather than put the bird through a complex operation, putting it to sleep was the kindest thing to do. I said that I would not like her to be my Doctor if I had a broken leg !
She laughed and seemed to think this was amusing....I certainly did not ! All living things deserve a chance to survive. This bird in particular deserved such a chance, for it risked it's life to survive. I had it at home for two days and it managed to get in and out of the bath using only one leg, It was in good health and could fly. I have already given the Scottish SPCA 4 seagulls this year that were probably too badly injured to be saved. This one had a fracture about quarter of an inch above the leg joint, if you cant amputate that and leave a stump, then perhaps you should go back to vet school ? I left strict instructions that I wanted the bird saved and that I would pay for it. I also don't think she had the right to euthanize without informing me first. Thumbs down for professionalism Sarah.
2 comments:
They put a Trumpeter Swan to sleep last year because they said it got a fish hook in its knee & there was too much nerve damage...I was livid too...Still burns me to think about it...Wasn't there, heard about it afterwards...I think some people are just lazy...Not mean, just lazy... It's like nobody ever took any trouble with them, so they don't want to bother with anyone else... They need to be taught to love...
We all have choices in this life. I could have left the bird where I found it, I could have pulled it's neck then and there - I could have called the Scottish SPCA. After inspecting the leg I made the decision to save it knowing it would probably need an amputation. I took it home fed it and gave it anti - inflammatories for 2 days in preparation for any operation it would have. The bird was able to fly/jump on one leg into and out of my bathtub and preen itself etc. After taking it to the vets and leaving it - with specific instructions not to put it to sleep, they do just that ! Personally I think it was going to be too much trouble to do the op and I dont think she was a qualified avian vet either. It was more convenient to put it down.
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