R2D2 Beats Stroke

This past week we had a bit of a scare when R2D2 had lots of trouble getting down from the lemon tree and we discovered that his bottom half was mostly paralyzed. His left claws wouldn’t open and his left leg wouldn’t support any weight, and the right side was functioning just enough for him to hold him on the branches while he used his beak to pull himself down to their dining area. We had seen Jade appear exactly like that, shortly before she died, so I wasn’t optomistic about his chances. We brought him inside to a basket and nursed him for two days with baby aspirin (getting baby aspirin into a parrot, even a sick one, that didn’t want it was a whole story in itself) and chichipin berries and flowers that are just coming into season (the only thing he would take willingly, since I’m sure he knows it is a natural antibacterial, antifungal agent), after which he has miraculously recovered!! By the third day he was back outside on the branches again, teaching himself how to once again use the paralyzed toes of his left foot … you can see in the photo above how his left foot has a third toe pointing ahead instead of behind. Within half an hour of being back on the tree he had learned how to use his beak to slip that toe backwards where it belongs so it will grip the branch!!

Here below are all four, back together again … eating their favorite food – fresh flowers and herbs. They are …. from left … Gypsy, R2D2, Gandalf and Angel.