I have a love-hate relationship with this time of year. I love fall—always have. After I became a wildlife rehabber, my love for fall increased because it meant the end of hectic baby season. However…it also means the time of year I see the most unfixable injuries, especially in raptors. And that, my friends, sucks—big time.
Last week I had the vulture that I told you would require euthanasia, and he did. Early that Sunday evening, I received a juvenile American coot who was unable to use his legs. I was hopeful this was a fixable injury, and when Monday’s x-rays showed no hip or pelvic fractures, vet Richie Hatcher and I were pretty excited that we might be able to save this bird. Of course, we also knew that there was the very real possibility of spinal trauma that would preclude release…
Last week I had the vulture that I told you would require euthanasia, and he did. Early that Sunday evening, I received a juvenile American coot who was unable to use his legs. I was hopeful this was a fixable injury, and when Monday’s x-rays showed no hip or pelvic fractures, vet Richie Hatcher and I were pretty excited that we might be able to save this bird. Of course, we also knew that there was the very real possibility of spinal trauma that would preclude release…
And that is indeed what we had. The poor coot reached the point in three days that he was unable to even float levelly in water—and “begged” to get out of the water, in fact. So we called it on him.
The very afternoon after we euthanized the coot, I was called about a downed red tailed hawk (RT) in a neighboring county. The deputy who found him was willing to meet me halfway, so near dark on a rainy evening, I picked up an adult male RT who had no apparent fractures but was somewhat “out of it.” The deputy said he’d been feisty in the box, and indeed, he seemed active on the way home. My initial assumption, from the cursory parking lot exam under an umbrella, was a probable concussion.
When I got the RT home and performed a more thorough exam, he turned out to be rail thin, so I grabbed the treatment for capillaria, nasty little crop parasites RTs are prone to, and started to treat him. And he had a violent seizure in my arms.
**WARNING** The video below shows the RT in the throes of a massive seizure. It’s not pretty, but it’s the harsh reality rehabbers face regularly. As I’ve reminded you often, it’s not all warm and cuddly.
**WARNING** The video below shows the RT in the throes of a massive seizure. It’s not pretty, but it’s the harsh reality rehabbers face regularly. As I’ve reminded you often, it’s not all warm and cuddly.
This was the beginning of a night of non-stop seizures. I’m not currently set up for home euthanasia, but that will change this week. Had I had the proper supplies on hand, the RT wouldn’t have suffered all night. Honestly, I didn’t expect him to survive the night, but he did. It was again Richie Hatcher of Smalley’s Animal Hospital who euthanized the RT Saturday morning. Poor Richie performed all three euthanasias for me last week…
Today a barred owl came in with what appears to be either a severely displaced or broken shoulder. Only x-rays will confirm which, but it’s a nasty and probably life-ending injury…So yeah, I’ll be back at Smalley’s in the morning with this bird, as well…
Today a barred owl came in with what appears to be either a severely displaced or broken shoulder. Only x-rays will confirm which, but it’s a nasty and probably life-ending injury…So yeah, I’ll be back at Smalley’s in the morning with this bird, as well…
The flyers, as they begin to eat more on their own, are becoming shyer and shyer—and more active nocturnally. I managed a couple of photos when I woke them earlier today, and the video was filmed in the near-dark, so it’s pretty awful, but you can get an idea of how insanely active the little rascals are at night.
Now for a bit of good news on the fundraising front: Macon, Georgia’s Grand Opera House has very generously donated 2 tickets to Bring It On: The Musical in January to LWR to use in an online raffle! Here’s the way this works: from now until Dec. 6, donors will have their names entered into the drawing for the tickets, which are a $100 value. For every $5 donated, your name will go in the pot once, i.e., donate $25 and you’re entered 5 times. You can use the PayPal links located on each page of the website to donate, or mail your donations to Laurens Wildlife Rescue, 1101-L Hillcrest Pkwy, PMB #255, Dublin, GA 31021. In the Dec. 8 update, I’ll announce the lucky winner!
And finally, for those of you who’ve been so patiently awaiting this, the 2014 Laurens Wildlife Rescue calendar is available at http://www.lulu.com/shop/laurens-wildlife-rescue-2014-calendar/calendar/product-21282459.html?showPreview=true. Again, all proceeds above Lulu.com’s cut will be used to fund LWR’s operations next year, so buy lots of calendars—they’ll make great Christmas gifts or stocking stuffers!
RSS Feed
