A GASPING peacock that was suffering from a dangerously restricted windpipe leaving him struggling to breathe has been saved thanks to the tireless efforts of a Laindon vet.

Two-year-old Pea Whizzle was in serious trouble and needed urgent care from specialist exotic vet Daniel Calvo Carrasco at the Linnaeus-owned Southfields Veterinary Specialists.

Daniel, a European specialist in avian medicine and surgery, carried out an intricate operation to save the day and earn glowing praise from Pea Whizzle’s relieved owner Sophia Roma.

Sophia, who has 45 birds ranging from peacocks to pigeons, fears her beloved pet would not have made it without the heroic work of the veterinary team.

She said: "I can’t thank Daniel enough for how he cared for Pea Whizzle. He’s a real miracle worker.

“I’ve had peacocks since I was six years old and I knew there was something badly wrong. Pea Whizzle was rasping and gasping and I was extremely concerned.

“When Daniel examined him, he said he was down to a really reduced capacity in his airwaves so it was now or never in terms of surgery.

“It was that dramatic and I’m convinced Pea Whizzle would not have made it if Daniel hadn’t operated immediately.”

Echo:

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Daniel, who is a member of the European College of Zoological Medicine, successfully removed the constricted part of the trachea to open up the peacock’s airwaves once again and Pea Whizzle has now made a full recovery.

So much so, the peacock is already back to the kitchen ready to snack on a piece of cake.

Daniel said: "Pea Whizzle was taken to surgery and a tube was placed into his left abdominal air sac to help him breathe and allow us to keep him under anaesthetic while doing surgery on his trachea.

“We then removed the section of the trachea that was constricted and stitched the remaining trachea back together very carefully and gently.

“Pea Whizzle was kept under observation for 12 hours after the operation with the air sac tube still in place before it was removed for us to monitor if he was able to breathe normally again via his trachea.

“Everything was fine and he was soon allowed home with a further check-up two weeks after surgery confirming he is doing well and his breathing is back to normal.”

Echo:

Pea Whizzle is almost back to normal now, apart from some baldness on his neck where he was plucked before the operation. 

Sophia continued: “It’s out of this world what Daniel and the team at Southfields have done, especially considering that a peacock’s neck is so tiny.

“Pea Whizzle’s made a really good recovery. He’s just popped into the kitchen for a piece of cake so things are definitely returning to normal!”