Yesterday a call came in that yet another Sandhill Crane was struck by a car and unable to stand. The callers husband was a retired animal control officer who quickly retrieved the bird from the street and placed it in their front yard under the shade of a tree while she called around for help. Leg injuries in a crane almost always mean the bird with be euthanized. As soon as I arrived I could see this crane was one of this years chicks, a mere youngster. I approached him and picked him up expecting to see a compound fracture or an obvious break but I saw none of that. There were some superficial cuts on his legs but that is all I saw. He was kicking and had use of his legs although he could not support his weight. My heart started to beat a little faster with excitement as I thought this one may have a chance. I called ahead to let Livingston Animal and Avian Hospital known I was coming. Dr. Topor was in surgery so I had to wait for awhile. The crane laid peacefully on my lap aside from an occasional bite or two :-) When Dr. Topor walked in the examing room her face dropped as she feared this young crane would need to be put down. I half smiled as I said This one is different than most that I bring you. We spent three hours working with this crane as he received an examination, fluids. x-rays and medication. Dr. Topor set him up in a crate as we devised a sling made of sheets surrounded by towels to act as a cushion. Dr. Topor wanted him to be in a more natural position. We have a few different ideas for a sling that we will work on today. This bird is not out of the woods in fact far from it but under the incredible care of Dr. Topor and her wonderful and caring staff he stands the best chance possible of recovering. ......... Enjoy your day!
Posted on: Thu, 10 Jul 2014 09:53:59 +0000
Trending Topics
Recently Viewed Topics
© 2015