[feem]

Four years ago we adopted an unwanted female cockatiel, who we named Chloe, from a pet store. She did very well for us, though every so often she would lay a couple of eggs. A year ago Chloe began to develop a large lump in her lower area. Chloe had this lump before, what we assumed to be an egg that couldn’t pass and was eventually reabsorbed into her body (before this she began to lay soft eggs, despite us giving her veggies, a cuttlebone in her cage and vitamins in her food). This time, however, her body wasn’t absorbing the mass.

We took her to a vet in our area, one that claimed to treat small animals, as well as dogs and cats. He wasn’t sure what the lump was, at first thinking it a tumor. After the operation he told us he examined the mass, that it wasn’t cancer, but he was still unable to say for sure what it was. My bird began to get another lump in the same area not too long after the operation. When we went back he told us that it wasn’t an infection as we feared, but just fluid buildup from the operation and that in time it would decrease and go away completely.

It didn’t; in fact, we had to go back every two months to keep having Chloe drained. When we tried to ask questions, we were told we would have to pay an extra fee, more than what we were already paying to have her drained each time, to "consult" with the vet to be told what was happening, but sadly we did not have the money to pay this extra fee (not that it would make a difference, as our vet would never give us a straight answer before whenever we asked him).

The receptionist at the desk ended up telling us that the vet believed it was an inherited cyst condition and that for the rest of her life she would have to be drained, but that Chloe was overall completely healthy and fine. The last two times she was drained there was blood with the fluid; they seemed to think nothing of it. After the last draining she bled more, a week later she died. She had a foul order the day she died and her feces was yellow and loose. I would like to know if anyone ever heard of this "inherited cyst" condition? Is this something that could have been treated or was there no hope, regardless?

 

[Mygala]

I am sorry for your loss.

I'm not sure what they were talking about. I've never heard of it.

I have known 'tiels to get cysts, but never to the severity of what you describe. There is always that one in a million "thing", so my first tendency is to say it's certainly possible that something was inoperable, yet it kept growing back.

That being said, I'm sure there must have been something else at work, to cause more bleeding and death.

Personally, if you were to get another bird, I'd look for another vet, one that specializes in avians. Even if it means you have to drive a goodly distance, it would be worth it in the long run.

If a vet is working on one of my animals, I expect to be "consulted" about the diagnosis, the procedure and the prognosis. If not, the vet isn't doing his/her job IMO. You don't pay the big bucks to talk to a receptionist.

Again, I'm sorry...

Bob

 

[feem]

I am sorry for your loss.

thank you. they told us at the pet store that we adopted her from that at the time nobody wanted her. but i wanted her, from the moment i saw her. i loved that feisty little tiel very much.

Personally, if you were to get another bird, I'd look for another vet, one that specializes in avians. Even if it means you have to drive a goodly distance, it would be worth it in the long run.

If a vet is working on one of my animals, I expect to be "consulted" about the diagnosis, the procedure and the prognosis. If not, the vet isn't doing his/her job IMO. You don't pay the big bucks to talk to a receptionist.

Again, I'm sorry...

Bob

i'm thinking the same thing. next time, if a problem arises, i'll be going to another vet, someone who is more knowledgeable with birds (we thought he was, but clearly that was not the case). thanks for your reply.