Sunday, December 6, 2009

Some wonderful news...and some sad news.....

Time to get everyone caught up.
I've included in this post the release pictures of Rojo, the golden eagle. The release was at Horse Canyon in the Emery county area of Utah. The
gentleman releasing Rojo is Joe Tryon, and Iraq war vet that served 2 tours. What an honor to have him do this release. Rojo flew around, over us and around us, then lit down, taking in his new home. I hope he will do well and make beautiful eagle babies when he's older.




The second release was Cleo, and for everyone following her dilemma, it was sure wonderful to see her in the air. Her's was one of those releases you never forget. She flew in circles, climbing higher and higher over the Dead Horse Point area of Grand county. For those who don't know what this is, Google it. It's like the Grand Canyon on a smaller scale. She finally flew so high, we could not see her any longer. Wonderful!












We had one of the vet's involved in her care, Dr. Nicole MacLaren, do the release.






























Since then, we've had a red-tail hawk come in from Grand county. The poor thing didn't survive the drive to get him here. He was so thin. It appeared he was down due to illness and not injury as no broken bones were found on his exam. I'm glad his suffering is over but I wish we had the oppertunity to help and possibly save him.

We also have a cottontail that was brought to us after wildlife officers confiscated it from some people that had raised it illegally. Now thanks to these 'people', this bunny is not afraid of people or house pets. UGH!!!!!
I'm hoping, (it'll be a long shot) we can teach it these things by hanging out with another cottontail. Best Friends has one in the same predicament, so maybe they can help each other out.
Hopefully we can get the transfer done before Christmas.





We also had a new eagle come in and a new Great Horned owl. They came in the same day. Of course it was a day I left town with my husband, so Connie and Don had to go get them both. The Great Horned owl had a traumatic wing injury. It appeared to have been caused due to electrocution. The entire wing was "dead" so he had to be euthanized. Unfortunately, due to the extent of his injury, surgery could not have been performed to remove such a large portion of
that wing, so this is why euthanizing him was the only option.



The eagle was also in very bad shape. When Connie and Don found her, she was covered with frost. She would have surely died that night had not some deer hunters in the area come across her and notified the Sheriff's department. There were so many things wrong with her, it wasn't apparent what the primary problem was. She really wasn't thin, but her feet were balled up tight and she couldn't move them. She could move her legs somewhat, but not her feet. This can be caused by several things, so we started antibiotics, pain medication and gave her some SQ fluids to warm her up and tube fed her. We then noticed she seemed to have something bothering her airway. We could not see anything, so got her into my vets in Payson for a bunch of testing.
We drew blood for several things including heavy metal poisoning, which could cause the feet to be like this. We also tested for infections and West Nile Virus and metabolic problems. With the x-rays, the bill is close to $1,000 just for all of that.
The x-rays showed nothing obstructing her airway and her lungs were clean. Once the other
tests started coming in, we were still in the dark. Everything was ok. Some of the chemistries were a little off, but nothing life threatening. We continued her supportive care and bathing her three times a day since she couldn't deficate properly. But even after a brief period where she got her appetite back, things quickly got worse. We got her back into the vets at she was in respiratory distress and he looked again for foreign matter in her airway and took more x-rays, which again showed nothing. She died two days later. She fought so hard, but whatever this was, finally won.........
I took her back up to the vets for a necropsy, which didn't tell us what we were looking for, so we sent off many tissue samples to be examined and some cultures of internal organs. I'll keep you posted as to their results. We named her Hera; she isn't suffering anymore. I hope she's flying high and pain free where she's at. I just wish we could have found the answer and saved her.


Finally, we just got in an adult male Prairie falcon. He looks to have tangled with a barbed wire fence. He has some trauma to his right wing and came in with a concussion as well. Right now, we're trying to get some food down him, which is no-small-feat for these falcons. They are vicious! We're treating him with antibiotics for his wound and pain meds. He also had lice when he came in, so we're treating him for that as well. We've named him Ari. I don't have pic's of him at this time, but will take some and post them next time.

Thanks for checking in...........
and remember the wildlife this holiday. Donations are always needed for the work we do. Our medical supplies are not donated, we have to purchase everything, the vet work as well. Surgeries,-x-rays and other supplies all cost us like they would cost you at your doctors. It's an ongoing need, 365 days a year. Help us help them!

Debbie.......................

Second Chance Wildlife Rehabilitation
725 North Carbonville Road
Price, Utah 84501
435-650-3441


Feathered brothers and sisters, you came to us broken and as you bled…….we saw you desperate, dehydrated, desiccated, diseased, distressed, emaciated, famished, frayed, frightened, helpless, hungry, ragged, ravenous, shaken, shocked, shot, sickly, stressed, stunned, tattered, thirsty, traumatized, torn, weary and wounded. Defiantly, you stood us off with your last breath as we tried to tend to you. We saw you come in as cute, naked, fuzzy, cuddly youth, as mischievous, defiant adolescents, as fierce, regal rulers of the sky and as cunning, maimed elders whose time on earth was almost done. You endeared yourselves to us, bit us, charmed us, footed us, delighted us, hissed at us, talked to us, mantled at us, and graced us with your presence.

Some of you mended and were able to go on your way, never looking back. Some of you were injured in ways that prevented you from going, so you stayed with us to teach us…….And we came to love you. Others were too far gone, and you went home - where you fly free from pain with the Great One. All of you have touched us, and we are changed because of you.

used with permission by Arlene Powers


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