Natascha's Inspirations

 

So you all may know that Murphy was diagnosed with liver disease by her vet.  I was told in order to keep her alive I had to keep her on this med 2 x per day for the rest of her life.  So I said OK, and tried it.   I would say for  8 – 12 months I had her on meds.  She was declining in health.  She stopped talking, playing, singing. She didn’t want to come out of her cage.  She wanted nothing to do with anyone and sat in her cage.  This from a bird that was the center of the house hold.  So I resigned myself that meds weren’t working and she didn’t have much longer.  There is no cure for liver disease just maintaining and trying to get it to work the best you can. In a last ditch effort,  I spoke to a local radio DJ, who my girl friend told me also had a parrot with liver problems- Pepper.  Depicted in the painting that I painted below. 

 

He referred me to his vet that he said consulted the Detroit zoo.  So Murphy went and saw her.  She said she didn’t see liver cirrhosis, according to the blood work, she said to stop the meds and perhaps it was something else and referred me to another vet in Ohio.  Then I took Murphy to another  3rd vet that I heard good things about.  She also agreed  her blood work looked good and to stop the meds.   So I decided to stop the meds and see what happened.  I thought that Murphy was really depressed by having to take the meds 2x per day and it wasn’t worth it.    The end result was that I could take Murphy to Ohio to be ultra sounded to see if it was liver disease or cancer or something else serious.  My thought was she seemed so ill.  How would she take the 3 hr car ride and if it was that serious what was the point? I really didn’t want to keep stuffing meds down her. 

 

So fast forward to now after not being on the meds and She is back to her old personality. Talking, playing, wants to be out with “Mama”. She is happy and no longer depressed or wanting to be in her cage.



Murphy full of it and excited



In fact if I’m trying to do something, and put her in her cage while I am home.  I hear shouts of “MAMA, MAMA, MAMA!!!” until I come get her out.  ARGH!!! I groan, but then I think back to before Thanksgiving when I resigned myself that she probably wouldn’t be here in 2013.

 

 

 I do think there is something wrong with her.  She gets tired, and last week wasn’t feeling as great. Not as spunky.  My thoughts are Quality of life- rather than quantity.  Parrots can live 75+ years when healthy.  I don’t want her miserable or in pain.  She’s happy and not in pain and I love her dearly.



Cuddling with her Mama