This summer has brought the usual number of injured and orphaned wildlife cases to the clinic, ranging from a tiny 2 g baby hummingbird, to a full-grown injured woodchuck. Our “frequent fliers” appear to be orphaned young rabbits and hungry starlings. We appreciate the efforts of our veterinary extern students who are given primary responsibility for their intake and care while at the clinic (in July special thanks to Kelly and John!). We are also grateful our wildlife rehabilitators show up like clockwork nearly everyday to take over care when we’ve done our part (see the wildlife section of our website for more info http://www.exoticvetclinic.com/pet-owner/wildlife/).
The summer brought an unusually high number of hawks and owls with fractures. This barred owl presented with an open, but relatively simple fracture of his humerus. We were ready to walk out for the day, but the fracture was fresh, the owl seemed strong, and team members were willing to stay. Thanks to the simplicity of the fracture and the fact it had not started to heal, we have our all time clinic record of an 11-minute orthopedic repair! (For orthopedic enthusiasts, this consisted of a single IM retrograde pin with tie-in, two additional external fixator pins and an external fixation rod made of plumber’s putty). Watch this space for an update as he (or she) comes back for weekly rechecks.
