Thank You BMW Supporters
Thank you to all who have renewed your BMW membership or made a year-end contribution. Donations made during December will fund rehabilitation, education and research programs in 2020. Your support makes our work possible. Thank you very much.
Week in Review
There were just five admissions this past week: one California Gull who died from injuries received when it was struck by a vehicle, one Barn Owl who was euthanized due to extensive injuries after being struck by a vehicle, two Great Horned Owls and a Golden Eagle.
Great Horned Owls 19-571 and 19-574
Both owls had older ulna fractures in the left wing. The fracture in 19-571 appeared to be caused by gunshot. The callus forming at the fracture sight is quite large since the wing was not immobilized during healing. If it causes the radius and ulna to be fused, there will not be normal extension in the wing and the owl will not fly properly. There is also damage in the left wrist that could affect flight. Once the owl has completed a course of antibiotics he will moved outside to continue physical therapy. We will have to wait and see how well he flies. The owl was found in Selah, WA.
The second Great Horned Owl, 19-574, was likely struck by a vehicle. The ulna fracture does not appear to have been caused by a projectile. If you compare the two radiographs, you will notice 19-574 is much thinner than 19-571. In addition to possible complications from the fractures, his emaciation also needs to be addressed. It is important to begin with small amounts of food, gradually increasing the quantity until he is eating a normal amount. Then is flight can be evaluated.
Golden Eagle 19-572
This young Golden Eagle was admitted on Wednesday and died Sunday morning. He was found in the mountains near Ellensburg, WA along a gravel road that saw little traffic. He had injured his left leg and had great difficulty walking. He was taken to Dr. Mike Fuller in Ellensburg before being transferred to BMW. We don’t know how he was injured. He had no visible wounds, but had a very high white blood cell count, indicating he was fighting some type of infection. He had a blood lead level of 13.0 micrograms/deciliter, significant, but normally not fatal. We were able to reduce his lead level to 4.1 mcg/dl with chelation, but we could not save his life.
