Over the past week the cold damp weather has taken it's toll on Sonny. Today I had to fish him out of the water as he struggled to get onto dry land. His foot joint is badly swollen and looks inflamed or infected or both ! After taking a close up of the joint I emailed it to Clare at the Vets, She suggested another course of antibiotics so have now started treatment yet again.
The short video was 3 days ago, he was much worse today and loathe to put his foot down at all.
hi joe, poor sunny, wats the possibilities if his leg doesnt improve that amputation might be an answer, many animals live with 1 leg and i am sure his leg is very painfull, so having it of might give him a happier life ? steve
ReplyDeleteSteve, I will see how the new antibiotic treatment course works out first. He has improved today and the Swelling is reduced a bit, he was able to walk on it a little easier than yesterday.
ReplyDeleteI know he sits around a lot on his hunkers but this is no bad thing while his foot joint heals. He should use it as little as possible meanwhile.
Amputation is pretty drastic for a young bird, and I would rather see if he can be cured or at least learn to cope with a permanent slight limp, before considering that.
For survival he will have to cope somehow and learn to fend for himself, he will stand a better chance with 2 webbed feet. Currently I make sure he is getting all his meds and the right kind of food twice a day. Watch this space.
my love of animals is testing me to the limit today Joe, a friend of mine has offered me a dog a Dog Bordeau (if you ever seen turner and hooch, thats the big slobbery one)this pup is 9 weeks old but cant be sold because it will need one of its eyes out due to an infection at birth,the owners are considering putting it to sleep because no-one wants it i am basically its last chance, now i am unemployed, i can afford to feed it and would take out an insurance for possible future problems, but the eye will cost around £300 to take out, but i have done some homework and because i am on benefits i would qualify for pdsa help. this dog has been checked by a vet and the eye seems to be the only issue, so i would feel so sad if the only reason it would be put to sleep is if it is having to lose an eye, which it could quite happily live without. So thats my dilema Joe, What you think?.............Steve
ReplyDeleteWell Steve it's a dilemma alright, sounds like a shame to have a dog put to sleep because of the loss of one eye.Im surprised that a home cant be found for such a dog.It's not my place to advise you, but I suppose if you feel you can afford it and have the time and patience to train and care for it then why not. Having a dog is a commitment and can involve a fair bit of work, they need exercise at least twice a day regardless of the weather, and cant be left on their own for too long. Insuring a dog wont stop having to get and pay for it's annual shots etc, all insurance policies have an excess and you usually have to pay the first £60 for any vets attention anyway.
ReplyDeleteAs for the pdsa I dont know if they cover residents of nairn or not. It's easy to get sentimental over a puppy, particularly a sick one ! I know that dogs can manage perfectly well with 3 legs or the loss of an eye.
Coincidentally I have a friend who had a labrador with one eye missing, it died yesterday of old age.
At the end of the day only you can make the decision.
All the best, Joe