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Fatal week

9/22/2013

12 Comments

 
Yeah, that’s pretty much the only way to describe the past week. Every new intake died or was euthanized.  And today we got in a juvie cattle egret who’s not looking good…

Our first DOA of the week was a nestling mourning dove from Laurens County who didn’t show any signs of injury, was fairly well-fleshed, but something was …off. It’s sort of a sixth sense rehabbers develop—we can’t find the problem, but we know one’s there.  My vets at Smalley’s Animal Hospital coined a term for this that I’ve adopted: “ain’t doin’ right”, or ADR. This little mourning dove was ADR but I held out hope that maybe I was being paranoid and she’d be okay. Because her finder was worried that possibly neighborhood free-roaming cats had mauled the dove, I started her on antibiotics as a precautionary measure. She died during the night.
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Next was an adult brown thrasher from Toombs County who was in all likelihood attacked by the finder’s outdoor cat. She saw the cat near the bird, who was thrashing about in the dirt. His leg was broken, either at the hip or in the femur.  I also started him on antibiotics and made him as comfortable as possible until I could get him in for x-rays the next morning (he came in at 7:30 at night). He also died during the night, suggesting internal injuries from the cat attack, although the only external injury was the broken leg.
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When this first-year female red tailed hawk came in from Washington County, I had high hopes. She was extremely emaciated but alert. Her only injuries were a broken “eyebrow” and a small metatarsal (foot) fracture. These were fixable, and even more cause for celebration, she would eat without being force-fed! Unfortunately, she began throwing up after every meal, so none of the needed nutrition was staying in her. I utilized a trick taught to me by another rehabber to end the vomiting—which I won’t elaborate on here, but any rehabbers reading this are welcome to contact me privately for details—a trick that has worked almost miraculously in the past. Not with this lady. Then the poop started…not diarrhea, but color and consistency indicating internal bleeding…she died within hours…
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The same day, this first-year male red tail came in from Bibb County with wing and leg fractures. I knew the wing fracture was fixable, even without an x-ray. The leg, though…the leg was in bad shape. THAT was gonna be the fate-sealer. And so it was. The next morning at Smalley’s, vet Peggy Hobby agreed that the severity of the leg fracture and displacement of the bones was a death sentence. We euthanized.
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And today, after an all-night and into-the-morning rainstorm, I found this juvenile cattle egret slumping at the edge of the hay field, sopping wet and covered with fire ants. We’d seen him around for a few days, eating at the far edge of the hay field, and I even started over to check on him once, but he flew away. As long as a bird is eating and flying, you don’t intervene. I worried, though, because all the other cattle egrets have migrated. He was on his own—quite literally.

This morning, near daybreak, I saw him flying in a light drizzle. Four hours later, he was down, drenched and ant-covered. I don’t know what happened in those four hours. I do know he’s very, very thin and weak, and he’s covered with fire ant bites, even his poor little eyes. I can’t think of a worse way to die than being bitten to death by fire ants.

Whether this poor fellow will make it or not is still uncertain. Rationally speaking, his chances aren’t good. From an emotional standpoint, though, I really, really want him to pull through.  That said, to be honest, if we were placing bets on his survival, my money would be on death by the end of the day—if that long. I sincerely hope I’m wrong. Nothing would please me more than to be able to report to you next week that he’s doing well. Don’t hold your breath, though. He’s in bad shape…
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Rather than end with gloom and doom, let me report that the nighthawk is doing well. Look at the improvement from last week in the flesh wound on her wing! I’ll be unwrapping that wing so she can test it in another few days, and I’m hopeful she’ll be able to use it. I leave you with a nice head shot and a lovely video clip of her “rasping”, which is the correct term for the “growling” noises they make.
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12 Comments
Catherine Fisher
9/22/2013 08:14:40 am

well, it has been a long week for you I can see Vonda. I know that all of these little critters have been grateful to spend their last hours in your loving hands. Thank you for all you do...

Reply
Laurens Wildlife Rescue
9/22/2013 08:25:32 am

Too long, Catherine...thanks.

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dmortii
9/22/2013 08:23:49 am

what a horrible week. i hope the egret makes it. it looks so sad. fingers crossed!

Reply
Laurens Wildlife Rescue
9/22/2013 08:26:35 am

Definitely not one of my happier weeks...Thanks for the good wishes for the egret. We'll see...

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Anne Golden
9/22/2013 10:36:56 am

Is this perhaps the wrong video, Vonda? I got a video of speed painting.

Reply
Laurens Wildlife Rescue
9/22/2013 10:51:32 am

Thanks for pointing that out, Ann. It showed as loaded on the editing site but apparently didn't load properly. Should be there now!

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Ann Feldman
9/22/2013 12:27:56 pm

When Bruce Yolton of Urban Hawks blog first started photoing birds he was warned. "birds die all the time". And they do, despite best efforts. Keep your eye on the ones you save, or at least escort out of the world in comfort. And think of the thousands that never need your help at all!

Reply
Laurens Wildlife Rescue
9/22/2013 01:02:04 pm

I know, Ann--it's an often-cited statistic among rehabbers that fully 50% of the critters we take in will NOT survive--they'll either be DOA, die in our care as we struggle to keep them alive, or require euthanasia. People sometimes wonder why we chant that stat like a mantra--well, it's to keep sane, to remind ourselves that we can't save 'em all. Does it make the losses any easier? No. Another rehabber and I had basically this same discussion last week, and we agreed that the day the deaths and EUs become easy, routine, nothing to get upset about--that's the day we need to stop rehabbing because we can no longer be effective at what we do.

That said, the small glimmer of hope for tonight is that the egret is more alert and standing now. His poor ant-bitten eyes are swollen nearly shut and he may still die during the night, but right now, he's by-God standing!

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Ann Feldman
9/22/2013 05:49:34 pm

My father was a physician and once we were in the same room when he received a phone call informing him of the death of a patient. He looked very sad and I asked if he were not used to this by now. (I was a teenager at the time). His answer was "you never get used to it."

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Laurens Wildlife Rescue
9/22/2013 06:03:48 pm

Perfect reply--and accurate, as well. You never do get used to it; if anything, it gets more difficult as you gain experience. You've had other animals with similar problems who survived, so you begin to second-guess yourself on losing this one; you wonder why you keep banging your head against a wall; you swear you need to find something else to do---and then the next critter comes in, and you drop everything to tend to it, because it needs help...

It's now just after 1AM; egret is still with us.

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Dusty Gres
9/23/2013 03:32:36 am

Your work is heart-warming and heart-breaking. I am thankful that are you able to save the ones you do.

Reply
Laurens Wildlife Rescue
9/23/2013 10:46:06 am

Thanks Dusty.

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