I am very relieved and excited to announce that Ella is almost back to her normal self! She had another x-ray and check-up yesterday which showed there were no signs of lead left in her gizzard! We were all (vet included) so relieved to know the medication has worked.  At this time no more treatment is necessary.

It was a very hard decision to have her feathers clipped again.  Although she bonded so well with us when we did them a few years ago I truly believe birds are meant to fly.  After this however I’ve decided her health is more important.  I had the vet leave the first 5 feathers so she still has some flight and can glide quite well, but she is unable to get herself up high.  I have to admit we had an amazing relationship the last time her feathers were clipped and I’m excited to get that back.  We have already been thoroughly researching mega-sized parrot gyms for her to make life on the ground as fun as possible.

When we got home Hubby and I set to work putting her cage back together.  Since we’ve been giving her more free time to help regain strength in her feet we thought it would be good to get her in her house.  At first she was having difficulty because her cage is so large it means a lot of climbing and her little feet tire quickly.  Today however she was doing a better job at holding on longer.  I’ve tried to put toys right beside perches so she can feel safe while she plays. Perches have been placed close to other perches so it’s easier to hop from one to the next.  She has a variety of perches and seems to feel the most comfortable on the larger, uneven ones so I’m going to check out the pet store and see if I can put some more in there to make it easier on her.  Maybe I’ll even throw in a new toy or two!

She’s chirping a lot, ringing bells and rattling things so I’m pretty sure she’s happy to have her space back.  We on the other hand, are just happy to have Ella back!