SPECIAL FRIENDS

CINDER'S STORY

ONCE UPON A TIME....

This is the story of a little cockatiel named Cinder.  Cinder is 9 years old and has had quite a life.
She has been through a tremendous amount and has somehow managed to remain sweet, strong, and full of life through it all.  She has a spirit that just won't give up and I'd like to share her story in hopes that it might encourage, inspire, and even amaze someone who may be facing a similar challenge.

THE GIFT

On December 2, 2005, I received a very special gift.  Someone had posted an ad on Craig's List about some cockatiels for sale.  I answered the ad and in the course of the conversation learned that there was also available a "special needs" cockatiel.  My ears perked up and I immediately became interested in hearing more.  I was told that this little girl was nine years old, untamed, and "not a normal cockatiel".  

The woman went on to explain that Cinder had been adopted by a family years ago and then the family lost interest.  The family gave the bird to another woman who had a large outdoor flight attached to a heated barn where she kept both wild and domestic birds.  The family thought this would be a perfect living arrangement for Cinder and left her there.  The woman put Cinder in with the other birds and allowed her to just mix and mingle with them.  Unfortunately, Cinder was no match for the aggression of the wild birds and was picked on badly.  Her crest was almost completely plucked out and at some point her leg was both broken and dislocated.  She was never treated and therefore the leg "healed" improperly, and had become completely deformed and useless to her. Cinder lived this way for somewhere around two years before the poster of the ad found her and rescued her.  

Cinder was then kept in a large cage with 8 other tiels and still pretty much picked on and harrassed.  The woman felt that Cinder needed a home where she would be loved and cared for, protected, and allowed to be herself despite her deformity.  I knew immediately that I wanted to provide that home for Cinder.  So, within two days of initially answering the ad, Cinder was in my home and in my life forever.  An initial vet exam revealed that Cinder had experienced chronic sinus infections in the past and was currently suffering from an eye infection.  She was treated with antibiotics, to which she responded beautifully.  Her nares are permanently enlarged because of her past illnesses, but she was now healthy and free of infection.

THIS PHOTO WAS TAKEN THE DAY CINDER JOINED OUR FAMILY

THE DILEMMA

Cinder proved to be a very sweet, but very shy, little girl.  She did not enjoy handling and would bite if pushed too far. But I worked with her every day, using millet as a bribe, and before too long this sweet little girl was stepping up and allowing me to carry her from one point to another without biting.  She was learning to trust.  She seemed to love being in a calm, safe home and got along well with her very gentle, docile female roomate, Callie, my other tiel.  They simply co-existed peacefully.  It was perfect.  But over time I began to notice that Cinder's bad foot was really quite a danger to her.  Even though I kept the cage grate and the cage top covered with blankets at all times, she would occasionally manage to get her foot/leg caught between the bars because of the odd shape and direction that the leg pointed.  She wouldnt be able to free herself and needed my help to get her foot out.  This was VERY scary to me because I couldn't imagine what would happen if my sweet girl were to get caught when I wasn't home.  I decided to take her to the vet and see what was recommended.

THE CONSULT

I took Cinder to a wonderful vet in my area who has a reputation for being excellent with birds.  She examined Cinder thoroughly and found that she was developing pressure sores on her bad leg from having to bear weight on it in the wrong spot.  She explained that these sores are very painful and very difficult to treat.  She also said that they often will result in infections in the bone which are very painful and eventually, fatal.  This, combined with the danger of getting caught or badly injured, really frightened me.  Also, the vet explained that the possibility of arthritis setting in, or having already set in, was great.  Cinder was very possibly already experiencing pain and discomfort in that bad leg.  With the help of our wonderful list advisor, Dawn W., I had prepared a list of questions and concerns which the vet was very patient in answering.  I was told that a leg amputation was the recommended treatment for Cinder.  She would be under anesthesia for probably no more than 15 minutes and would have a very short stump left after the procedure.  I was told that she would have dissolving stitches and wear a collar for about a week after the surgery to prevent her picking at the incision.  I was told that Cinder would come home the same day as the surgery and would be on an oral antibiotic for about a week.  When I asked about pain medication, the vet said that normally they just give an injection of pain meds at the time of the surgery and then nothing more.  I was not at all comfortable with this and said that I would prefer to have her on something for pain control for as long as she needed it.  The vet said that the reason they dont use pain meds is because birds are so small and so sensitive that it can be difficult to find just the right, safe, dose and that there are risks involved with pain medication.  I felt that the risk was something we must take however, because I did NOT want my little girl to be suffering in pain for days on end.  The vet said that it was my choice and that they certainly would provide pain medication if I wanted it.  Well YES, I wanted it!  Wouldnt you???

We discussed the risks of anesthesia to Cinder and I was told that because of her age and the fact that she had been somewhat unhealthy in the past, there was a slightly increased risk to her.   The vet told me that she felt Cinder had a 5-10% chance of not waking up after the surgery.   I chose to see this as a 90-95% percent chance of doing just fine.  And the vet did say something that really stuck with me regarding the risk.  She said yes, the bird could die during the surgery, but in all honesty dying under anesthesia is a MUCH more peaceful way to die than getting a foot caught while no one is home and panicking, going into shock and dying a horrible, frightening, painful death, all alone.  Or dying of pressure sores and bone infection, and being in horrible pain and sick.   I had to agree with that and felt that the benefits of the surgery certainly did seem to outweigh the risks.

CINDER'S DEFORMED FOOT. HERE SHE IS LEARNING TO TRUST ME FOR THE FIRST TIME.

THE DECISION

After receiving all of this information, I took Cinder home with my head spinning and pondered all that I had learned.  I shared this information again with Dawn, who was so very helpful and encouraging and insightful.  I discussed it with my husband, and although we knew there would be significant cost involved, we decided that this really was a necessary procedure for Cinder, and that if she were able to pull through it, it would make her life substantially more comfortable, healthy, and safe.  We decided that YES, this was the right decision for Cinder, and we made the appointment for surgery for two weeks later.

THE SURGERY

Well, April 14th was the big day.  I dropped Cinder off at the vet's office and said my difficult goodbye to her, then went home to wait for the call.  The staff was very kind, reassuring, and positive.  They had really begun to fall in love with Cinder themselves, it was obvious.  I felt confident leaving her but still, it was hard to let her go.  I didnt have to wait too terribly long however, because by noontime she was all finished!  I got the call that she had done fabulously in the surgery and she was awake and would be ready to go home by 2:00!  I was so happy and relieved.  They told me that the actual surgery took only 9 minutes, and that she was asleep for only 12 minutes.  Apparently time is of the essence with these little ones and anesthesia, due to their sensitive systems, cannot take very long.  I was impressed and very grateful for the skill and speed of the vet and that things went as smoothly as they did.  She had come through with flying colors, all had gone exactly as expected, and Cinder was ready to come home and begin her recovery!

THE SURPRISE

When I arrived to pick my little girl up from the vet I received a completely unexpected surprise!  I began to take out my wallet to settle the bill and the two women behind the desk sheepishly told me that I was "all set"....."ALL SET ??? WHAT???".  You can imagine my confusion.  They hemmed and hawed and were acting very strangely, obviously trying to conceal something.  I was bewildered and confused and just kept asking questions.  Even the other people waiting in the waiting room were becoming intrigued!  Finally, one of the receptionists told me what was going on.  She explained that a few of my on-line friends had chipped in and made a donation towards Cinder's bill, and that the bill was paid in full!  They told me that the friends wanted to remain anonymous (but of course, I knew who they were! Thank you SO much guys...you know who you are!!).  What an unbelievable surprise!  As if I needed more reason to cry that day, I was completely overwhelmed and amazed at the caring and generosity of people whom I had never even officially "met", but who cared so deeply about Cinder and wanted to be a part of her life in this very special way.  I will never forget that moment...it was something I never expected but deeply, deeply appreciated!

THE RECOVERY

Well, when I got Cinder home I put her into her hospital cage.  It was a clear plastic storage tub, lined with soft baby blankets, a wicker basket inside, also well padded, and a heat lamp hanging over the top for extra warmth.  I had gotten Cinder accustomed to the hospital cage well before the surgery so she was comfortable in there and felt right at home.  The first day Cinder was definitely dazed and very sleepy.  She was wearing an inverted collar which restricted her from moving her wings.  She had a very hard time balancing and spent most of her time lying down or toppling over.  It was hard to watch but there wasn't really much I could do.  Cinder slept on and off that first day, took her pain meds like a trooper that night, and slept all night without a peep.  By the time she woke up the next morning the change was phenomenal!  She was sitting upright, standing straight up on her "good" leg, looking bright and alert, and even trying to "hop" around her hospital cage!  I could not believe my eyes!  I gave her pain meds and antibiotics twice a day for 10 days and she took them beautifully every time.  What a little gem!  She was the perfect patient.  Over the next days Cinder continued to improve, gain strength and balance, eat and drink normally, and she even began to play with toys -- something she never even did BEFORE the surgery!  Cinder seemed like a new bird!  Happy, alert, active, playful, even chirping back and forth to her little tiel friend Callie.  All new behaviors from before her surgery.  I suspect that the "bad" leg was bothering her much more than we ever knew.  She certainly seemed much happier and more content now then she ever had been before.  What an amazing change!

CINDER RECOVERING IN HER HOSPITAL CAGE.

Through all of this recovery stage our dear list advisor, Dawn, was an incredible help and source of comfort!  She was always available with advice, ideas and opinions on what to do, how to do it, and how she thought Cinder was doing.  We just don't know how we would have gotten through without her help.  Dawn, you are amazing...thank you so so much, for everything!

Cinder returned to the vet seven days after the surgery for a recheck.  The vet was thrilled with her progress and couldn't believe how well she was doing.  She said Cinder is truly a survivor and a fighter.  The wound still had a bit of scabbing on it however, so it was decided that the collar would stay on for another five days.

When we arrived home from the recheck appointment Cinder seemed to be in pain again and her behavior changed dramatically.  She would not stand on her good foot at all and would only lie on her belly and crawl around the cage bottom.  I, of course, panicked, called the vet back and explained what I was seeing.  The vet felt that this was probably either a stress reaction or a pain reaction to having been poked and prodded that afternoon.  She advised restricting her movement by placing her in a smaller enclosure and also keeping her warm and quiet overnight.  Sure enough, by the next morning Cinder was much, much better.  She steadily improved over that day and the next, and did eventually return to her active, happy, adorable self.  What a relief!

Finally it was time to remove the collar.  We returned to the vet, had the collar removed, and were rewarded with cheers and praise from the entire staff for the wonderful, brave and strong little girl Cinder is.  That was a fun visit!

HAPPILY EVER AFTER

Cinder is now in a regular cage with low perches and a wicker basket to lie in.  She does unbelievably well getting around, climbing the cage bars, and flinging herself in and out of the wicker basket like a Pro.  She is happy, healthy, and just as full of spunk and spirit as she was before....if not even MORE!  She is truly an inspiration to many.  I have been told by two different people that after following Cinder's saga they themselves decided to get a cockatiel because of Cinder's sweet spirit and unbelievable drive and determination.  What a special tribute to Cinder, to know that she has caused others to fall in love with cockatiels, and has played a part in bringing two birds and their owners together.  I feel incredibly honored to have Cinder in my life.  She has reinforced to me that ALL life is precious, and that there is something to be gained, learned, and cherished from every creature, no matter how small, and no matter what challenges they bring with them.  I love Cinder so much and cannot imagine my life without her.  I hope that she will live a long, happy and healthy second half of her life and I will do everything I possibly can to make that happen.  I cannot think of anybirdie who deserves it more!

CINDER - AN INSPIRATION.

Story and photographs contributed by Cinder's grateful Mom, Judi Livingston.
Copyrighted by Judi Livingston.