Red-tailed Hawk 17-563
This past week we made up for September’s slow start. The first 17 days of the month brought 29 admissions, including 5 raptors. The third week of the month we had 22 admissions, including 12 raptors and a gopher snake.
Red-tailed Hawk 17-563 was one of three red-tails, fortunately the only one that was shot. There are multiple fractures in her right ulna and damage in the right wrist and elbow. She was emaciated and had a blood lead level of 12.6 micrograms/deciliter of blood. Although the prognosis for having normal function of her right wing is guarded, she is responding well to supportive care. We will give her the opportunity to beat the odds.
Great Horned Owl 17-565
Samantha spotted a Great Horned Owl standing along the side of the highway on her way to work one morning, so of course she stopped and picked her up. She was holding her right eye closed and had a head tick. In addition to the head injury, she has a dislocated right shoulder. We put a drop of ophthalmic stain in her right eye to check for a corneal lesion - if damaged, the cornea will absorb the stain. We didn’t find a lesion, but the next day her yellow iris was green. The pressure in her right eye was low, indicating the fluid in the eye was leaking out. Apparently the leak also allowed the stain to get into her eye.
Initially she was blind in both eyes. On the third day she had the slightest reaction to motion and willingly took food from a pair of forceps (when her beak was tapped). Now that she is accepting food, we can give her the nourishment her body needs to heal itself.
Merlin 17-566
This Merlin crashed into something, injuring his right wrist. Damage to a joint is never good, but this guy is very feisty and has a great appetite. We will think very positive thoughts and let tincture of time work its magic.
Gopher Snake 17-581
We admitted another new species this week, a Gopher Snake. It was found in the middle of a road with a tear in its skin. While flushing its wound, the snake began acting strangely, rolling over to expose its under side. It died as we were preparing to suture the wound. We don’t know how it was injured, but it appeared to be in good shape, weighing 28 grams and 19 inches long. Given the time of year, it was likely preparing for hibernation.
Golden Eagle 17-571
The saddest admission this week was an adult, female Golden Eagle. She was found near Ironside, Oregon. She was thin, had a blood lead level of 35.6 micrograms/deciliter and had no obvious injury that made her unable to fly. An exam found that she had a huge mass in her abdomen. Dr. Katie Yackley, Pendleton Veterinary Clinic, surgically removed the mass which seemed to consist of calcium (from egg shell production) and fecal material. The mass was adhered to the gut wall and too large to come out intact. Dr. Yackley worked for an hour-and-a-half to remove the material and flush out remaining debris. The eagle was stable throughout the surgery, but died during the night. If the material was from egg production, it had been accumulating in her body since March or April. It is hard to imagine how she had survived for so long. The pan below contains the material Dr. Yackley removed from the eagle. It is approximately the size of a 9 inch square baking tin.
Thank You Ken and Kirsti!!!
The Strandbergs spent two weeks living and working at the Pendleton center. They cheerfully helped with all kinds of tasks and finished the new flight pen which will get its first occupants as soon as its shade cloth top arrives in the next week or so. We wished them a fond farewell and can’t wait to welcome them back in June!
Thank You BMW Supporters
Thank you again to all who helped to replace our ailing x-ray equipment. The new scanner and software will be installed on October 3. We are very grateful for your generosity.
