Pippa had one of her 'moments' today, and we spent a couple of hours at the hospital.
She suddenly, and again for no apparent reason, had another bout of respiratory distress. Half an hour of oxygen helped, but she still wasn't quite right, so we went for the F10 nebuliser again. I'm glad to say she's back home, chirping away, apparently none the worse for wear. She sat there preening away whilst under treatment, seemingly in a content rather than stressed way. It's quite strange actually, that you can hear her laboured breathing, and watch her chest having to work hard, but despite the terminology she doesn't appear distressed.
The cage from the Adventure Pack easily converted to an oxygen tent with a bit of cling film, much better than the cat box we used to use.
She was soon bright enough to try poking her way out, she wasn't happy that I couldn't give beak rubs or headscratches with all that plasticy stuff in the way!
I've racked my brains, and can't come up with any trigger for this episode, or the last one which was in May. I had not long cleaned out her cage, and the only cleaner I'd been using was dilute F10 in a spray bottle.
In a way, I hope it is something I do that triggers it, as what on earth would happen if it occured whilst she was on her own? It's awful to think, will she still be with us when I go down in the morning?
It was a very hard day at work today, many euthanasias, many sick patients to admit, I lost count of the number of blood samples I took, sometimes very hard to do from animals with collapsed veins, and placing catheters in tiny puppies.
To be back in work a few hours later with my bubba was wearing, and being commited to looking after a sick bird does funny things to you. Just when you're getting closer, you're faced with the possibility of losing them, the inevitable heartache, yet having to almost resign yourself to it.
I am looking forward to her loudly waking me with the dawn tomorrow, my heart will beam will every noise she makes.