I'm afraid this may be a long story. But please read and comment if you have the time. I already feel like a horrible, irresponsible person, so please be kind.
My darling Buster is a Red-Front Macaw
, and almost 8 years old now. I purchased him from an incredible breeder after being on a waiting list and lucking out with a cancellation. I am lucky enough to be a part time teacher and a freelance artist, so I spend most of my days with him playing happily on his tree next to my computer desk. His cage is palatial, when I purchased him I had grown up with a large Green-wing Macaw so I purchased a cage appropriate for that size bird (my Mom's and 32 years old now); I had no idea how small Buster would be in comparison.
I met my husband 4 years ago, and we moved in together after a year. Buster is such a special little creature, and immediately took to the idea of our flock growing, he loves my husband, especially when I do something unspeakable to him such as clipping his claws.
Since moving in to my husband's (older) Condo town-house I have struggled with many respiratory infections. I have mentioned more than once that with my asthma, I tend to be very sensitive to molds, and that I suspected the house had a mold problem. The HOA is terrible. They sent some contractor to look at a wall, but he was no expert, and he simply opened the wall, said it was dry, patched it and left. Please understand, this recession has hit us very hard. My husband works more than one job that pays too little. He has a Master's degree and still cannot find a suitable work situation. We would love to have sold and left ages ago, but with the market collapse in California, he would lose a very large investment to just unload it. I work, but teaching jobs are hard to find, and I am lucky to have a very stable part time situation these days. My part time teaching job pays double what I would earn full time at a retail store, and I hope that my perseverance will lead to a full time position eventually. All this explanation is to clear up why we have not been able to afford to take matters into our own hands concerning the mold in our walls that the HOA is responsible for, but doesn't care.
Over the weekend, Buster stopped talking and started sleeping during the day. We had come in late on Friday night and I thought that he might have had his sleep disturbed initially, but the next day, the sleepiness continued. He excitedly chowed down his food like normal, drank like normal, his poop looked normal, but I knew something was not right with how he was acting.
The minute Monday working hours arrived, I made an appointment with an AAV certified vet that my favorite macaw people recommended, and drove an hour into town to see her (the only AAV certified vet closer was on vacation till Wednesday). After an x-ray and praise from the doctor on what an incredible bird my little Buster was (her exact words, "we don't see many macaws this well behaved. You have done a wonderful job with him"), we received the diagnosis of my worst nightmares with air sacs cloudy and a bit misshapen, she is fairly certain that it is Aspergillosis. Blood tests are in the process of lab work, but the X-rays looked like my recent bout with pneumonia . . . I knew this was no good. Upon her suggestion, he is there in an oxygen bed with heat and a nebulizer (I think that's what they use, it's what I've used, so I might have terms totally mixed up). She's taking a very aggressive position, and I am comforted by that, but oh my it's so expensive. I feel like such a heel (I feel much worse, but I'm trying desperately to be polite) letting my little angel be the canary in the coal mine. We will do anything to give Buster a fighting chance, but I have not seen one post anywhere that gives me any hope at all for his survival.
I was just reaching out in desperation. I never post in forums, I am always so afraid of being judged. Please be gentle. I've always been so careful. I've been much more paranoid than my mother with my boy's diet, and environment. I feel terrible that I didn't fight harder about the mold in this house. All I hear in my head is the thundering voices of why and how could I not realize that the mold that was making me sick was probably killing my bird.
Has anyone got even one story of hope for me? Does any bird stand a chance of recovering? The vet said it was not the worst she has seen, but that offers me little comfort. I can't believe I didn't do better by him . . . my poor little Buster.
My darling Buster is a Red-Front Macaw
, and almost 8 years old now. I purchased him from an incredible breeder after being on a waiting list and lucking out with a cancellation. I am lucky enough to be a part time teacher and a freelance artist, so I spend most of my days with him playing happily on his tree next to my computer desk. His cage is palatial, when I purchased him I had grown up with a large Green-wing Macaw so I purchased a cage appropriate for that size bird (my Mom's and 32 years old now); I had no idea how small Buster would be in comparison.I met my husband 4 years ago, and we moved in together after a year. Buster is such a special little creature, and immediately took to the idea of our flock growing, he loves my husband, especially when I do something unspeakable to him such as clipping his claws.
Since moving in to my husband's (older) Condo town-house I have struggled with many respiratory infections. I have mentioned more than once that with my asthma, I tend to be very sensitive to molds, and that I suspected the house had a mold problem. The HOA is terrible. They sent some contractor to look at a wall, but he was no expert, and he simply opened the wall, said it was dry, patched it and left. Please understand, this recession has hit us very hard. My husband works more than one job that pays too little. He has a Master's degree and still cannot find a suitable work situation. We would love to have sold and left ages ago, but with the market collapse in California, he would lose a very large investment to just unload it. I work, but teaching jobs are hard to find, and I am lucky to have a very stable part time situation these days. My part time teaching job pays double what I would earn full time at a retail store, and I hope that my perseverance will lead to a full time position eventually. All this explanation is to clear up why we have not been able to afford to take matters into our own hands concerning the mold in our walls that the HOA is responsible for, but doesn't care.
Over the weekend, Buster stopped talking and started sleeping during the day. We had come in late on Friday night and I thought that he might have had his sleep disturbed initially, but the next day, the sleepiness continued. He excitedly chowed down his food like normal, drank like normal, his poop looked normal, but I knew something was not right with how he was acting.
The minute Monday working hours arrived, I made an appointment with an AAV certified vet that my favorite macaw people recommended, and drove an hour into town to see her (the only AAV certified vet closer was on vacation till Wednesday). After an x-ray and praise from the doctor on what an incredible bird my little Buster was (her exact words, "we don't see many macaws this well behaved. You have done a wonderful job with him"), we received the diagnosis of my worst nightmares with air sacs cloudy and a bit misshapen, she is fairly certain that it is Aspergillosis. Blood tests are in the process of lab work, but the X-rays looked like my recent bout with pneumonia . . . I knew this was no good. Upon her suggestion, he is there in an oxygen bed with heat and a nebulizer (I think that's what they use, it's what I've used, so I might have terms totally mixed up). She's taking a very aggressive position, and I am comforted by that, but oh my it's so expensive. I feel like such a heel (I feel much worse, but I'm trying desperately to be polite) letting my little angel be the canary in the coal mine. We will do anything to give Buster a fighting chance, but I have not seen one post anywhere that gives me any hope at all for his survival.
I was just reaching out in desperation. I never post in forums, I am always so afraid of being judged. Please be gentle. I've always been so careful. I've been much more paranoid than my mother with my boy's diet, and environment. I feel terrible that I didn't fight harder about the mold in this house. All I hear in my head is the thundering voices of why and how could I not realize that the mold that was making me sick was probably killing my bird.
Has anyone got even one story of hope for me? Does any bird stand a chance of recovering? The vet said it was not the worst she has seen, but that offers me little comfort. I can't believe I didn't do better by him . . . my poor little Buster.
