Of course, the blue jay continues to visit, but less and less frequently now. I’m still seeing him two or three times a day though, the silly, endearing little beggar.
Last week was pretty darned amazing, as you’ll see in just a few—saving the best for last! Of course, the blue jay continues to visit, but less and less frequently now. I’m still seeing him two or three times a day though, the silly, endearing little beggar. And midweek as I was freshening feeders in the back yard, I heard a rush of feathers and looked up to see the Eurasian collared dove. Hadn’t seen him in several weeks, so that was a nice surprise. Unfortunately, a rehabber’s life is not always full of pleasant surprises. Yesterday this gorgeous adult yellow-billed cuckoo came in, severely emaciated and with both legs broken. The thinness was a direct result of the broken legs, of course, and while he probably should have been euthanized immediately, he was still so alert and had such a will to live that I decided to give him a chance. I fed him several small meals and set both legs before putting him to bed for the night, pumped full of pain meds and antibiotics. He was flexing one foot before lights-out last night, but as of today, he’s no longer attempting to flex his feet and seems more lethargic and less willing to take food. If, by later this evening, he’s not showing some signs of perking up, I’m gonna have to reluctantly call it on the sweet, shy bird. And now…the reason for my “amazing vets” in the header! Late last Sunday a young male barred owl came in with a broken right wing. Of course, this was Labor Day weekend, so it would be Tuesday before I could get x-rays…On Tuesday, vet Jim Hobby of Smalley’s Animal Hospital, after looking at the x-ray, decided to try and pin the wing. Our options were attempt the surgery or euthanize the bird. Jim was eager to save this young bird’s life, so we opted for the surgery, which was scheduled for Friday. Friday, I showed up, bird in box and camera in hand, and shortly before their lunch break was to start, Jim and fellow vet Richie Hatcher prepared to try and save this owl’s life. These two dedicated vets, later joined by vet tech Autumn Parker, worked through their lunch break on the owl. The series of photos below, with minimal commentary as needed, documents their outstanding work. Once the incision was sutured shut, Jim and Richie took a series of x-rays as they positioned the pin exactly where it needed to be in relation to the shoulder joint. Once the bone heals, the pin will be removed, but the very thin, lightweight wire wraps will remain in place. The entire process, from gassing down the bird to the final x-ray, took just under 90 minutes. Another 90 minutes after the surgery ended, the barred owl was standing in his box and clicking his beak in threat. Within 15 minutes of my getting him home, he was perching and eating! A huge and resounding “thank you” to extraordinary vets Jim Hobby and Richie Hatcher and to talented vet tech Autumn Parker for their miraculous work on this owl! It will be several weeks before we know if the surgery was a success in terms of restoring flight capability to the owl, but he’s got a helluva better chance now than he did this time last week!
14 Comments
Kathryn
9/7/2014 09:00:47 am
Beautiful placement on the pin! Go awesome vets (and you, of course!)
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Laurens Wildlife Rescue
9/7/2014 09:32:41 am
Aren't they amazing, Kathryn?! Been tellin' Jim for years I want them to do any surgery I ever require.
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Maureen
9/7/2014 09:00:59 am
Good job!
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Laurens Wildlife Rescue
9/7/2014 09:33:24 am
Good vets! I love my vets!
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sandee
9/7/2014 09:14:58 am
Awesome.
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Laurens Wildlife Rescue
9/7/2014 09:34:07 am
The folks at Smalley's are indeed awesome!
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Catherine Fisher
9/7/2014 09:36:18 am
as always, many, many thanks to you and the others in your group who do such wonderfully awesome work on saving or helping to pass humanely, this little critters who come into your care.
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Laurens Wildlife Rescue
9/7/2014 10:02:47 am
Thanks Catherine!
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dmortii
9/7/2014 10:55:47 am
Wow. Ubelievable to get to see this. Hooray to the vets who care enough to try this over and over. And to u for bringing us these stories.
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Laurens Wildlife Rescue
9/7/2014 11:02:18 am
Thanks dm! My vets are amazing!
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Pipette
9/7/2014 01:56:38 pm
Totally astounding to see that surgery up-close like that! (Also confirms I didn't miss any career requiring surgical technique; talk about needing fine motor coordination skills, wow.) Your vets are top-drawer all the way!
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Laurens Wildlife Rescue
9/7/2014 02:10:51 pm
Hey Pipette, it IS amazing, as are my vets; you're right. I loved being able to watch it in person.
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Ann Feldman
9/7/2014 05:53:38 pm
Years ago I found a 6 month old kitten with multiple leg and pelvic fractures. My vet knew enough to know it was beyond his skill level, so he called in a orthopedic surgeon who operated in other vet's offices. The surgery to pin the broken pelvis and put the tiny bones back in place (7 small pins and one big one that eventually was removed) was described as a 3 dimensional jig-saw puzzle. It all took 3 hours. The little witch (Sarah) healed beautifully and lived 16 more years. I still miss her every day.
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Laurens Wildlife Rescue
9/8/2014 01:25:19 am
It's pretty amazing surgery to watch, that's for sure!
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