Cathy: "We have a Cochin. She’s beautiful. Her feathers are an iridescent black. With Cochins, the feathers cover the entire leg. She’s a pet, part of the family. She’s four years old and must weigh seven pounds. But just lately she developed some sort of neurological disease. She would quiver, shake, sometimes her wings, sometimes all over. Faint. We took her to the vet. We thought she had eaten something bad. It’s such a wet year, there are mushrooms all over the place. Perhaps she ate mushrooms or some poisonous berries. The vet took an x-ray. It cost $400."
Dr. M. (flabbergasted): "You spent $400 on a ten-dollar chicken?!
Cathy: "Actually, she was given to us. Free."
Dr. M.: "What did the x-ray show?"
Cathy: "An egg. You could see it clearly."
Dr. M.: "I mean about the disease."
Cathy: "Nothing in particular. The shaking stopped after a while, But a few days later she developed bumblefoot because she couldn’t perch correctly.
Dr. M.: "Bumblefoot?"
Cathy: "Bumblefoot is an infection. It distorts the shape of the foot. So we’ve been giving her antibiotics. One of us holds her in a towel, then the other pries open her beak. You insert a mixture of applesauce and antibiotic into her beak. She doesn’t like it."
Dr. M.: "Is it working?"
Cathy: "It’s not clear. She may have to have surgery. The doctor recommends it."
Dr. M. (in a state of shock): "Surgery? On a chicken? How much is that going to cost."
Cathy: "The vet says $700. He’s an avian specialist.
Dr. M (astounded): "Are you going to do it?"
Cathy: "We don’t know. We’re thinking about it."
Dr. M.: "Have you considered physical therapy? Massage. Perhaps acupuncture?
Cathy: "First we’re going to try echinacea or goldenseal."
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