My little teacup Chihuahua Miss Penny began tossing phlegm & pooping blood. The vet said she would require hospitalization but my experience with hospitalizing birds & dogs has not gone well. In the past, against the advice of the vet, I’ve pulled them out & brought them home because they were getting worse away from their family. My brilliant avian vet in Colorado (David McCluggage, DVM) advises against hospitalization because several studies show that animals heal seven times faster when they remain with their caretakers. So I wasn’t willing to leave little Penny since I knew she’d be terrified & feel abandoned.
I instead took her to the shelter which has found families for my rescues & asked their suggestion for treating her. I’ve learned not to panic when an animal gets sick. They thought she might be constipated & suggested pumpkin puree baby food to loosen her up. Indeed that was the problem & my little diva is back to her normal pissy self. Keep pumpkin puree in mind if your dog gets jammed up. And don’t panic when an animal gets sick. My success rate in healing & keeping my birds alive is considerably higher than vets. But I rely on Dr. McCluggage’s book “Holistic Care For Birds” & sometimes consultations with him by phone.