Sad news from the pet store

[BMustee]

The other day a woman that bought a Hahn's Macaw from us about 2 years ago called with a warning for us to pass along to other customers...

 

He Hahn's became ill so she took him to a local vet that said he treated birds. The first signs of things not going well was she had to ask the vet to do a Gram Stain! After he examined the bird he proscribed antibiotics. A few days later the poor Hahn's macaw lost his fight and passed away. A necropsy was done and it turns out that the Hahn's had a MASSIVE fungal infection!!! For anyone that doesn't know, if you give antibiotics to someone with a fungal infection you sign their death warrent.

 

I pass this story on as a warning for taking your birds to a non-avian vet...or a vet that just doesn't seem to know as much as they should. Be sure to ask your local bird clubs or bird store for what vets they use so that you don't end up with a vet that is a "wanna-be" avian vet.

 

 

The worst news though came today. The day before X-mas the last of my baby Timnehs went home. The mother that bought a Congo from us bought the Timneh for her daughter as a gift for the holidays...she bought him months ago but didn't take him till x-mas eve. Well, she came in today and told us that my baby died this morning. What is worse is that she thinks her kids did something like feed it something toxic. She told us she gave her daughter a crash course in bird care and gave her a book with the bird but obviously something happened and my baby paid a very heavy price for it. The worst part of it is that she wants to replace the bird for her daughter and buy my little timmy...the 1 1/2 year old timneh that even though I didn't raise her has bonded to me and is in love with Elmo. It's hard enough to know my baby is gone, but sending my buddy to a home that has killed one of my own already is heartbreaking!!! This little Timneh beeps with excitement when I walk onto the floor and jumps up and down for my to pick her up...she's my buddy.

 

All I know is that NO ONE will be going anywhere NEAR my Ethel because after what has happened with my other babies I will not let anyone but me take him home.

[LindaMary]

Oh, Berna, I stressing right along with you about your second story. I feel for the Hahn's macaw (and its owner!) too, but the situation with the timneh just makes me worry about imminent disaster. It really gives those of us who don't work in a pet store perspective on how hard it can be for someone who does. Do you have ANY control at your store over who you agree to sell birds to? I'm actually kind of appalled at the woman for even asking to buy another bird right away! :angry: I hope she is at least planning to enroll her kids in one of those courses for prospective adopters of parrots - I know I've seen some of them advertised on-line - and promised not to take Timmy home until they all pass the final exam with an A+...

[judygram]

Berna, I don't envy your job any longer as I would not be so nice, does the word HANG come to mind, it does to me, this would make me so mad:angry: :angry:

[BaxtersMom]

Oh Berna, that is such sad news for both of the birds:( I don't know if I could bear to send one of my babies that I raised to someone who had just killed another one. That would be heartbreaking. I couldn't image after one dying to send another one to the same household/death chamber. If she does end up getting it I would go directly to the girls house and sit down with her and give her some lessons in parrot care. I'm so scared for the baby now:( Can't imagine how you are feeling. Maybe you can pass along this website, too. Let us know what happens.:unsure:

[Luvparrots]

Berna, thank you for the reminder about fungal infections and antibiotics.

 

I am sorry about the little Timneh. Unless these people are given a course on parrot care, or at least a long list of how to care for a parrot perhaps they should wait until the daughter's children are older.

 

About Ethel, I hope you mean you are going to be taking her home with you, that would be wonderful.

[she]

I guess all jobs have a down side. I have just seen the down side in yours. I feel for you and the poor birds.

[mjames74]

Well a store does always have the right to refuse business to someome. Neglect sounds like a good reason to refuse a sale to me.

[BMustee]

I guess the daughter and her kids were heartbroken and the daughter called the mother in tears over the timnehs death, I think because of that the owner of the store is willing to sell her the other timneh. Because she also learned a very hard lesson about keeping things safe in the house. I told the other sales girls that if the mother comes in and decides that shes going to get her that my e-mail address needs to go to the daughter because I want to be able to address any issues there might still be in the house.

 

The one thing that makes me a little less worried about my buddy is that he isn't an all trusting baby but a skidish adult and I know she will bite the crap out of the kids first chance she gets...maybe that will keep them away from her.

 

The second I buy a house Ethel WILL be coming home with me. I tell people that ask about how much he is that he's $3,000 instead of the actual $1,200. Plus Ethel loves to lure people in and then bites them...so not many people want to really bring him home.:laugh:

[LisaM]

Oh how awful! I think a lot of people on here are envious of you being able to work in the shop like you do. I guess this is one of the downsides.

 

I'm sure she felt really bad about her daughter's timneh as she's probably worked hard with her own and knows how precious they are. It would still be very hard to put another bird in that situation without knowing for sure what happened and that she can trust the kids in case it was them.

 

Good for Ethel. She will have a happy, forever home with you. :-)

 

Lisa