Chip..

 

 

 

This sweet boy was our senior Lovebird..he came in as a transfer from another shelter and it was clear from the beginning he was much older than the current resident lovebirds.

His beak was very overgrown – after a trim, and the introduction of toys to chew and calcium blocks, his beak was perfectly shaped within 4 weeks.

Chip loved to hang out in his hidey hut, every morning you would find him inside and when he peered out at you, all you got to see was this tiny eye peeking around and silently staring at you, he would not move a muscle, just wait patiently for whatever treat you were putting in his cage.

I often laughed as I watched him watching the other lovebirds – he would sit at the edge of his hut and turn his head sideways and stare at them – either wishing he was young enough to play with them or hoping they would settle down so he could have his nap.

Yes, he slept alot – more than the other birds and at times I swear I could hear him snore!

In late summer he had his first seizure, he simply fell off his perch and convulsed in his cage – it was a fast episode, and there didn’t appear to be any lasting effects.

A month later it happened again and by December, it was a weekly occurance – he had a time bomb inside and there was no outward signs of it until this past week.

He started slowing down quite abit last Monday, he was sleeping more than he was awake and seemed a bit more wobbly on his feet than normal.  On friday I noticed his right eye was very watery and seemed in a bit of an odd shape and he was not climbing up his cage.  By saturday night you could see a bit of swelling above the eye.  Sunday afternoon it was double in size and he was no longer perching but staying at the bottom of his cage to eat/drink.

By the time we got him to the vet – the eye was compromised, and the lump was very pronounced.  A cancerous tumor had taken over and the vet believes that this is what was causing the seizures.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

(you can see the tumorous lump on the top of his head – those are not ruffled feathers)

We couldn’t save him – this sweet boy is now soaring high and free and probably the happiest he has ever been.

Chip taught me patience and that its ok to just “be”..we don’t need to always be so busy and we really do need to just stop…slow down…and enjoy the things in front us…to busy being busy…we often forget the things that truly matter..

He will never be forgotten….