Bird and Exotic Animal Hospital

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DEDICATED TO THOSE SPECIAL PATIENTS THAT BEAT THE ODDS TO SURVIVE SEVERE ILLNESSES AND INJURIES. WE SALUTE THEM.

GABBI

She was referred to us after suspected Heavy Metal Poisoning. Parrots often chew at shiny objects and any Lead or Zinc containing metals or paints will make them ill if swallowed. Gabbi did not respond to the treatment and was sent to us for further evaluation. Radiographs and a CT scan revealed that she had swallowed a piece of metal that had penetrated the wall of her stomach and become lodged between the stomach and the liver, forming a large abscess.

Gabbi's owner agreed to surgery, understanding that the procedure was extremely risky due to the position of the metal as well as the potential to damage other delicate structures during the procedure.

The surgery went very well and Gabbi recovered from this life saving procedure with no complications. She continues to do well today.

Breaking news September 2010 - Gabbi has laid eggs!

ANANDA

This brave little girl had a horrific accident where her left arm was literally ripped from her body. Quick action by a vet saved her life but the wound became infected with a flesh eating bacterium. Three further surgeries were needed to prevent the infection from spreading right through Ananda's body and she eventually needed her whole arm amputated right up to the shoulder.

The shock, blood loss and infection weakened Ananda's body to the point where she needed several blood transfusions. Despite treatment she became very depressed and refused to eat or drink anything. Ananda's owners spent countless hours comforting and supporting her and slowly building her up with tiny bits of food and juice.

The struggle to strengthen her immune system and reverse the anaemia and weight loss took months.

Ananda came very close to death several times but is now doing well. She now prefers spending time with her human care givers, rather than with the other monkeys.

THANK YOU TO SUKI (AT LEFT) AND TO MOGLI FOR BEING OUR LIFE SAVING BLOOD DONORS FOR ANANDA.

INKA

Inka is a maned wolf, a very rare species of which there are only a few hundred in captivity, worldwide. Her parents are the only two maned wolves in Africa.

Inka was born a week prematurely and was too weak to survive on her own. As her mother was unable to care for her she was brought to us for care.

We kept her in an incubator and fed her a special milk mixture with a tube until she was strong enough to begin taking a bottle. Inka weighed only 266g at birth which is about 2/3 of what a normal newborn weighs.

Against all odds our little girl grew up strong and healthy and is now back at the Zoo where she will hopefully produce pups of her own to aid in saving her species. Read more about Inka at the University of Pretoria's Website

AZIZI

This little Ringneck parakeet fell into hot water and was severely burned. Both his legs suffered third degree burns and one of his wings had second degree burns. We were concerned that Azizi might lose the use of his legs.

He became very weak and needed ICU care where he was placed on a drip and given two blood transfusions from Dr Elliott's own parrots.

A month after going home from hospital, Azizi had a bath at home and collapsed with suspected hypothermia. He recovered in hospital and now only has warm baths.

His legs made an amazing recovery and with months of physiotherapy he now has almost completely normal function in his feet.

The next disaster was when he developed a severe bacterial infection in the bone of one of his wings. We recommended that the wing be amputated due to the poor response to medication and the severity of the infection. Azizi's owner refused amputation and was adamant that we could fix him. We tried an experimental antibiotic protocol on Azizi and, amazingly the wing recovered.

Today he is a happy, healthy bird who loves singing to his mirror and posing for his owner's photographs (photo taken by Azizi's mom).

PIGGY

Piggy ("Pidgee") was found as a tiny chick and hand reared by his owner. He developed a problem with his crop (the food storage bag that some birds have at the base of the neck) which became very fragile and pendulous and eventually tore. We surgically repaired the crop, removing as much as possible of the abnormal tissue and then designed a "crop bra" for Piggy to keep his crop supported while it healed. Piggy also developed pneumonia, possibly from choking on some food. His owner continued his treatment at home and today he is a big, healthy bird. He is very tame and loves cuddles.

SNACKY

Snacky was caught by a large dog and severely bitten. He came to us completely collapsed with severe internal bleeding and a paralysed right leg. We had little hope that he would survive the first 24 hours.

With intensive care including intravenous fluids and time spent in an incubator Snacky recovered very well. His leg is now almost normal and will likely regain 100% function.

DANTE

Dante has been a patient of ours for a long time. In April 2011 he developed a rare and poorly understood condition called "Marmoset Osteomyelitis Syndrome". In this condition the bones are eaten away by an unknown infectious agent which leads to severe pain and even the loss of limbs. Dante was treated with an experimental combination of medicines, with his owners understanding of the potential risks of the medication. After four months of treatment he is now free of disease and his bones are completely healed. Well done to Dante's owners for their dedication to his treatment and for not giving up.

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