Tuesday, November 22, 2005
My Girl's Operation
On June 16, 2004, my wife noticed a large red bulb, the size of a golf ball, coming out of Chloe's vent. I wasn't sure what it was but I knew it wasn't good. I went on the internet and found that it could be something called Chloaca Prolapse. I also learned that it wasn't a good thing. She seemed to be able to stick it out and pull it back in, at her own whim.
I took her to Dr. Pippin at Aloha Animal Clinic. He drew blood and $245 later, he said it was just a nervous habit. But, in my trying to be a good dad, I took her to Dr. Koester, in Indialantic. He put her to sleep and put a stitch on either side of her vent. Supposedly, to try and keep the Chloaca in. $199.
Two hours later, she was sticking it out again. I was at a loss as to what to do. I called the Animal Emergency Clinic. They just happened to have a vet, on duty, that was a bird person. Dr. Butler. I took Chloe over there. Dr. Butler removed the stitches and told me she would call me with some phone numbers of Avian Vets.
It was 9:30 at night. I took Chloe home. She and I were both worn out. She is usually in her cage and covered by 7:00. For whatever reason, I wasn't thinking straight. I left her in her small travel cage, covered her and put her next to my bed. WHY ??? It seemed like the right thing to do, at the time.
In the past, during some of my internet surfing, I had found an Avian Vet on the Internet, Dr. Susan Clubb, who is located about 100 miles south of me, in West Palm. I had her phone number at work. Even though it was 10:30 at night, I went back to work and called her office. I knew she wouldn't be there but I had to do something. I left a message about Chloe and I said I would call the next day. I was really worried. I love my girl, and I didn't want anything, bad, happening to her.Around midnight, Dr. Butler called me with some other numbers of Avian Vets in the same general area as Dr. Clubb.
The next morning, I got Chloe out of her cage and we sat in our rocking chair. She was soooo quiet and looked soooo tired. She was just worn out. She hadn't slept good, because of it not being her normal cage. She had bee poked and prodded. We rocked for a while and my wife got in touch with one of the vets that Dr. Butler had given me. The doctor said to bring Chloe right down.
So, I put Chloe in a towel with just her head sticking out, and we took off for South Florida. When we were at the gas station, getting gas, I called Dr. Clubb and left another message. I told her that we were going to this other vet but if she got my message and would see Chloe, I preferred her. My wife was driving and I was holding Chloe. I couldn't see her but I know she must have went to sleep. She was soooo quiet and didn't move around at all. She just snuggled under my chin.
About 10 miles from the Stuart exit, Dr. Clubb called me. Her office wasn't open that day but she said she would come to the office and I could bring Chloe in. We got the directions and as luck would have it, we were only three miles from the proper exit off of I-95.
Dr. Clubb was sooooo nice to us. She could see I was upset over the whole thing. On the internet, it had said that this condition is common in female Cockatoo's and their owners can cause it by being too "loving" toward them. That was the part that upset me the most. Could this be something that I had caused ??
Dr. Clubb turned to me and in a slightly stern, but caring voice she said the best thing I had heard in the past two days. "Gary... Don't ever feel guilty for loving your bird." Those words are burned into my brain. I had such a wave of relief come over me.
She explained a procedure that she could do which required an operation. She would go inside Chloe and tie her Chloaca up to her rib cage. She would also put in some stitiches around Chloe's vent called "purse string stitches" to help tighten the vent up slightly. This was on Saturday morning and she would do the operation on Monday morning.
About 11:30, Monday morning, I get a call on my cell phone from Dr. Clubb, herself. The operation had gone fine and Chloe was doing good. I was one happy camper. I may be a guy but knowing that she had come through the operation ok, brought a tear or two to my eye's. After all, she's my girl.
A week later, I went to Stuart, which is about 30 miles north of West Palm, to meet Dr. Clubb and get my girl. Dr. Stuart comes up to a clinic in Stuart, once a month, so that helped with my not having to drive so far. There were soooo many people ahead of me. A guy came in with three Macaws, one of which was a Hyasent (The big Blue ones.)After a couple of hours of waiting, the technician brought Chloe out in a small cat carrier. That's the best for a bird because it gives them a sense of security. I opened the door and said "Hi sweetheart." She turned around and started snapping her beak and doing her little dance that she does when she is happy. She was as happy to see me as I was to see her. She had missed me as much as I had missed her too.
I got her out and she snuggled right up under my chin, just like she always does. She was making little noises that I knew as happy, content noises. The technician said "That is the calmest and happiest I have seen that bird in a week." I said "This is the clamest and happiest you have seen me in a week." I didn't care who saw me. These were happy tears. I had my girl back and she was going to be ok.
The lady that was sitting next to me ask me about the situation. I told her everything. She said "Well, you can sure see that she loves you. Look at her. You two need to "get a room".
I love my girl.
