Crow with cancer flies again after surgery

Veterinarian in Dindigul successfully treats crow with tumor, showcasing availability of pet treatment in small towns.

A crow with a tumorous growth on its right wing was treated successfully by a veterinarian in Dindigul, and freed recently.

The surgery is a testament to the availability of treatment to pets and animals in small towns of the State. “One of my clients brought the crow, which he used to regularly feed. It had a cancerous growth weighing 100 grams, and I surgically removed it. It was treated with antibiotics for a week before being set free...,” said A. Jayaraj, the veterinarian.

Jagadeesan Ramamurthy, who brought the crow for treatment, said the bird used to regularly come to his father’s residence in Dindigul. “It could not fly because of a growth on its wing. It is doing well after the surgery, and continues to visit my father’s place,” he said.

Dr. Jayaraj said though the surgery was over by 20 minutes, he had to carefully perform it and ensure that it was completed quickly. “We use an extremely small amount of anaesthesia on small birds before operating on them...”

Dr. Jayaraj also surgically set right the broken wings of a parrot chick recently.

The chick had broken its right wing (humerus bone) after falling from a tree. It was set right through intramedullary pinning – an ortho surgical procedure. “I made a hole in the bone with a drilling machine, and pinned together the broken bone...,” he said.

“[Before the surgery], the parrot struggled a lot, and walked with the help of its beak. Its condition has improved a lot after the procedure,” said T. Selvaraj, who rescued the parrot.