Shelby was just 12 weeks old when Jess welcomed her into a family made up of a bearded dragon and two dogs. Knowing the average lifespan of a macaw is 60 years, with the oldest pet macaw reported to have lived to 112, Jess wasn't put off.
"It's why I got a macaw, I wanted a lifelong pet," says Jess.
An avid animal enthusiast, with a particular love of birds and reptiles, Jess was looking for an interesting pet that would challenge her. Shelby is allowed to roam and fly freely in their home, and also has a walk-in aviary in the lounge room.
She was a very sick bird when I last saw her, and would have died had the tube not been found and removed.
Dr Tristan
Not herself
Jess first noticed Shelby wasn't quite herself at five months old. She became less chatty, was regurgitating her food, looked underweight and had droopy wings.
After visiting another vet clinic, which couldn't give a clear diagnosis, Jess brought Shelby to Lort Smith, as she knew we had an accident and emergency department and could see her quickly.
Fortunately, Unusual Pets and Wildlife Veterinarian Dr Tristan was on shift.
"When I took radiographs a surprisingly large tubelike foreign body was visible. I was able to take it out of the stomach using an endoscope."
"Once we removed it we could see that it was a feeding tube. The carers were not missing any feeding tubes so I suspect the tube had been swallowed while still at the breeders – sitting in the stomach the whole time they have had her," says Dr Tristan.
It's very inappropriate for a breeder to sell an unweaned bird. Lort Smith doesn't recommend buying unweaned birds unless you're very experienced in caring for birds.
Jess was very surprised at what Dr Tristan found, especially the length of the feeding tube, which measured 8 cm!
"I've been really happy with Dr Tristan and the service we've received from Lort Smith. He is really engaging and very informative," says Jess.
Back to full health
At a recent recheck appointment, Dr Tristan confirmed Shelby has made a full recovery, is looking much brighter, and is now at a healthy weight.
"She was a very sick bird when I last saw her, and would have died had the tube not been found and removed," explains Dr Tristan.
Jess is delighted Shelby is back to full health, eating her favourite blueberries and causing a ruckus for Jess and her partner.