Hello,
I hope all of you enjoyed your holidays. As of next month, it will be one year since Luna was injured. The pelvic bone is healed and we have a healthy little IRN, The disability from the nerve damage has been healing, but very slow. The improvements just keep on, even though it is slow. At least it is going in the right direction. Luna will be three years old the end of next month. She is the love of our life. I have been getting Luna over her anxiety about being touched where it used to hurt when she was injured. She would growel like she does if she doesn't like something every time I would touch her near her injury. Even after she has healed, she would get nervouse when I was handling her around that area. I know she has had some fear that it may hurt. So I began just stroking her softly all over, and she started relaxing and is loosing her fear of it hurting. Now I can touch her any place and there is no reaction. Luna had a physical injury, but she also has had to heal emotionaly. Now we are working with building the strength in her little legs, she sits on her perch or in our hand with just a little help to balance. She does stand up on her legs for short periods. She is spreading her toes to fit over her perch when she sees her perch under her. She just has to be turned around so she can see us when we are working with her. We are dealing now with strength and confidence. When she is strong enough to stand for a while, we will try to coax her to take that first step. She still gets a little mixed up in telling her toes what to do. But it is getting better. Luna didn't talk for monthes after she was injured. But now she is almost back to saying everything she used to say before she was injured. I got Luna a Bird Sitter DVD to watch on TV. It has all kinds of parrots and parrot sounds. She watches that video for a long time. It entertains her while I am busy with other things. It gives her mental stimulation and and she sees other parrots sitting on there perches. The only thing is, Luna has been an only fid here with us and doesn't relate to other birds. Becouse she doesn't think she is a bird. We are her flock and she thinks she is one of us. She understands our speech better then she understands the sounds of other parrots. This is where we are so far with little Luna. She is the love of our life and don't take me wrong, but Luna has turned out to be a sweet and trusting affectionate little blue angel since she was injured. Before she was injured, she was just a little brat and up to no good a lot of the time. We wish all of you good health and much success and happiness this new year.
Darlene, Jim & Luna
Hi,
thanks for your reply. I just have to say, that this whole experience with our little Luna has been a real learning process for us in so many ways. I have searched online and asked vets and tried to learn all I could about nerve damage and injuries of the spineal cord. I have found no one so far who has had a simular injury in birds to tell me about, so I would have something to compare with. Not even my Avian vet couldn't predict how this would turn out or even how long it would take if any healing happened. It has been a lonely trip for us, going through this with Luna. So much of her care and treatment was up to us to research and try with Luna. My Avian vet has never seen an injury like this in birds. So I have had to show him things with Luna that he was interested in. My vet said, when Luna was first injured, that after about nine monthes, Luna may not get any farther in her healing. WRONG! nine monthes has gone by and Luna is still makeing progress. And she is healthy so far and happy and active and still improveing. I couldn't tell you everything I have learned all at once. I could write a book on the experience and learning in the past year. So thank you for your support and interest. Like I said, it has been a lonely trip with little Luna. But people like you and everyone else here has been there to listen and support us.
Hi Lene
I feel blessed to have my husband who is so good about shareing with Lunas care and attention. They say that parrots have one special person who is there ( chosen one ). But Luna enjoys both my husband & I as her chosen ones equally. And especially for an Indian Ringneck this isn't the usual behavior pattern. She returns the love and time we spend with her in a lot of ways. Your pets love you unconditionally and we should love them unconditionally. So if we were disabled, it wouldn't change the way your pet would love you. They are blessings to us.
You guys and Luna are an inspiration! I have sent links to your threads to several folks with injured birds who were depressed or worried about outcomes. You are a shining example of what faith and determination can do.
Thank You: The reason I belong to this forum is becouse I have found a group of people here who exchange helpful info and just listen to each other in the good times and the bad. And becouse you are all believers that animals and your beloved pets are thinking, feeling and intelegant beautiful creatures with emotions and needs not so differant from our own.
Little Luna is a little trooper and has taught us so much. She could be a little embassador for her species.
Darlene wrote:Hi Lene I feel blessed to have my husband who is so good about shareing with Lunas care and attention. They say that parrots have one special person who is there ( chosen one ). But Luna enjoys both my husband & I as her chosen ones equally. And especially for an Indian Ringneck this isn't the usual behavior pattern. She returns the love and time we spend with her in a lot of ways. Your pets love you unconditionally and we should love them unconditionally. So if we were disabled, it wouldn't change the way your pet would love you. They are blessings to us.
Hello: I just want you all to know that after 14 monthes, since Luna was injured, she is doing good so far. Last year at this time Luna wasn't talking and we thought she would never talk again after the shock and trauma of the accident. But suddenly we found her starting to talk again when she thought we weren't listening. And a little at a time she started saying things she remembered saying before she was injured. Now she talks freely and is getting her cute little personality back. Luna is molting right now and the new feathers are comming in with the pretty blue color she was before she was hurt. So this means she is not haveing stress that causes the baring. Luna is definately showing that she has feeling and movement in her legs and feet. When we are hoding her, she sits in our hand and we can feel her moveing her toes and feet and she will curl her toes around our finger sometimes. Luna now stands on a low wide perch with only just a little help to balance. Becouse one of her legs is weak, and she favors it. I don't make her stand too long and she gets lots of loves when she trys. But she is still not willing to use her legs and feet when we put her down. She is still satisfied with scooting, becouse now we are thinking Luna is dealing with a phobia about walking. I am going to show her vet how she can stand on her perch for a minute or two with only a slight amount of help to balance. My thinking is, walking would be more normal for Luna, if it will ever be possable. But I am careful not to stress her. And only work with her when she is haveing a good day. When she molts, she is a little bit cranky and has owie sore spots where her pin feathers are comming in. This is the report at 14 monthes. I will do anouther update and I hope it will stay good news.
Hello: I just want you all to know that after 14 monthes, since Luna was injured, she is doing good so far. Last year at this time Luna wasn't talking and we thought she would never talk again after the shock and trauma of the accident. But suddenly we found her starting to talk again when she thought we weren't listening. And a little at a time she started saying things she remembered saying before she was injured. Now she talks freely and is getting her cute little personality back. Luna is molting right now and the new feathers are comming in with the pretty blue color she was before she was hurt. So this means she is not haveing stress that causes the baring. Luna is definately showing that she has feeling and movement in her legs and feet. When we are hoding her, she sits in our hand and we can feel her moveing her toes and feet and she will curl her toes around our finger sometimes. Luna now stands on a low wide perch with only just a little help to balance. Becouse one of her legs is weak, and she favors it. I don't make her stand too long and she gets lots of loves when she trys. But she is still not willing to use her legs and feet when we put her down. She is still satisfied with scooting, becouse now we are thinking Luna is dealing with a phobia about walking. I am going to show her vet how she can stand on her perch for a minute or two with only a slight amount of help to balance. My thinking is, walking would be more normal for Luna, if it will ever be possable. But I am careful not to stress her. And only work with her when she is haveing a good day. When she molts, she is a little bit cranky and has owie sore spots where her pin feathers are comming in. This is the report at 14 monthes. I will do anouther update and I hope it will stay good news. 