HeiHei

I had never owned nor held a large bird before. So, when an owner needed to rehome her birds, I could not let this bird, which came into the hospital with a broken wing from years ago, be euthanized just because its owner no longer wanted it.

The avian veterinarian I worked with assured me that I could provide a good home for the bird. She provided me with handouts and advice to provide the best home I could for the Blue and Gold Macaw. The starting point was x-rays, lab work, and then a beak and nail trim. She was missing most of her feathers. The remaining feather condition was horrible, and the lab work results came back as dismal. The x-rays showed an old broken wing that had happened at least three years prior and was never repaired. In addition, there was significant muscle atrophy. Years of living on a vinyl couch and no perches affected her ability to grasp and balance.

HeiHei was over 30 years old and had been with at least two prior owners. Her 30-year diet was one of the worst diets (seeds, dried red peppers, peanuts, corn, sunflower seeds) a Macaw could be on. This contributed to her recently discovered heart problem. I had to transition her slowly to a better, more balanced, much healthier diet with added supplements for her heart, liver, GI tract, calming and feather conditioning.

I had to purchase many different types of perches of different diameters and had to work with her to help her grasp perches and whole nuts. In addition, I have had to bathe her in my bathtub (with 1 cup of Epsom salts, 1 cup apple cider vinegar to warm water at a level to her chest) at least two times a month since she would not bathe herself. Over time, she bonded with me and trusted me completely. Soon after, she was perching on her swing I mounted above her cage and balancing on one leg.

I still get her biannual vet visits, biannual lab work, and yearly x-rays. She will need surgery soon to remove a portion of her broken wing bone to reduce her pain. She will need heart medicines and supplements for the rest of her life. Donations once received will be used to pay for her surgery and continue her heart medicines. She is my first success story.