Conclusion

Conclusion

Dealing with cancer in a bird, or any pet is complicated and problematic for both owner and practitioner. The highly emotional nature of dealing with cancer can be exhausting and frustrating for both as well; this can lead to conflict between the two about how to treat -and even whether to treat -the affected bird. In previous decades, the answer was clear: The only and best resolution was euthanasia. Not so today. In today’s veterinary community, even among the clinicians and specialists themselves, much disagreement occurs. There’s always that one more treatment to try, one more drug to offer, and one more procedure with which to experiment. Some owners will go to any lengths to save the beloved pet. This may meet a neurotic need to keep a bird alive. Some will even gavage-feed a terminal bird to prolong life, no matter how little quality-of-life exists. Modern technology forces us to refocus our awareness on what is best for the animal. This begs the question: Will this treatment give the bird permanent, or at least long-term, relief from the discomfort caused by cancer?  Does this new and advanced therapy prolong the life of the animal or lengthen his misery? Why are we considering drastic means? Is pursuing extreme options worth what the animal must endure? Or are we merely staving off the inevitable to placate our own emotional needs at the expense of the animal’s suffering?

Today, we have medications that will make the lives of the birds with cancer tolerable if cancer has not metastasized a great deal. Surgical techniques have been developed which improve the chances of the bird being cancer-free or surviving with a relatively normal, better-than-average quality of life.  The clinician and the owner must give careful consideration to the consequences of any treatment plan they formulate and not put the bird through unnecessary anguish and distress.