# My cockatiel is going to die from choking on a millet seed :'(.......................



## chunkat (Dec 2, 2009)

wah.... my cockatiel has a millet seed stuck right down in her trachea. The vets found it using a endoscopy camera and they tried sucking it out but it just wont budge and its alll the the way down. She had such a hard time breathing her tongue went purple and she lost her voice. Shes now breath out of a tube from the side of her body.  

Shes in the veterinarian hospital now and will have to stay there a few more days. They say they need to cut her open to get it out but i cant afford the surgery since it costs 700dollars or more, plus Im already paying 300 dollars. 100dollars a night for her to stay and recovery from the initial air tube.

I'll probably have to put her down because its cheaper for me than to pay for than surgery..which she might die from... she might even die over night right now from the stress and the wound from her breathing hole. I hate myself......because im responsible for her life and i can even afford to pay for her.

all this from ONE stupid millet seed

What should i do? Put her down? or let her live till her time comes??...paying to get her killed? or letting her die slowly? AHHH I DUNNO!!!! :'(


----------



## Elle (Aug 2, 2009)

aw sweety im so sorry that you are in this situation. It must be so sad. You can only do what you can do and from the sounds of it you cant afford to take a risk like the surgery. i know it might feel like its your fault but try think of the facts. How many of us feed millet to our birds and nothing happens. This is a freak of nature that it got stuck and maybe it is her time. Dont let her suffer. I know its hard, but its harder to drag things out. My best wishes. Keep your head up. In the wild she wouldnt have survived this long. You have given her the best life she could have had
Good luck


----------



## Renae (Feb 9, 2008)

Some people wouldn't even think something like this could happen, but it can and does. Although I don't think it's something that happens a lot.

I'm really sorry to hear this, your baby must be going through so much right now, and it would be so stressful, but don't blame yourself. 

Ring your Vet tomorrow (or whenever you can) and ask them if they have something called a *"payment plan".* You don't have to pay it all straight up front, but you can pay it off and they go by what you can afford to pay off. 

This is just me, but I would NEVER have my bird put to sleep, I do understand how expensive it is, but I'd rather pay the expenses to save my bird, rather then have it put to sleep. 

I'm so heartbroken for you and your poor little baby laying in the Vets with a tube in her, that's quite a bit for her to deal with, I hope you can have a payment plan set-up with your Vet so you can have her better enough to come home.. reading this made me cry. Keep your head high and think good thoughts, thinking she's going to/could die, will only make it harder.

Please keep us updated on her progress, you and her will be in my thoughts and prayers.


----------



## Mythara (Apr 9, 2009)

How horrible. We have pet insurance for ours to help with emergencies. Freak accidents can happen to anyone any time. My first budgie died because he some how managed to catch his top beak inside the lower one while he was eating, when no one was in the house. The vet we spoke to didn't know how it could have happened, and there was nothing we could have done to stop it.


----------



## Duckie (Feb 13, 2008)

Please do not blame yourself. From personal experience on losing a chick, things happen which are beyond our control. You must do what you have to do. Either way, i am starting to believe that things happen for a reason. What ever happens, you have my sympathies and thoughts.


----------



## srtiels (May 1, 2009)

OMG!...I can imingine the agony you are going thru (((HUGS))) I had this happen to one of my tiels several years ago. I was catching him with a net ant the rim of the net hit his crop and forced food up the throat and a seed got lodeged in the trachea. I begged the vet to get the seed out and he said that was NOT the problem. The bird died and I insisted on a necrosy and it WAS a seed lodged...I was livid.

As to your bird, the vet may be able to work out a payment plan. I have had rare instances where being a regular customer at the vet they would do an emergency like this at a very reduced almost nothing cost.


----------



## Raven2322 (Mar 1, 2008)

I'm so sorry for the situation you are in. Of course I would also ask about payment plans. If they refuse or you have no way to pay for something of that nature. If you know for sure the bird will not make it as is, I would pay to have it put to sleep. Yes it will be hard on you, but at the end of the day, it's about what's best for your bird. So if you have no means of helping it get better, the least you can do is end it's pain and suffering, even if in doing so you cause yourself more. Also at that point I would be asking your vet where their compassion is, because if their main focus is getting all your money up front instead of saving the life of a beloved pet. Then as far as I'm concerned that makes them pretty inhuman. Even if they normally don't do payment plans, which I know a lot don't. This is a serious expensive thing, most people don't have hundreds or thousands of dollars sitting around for things like this and since it's their profession, they should be willing to help you out. I only hope your lucky enough to have a caring vet who can comprehends that.


----------



## chunkat (Dec 2, 2009)

Hello everyone, thank you for all your support...
I just recieved a call that Silka my cockatiel didnt survive the first day.  she tried to pull the oxygen tube out and all the stress pain and seed was just too much for her.

I sometimes think maybe i should of just let her die naturally in her safe environment with her other friends instead her last moments of life was a frightening one. :'(. 

Thank you everyone. Sorry for my spazz out. 
Im very worried its going to happen to my other birds.
In the end the costs was 259.00. Im in mixed emotions.. im glad i tried..but also annoyed at myself because it was my decision that led her to a quicker death.Ah im thinking too much.

Im at work atm, sorry havent had time to read everyones comments but will read them when i get home tonight. Thank you.

Does anyone know if you can get bird(pet) insurance in Australia? Birds arent considered pets but as exotic animals. So there are no insurance benifits to cover vet bills like there are for dogs and cats.


----------



## srtiels (May 1, 2009)

(((HUGS))) I'm sorry for your loss. What happened was a freak accident that is probably 1 in 10,000 or more chances of happening.


----------



## Elle (Aug 2, 2009)

My condolences. I send hugs also


----------



## xxxSpikexxx (Jul 30, 2007)

Oh no  Iam sorry for your loss


----------



## Clawsworth (Nov 9, 2009)

That's sad  I'm sorry you had to go through all of this...


----------



## Clairey331 (Oct 21, 2009)

Im so sorry.


----------



## chunkat (Dec 2, 2009)

thank you everyone. I buried her yesterday and put some roses on her grave spot. Shes in birdy heaven now... at least her wings are free now..mmm...


----------



## birdluv (Jul 31, 2007)

I'm so sorry for your loss


----------



## Cassie (Jan 7, 2009)

That's so sad. My thoughts are with you.


----------



## ChocoNoir (Jan 30, 2009)

I am so sorry. 
But your tiel will fly free in heavens so don't feel down. It will spend the most wonderful time ever and remember all the good things you've done for it.


----------



## fluoro.black (Nov 5, 2009)

>.< reading this made me cry, it's so sad . Don't worry though, everyone who knows about this supports you . I'm sure she knows how hard you tried and she definitely won't forget .


----------

