A new Vet learns an old trick.

[alvin]

As I said earlier we managed to rehab three PMV pidgies. A fourth, 'Fizz' had a badly crossed beak, and had difficulty earing. Nothing too serious, he was just malnourished as he was unable to compete with other birds for food in the flock. But I digress.

We found an animal lover with an avery who would take them in and put them with their flock.
As an extra insurance, we decided to get the birds innoculated and dewormed etc, and certified as such before we said bye-bye to the babies.

So it's a monday evening aroud 7:00PM, in Feburary. - It's dark outside. A perfect evening for some clandestine pidgie transport.

We round up the demons. Tutter and Gerturde (the first couple) in one box. Oskar, in another.
Problem. -- We're out of boxes. Or at least easily transportable ones. A quick search of the apartment later, problem solved. We stick Fizz in a shoebox for the 15 minute trip to the Vet.
With the theme song from 'Mission Impossible' Playing in my head, we make a cautious and above all quiet exit. I'm hoping that Gertrude will behave himself and not get 'amourous' at the wrong moment. -- Look, I know that Gertrude is a girls name, and he is a boy, but you try telling them apart when they are on their own. Gertrude was the first of the quad.
....Er...now I come to think of it, that alone probably explains his bad behaviour, and certain 'Sod you' attitude.

Anyway, we're in the car, The odd couple in the back with Oskar, Fizz in his shoebox on my GF's lap. (lid tightly closed). We make it to the vets.

After a short wait, the receptionist takes our names, and the birds names....yes, she did. I actually started warming to the whole situation. - Mayby a bit premature, but we'll see.

So we are ushered in to the surgery. The vet still wet behiend the ears, and in posession of a bright and sunny, enthuastic disposition of someone about a year out of school, and has yet to give his first cat enema......Talk about an episode that would guarentee turning a St. Francis into a cat hating psyco......


So we figure we'll get Fizz out of the way first. Other then the beak, he's fine.

So, the vet takes the shoebox, and places it in the middle of the exam table.......

Let me intrduce you to Schrodingers Cat. It's a simple thought experiment about a cat and a vial of poison in a box. Until you open the box, you can't know if the cat is alive, or dead. There is however a third alternative which Herr Schrodinger neglected to consider. - Bloody Furious.

He leaned over the box.
He tipped the lid completely over.

Fizz went off like a claymore. I Didn't know pidgies had afterburners.......

So he does what any pidgie would, he found the furthers most inaccessable, highest corner in the room, and made straight for it. To hell with what was in the way. Leaflets, fliers, equipment (some of it looked fairly expensive) went all over the place. The Vet ducked under the table, I, and my GF are standing there mortified, the Vets assistant is burrowing into the corner, trying to make herself as small as possible.
Fizzy is sitting on top of the cupbords at the back of the room looking on with obvious glee.

Yes, a Pidgie is capable of snickering, I witnessed it first hand.

The vet tries to regaing control of the situation. After all he's a professional, he's supposed to know how to handle a single pidgie, - even if this particular one has delusions of eaglehood.

And as usual, he does exactly the wrong thing. He trys to scare the bird into a more accessable position. This suceedes in making him look like a twonk, while Fizzy calmly strutts the length of the cupboard with an 'Is-That-All-You-Got' look on his face.
My GF Suggests that maybe she might be able to help.
I don't know if it was chauvinism, pigheadedness, or fear of an insurance claim, but the Vet responds very politly, that 'No, I can handle it'.

- Mistake, mistake, mistake.........

He locates a pole. and starts waving it at Fizzy. Fizzy decides that he's had enough of this, and makes a bolt for the opposite side of the room. The vet drops the pole, and makes a grab. Fizzy loses a tail feather, the vet loses all credibility with the GF.

Finall he admits, that maybe, if she woud be so kind, he would like some assistance in capturing this by now, totally enraged pidgie.


The lesson(s) he learned that evening?

1. Switch off the darned light.
The GF did without taking her eyes off Fizzie. Then simply reached out.

2. When you are offered help. Take it.

3. Trying to chase a scared pidgie is a waste of time. All you end up with is a had full of feathers, and total lack of self-confidence. And therapy is expensive.

A few shots later, the birdies were back in their boxes, non the worse for ware, and the Vet spent a while talking about pidgie sickness with the GF. And asking her how she treated them, and where she learned it..........

[Feefo]

LOL!!!!!

Very well told, I could picture every second of that visit!

Cynthia

[Trees Gray]

Thank you for sharing the adventures of the visit to the vet.

Although this seems amusing as you tell us this story, and tell it well, I'm sure it was quite stressful all around in the moment.

The reason owners are brought back to the examining room is not only because they are the responsible party, but they KNOW their pets, and can handle them, especially in a strange place.

My pet pigeons can handle a strange place, but can't handle a stranger. Pigeons are smart and recognize people who are familiar to them. The vet obviously is inexperienced with pigeons as most are.

My avian vet tech was surprised as to how tame Skye is. He stood on the weighing scale without any panic or movement. It really isn't a surprise...any bird that spends quality time with humans from hatchling becomes quite human orientated as with any other species of birds.

I really don't feel comfortable taking my pigeons there, they will only go there for extreme emergencies, as I have much more confidence in my rehabber, who is well versed and qualified to handle all birds, especially pigeons.

[Avalona Birdy]

ROFL! That is hilarious, even though it must have been extremely embarassing at the time! I can see it all.....I know that Is-That-All-You-Got look and strut well.

[Maggie-NC]

That was a great story. And, I've been there and done that! If I have to take a pidge to a vet I have never met, I tell them in advance that the bird can fly like the wind and to let me take them out of the carrier. My usual vets have handled so many that they hang on to them from the gitgo. You just taught the guy a valuable lesson!

My compliments to you and your GF for being so responsible in having these pidges checked out before taking them to their permanent home. What you did is rare.

Hope you'll be able to have other pigeons in your life.

[mr squeaks]

I, too, want to thank you for the GREAT "adventure." Made my morning! You put us THERE in the thick of things!

Also, thank you for getting your pijies checked out...I agree, that is quite the rare thing to do. I'm sure many people would just be glad to see them off as soon as possible.

I also know what you mean about the "looks!" Squeaks may not fly but he's got 'em and coming up with more!

[Lovebirds]

I'm laughing my A** off trying to read this to my husband, tears running down my face...................how absolutley histerical!!!!!!

[alvin]

Thanks, and although I spun it slightly, it's 99% true.
We were sort of lucky. The vet was new, and a lot of Vets in Ireland have very little time for Feral Pidgies. He was different. We only got charged for the drugs.
If you want to know how difficult it is, Google 'Avian Vets Dublin'

Dublin VA. comes up first.........And that's useless to us, it's about 3,000 miles away. My GF does her best, and I'm very proud of her for that.

[naturegirl]

You know I feel for the vet trying to be professional and all, but it doesn't take an Einstien to figure it out about turning out the lights. I guess a piece of paper means nothing to me without the experience behind it. That was a cute story Thank You.

[alvin]

Originally Posted by mr squeaks

I, too, want to thank you for the GREAT "adventure." Made my morning! You put us THERE in the thick of things!

Thanks squeeks.

I'm sure many people would just be glad to see them off as soon as possible.

The way I look at it is, we are responsible for them. We breed them, we created them. We have a duty to protect them. And not just the ones that look nice, and come back to the lofts. - All of them.

I also know what you mean about the "looks!" Squeaks may not fly but he's got 'em and coming up with more!

- I know what you mean. Gertrude is the most expressive animal I have ever met. And this is with a face that is physicaly incapable of changing.

[alvin]

Originally Posted by naturegirl

You know I feel for the vet trying to be professional and all, but it doesn't take an Einstien to figure it out about turning out the lights. I guess a piece of paper means nothing to me without the experience behind it. That was a cute story Thank You.

You're welcome.
I know. But remember that the Vet was under preassure, and lacked experience. It's easy to do the right thing afterwards, but he did his best. And I'm convinced that he won't make that mistake again. Next time a bird comes to him, he'll dim the lights, and never leave enough space for the bird to escape from their cage past his hand.
Like I said, the Vet learned a valuable lesson.

[TAWhatley]

Marvelous story, Alvin! Why don't you submit it to our Stories Forum?

Terry

[Feather]

Alvin,

I loved this story, and you told it soooooooo well. Please keep us posted on any other adventures of "As The Pigeons Fly".

Thank You,
Feather

[Victor]

Alvin, I had a rough day at work, but your story sure made a difference! What a funny story. I loved it too!

[ernie]

Your story made my day!