Hi Amyrah,
I am so sorry that you & the bird are going through this. I do want to be clear that I am not a Veterinarian and can only offer my advice based on experience. I am a veterinary technician, and one of the hardest cases I observed as an intern was similar to what you have described. My guess is that your bird either suffers from a genetic issue, or didn’t receive the proper nutrition from the start. In the case that I observed, the Blue & Gold Macaw was only a few weeks old, not feathered, and had fractures of the wings and legs. The Vet began surgery and found the bones were soft & pliable, and basically collapsing. He showed the breeder while the bird was still under anesthesia, and the breeder agreed that euthanasia was the most human option, so the bird was never woken back up. I so badly wanted to say I would take care of it, but I realized the Vet was right. I know your bird is a bit older, and you have had time to bond with him. But my guess is that he was already suffering from weak bone structure, and this caused the fall. A fall from that distance would not cause the injuries you describe in a bird with a healthy bone structure. Baby macaws are robust and can be very rowdy. They can flap their wings vigorously, and can actually injure a person with their strong bones. I received many a bruise from handfeeding eager macaws, and being struck by their wings. This is a tragic situation, but it sounds like your Vet has recommended the most humane action for this poor bird. A macaw is a heavy bodied bird as an adult, and he would have no quality of life without being able to walk or fly. He probably would not live for very long because of the pressure on his organs from the weight of his body. A Vet is not going to make this recommendation unless he feels there is not a realistic chance of the bird recovering. If this had been a head injury, then recovery from paralysis could happen. But damage to the spinal cord can’t be repaired or reversed. I know your Vet would explain everything to you, and answer your questions, so that you can make the right decision for the bird. Again, I am very sorry. You clearly love the bird and want to do what you can, but sadly sometimes the best thing we can do is let a pet go when there is no hope for any quality of life.
Take care,
Brenda
