Early this morning, DH gave Lucky her food and she ate normally.
As usual, I woke up much later. After my shower, I went to get Lucky out of her house so she could hang out on the couch with me while I ate breakfast. When I went to pick her up, she felt limp and her movements were listless and uncoordinated.
She had laid three eggs in the past week. Partridges can have very large clutches -- up to 20 eggs -- so I suspected that she was egg-bound.
I called my vet, who said that she would meet us at the clinic.
After a quick examination, the vet said that she suspected that Lucky had a "soft egg" inside and that she didn't feel very hopeful about a good outcome.
She took an X-ray, which she showed to us. We could clearly see that Lucky had a half-formed egg inside. It was shaped like a U, with the bottom of the U pointed towards her tail. The top of the egg hadn't formed.
I asked the vet whether there was any chance that she could remove the egg or that Lucky could pass it on her own. The vet said that because the egg was unformed, and that the shell was so thin, it would break into many pieces and become septic.
I asked whether Lucky would suffer if I brought her home to die. The vet said that she would.
I opted to have Lucky put to sleep. She died quietly and peacefully in my arms as I ruffled her head feathers and told her that I loved her.
The vet and the vet tech were incredibly kind.
We brought Lucky home. We will bury her. I'm not sure where.
Needless to say, I am incredibly sad. She was my "lap bird." She would sit quietly and let me scratch her head or scratch under her wings for long stretches of time. She would sit behind us on the couch and groom our hair.
She was with us for about 14 months. I find comfort in the fact that she knew that she was loved.
As usual, I woke up much later. After my shower, I went to get Lucky out of her house so she could hang out on the couch with me while I ate breakfast. When I went to pick her up, she felt limp and her movements were listless and uncoordinated.
She had laid three eggs in the past week. Partridges can have very large clutches -- up to 20 eggs -- so I suspected that she was egg-bound.
I called my vet, who said that she would meet us at the clinic.
After a quick examination, the vet said that she suspected that Lucky had a "soft egg" inside and that she didn't feel very hopeful about a good outcome.
She took an X-ray, which she showed to us. We could clearly see that Lucky had a half-formed egg inside. It was shaped like a U, with the bottom of the U pointed towards her tail. The top of the egg hadn't formed.
I asked the vet whether there was any chance that she could remove the egg or that Lucky could pass it on her own. The vet said that because the egg was unformed, and that the shell was so thin, it would break into many pieces and become septic.
I asked whether Lucky would suffer if I brought her home to die. The vet said that she would.
I opted to have Lucky put to sleep. She died quietly and peacefully in my arms as I ruffled her head feathers and told her that I loved her.
The vet and the vet tech were incredibly kind.
We brought Lucky home. We will bury her. I'm not sure where.
Needless to say, I am incredibly sad. She was my "lap bird." She would sit quietly and let me scratch her head or scratch under her wings for long stretches of time. She would sit behind us on the couch and groom our hair.
She was with us for about 14 months. I find comfort in the fact that she knew that she was loved.