REST IN PEACE, GYPSY

Gypsy and Daina   March 28, 2008

A Letter from Daina Mahone Hi Julie,  Words cannot express the pain I am feeling now……Gypsy was so very precious……all she wanted was someone to love her…..I cannot believe that things happened the way they did…once I saw her today I knew she could no longer suffer.  I am so heartbroken over this and her losing her fight, I just didn’t think it would happen.  I had such plans for her to enjoy life and become part of the flock here.  I had so wanted her to feel the sun on her feathers, the wind against her skin, and to be able to watch the birds fly by…….so much I had wanted her to see, to feel, to love………..  I am so very sorry that she didn’t find Gabriel sooner, perhaps if the owner had relinquished her sooner things might be different.  I am at such a loss for words but wanted to write you and tell you how great it was that Gabriel stood right beside this feathered angel for these last three months helping her fight for her life…….I can only pray that she is flying free over her native homeland where she belongs, happy and pain free……..I see her spreading her wings and flying in search of what she has missed all these years………her native homeland………I can only hope she has returned home finally………. Thank you for allowing me to love her, care for her if only for a short time……..her memory will be in my heart forever..   March 28, 2008 Today we must share some very sad news – despite a persevering spirit, Gypsy, the Blue & Gold macaw, is gone. Last week, Dr. J. Jill Heatley, Clinical Associate Professor at Texas A & M, contacted us about Gypsy. After a strong upturn with her aspergillosis treatment, Gypsy was relapsing. Her nebulization therapy continued, and it was determined that she would still require an additional 30 days of therapy. Then, yesterday we received this news: “On another note we have had a setback with Gypsy today.  She has become a bit gurgly although she is still gaining weight and is bright alert and eating well, I am concerned that this may reflect that she is not responding as well as we had hoped to her initial round of antifungal treatment.  We have the additional tracheal culture from yesterday pending and we are beginning an additional round of the serious antifungal amphoteracin.  We will keep you informed as to her daily progress in the next few days.” About 10:30 AM today, we received the call that Gypsy was rapidly failing. She was on oxygen, had extreme difficulty breathing, and was suffering. Patti Christie, Karen VanderHyde and Julie Murad were on the phone with Dr. Heatley and made the decision to end Gypsy’s pain. It was a difficult one – but we were all in agreement that it was the best thing. We immediately contacted Daina Mahone who had been providing Gypsy foster care (and an awaiting home) prior to this relapse. Daina was heartbroken, but said she had this nagging feeling all day that she needed to get up to College Station to see Gypsy. With this sad news, Daina made the hour drive to be there with Gypsy. Daina’s presence was a comfort to all of us, and we believe, also to Gypsy as they shared many happy moments since Gypsy’s Texas arrival. Dr. Heatley is quite certain that there are underlying factors which affected Gypsy’s long term prognosis and recovery. When full necropsy and histopathology results are available to us, Dr. Heatley will provide details on Gypsy’s life, state of health and other relevant information. We believe that we owe it to every bird to provide as many answers as possible about why they passed away. We can only do that with a full necropsy and laboratory testing. It is painful for all of us, but each individual bird has so much to teach us about their life in captivity. With this knowledge, our veterinarians can better understand underlying diseases, treatments and prognosis. With that information, we can all improve the care our birds receive.   GYPSY UPDATE: March 19, 2008 We are thrilled to report that Daina Mahone has offered to to be Gypsy's Long Term Foster Caregiver. The two have developed a strong bond over the past few months, and we cannot think of a better home for this very special bird. This means that Gypsy will remain in Texas, and concerns over travel to Colorado will no longer be an issue. Huge thanks to Daina, Gypsy is so lucky to have her! GYPSY UPDATE: March 14, 2008 Gypsy's biopsy results were negative for PDD and other signs of neoplasia. She is still coughing, but is continuing to gain weight and has a lowered respiratory rate, which means she's breathing easier. She had her last antifungal treatment today and is still getting nebulization, oral antibiotics and vitamins. Based on her primary diagnosis of aspergillosis, she will probably need to remain in the hospital for two more weeks. GYPSY UPDATE: March 13, 2008 As of today, Gypsy remains hospitalized at Texas A&M at The Schubot Center. Her prognosis is uncertain and we are awaiting biopsy results. Gypsy's veterinary care has been over $3000 to date. Your donation to help with Gypsy's veterinary care will help TGF greatly. GYPSY UPDATE: March 8, 2008 Hilary at the TGF Aviary and Adoption Center received a call from Texas A&M this morning. Gypsy is coughing and they suspect aspergillosis in addition to everything else. They had already been treating her with systemic antifungals, and now they are nebulizing her. Other than that she is still eating well, and is bright, alert and responsive. GYPSY UPDATE: March 7, 2008 On Monday, March 3rd, we received a worried call from Gypsy’s caregiver, Daina. Gypsy was very lethargic and Daina had taken her for a full medical workup. A week later, the results were in and it didn’t look good.  Choanal culture results revealed multiple bacterial infections. She had hemorrhaging in her throat and the vet said she was critical.  Noreen from the National Parrot Rescue and Preservation Foundation (NPRPF) rushed Gypsy to Texas A&M University for hospitalization and treatment. Gypsy had surgery on Thursday, March 6.  We hope to have results in a few days.  She seems to be recovering well from the surgery, her weight is stable and she is eating well.  Interesting bird fact: unlike dogs and cats, it is best for birds to eat immediately after surgery. While Gypsy is receiving fantastic care at Texas A&M, her medical bills are mounting. We continue to need your help. Please donate now to help Gypsy and all the birds at The Gabriel Foundation. Many thanks to Daina, Noreen and all of the wonderful people at NPRPF, who have dedicated so much of their time and service to the care of Gypsy. We will keep you updated on her progress. GYPSY UPDATE:  February, 2008 Gypsy is still in Houston and was recently discharged from a 9 day hospital stay. She is now in the caring home of Daina Mahone, Director of Rescue and Adoption for the National Parrot Rescue and Preservation Foundation (NPRPF) until she can safely be transported to the Aviary.  We are most grateful to Daina and her team who really stepped up to help Gypsy. Gulf Coast Veterinary Specialty in Houston and Dr. Natalie Antinoff and associates were generous, donating care toward Gypsy to help reduce the charges, but the bill was still very substantial for the intensive care she received. Gypsy continues to recover and we hope she will be fit enough to travel in the near future to join Max and Crackers at the Aviary. Gypsy, Max and Crackers, B&G Macaws Less than two weeks ago, we received a plea from Northern California for emergency intervention for these macaws, aged 15 to 32. The caller’s sister was severely ill and hospitalized. The birds had not been well cared for a long time. Their owner had been very ill for some time. The cages were filthy, the birds were terribly stressed, hungry and in mediocre condition. They’d never been to a vet, had no one to support them, transport them, or even continue to care about them long term. We agreed to help, creating a budget for carriers, airline transport, veterinary care, laboratory testing, and underwriting at $50/month per bird. We put out a plea for help to PetSmart Charities and to the Petco Foundation – no, they could not help. These birds didn’t qualify for aid from Petfinder. Thankfully, the Animal Assistance Foundation granted us $1800 in emergency funding on 12/13/07. Time was running out…the Medical Center for Birds in Oakley, CA, would provide the veterinary care. They’d shop for the carriers, take the birds to the airport, pay for the shipping and invoice us. Everything had to be paid up front – a big cash outlay and a lot of time necessary to get the job done. On Monday, December 17, the birds were taken to Continental Cargo for transport from Oakland to Houston to Denver scheduled to arrive at 10:30 PM. At 5:30 we received an alarming call from Continental in Houston – one of the macaws was at the bottom of the carrier, lying on its side and unresponsive. The caller had directed a heater at the bird, but she could not tell me if the bird was still alive. Hearing this news was horrible – we were 1000 miles away. Following protocol airline personnel contacted an emergency veterinary service and an animal transporter to get the bird emergency veterinary care. We contacted the emergency clinic and were told that the bird would not be seen until the following morning despite the information provided by Continental. We responded to the airlines and the emergency clinic that the bird would be dead by morning, if it was still alive. We wanted the macaw to go to Gulf Coast Avian and Exotics for emergency care. It was up to the animal transporter. We begged him to take the bird to our vet of choice. After explaining the gravity of the situation, he agreed, and an additional $135 was charged to us for the 45 minute drive. We had alerted Megan Baebler, DVM to the situation. After arrival at the avian and exotics emergency clinic, we learned that the bird was Gypsy, a 28-32 y.o. severely feather plucked B&G. Her body temperature was down to just 80? from the normal 103-105?. Hypothermia, shock and seizures put her life in danger. 6, 12, 24 and now 48 hours later – Gypsy’s still alive. She’s lost about 20 grams per day since Monday evening, and comprehensive testing is still inconclusive. She remains hospitalized in Houston pending transition care or being flown to Denver. These lifesaving measures have been costly.  Help us and give generously for Gypsy’s well-being. We will continue to provide updates about Gypsy’s condition as they develop. Meanwhile, we need your support and well-wishes for Gypsy.