Nicolas had his tumor removed earlier today, and when I left him he was alert but still groggy from the anesthesia and pain medication. Thanks to all for the prayers and positive thoughts -- they certainly seem to have helped!
The vet said he was able to remove 95 percent of the tumor (a small amount was too deeply embedded into the wing for it to be safely removed), and he will submit it to a lab to determine whether it's malignant.Depending on what type of tumor it is, it may or may not grow back. But that could happen whether it is benign or malignant. If it is malignant, we will face a tough choice:
(1) Just let nature take its course, and deal with the tumor regrowth when it returns -- likely meaning he would have to be put down then, or
(2) Amputate the wing to prevent the tumor from growing back again and possibly spreading cancer to other parts of his body.
We are fairly certain we would never want to subject him to a wing amputation. As strong and lively as he is, I just can't imagine that he would have any real quality of life left without the ability to fly. Has anyone on the forum ever had a bird with only one wing? If so, how did it fare? Did they ever adjust to being flightless and seem happy again at some point?
everyone that helped him get better
