What a day! (Birdie *updated*).

My neighbours dog, jess (aka little Jess) came for a visit while her dad went shopping.  She has separation anxiety, a rescue with a not so happy prior life. We do not raise a voice, hand nor clap as she will flee to a corner. She is very head shy & didn't like to be touched, now  she loves cuddles!   . He is her 4th? owner.

He has to go away soon to see his brother as he is not well,  he cannot take little Jess there, (they will not allow a dog in their house) so she has to get used to him not being with her.

I will take her when he goes. He is 78, little Jess is about 8 I think? She is so tiny I'm scared to walk incase I step on her.... a chihuahua x foxie x god knows what? Mini Daushhound? Heres a pic.., shes a long chihuahua.   (she is soooo cute!)

She is not dog, people, or air friendly, she growls & snaps at anything but my guys love her & she has finally learnt to be nice with them & the chooks.



During little jess's visit..... Tyson bought another chick inside...

Poor little thing, Tyson was carrying it so gently, almost as if his teeth hurt. ( what a good puppy, I am so proud of his gentleness).... he placed it on the floor inside the back door to show me.  Both wings are damaged, it has 1st & last feathers on both wings, nothing in between, one wing is obviously broken...  I went to the chemist, got a syringe & eye dropper. It is eating meal worms & drinking from the eye dropper. But I don't like it's chances by the morning ... it is in my study with straw in a tub. I'm trying to keep it calm but for a young chick ( maybe 2wks) that's got to be in pain, it is fighting hard! I will give it a drink every hour or so during the night.

If it makes it, I dont think it will ever fly again so if all goes well.... I have a new pet birdie, but I don't think I will.


Sorry its not a good pic. I don't want to move him (she) to get a shot as he squeals in pain.
This is the 3rd chick Tyson has bought to the door. The last one made it, I really dont think this one will. I will try, but I think we are running up hill without a water bottle.

Aww little jess is cute, and looks very happy with your bunch. I think they will help bring her out of her shell, many times the problem with them is theyre just not exposed to life enough and always mollycoddled then when they enter the real world with real dogs they come out fighting!

Good luck with the little birdy, im rooting for it!

Shame, I can see little Jess was a bit stressed. She's such a pretty little thing.

And how is Birdie doing?

Cheers guys,

Little Jess is brilliant with mine. She certainly does come out of her shell with them but as soon as she sees another dog or person she doesn't know, she is a maniac on speed. We are trying to get her socialized, praying she will follow my dogs lead but she is not young & has been beaten many times in her life. (If you lift your hand to scratch your head or face, she bolts in sheer fear... she was taken away from an owner due to abuse & neglect. Another owner gave her back to the RSPCA as she was" too much work".

Birdie is doing wellish. He is eating & drinking, has heaps of energy & pooping profusely..... all good signs but I do not want to get my hopes up. His wings are badly damaged, to a degree that makes me think there are other internal injuries. Though he is fiesty, I don't like his chances. I will do whatever I can for him but.....I will be surprised if he is with us in the morn.

Fingers crossed for Jess and Birdie

Well, the chick is not only still of this world, but woke me this morning screaming it's lungs out for food!

It ate 5 meal worms in a row!! & drank nearly 1/3 of the water in the eye dropper!

Well done! You've got your hands full there!

Done some research. It's a she.... & she is fighting.  There will be many sleepless nights to come but, I love to see her chugging down the meal worms at every hr of the day. & when she drink water,

If I had a hat I would take it off to you Tracy.

Your two nursemaids look so calm and gentle with Little Jess (maybe some Corgi in there?) that I feel sure that your very neighbourly action will come off well.

And well done with Birdie! The times I've failed with baby birds I feel sure was letting them get cold at night, but I'm guessing that's not a problem. Do you know what sort of Birdie she is?

I must agree, my two are wonderful for little Jess. She is a different dog with them to when she is a lone dog. I will have her for about 3 days. I think it will do her wonders, though I am weary about dinner time with her, she is not very social.

Birdie is fighting fit! Yelling at the top of her lungs & scoffing down her meal worms, drinking like someone just called "last drinks" & jumping out of her tub to run around the study.

Cold nights are not a problem here this time of year. It was 20c overnight last night & will be about 18c tonight.

Her legs are working as well as her lungs but, I am worried over one wing. She cannot expand it nor fold it. It just hangs by her side.

She is a native thrush. She will be beautiful when grown but for now she is just brown with her chest markings just starting to show.

Glad she's doing so well. Go Birdie!!!

Good luck with both of them!

I don't need to wish you good luck with Little Jess because I'm sure she'll be just fine.

Ref Birdie's wing - I have heard of people being able to tell through very careful feeling whether a bone is broken, and then stabilising it by taping a matchstick (on a tiny bird) or lollypop stick or whatever.

But, to cheer you (hopefully):- there are many common-or-garden carrion crows in my area. One I recognise as when he walking around his wing is drooping on the ground. I suppose he must have been injured at some point. But, he can get up and fly with the best of them! And he's been around for well over a year now, happy as Larry.

Do keep us updated!

There is no doubt that her right wing is broken. I am trying to keep it in the right position to heal but she is too tiny for me to even use a matchstick. She is about 5-6cm, from the tip of her beak to her butt. Not even a tail feather does she have yet.

Today hasn't gone as well as I'd hoped. Her wing is just dragging as she walks around & this evening she does not want to eat. She has had plenty of both food & water today but about 6pm she stopped being interested. Its not dark here till about 9pm so she has been alert & hungry till then but.... not today.

Poor birdie. Shock might just be setting in and taking its toll. You can use a bandage to make sure the wing is kept in the one posistion maybe?

Poor birdie - let's hope she can pull through this little set back.

I don't hope it's the poor bunny story over again. Come on birdie!!! You can do it!

Oh dear, poor Birdie - as Hayley says, shock and pain may have set in.

Good luck Birdie - keep your beak up

Fingers crossed!

Thank for all the good wishes, they are very much appreciated & working.

She is doing better again this morning. She ate 7 meal worms! She had a sit with Tyson for awhile giving her the most gentle kisses I have ever seen, sat on the footstool, hopped over to visit jess, then Chilli came for a look.... I flicked her on her ear without her knowing I did it. She now thinks the bird can bite!

Seems its one day up... one day down for birdie at the moment.

Sounds hopeful - keep at it birdie!

Yay! Glad she's picked up!

She's wandering around the study, pooping everywhere & today I started physio with her. Balancing on my finger (moving it back & forth) & strengthening her wings. (She sits on my finger as I raise her to my face height & then lower my finger as she holds on but moves quickly enough down to sligtly flutter.) Also good for her legs & toes to get used to hanging on to the tree in wind.

Still not sure about her wing but.... she's doing far better than I ever thought she would.

It sounds like you're being a good mummy!

She is so cute! When I open the door to feed or play with her, I whistle & she chirps back at me!