Brisbane Bird and Exotics Veterinary Services/Facebook
BRISBANE, Australia (FOX 26) - Nicky the chicken is on the road to recovery. The Brisbane Bird and Exotics Veterinary Services is helping the little chicken recover after she was injured in a cat attack in her first home and then sustained further injuries to her neck.
"In a misguided attempt to end Nicky’s suffering, the owner tried to wring her neck, but only ended up causing additional neck injuries," the clinic said in a post on Facebook.
The chick was left with her neck at an abnormal angle. Nicky was surrendered to a veterinary clinic and then found her way to a new owner who was determined to help her recover with the help of the BBEVS.
Brisbane Bird and Exotics Veterinary Services chronicled Nicky's progress as she recovered with the assistance of a tiny neck brace. When Nicky was first brought in, she would rest with her head upside down.
Nicky was treated with antibiotics for the injuries from the cat attack and pain relief. She was also given a tiny neck brace which was removed daily to see how the chicken was regaining strength in her neck. The clinic said Nicky was able to eat and drink water during recovery despite the angle of her neck. " We needed to ensure that Nicky could have a good quality of life, and if she couldn’t, humane euthanasia would have to be considered," the clinic wrote.
Adjustments were made as her neck straightened and gained strength.
After a week of care, Nicky was able to go with out her neck brace and the angle of her neck showed improvement.
Nicky will continue to recover in the care of her new owner. "Her very dedicated mum will continue to manage her as a special needs chicken, and together we will ensure that she continues to cope with her disability and that her life is full of love (and mealworms!)," the clinic wrote.
The clinic ended the post with a plea to pet owners to take injured pets to the vet to avoid situations like Nicky's.
"While the ending of suffering is a good thing, it should only be done by qualified and experienced people. Should you have an animal that requires euthanasia, then please take it to a veterinary practice for a compassionate and humane process," the clinic said.