Sonny is Dead

They say trouble comes in three's, this past week my central heating was leaking, my computer crashed and was out of action, but worst of all Sonny died today.
After 3 months trying to save Sonny the young seagull, today he finally lost the battle. Over the past week his condition deteriorated and he began to lose interest in his food, he was starting to visit the water bowl more often and drink more. Having stopped the antibiotics 10 days ago I wondered if this was now the down side. I was still giving him the Metacam anti inflammatory which he has been taking for the past couple of months with no apparent side effects. I learned 3 days ago from the Internet that this drug can also affect the kidneys, guilt ridden I stopped giving it to him immediately.


From the start there's no doubt that Sonny was not a well bird, I will never know if he had an inherited illness, been abandoned, or his mother was killed on the road. I was always convinced he was going to make a full recovery, and it looked like he might when he first returned to the river. Watching him trying to integrate with the other young gulls and being rejected and attacked, pained me. I only wish his leg had more time to heal first time round, perhaps he would have survived then.


I realised today that he was labouring and would probably have to be put to sleep, so I made an appointment to see the vet at 4.40 this afternoon. He was drinking copiously from his bowl when I left the house around 2.30pm, Sonny spared me the ordeal, when I returned an hour later he was dead. He may only have been a Seagull, but I will never forget him or the whole experience.


Sonny earlier today.