No rest for the wicked

I'm so very sorry Teresa for the loss of little Bonnie.

You did your best and so did the Vet We've all lost too many precious little ones to this horrific disease, canker


FLY FOREVER FREE AND HIGH PRECIOUS BONNIE


Louise

I was just trying to get updated Teresa & am so sorry to read that poor Bonnie passed away.

She will fly free knowing that you & others who cared tried to help her.

Oh no Teresa - another angel - so many in the meanwhile. The skies must be crowded. This is so unfair. God bless your loving heart. May Bonnie help you now to save others...

Such sad news. I'm very sorry .

Thank you for your kind words.

Unfortunately, things here haven't improved much, except that the noise has finally abated. But I've been really busy, helping my mother with redecorations and legal stuff concerning her other house and some tenants who trashed the flat they are presently leaving.

I've got Xi-ri's mother here, brought her home tonight to look after her. I don't like the look of her poops much, plus she's started self-mutilating, pecking her wing till it bled. But she's been brighter and singing over the last hour.

There is also a heartbreaking case of two poisoned cats, and in my sister-in-law's garden too. They belong to her next-door neighbour, who was too busy watching the comings and goings all day (to try to find evidence that she'd done it -- but she didn't) to assist the poor animals. One is critical, but the other could well make it.
The police were involved, and told me not to touch the animals as it would undoubtedly lead to more accusations. And the old hag won't let anybody take them to a vet or anything. She said she was waiting for them to die to have them necropsied. I'm instructed to go back there tomorrow (as the family will be away) to let the old hag in to collect her cats, dead or alive. This is all just too upsetting for words.

Teresa...I know you've had enough on your docket to last you months and months...enough heartbreak for a life time but while you have that canary hen, could you have her checked out by your vet?
I'm thinking that she likely does have some treatable illness that may kill her too if left untreated. I feel so sorry for her.

Matilda wrote:

Teresa...I know you've had enough on your docket to last you months and months...enough heartbreak for a life time but while you have that canary hen, could you have her checked out by your vet?
I'm thinking that she likely does have some treatable illness that may kill her too if left untreated. I feel so sorry for her.

Yes, I'm taking her there tomorrow. Poor little thing!

...good.

I am so sorry to hear about the cats, Teresa.
I'm hoping the best for them.

Your sister-in-laws neighbor sounds like a real winner.

I woke up in the middle of the night and this thought came to me...if she is singing, which is rare for a canary hen, she is content to be at your house and I think you should petition your sister in law for her to stay with you.

Matilda wrote:

I woke up in the middle of the night and this thought came to me...if she is singing, which is rare for a canary hen, she is content to be at your house and I think you should petition your sister in law for her to stay with you.

I totally agree

Louise

Matilda wrote:

I woke up in the middle of the night and this thought came to me...if she is singing, which is rare for a canary hen, she is content to be at your house and I think you should petition your sister in law for her to stay with you.

Actually...I did a little reading and it means she is calling her mate.

It's been a busy day...

This morning I went to my sister-in-law's house, as requested, to see about the cats and have the owner come and pick them up. One had passed away but the other one looked much better and I could tell she'd lapped up the milk that was left there for her. (Shhh, don't tell anybody...)
Here she is, in the flower bed where I found her. I hope she continues to get better.



She was weak, but she could walk and even jump a little, and the owner helped her to get over the wall. Her little son is missing, as well as three other cats. The neighbour is now 'sure' it's the other neighbour, behind her garden, who harmed them.
I tried to convince her to put her queens on the pill, to limit the number of her cats so she can have a closer relationship with them and stop them from wandering where they're not welcome. Last year she lost 7 of them to poison, and God knows how many more to the cat flu. At that time I bought some Synulox and gave it to her, but several youngsters died before they were even medicated.

I got home with the mother of all headaches, and thanked my lucky stars for paracetamol+codeine, which managed to take the edge off it. The rest of the morning was taken up with pigeon breakfasts, canary care and work.
I got a scare when I saw the last poops that Hercules had produced, and scooped some up to show the vet. (Though they don't do fecals, when I voiced my concern about Hercules, she said, 'Bring a sample, I'll put it under the microscope and we may be able to see something.')
Then I took my dog for a walk and was horrified to see her pooping blood.

So after lunch I set off on the long walk to the vet with the canary in the cage, the dog on a lead, and a sample of ...

The canary, Nice, got a clean bill of health (more details in the 'baby canary' thread). Unlike her mate, she's banded, and that suggests to me she had a much better start in life than her husband.
It's likely she's calling out for her mate, poor little thing, but it's easy to see she feels quite relaxed here. She gets more light, for a start, she's safer (way off the floor), there are no loud bangs or shrill noises, she has a good view, and (her favourite) she has lots of company. She likes watching the pigeons, pets and visiting ferals alike.
My daughter just came in and commented that when Nice arrived, she was just making some hushed, pitiful little squeaks, but a couple of hours later 'she'd got her volume back', chirping merrily just as she used to do when she was here with her mate.
Having said that, I don't know if this would make a good permanent home for her, as sooner or later she'll need a mate, and I wouldn't be able to have a male canary in this room during the academic year (too noisy, ) and the veranda would be too draughty and damp for them then. But I can see me throwing caution to the wind if I see her being neglected.

Ashe, my dog has an infection in the colon. It's not serious, and she's been prescribed an antibiotic course and a special diet for a week. I got worried because she's got so many little lumps appearing on her chest and stomach, and though they're regularly checked you never know if one of them is going to turn bad.
There was only one growth that worried the vet, one so small it was only visible in the scan: it's the size of a small pea and it could be attached to a mammary gland. I've been told to watch it carefully, and if it gets any bigger they'll operate.

Hercules -- and all the other pigeons -- are going on a course of Flagyl, just as a precautionary measure. But first they're all going to get wormed, using two different wormers, Ivermectin and Pyrantel pamoate, because what jumped out of the fecal test was the presence of different kinds of worm eggs. I suppose it's the price you pay for inviting the ferals in!

My mother's endeavours: The departing tenants refuse to pay for repairs to the furniture, and their best offer was 50 euros to pay for someone to clean the house. It was neither acceptable nor accepted, so they'll be getting a registered letter from the solicitor tomorrow.
I wish you'd seen the state of the place. 'Filth' wouldn't even begin to describe it. The stair runner was new and cream-coloured 5 years ago, but now it's black and sticky -- nothing for it but to throw it away and replace it. The rooms that were used as storage dumps are black with mould. The double bed is broken and the others are wonky, and there isn't a single usable chair left in the place. As for the kitchen, the words have not been invented to describe it!

I guess I've got my work cut out! Definitely no rest for the wicked...

I just don't have the words to say or know where to start Teresa!

I'm just in awe that you are still sane & not insane! My goodness you must be a pillar of stone to have all this going on in your life.

I feel so sorry for your mother but even sorrier for the poor, poor cats
Why do people like that have animals! I can't believe that person is just letting them die & poisoning is such a brutal, brutal death!

I will say prayers for those poor cats. Thank you for trying to help them.

I'm very glad that the vet didn't find something really terrible with your dog, that at least is good news. And of course Nice had a clean bill of health.

I hope your day is better tomorrow.

EgypSwiftLady wrote:

I just don't have the words to say or know where to start Teresa!

I'm just in awe that you are still sane & not insane! My goodness you must be a pillar of stone to have all this going on in your life.


I feel so sorry for your mother but even sorrier for the poor, poor cats
Why do people like that have animals! I can't believe that person is just letting them die & poisoning is such a brutal, brutal death!

I will say prayers for those poor cats. Thank you for trying to help them.

I'm very glad that the vet didn't find something really terrible with your dog, that at least is good news. And of course Nice had a clean bill of health.

I hope your day is better tomorrow.

100%. The Energizer bunny doesn't hold a candle to you, Teresa.

That little kitten is just adorable. I hope she stays safe.
I am so sorry to hear there were/are so many that didn't make it.

Sending special thoughts that Ashe recovers without any problems.
She is such a sweetheart.
I'm thrilled Nice was given a clean bill of health.

Not much one can say about the departing tenants except at some point in time they will get their just dues.
It's a shame they left such a ravaged mess for others to clean up and repair.

I truly hope you are able to squeeze in a little R-n-R for yourself.

Today has been saner than yesterday... however...

I think it's National Poop Day and nobody warned me!

It started with my convalescent dog pebbledashing the dining-room... twice! Nice, long, spotty trails that I had to follow and clean up, like some twisted version of Hansel and Gretel. On a day without a breeze, it took ages for the smell to disperse...

Then it was Piper! Ivermectin time, and she was in no mood for it. It was my fault too, I didn't wrap her well enough, so she got her revenge! My heart sank when my lap felt warm and damp, and I looked down to see one of those prize 'been-in-the-nest-for-ages' offerings rolling off my jeans onto the office chair... I limped to the bathroom with my Piper burrito under my arm to wash off the worst of it, but I was only able to change after I'd wormed her and put her back in her cage. The chair has been washed now, but I wonder how long it will take to dry.


Well, if I'm going to have a really sh***y day, I'd rather it's like this then like yesterday!

Oh my goodness!! What a time you've had.
I must say though, your delivery of the chain of events is priceless.

Continued get well wishes are being sent to Ashe. Bless her heart.

All I can say Teresa is that at least this sh*t is easy to clean up!

I'm hoping your day gets better

EgypSwiftLady wrote:

All I can say Teresa is that at least this sh*t is easy to clean up!

I'm hoping your day gets better

Good point, Robin and oh so true.

Fancyfeathers wrote:

EgypSwiftLady wrote:

All I can say Teresa is that at least this sh*t is easy to clean up!

I'm hoping your day gets better

Good point, Robin and oh so true.

Ashe, my collie, has recovered completely! I am now gradually reintroducing her usual food, to which a probiotic is added.

My pigeons hate me, as they don't want to be handled and medicated, and I'm not really seeing any progress, except for a little less smell. Apart from not being sure if the wormers worked, I don't know if the softer poops mean that the Flagyl isn't doing anything or if they are the consequence of them panicking (especially Hercules) at being picked up to be medicated.

Teresa wrote:

* Ashe, my collie, has recovered completely! I am now gradually reintroducing her usual food, to which a probiotic is added.

** My pigeons hate me, as they don't want to be handled and medicated, and I'm not really seeing any progress, except for a little less smell. Apart from not being sure if the wormers worked, I don't know if the softer poops mean that the Flagyl isn't doing anything or if they are the consequence of them panicking (especially Hercules) at being picked up to be medicated.

* That's great news, Teresa!!

** You're not alone. I've had four that were born in the aviary and have seen me since day one, but don't like to he handled. Their parents really taught them well.

Charlie, the squeaker I found walking about after hours and raised until she could eat and fly well, is back here with me.

I saw her limping on the roof today, and for the first time she wouldn't come indoors for food and a rest. So I went on the roof to feed the ferals, and bless her, she came to eat out of my hand, so thankfully I caught her very easily.
Her leg isn't broken, but the top of her foot and the middle of the middle toe are a little swollen, very hot, and sore. She can stand, but it obviously hurts to do so. That whole foot is paler than the other.
I checked for any wounds, cuts or foreign objects, but didn't find any. I strongly suspect she got her band caught in something, and before she managed to free herself, the band caused the injury. (I took if off, of course).
She's on Metacam and Bactrim, and I gently rubbed some arnica on her foot.
It was heartwarming to see how quickly she calmed down after being caught, seeing the familiar room, her familiar seed dish and my face!



Smelly no more! Hercules and Sammy are producing wonderful, well-formed, odour-free poops at long last!

And the answer to their and my problem was Coximed! Louise sent me some when I mentioned that I wasn't at all convinced that Coxi Plus (the only one I can get here) was effective, and the result was spectacular! Perfect poops in 3 days!
So the problem wasn't nesting poops, it was cocci! My poor babies, they must have been affected for several weeks, even though I thought they were protected against it.

Thank you, Louise! My pigeons and my nose love you!


P.S. Hercules has been in a different room for the last few days, as every time I tried to bring him back from time out he became extremely aggressive after a couple of minutes. Piper has enjoyed the changes to the inside of their cage and its new location, but he hates what he sees as human invasion of his nest. I couldn't avoid it, and I hope he calms down soon.

Appreciate the update, Teresa.

I hope Charlie gets along OK with a little R-n-R.

I'm glad to hear there are perfect s on the home front.
That's wonderful you were able to send Teresa the medication she needed.

What's up with the behavior, Mr. Hercules
Even though you give your Mom a hard time sometimes, we still love ya LOTS.

Charlie is much better, and she's impatient to be released, so all being well she'll probably regain her freedom very soon.

Hercules has been back home with Piper for 3 days now, and he's been behaving.
Just after I posted about him, I decided to let him know what he was missing on, so I let him spend the night here in the room where the cage is, free to fly or perch where he wanted, but locked out. In the morning I found him perched on the landing board, and I think he must have apologised profusely, because when I let Piper out they were all lovey-dovey!

Abby has taken to staying close to George during exercise time. Could this be another romance starting?...

And Strophe is totally convinced she's a litle human with feathers! She loves people, and immediately flies to them hoping for a treat or a fuss. She does much the same with the other pigeons, but they don't want to know, so she comes back to the nearest human and starts begging!
She's the last to have her supper, as she likes to take her time, so during the last few days, when I've been really tired, we both dozed off, and when I woke up again I saw her curled up in my lap, fast asleep. She's SOOO cute!