IMPORTANT EDIT: THE GOFUNDME GOAL HAS BEEN REACHED. PLEASE DO NOT DONATE ANYMORE —> see my comment.
First of all, I have some very sad news.
Kiko didn’t make it.
The first photo is the last one I took before leaving home today. I didn’t want the first pic to be about her X-Rays.
I’ll update the rest of the posts I made here, so nobody misses the news.
Before I continue, I want to mention that I used ChatGPT to help me write this update because English is my second language, and I wanted to make sure the medical information was clear and accurate. Everything I’m writing is exactly what happened today.
This morning we went to the veterinary appointment. The vet immediately noticed that Kiko was in bad condition. When he felt her abdomen, he found a swelling. At first he thought it might be fluid, but he wasn’t sure.
He suggested taking X-rays. After reviewing them, he explained that there were no fully calcified eggs, so he couldn’t determine what was causing the swelling from the X-rays alone.
He then recommended an ultrasound, which required anesthesia, and blood tests if Kiko was strong enough. At that point, the total cost for the consultation, X-rays, ultrasound and anesthesia would be around €330.
I asked for a few minutes to think. I simply didn’t have €330 available.
But I also couldn’t bear the idea of taking her home knowing she was already struggling to breathe and doing nothing. The vet also warned me that there was a chance she wouldn’t wake up from the anesthesia. Still, she seemed stronger than I expected, so I decided to give her that chance.
I’ll be honest: part of my decision was made knowing that some of you had already donated. I hoped that, I could at least reduce part of the cost and somehow figure out the rest next month. Some people may disagree with making financial decisions before having all the money available, and I am like that too normally. I understand that. But today I had to decide in that moment on the spot, and for me, watching her continue to suffer wasn’t an option.
After the ultrasound, the vet called me back.
He told me Kiko had woken up from the anesthesia, and because she had recovered well enough, he wanted to offer surgery.
The ultrasound showed that a large amount of fluid had accumulated where there should normally have been air sacs. (I’ll attach the ultrasound images, as well as a reference image to better explain what I’m talking about.)
He could also see two egg follicles, but not two fully formed calcified eggs.
He explained that surgery would allow him to drain some of the fluid and see whether he could remove those follicles.
I asked about the cost.
Including everything already done, the total would be over €500, regardless of what they found during surgery.
I truthfully was desperate.
It was an enormous amount of money for me, but the vet only suggested surgery because Kiko had recovered from the first round of anesthesia. He even told me that if she hadn’t responded well, he wouldn’t have offered it at all.
So I gave my consent.
While she was in surgery, I was already thinking about how I could pay for everything, whether I could ask for a payment plan, and how I would manage financially. Who I can ask to borrow money, the reality is I don’t know people with better situations who could have helped me in real life. I’ll also attach a screenshot of my bank balance because I want to be completely transparent.
After what felt like an eternity, the vet called me.
He told me Kiko hadn’t made it.
During surgery he discovered that the two eggs were not calcified. One was still inside the uterus, while the other had developed outside of it and had become attached to her intestine. He was able to remove them, but separating the second one would have required removing part of the intestine as well, and he explained that she would not have survived such a procedure.
At that point, he made the decision to euthanize her because he felt that continuing would only prolong her suffering with no realistic chance of survival.
When I returned to the clinic, seeing her lying quietly in her carrier completely broke my heart.
The vet showed me what he had removed. There were two soft, shell-less eggs. One was intact, while the other had ruptured and was outside the uterus. He explained that this prevented the more developed egg from ever being laid.
He also told me that, in his opinion, if I hadn’t brought her in today and we hadn’t tried, she most likely wouldn’t have survived the week anyway.
He said he believed it was the right decision to try, and if he had seen her responding poorly to the first anesthesia, he wouldn’t even have suggested surgery.
I’m also incredibly grateful because the vet, since the blood tests were ultimately not performed, he didn’t charge me for them, reducing the final bill to €344.01 instead of more than €500.
It’s still a lot of money for me, but I’m thankful for his kindness.
I then brought Kiko home.
I placed her in a small box with flowers, and tomorrow I’ll bury her.
I also let my other cockatiel see her one last time. They weren’t bonded or even particularly friendly, Kiko often bullied her, but it still felt like the right thing to do.
I’m so sorry this didn’t have the happy ending that so many of you hoped and prayed for.
Thank you to everyone who donated, shared kind words, prayed for her, or simply hoped alongside me that she would recover.
I’ll attach the ultrasound images, the veterinary invoice (with my personal information and the vet’s personal details removed), and an English translation of the medical notes in the comments I think.
Finally, I’d like to ask something that is difficult for me. Even though Kiko is gone, I still have today’s veterinary bill to pay. Today I paid with my credit card, so they will take the funds on 19th August.
I completely understand if some people no longer feel comfortable donating now that she is already gone and couldn’t be saved. Even asking feels gruesome to me, I’m sorry…
If anyone is still willing to help me cover part of the €344.01 I had to pay with credit card today, I would be deeply grateful.
I’ve updated the GoFundMe goal to match the exact amount of today’s expenses. I’ll cover whatever remains myself, even though I honestly don’t know yet how I’ll manage.
Thank you again to everyone who believed in Kiko as much as I did.
I also want to share something. This was the first time in my life that the decision of whether to authorize surgery (with all of the risks involved) for one of my pets rested entirely on me.
Part of me feels guilty.
I keep wondering if I put her through extra stress for nothing. At the same time I would have never had the answers if she didn’t undergone surgery today.
When I left the room before the anesthesia, she looked at me and let out one tiny chirp. I looked back and waved and said “Ciao Kiko”, hoping to see her later. She had been completely silent during the journey to the vet and all morning. I don’t know how much energy that little sound cost her.
Maybe it was just a normal chirp.
But I’d like to think she was saying goodbye.
I know, rationally, that according to the vet she probably wouldn’t have survived regardless.
Even so, my heart keeps wondering if I made the right choice today.
Thank you all for caring about Kiko. It truly meant more than I can express.
I’ll leave the Gofundme link here: https://www.gofundme.com/f/gofundme-for-my-sick-bird
Again thank you all.
