Donation protected
An update as of July 18th
Zeke died today under anesthesia.
He was getting the pin removed from his leg, and had one week left of treatment to be fully recovered and ready for physical therapy.
This past week he has been so impatient to be better. He was trying to walk and so frustrated from the cast. I hate that his last few weeks of life were like that, with me shoving medicine down his throat, spending most of the day doped up, not being able to be himself.
The vet said he received kisses and love before being administered the anesthesia, and he was surrounded by people when he passed. That passing under anesthesia was painless, and he wouldn’t have been aware what was happening, so he would have been peaceful. I hate that I wasn’t there, though, for his final moments.
They are going to do an autopsy, because they dont know why this happened. Next week I will be able to pick up his cremated remains, some feathers, an impression in clay of his footprints, and I requested ink prints of his feet, too.
This is different than euthanasia where you know what is coming so you can spoil them rotten the night before and day of. To shower them with extra affection so they can be at peace. This was sudden and unexpected and while I am aware it was completely out of my control, I still feel so bad that this happened to begin with and that this is the way it ended.
I hope that wherever he is, that he can forgive me. That he can feel whole, and hale. That he can be at peace.
I am left with a massive hole in my heart, and my savings have been devastated. I spent so much money, and there was so much hope, we were literally right before the finish line for recovery, and those dollars were doing everything they could but they still didn’t save him. I am very distraught.
The TL:DR (original listing)
My little Zeke, my sweet Indian Ringneck, broke his leg falling off the couch on 6/14. He’s had complications that required a pin to be inserted on 6/26, and developed atrophy in his "good" leg. We’re thankfully past the highest risk for infection, but there’s still a long road ahead with more vet visits, pin removal, and physical therapy.
Despite everything, Zeke’s still full of spunk and kisses, and your help will directly support his care, recovery, and the chance for him to not just walk again, but maybe even resume his mission of wooing my poor feet, which have gone blissfully un-humped since this whole fiasco began.
What Happened (The Longer Story)
Zeke is an Indian Ringneck who came to me as a plucker, and as such, can't fly or glide. This goofball has had plenty of spills before (especially if having a flare up of seizure activity), but he never showed any signs of injury before. This was simply the magic angle that broke his leg.
It was a clean break, but the bone moved to the side and up, shortening his leg in half, and the whole foot twisted around.
Across the first week, room opened up in his cast as the swelling went down which allowed the bones to misalign, causing need for a pin to be inserted at 2 weeks out from the initial break.
As if that weren’t enough, he developed sores near his cloaca and under the cast, making him high risk for infection, and begun to atrophy in his good leg. Since then, he’s had weekly visits for imaging, wound care, cast adjustments, and monitoring.
The Timeline of Treatments
- 6/14 - Emergency Admission at UGA: I brought him in late Saturday night. They sedated him and stabilized him but charged full emergency/overnight rates. They waited until Monday to do imaging/treatment saying they needed more staff. Even if it meant extra fees I knew I couldn’t take him home because I wouldn't have been able to keep him immobile enough and it would have likely resulted in amputation.
- 6/24 - 1-Week Follow-Up: His bones had shifted. The vet decided to keep him overnight to either reset or pin it the next day. Unfortunately, a higher-priority emergency pushed his surgery to 6/26, though they waived boarding fees. We also had extensive conversations over his quality of life, and decisions that would need to be made had the pin insertion not been successful. This conversation was what made me hit my lowest morale, being told just how bad his condition really was, and that he will need intensive therapy in both legs if they were able to get it to heal. I was elated to hear there were ultimately no complications from the surgery and that I could take him home.
- Since Surgery: He’s had two more checkups, with a third scheduled for 7/15, where they’ll assess if the pin can be removed. If not, we’ll try again the following week. Even after pin removal, he’ll need to stay casted for at least one more follow-up before I begin intensive physical therapy to help him learn to walk again. I am already doing mild physical therapy on his good leg, to many grumbles.
Summary of Expenses
I’ve paid $2,603.36 across multiple appointments and procedures. I’m estimating another $1,100+ depending on how many more checkups are needed and when the pin can be removed, broken out below.
The Charges and Payments are as follows:
- 6/14 - 6/17 - Original bill was $1,222.25 (made as two payments of $1000 + $222.25 on the Care Credit for 6 month term)
- 6/23 - 6/26 - Originally left a 100$ deposit (Wells Fargo) which ended up going towards a new 161$ that was added to the 6/14 - 6/17 bill
- 7/2 - Paid $250 deposit (Wells Fargo) + 115.26 (Wells Fargo). The 115.26 was split between the $54.26 remaining for that day + the final 61$ owed for the new 6/14 - 6/17 bill charges
- 7/8 - Paid $861.16 (Care Credit for 6 month term) + $54.69 for the remainder of that day's treatment. The $861.16 was split between the $711.16 for the full 6/23 - 6/26 treatment + a $150 deposit for 7/8
- 7/15 Appointment: Quoted around $350-500$ - Will assess if pin can be removed + will do if possible
- Week of 7/21: If pin is out, will do a recheck and may remove cast. If pin isn't out, will remove it, then cast it again. ($200-$500)
- Week of 7/28: Depends on Healing status ($200-$500)
Screencaps of my Care Credit and Wells Fargo card showing my payments and deposits are attached, as well as a written breakdown of all the final bill totals and the various payments I have made so far. I am limited by how many pictures I can attach to the campaign, which is preventing me from uploading all the itemized bills I have, but I will attach them if I can figure out a way to maintain transparency. UGA doesn't allow for a longer than 6 month term with Care Credit with no interest, and denied me a payment plan because of my usage of Care Credit on my first visit.
Why I’m Asking for Help
I’ve been doing everything I can to cover Zeke’s care, but this emergency has pushed me to my limit, emotionally and financially. I love this bird deeply, and he still shows me every day that he wants to be here. I’m committed to giving him that chance.
Your help ensures Zeke gets to live the happy life he deserves, and that includes being able to walk up to give my toes all the kisses on the daily.
With gratitude,
Gina & Zeke ️
(and Sun Conure Mango and Dusky Conure Pesto too)
Organizer
Gina Gray
Organizer
Athens, GA