We got a call to take Jeebie in February of this year, because a “vet” said he would probably die and the family couldn’t afford the vet care for him.

Jeebie had gotten caught in a rope toy and had to be cut out.  Supposedly he was fine for about a week then started biting on his leg.  Ripping out chunks of flesh and chewing.  Because vet care is expensive, nothing was done.  When we went to get Jeebie, about a week after he started chewing his leg, he was filthy, his leg was horrible looking and he was underweight about 1/3 of his ideal weight.

We got him to our vet, but by this time the infection in his leg was so bad it had spread to the bone and has apparently caused nerve damage.  We immediately started this poor little guy on antibiotics and pain medicine, applied a triple antibiotic ointment to his leg and bandaged it.  The vet said the would was terrible and she was afraid Jeebie would lose his leg because of it.

Jeebie tried biting through the bandage and we put a ball collar on him.  If you have never seen one it’s like a hard acrylic ball that comes apart in half.  It stretches their neck and is supposed to keep them from being able to get to body parts to hurt themselves.  We continued to see the vet, keep Jeebie on his medication and try to keep him from hurting himself further.  We also changed his diet from seeds to pellets, a parrot mix, fresh fruits and veggies, birdy bread and some people food.  We have put about 75 grams on him so far and he is still a bit underweight.

One night we gave Jeebie his medicine, dressed his wound and put him to bed.  The next morning we discovered that Jeebie had bitten one of his toes about ½ off.  No sound, no scream, nothing.  The vet said it was probably due to the nerve damage and he didn’t feel it.

Now Jeebie is put into not only the ball collar but another type of collar that extends out around him in a circle.  He has poor balance, can’t reach anything on himself, even to preen, and can’t climb to his perches.  We lower everything in his cage to make it easier for him to get around.  He is started on a new medication that hopefully helps with the nerve damage.  Oh, and he had to have 2 toes amputated.  He may still lose his leg due to this injury that was left untreated.

The economy is tough for everyone, but what this little guy has had to endure because vet care is so expensive, is just a crime.  It’s wrong, it’s horrible and it’s unforgivable.

Through all this Jeebie has remained sweet and loving, though I can’t imagine how.  He doesn’t play and scream and vocalize like a Cockatoo should.  Instead, when I look in Jeebie’s eyes, I see pain and fear and confusion.  We’re trying to make it better for him but some days, I don’t know if he’ll make it.  How much more can his little body and spirit endure?

This is now what Jeebie looks like—in a horrible collar, still dirty because we can’t bathe him because all the dirt would get into the wound, unable to fly or play or climb around like he should be doing.  If this picture doesn’t break your heart, I don’t understand why.

The point of this is to show you how expensive it can be to have a parrot.  Below, I have listed, as closely as possible, the costs for the vet care of this one little Cockatoo.  We’ve had him since about the middle of February.  It’s now nearing the end of May, so that’s about 3 months.

Vet care:                               $962.00

Special Collar:                       $  35.00

Medication:                           $210.00

Bandaging/Ointment:             $  70.00

TOTAL SO FAR                $1,277.00   

and there is more to come—vet visits, medication and possibly another surgery to amputate his leg.

This doesn’t include food, toys, special perches, or a smaller cage.  So, you see, there is much more than just a cage, a few toys and seeds involved with having a parrot as a companion.

If you would like to help Jeebie, just click on the button below and you will be taken directly to PayPal where you can donate for his care.  If you prefer, you can contact us for our vet information and make a donation directly to the vet.

Jeebie and I thank you.

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