K.C. (male society finch) has been living with us since July of 2002. In April of 2003, I brought K.C. to the vet because his abdomen was swollen. (His abdomen was fine in 2002.) The vet took x-rays of K.C. and discovered that he, like Vinny, also had an enlarged liver. The x-ray also revealed something shocking. K.C.'s spine had been broken in not one, but TWO places! The vet said these were old injuries, before we rescued him.
As I looked at K.C.'s x-rays on the screen, I felt sick and angry. I saw red. This sweet little bird had been in extreme pain at some point in his life. . . and most likely received no vet care. The pet store sells these finches as "vet checked" and certifies that they are healthy. How did and when did he get injured? If it happened at the pet store, why didn't anyone notice him? So many other questions. . .
The x-ray below is presented with K.C.'s head pointing left and tail pointing right. His wings are at the top left of the x-ray. The yellow arrow shows the largest Point of Break in K.C.'s spine. There is a smaller (unmarked) one toward his tail. The spine should make a nice gentle curve, not a "v-type" bend. This bird was probably not active for a while. No one noticed?OK, I think the page title says it all here, so BE PREPARED for what you are about to see.
The green arrow points to some pieces of calcium in K.C.'s intestines. The finches eat calcium in the form of "cuttle bone." Guess he really likes calcium!For now, K.C. does not appear to be in any pain. He can still hop, fly, and mate. He will never have tail feathers because of the extensive follicle damage. (This is unrelated to his spinal injuries.)
Photos and text Copyright 2003 by Keri Krause. Please do not use this material without my permission. Thank you.
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