Caleb's Recovery, cont.

[steptoe91(tozie)]

The other thread was getting a bit long, so i figured i'd start a new one.

Well, yesterday i discovered that caleb was getting to the top stitch in a big way when i wasnt looking. He got very good at twisting the shirt around just enough so he could get to it. Because its on his upper shoulder, covering it is tricky without pinning the wing down. But it CAN be done. So I finally have (so far) got it covered and its stayed covered since i 'fixed' his shirt yesterday. At first i tied a 1/4 inch thck piece of leather behind the wing to hold  the t'shirt from being moved...yeah that didnt last more than 2 mins. he snipped the leather in half with two bites.    So then i got some flannel and rolled it, and literally tied it to the collar and the waistband. The only way to get it off will be to cut the material, but at least it's holding. I'm off tomorrow and will we working on a couple spare shirts so when i hafta cut the material off him it will be easy to just replace it with a whole new shirt. The last time i had the shirt off i wrote down the measurments so it'll be easy to recreate. Unfortunately, this means the recovery will take longer, since he's managed to create a small raw area around the top stitch. I would imagine he will have to wear the shirts for a minimum of 2 more weeks so that can heal properly. And then, once its all healed we may very well find its a habit that he cant break. so then shirts will be a daily thing. Buty by then his hoodie will be in and hopefully that will deter just the habit of chewing.

[Debz]

damn...

[Nakia]

Aw, it happens, that doesn't make it any easier to deal with, I know. 

Your a good fiddie Mommy & you will help Caleb overcome this. 

 I have all the faith in the world that Caleb will one day forget this ever happened to him.   

Although the majority of us live too far from you to help you out, we are all still here giving you all our moral support through this. 

 I only wished I lived close enough to really help you. I know it is a physical drain on you & you need a "Me Day" sometimes. So don't forget to take care of you too while you take care of "The Too"!! 

[steptoe91(tozie)]

awww thanks nakia!    i dont mind making that ultimate sacrifice... cuddling my fluffy pink cockatoo.    That'll keep him off his chest.    no seriously, i just hate that he is making it take longer than it has to take. I mean, we all know what its like to try to outsmart a parrot.  As a matter of fact, as i looked up at him just now, he was trying to figure out how to move it! i told him if he succeeds in moving it again i'm duct taping his beak shut!   

Dont worry deb, like i said above, we knew there would be ups and downs with this.  I am nothing if not... tenacious... aka: stubborn goat!    He will keep trying to get to it, i'm sure it itches like heck as it heals, and i will continue trying to outsmart him.    And the hoodie goes over his head, so hopefully that'll protect that area well. i'll be asking the vet wed when he has his stitches out if i should try to put some lanolin or some of that silver sufasdine... sulfzi.. that SSD stuff.... ya know the white 'frosting' that ya use to 'ice' wounds and burns.

He's beginning to shred his paper a bit more, a good sign. hasnt been chipping much wood, tho. could be cause this ordeal has slung him outta 'breed-mode'. he's still not eating as much as he was before the surgery. but he is eating food.

[wishforabird]

stitches and staples can be quite irritating; maybe it won't bother him as much when they get those suckers out...here's hopin'!  :pray:

little stinker, I bet lanolin would feel a lot better, it can be used on broken skin w/o a problem too.  the other stuff would be awesome if you can use it.. the vet is this wed, right?

[Sondra]

Get the lanolin that nursing mothers use, it's OK for birds.

[steptoe91(tozie)]

so far so good with the newest t'shirt design. <snicker> i swear, i alter the design, he over comes it....i alter, he circumvents... its a vicious cycle.    Anyway, ace bandages were on sale at work so i bought a few. Added a band here, a strap there. my latest t'shirt actually looks ALMOST professional.    on the brighter note, IF he has to wear them forever, i'm getting good at it and i'll have several different patterns. I have one that is almost the same color pink as his feathers. it will blend in almost perfectly.

As i was adjusting his shirt last nite he reacted with a pain cry. It kinda concerned me. i was in the vicinity of his left hip/lower ribs. The vet said she saw no sign of injury on the xrays but i still have to wonder. it shouldnt have hurt. 

Yesterday as his shirt was off, i needed to switch shirts and figured i'd let it air out a bit as he sat on my lap.. anyway... yesterday, i noticed a skin tag on his right breast. He snatched it off when i was distracted, thank goodness didnt break the skin. but it makes me wonder if that's how the original wound started. 

He seems to have resigned to the idea that i am insisting he wear the shirt. he doesnt even try to take it off anymore. but he does still try to get to that healing wound. i'd imagine it itches like crazy. He becomes downright deadly when i try to remove the shirt, not sure if that's related to the pain in his back/hip/ribs or if he just feels its now HIS NEW FEATHERS since its been attached to him for so long. 

He's still not eating like he did pre-surgery. He seems to only want almonds. i put his breakfast in his cage and where he used to go running over to the bowl, now he completely ignores it. yesterday he ate some hi-protien pasta and some veggie pasta. So he's still getting nutrients. But i just dont know why he's not taking pleasure even in his black grapes anymore. He's also eating his pellets some. I just dont understand why he's not eating like he did. He's still pooping normally, so he must be getting more food than i see.

[Sondra]

Something to try: Measure his food when you put it in his bowls, when it's time to take out any fresh measure again, this will give you an idea of how much he is eating. Do the same for his pellets, seed, whatever you feed him. I know they toss stuff, so you will have to sweep/scoop it all up and measure it. Do you weigh him weekly? If so weigh him daily and keep track. If he's lost 10% of his presurgery weight there is a problem.

[steptoe91(tozie)]

well, today the stitches come out. i'm hopeful that now it'll really heal quickly. looking forward to him being wound free.    and i couldnt have done it without all my angels out there!    Thank you all, YOU made this happen.  :angel:

He was eating his pellets first thing this morn. good thing.  He didnt run over to his breakfast bowl, but the pellets are better for him anyway. will try to get some pics today of his chest for everyone. ya'll will be sooo surprised at how wonderful it looks. 

[wishforabird]

I am looking forward to how wonderful it looks, but I am notin the least surprised.  he had round the clock care and a wonderful vet.. YOU made THAT happen! 

looking forward to the cool scar!  :glasses:

[steptoe91(tozie)]

well the stitches are out!     his vet visit went great! they were happy with his progress. said they could see where he got at that top stitch but can see that its healing nicely. if we can just keep him off it! lol!

so he has to wear his shirt for a minimum of a week. i want to see it completely healed before i take the shirt off. and i prob will leave it on him when i'm at work til i'm postitive he wont open a new wound. anyway, i dont have any pics for ya the vet tech managed to get his shirt on him after his exam. and i havent taken it back off him yet to readjust it.

we dont go back to the vet til may 30th. and that appt will be with dr emerson, the one who did the surgery and who got woke up at 11pm when i was in a panic. lol!

[Nakia]

Awesome news, so glad they are finally out! 

Not as glad as Caleb is I bet. 

[steptoe91(tozie)]

well i think i figured out the breakfast problem. when i open at work i shut his cage door as soon as i give him breakfast. he hasnt been here long enough to figure out if i'm in uniform i will shut the door and if i'm in my gown i dont shut the door. so today i put his bowl on top of the cage, he dove right in like usual. poor baby. i'm gonna hafta figure out a way to explain that i only shut the door if i'm going to work. But at least he's eating breakfast this morning. of course if you ask skittles, breakfast ALWAYS tastes better on the veranda, anyway.   

[steptoe91(tozie)]

i took his shirt off so it could air out a bit and i could get a peek at how it looks. well, first of all, once i had it off, he didnt want it back on. so he wouldnt come to me. he curled his little toes round the travel cage bars and would NOT let go.    finally i made him step up, and he was a bit snarky bout the whole thing. well, then when i went to put the t'shirt on him...omg, TOWERING RAGE. that was one PISSED OFF cockatoo.    at some point in his life he must've been horribly punished for biting. cause even as mad as he was, he wouldnt bite me. but i could tell with the body language he WANTED to. So anyway, he has his new shirt on. this is the best one yet, its lighter and it fits the best, less extra material and straps. but he's been pouting ever since i put it on him and shooting me the 'stink eye'. anyway, here's some pics







i hate you momma



go away, i'm not speaking to you!







everytime i got near him to take a pic, he would walk to the other side of the cage.

   thanks caleb, make me feel bad. i'm gonna hope this one holds out for about 3 or 4 days, then i'll take it off again to see how its healing. hopefully it will be well healed and i can LEAVE it off for a bit longer. right now i'm having to watch him like a hawk when its off and he wont come to me after i take it off cause he knows i'm gonna put it back on him.

[YoshiMike13]

you can se the hate in his eyes, he is like "GGAAAHHHHH!!!  :pipen: "