Pierre UPDATE 4/24/10

Pierre seems to be doing fine but man, my heart goes out to the little guy. I broke my leg 30 years ago and I still remember how surprisingly painful pain can be. Before then, I'd cracked my head or dropped something heavy on my toe and thought that that moment of intense pain was how painful pain can be. But no- I learned from my simple fracture that the scale goes waaaaaay higher than it should. I can't even imagine what a bad* break like his must feel like (*twisted and not immobilized).

He's on Meloxicam (for pain & swelling) 1x per day and Butorphanol (an opoid) for pain 2x a day and I worry that giving him the medicine may cause him more pain than it alleviates. Pierre is tame and is fine with being handled (though now I'm awkward trying not to bump his leg) but for some reason, he really hates getting his syringe of medicine. It's tricky giving it to him without him getting upset and flapping his wings which of course jars his whole body which must be excruciating. I'm working on it- with a towel, without... After his medicine, he naps and I don't know if it's because the stuff makes him sleepy or if because he's in such pain he just shuts down, closes his eyes and tries to cope with it that way.

He is eating and preening and today I saw him stand up (!) and hobble a couple of inches to go get a drink of water. He has to walk like a man with his pants around his ankles but he did it- he walked with his belly a whole inch off the ground.



I think he's doing OK but ouch. I'm sure he's hurting a lot. Poor little guy.

They're outside enjoying the sunshine and gentle breezes and the backyard bird show right now.