It's a Wild Life at the Wildlife Medical Clinic

Spring Fever-Wildlife Style

2011-04-11T23:04:00.005-05:00

Just in case none of the students were aware, the first of the orphan rush has arrived at the Wildlife Medical Clinic signaling the beginning of spring and hinting at the warmer weather yet to come. The beautiful weather this weekend had citizens outside and discovering all sorts of wildlife. At the clinic, we consider ourselves the "police" and "protectors" of nature. It is our job to make sure that no babynappings are occurring! As a reminder, if you do stumble across an orphan, check to make sure it is nice and healthy, pink, and seems content. If it is not any of those, then there is a possibility that it actually is orphaned. With many of the prey species, even the most careful of human observers will not see the mom, because she knows that her presence will attract predators. "Abandoned" babies is one reason that we receive many baby bunnies and fawns. As always, anyone is more than welcome to call the clinic to ask for help or advice.

This spring has also been a busy season for fundraisers. We had the 10th annual Doodle for Wildlife on March 5, 2011. It was a wonderful and very successful time. The Wildlife Medical Clinic also sponsored its very first paintball tournament fundraiser on April 3, 2011. While both of these events were successful, the Wildlife Medical Clinic has seen a decrease in donations. The Wildlife Medical Clinic is completely donation and volunteer run. Donations are tax deductable and all donations go towards the care of the injured, sick, and orphaned wildlife and the five resident raptors.

As we move into summer, we expect to be swamped with animals that need our care. Working with wildlife is both an honor and a privilege, that we do not take lightly. We greatly appreciate your partnering with us through your donations and support.

It's the super Fur Bowl!!!

2011-01-09T14:05:00.002-06:00

Burrowing in for the Holidays

2010-12-05T12:36:00.003-06:00

As we enter the Holiday season, the Wildlife Medical Clinic is typically visited by fewer patients. Many of our native wildlife have traveled further south or are burrowed in to wait out the long, cold nights. However, our residents are just as busy if not more busy now teaching us humans about their kind. Nokomis, Odin, Noelle, and Pistol have been making appearances all over Champaign County in order to help teach people about what we do at the clinic.

Even though he has not made his public debut, RJ is just as busy as the other raptors. We have been training him to step onto our arms on command, perch, and step into his kennel when asked. The imaginary buttons on our scrubs are pretty much bursting off! We are so proud of our newest addition. As the days keep getting shorter, and the nights (and days) are getting colder, our little friends stay inside. We keep them entertained by working with them and hiding their food in their kennels so they have to "work" a little for it. Yet, we are certain when they tuck their heads in, they are "itching" for spring and warmer weather just like we are.

A night out for the clinic

2010-10-26T13:42:00.003-05:00

Tonight V. Picasso will be holding a fundraiser for the wildlife clinic. From 4-11pm V. Picasso will be donating 20% of your bill(not including alcohol) to the Wildlife Medical Clinic. This is a great opportunity to check out this new tapas bar and the yummy food they have available. It is also a great opportunity to donate to the clinic so we can continue to help and rehabilitate local wildlife. There are over 120 student volunteers that help keep the clinic running and work hard to take care of over 1500 animals annually. This is a fantastic opportunity to thank all of these students and show your support for the wildlife clinic. Remember, you must have previously printed out the V. Picasso flyer to make sure that 20% is donated to the wildlife clinic. If you're anticipating a large group of people then it is best to make reservations. So come out to support the clinic and have a good time.

V. Picasso is located at 214 W. Main St. in Urbana. You can find flyers online here.

Something to laugh about!

2010-09-08T20:23:00.004-05:00

No, our clinic hasn't turned into a comedy club! We have a new member to add to our already stellar resident bird group. His name is RJ and he is a nine year old Laughing Kookaburra! Already, his cheerful call can be heard echoing throughout the Wildlife Medical Clinic.

RJ came to us from the Miller Park Zoo. At the Zoo, he did not get along with his female roommate. He had to be housed alone and off display. Another interesting thing about RJ is that he has an abnormal right foot and he doesn't like to put all of his weight on it. Here at the WMC, we hope to put him to great use as part of our educational, resident bird program!

RJ is now getting comfortable in his new home. It will take some time, and we will give him all the time he needs.

Kookaburra facts:

Kookaburras are natives to Australia and New Guinea
Kookaburras are a type of Kingfisher...but they don't eat fish!
In the wild, they eat small reptiles, rodents and small birds
Kookaburras mate for life
The Kookaburra's children will stay with their parents after they have grown to help raise the next clutch

The Orphans are Coming!

2010-03-29T12:28:00.010-05:00

As the weather begins to warm up, the Wildlife Clinic has once again begun receiving orphaned baby animals. In Champaign County, Great Horned Owls begin nesting in February, and our first two orphans of the season have been some baby GHO chicks that were healthy despite falling out of their nests. To minimize imprinting on humans, these babies were transferred to the Illinois Raptor Center as quickly as possible to be raised with surrogates. The GHO's time their reproduction so that the can feed their babies with the bounty of offspring produced by other animals beginning in March. Squirrels are some of the first mammals to bear young, and the clinic has received quite a few litters so far. Cotton Tail Rabbits will begin breeding when temperatures are above 60F. There have been more than a few warm days this March and the clinic has had many litters of rabbits as well. In April, song birds begin nesting and other mammals like raccoons will start to bear young.

The First Litter of Squirrels at the Clinic This Spring

The Very First Orphan of the Season, a Baby Great Horned Owl

It is important to remember that wild baby animals best left in the wild to be raised by their parents. Being raised by humans results in higher mortality rates due to difficulty feeding, artificial diets, and high stress levels. Mother rabbits only visit the nest twice a day. If you have found a nest of baby bunnies, place crossed sticks or twigs over the nest and come back in 12 hours to see if they have moved. It is a myth that wild animal mothers (be they mammals or birds) will not come back to their offspring if humans have touched them. The maternal instinct will overcome any potential fear caused by the human scent. Like baby rabbits, baby birds should be put back in their nest if found on the ground. If you cannot reach the nest, or if it has been destroyed, a plastic container or box with small holes in the bottom for drainage can be nailed to the tree the birds came from, and the babies can be put in the artificial nest for their parents to find. Of course, if a baby animal is injured, cold to the touch, or has bugs on it, it should be brought to the clinic for medical attention. These are just some very basic guidelines. If you ever have a questions on wildlife, you should speak to an expert such as the clinic (217-244-1195) or your local wildlife rehabber.

A Nest of Baby Rabbits with
Sticks Crossed Over Top
to See If Mom Returns

Something's a FOWL in the Wildlife Clinic!

2010-03-12T19:25:00.016-06:00

... waterfowl that is! The Wildlife Clinic's waterfowl collection started back just before Valentine's Day when a mallard duck was presented to us with a broken wing. His left humerus was completely broken and a piece of it was bent in the wrong direction! Our ducky valentine underwent surgery and, as you can see in the picture to the left, he has an external fixator holding everything in place while his wing heals. It is predicted that he will not be able to fly once the bone heals, but there is a happy ending awaiting this duck- he has been placed on a farm where he can swim all day in the pond and be adored by visiting children. Next added to our collection were two mute swans. They arrived almost a week apart but both presented as weak, lethargic and dehydrated. The first swan was released earlier this week. The second is still with us, being diligently attended to by his team. To the right, he is pictured surrounded by a group of students who are determinedly working to keep him feeling good. The final waterfowl in our current collection is a lesser snow goose, pictured below. He hurt his wing in the process of migrating up to the Arctic and he is now waiting, impatiently, for his wing to mend so he can continue his long journey. Snow geese are not something we see frequently in the wildlife clinic, but that does not mean they are an uncommon sight in our area! In as early as October you can see flocks of them heading south for the winter. They go as far south as Central America and then, in February, you can see them heading back up north toward the Arctic. We wish our goose a fast recovery and a safe journey home!

2010-03-02T13:22:00.005-06:00

It is the eve of the 9th annual Doodle for Wildlife! We have some very exciting celebrity doodles and wonderful prize packages up for auction. Of course we also have some very special artwork from our own in-house celebrities: our resident raptors! Our birds have generously donated some of their finest "wing painted" artwork for auction. They are anxiously awaiting their public's response to the paintings this year. In the past the stunning pieces that our raptors paint have been some of our biggest successes in raising money for the wildlife clinic. Pictured above is a piece that was auctioned off at last year's Doodle event. The Wildlife Medical Clinic depends on the donations we receive and the money we raise from Doodle in order to keep running. Our resident birds go to great lengths to create these paintings for us and help the clinic's cause. Nokomis, our resident Great Horned Owl, had a couple of orange feathers for a week after creating his piece this year. In a private interview, he assured me that "it was little price to pay for the sake of my art." As you can see our birds take their artwork very seriously and we appreciate their efforts to help raise money for the clinic!

Bald Eagle in the News!

2010-02-19T23:10:00.006-06:00

In case you missed the WMC on the news this evening, here's a couple of links:

WAND Stormcenter 17

WICD ABC 15 :: Top Stories

Bald Eagle in the News!

2010-02-19T16:41:00.002-06:00

Catch a news story on the bald eagle that is currently in the Clinic on tonight's 6pm newscast on WAND-TV 17 or check out the story on the website after tonight's broadcast !

Why is there a snake in my basement in winter?

2010-02-13T10:50:00.013-06:00

A couple weeks ago, a plains garter snake (Thamnophis radix) presented at the clinic after someone found the young snake in their basement. Why would a snake be active in the middle of winter when it should be hibernating? Actually, reptiles do not go through a true hibernation like mammals. Instead, they undergo brumation. True hibernation results in an animal going dormant in the fall and remaining so until spring. During brumation, the cold environmental temperature significantly lowers a reptile's body temperature, causing it to be less active and have a lower metabolism, but not to be truly asleep. This allows a brumanating reptile to "wake up" for periods of time. As a result, it is not uncommon for snakes to end up in a basement during the winter if they are trying to move deeper in the earth to escape dips in temperature. Box turtles have also been shown to move higher and lower in the soil in response to changes in winter temperatures, and there also was a young box turtle that came into the clinic recently.

For a reptile found in the winter, it can either be induced into an artificial brumation, or it can be kept awake, warm, and eating until it can be released in spring. This garter snake was also suffering from "hibernation sores," the result of opportunistic infections that occur from a reptile's immune system not functioning as well due to its lowered metabolism. As a result, it was decided to keep the snake awake to give it the best chance to recover. Now, after shedding its skin, almost all the sores are healed. If you find a reptile in the winter, bring it to the Wildlife Medical Clinic or a local wildlife rehabber to give it the best chance for survival.

The Garter Snake Enjoying a Soak

The Young Box Turtle

The Many Roles of the Resident Raptors

2010-02-05T06:08:00.007-06:00

Many of you who are familiar with our resident birds of prey from the Wildlife Medical Clinic know them from the Public Relations events they do throughout the community. Although helping to teach people about wildlife and wildlife safety is a very big part of the residents' job, these five special birds also play another role in the clinic. Occasionally, they help to save the lives of very debilitated patients by serving as blood donors. This was the case a couple weeks ago, when the very rare event of having not just one but two patients that needed transfusion occurred. The first patient that presented was a Great Horned Owl (Bubo virginianus). This owl was lying sternal, or on its belly, when it came in, which is a sign that a wild animal is feeling very ill. She was emaciated, having almost no muscles on the breast bone, where the large flight muscles are normally found. Blood work showed the owl was also very anemic. Winter is very hard on raptors, and it is not uncommon for hawks and owls to come in to the clinic this time of year suffering from similar symptoms, though this Great Horned Owl was especially weak.

Normal fluid therapy was not going to be sufficient in such a debilitated patient, and after conferring with the doctors, it was decided to have Nokomis, our resident Great Horned Owl, serve as a blood donor to give the patient the best chance for survival. Nokomis was anesthetized to collect 10mL or about 1% of his blood volume, which was then slowly transfused to the new owl through a special line with a filter to remove any clots that may have formed.

Just as the transfusion in the owl was being finished, another patient arrived at the clinic. This one was a juvenile Red Tailed Hawk (Buteo jamaicensis )that had almost identical problems to owl. Once again, the decision was made to perform a transfusion to give the starving hawk the best chance of survival. Odin, our 13 year old resident Red Tail, served as the donor this time. It was a very late night before everything was completed, but over the next few days both transfusion patients improved, beginning to stand on their own and look more alert. Both Nokomis and Odin did very well after donating their blood, and each received extra TLC to thank them for their contributions! To meet Odin, Nokomis, or any of our other resident raptors and to learn more about wildlife, visit our main website to schedule a PR event for your group. http://vetmed.illinois.edu/wmc/pr_visits.html

Getting Ready to Place an IV in a leg vein for the Red-Tailed Hawk

The Great Horned Owl Resting After the Transfusion

Clinic Update

2009-12-01T16:33:00.004-06:00

The managers did a great job taking care of all of our patients over fall break, and now all of the volunteers are back and managing their cases. We currently have 5 red-tailed hawks, a screech owl and a pigeon. We were also able to send one of our red-tailed hawks to a rehabilitation facility just before break. The hawk had originally presented with a broken tibiotarsus (leg). His surgery went well, and his subsequent re-check radiographs (x-rays) should good alignment and callus formation around the fracture.

Pitou, the screech owl

Red Tailed Hawks

2009-10-17T16:34:00.005-05:00

We are surrounded by Red Tailed hawks in the ward right now. Our case load has begun to slow down as the weather has gotten cooler, but we currently have 3 Red Tailed hawks in the ward. Two of them have ulnar (wing) fractures and one has a fractured tibiotarsus (leg). Each of their fractures is being managed differently, which is really interesting for us veterinary students.

Team 1's RTH with a tibiotarsal fracture

Team 3 giving their hawk an IM injection

Snapping Turtle

2009-10-14T17:49:00.004-05:00

Godzilla is a Snapping Turtle that presented to the clinic on September 28th with a fractured carapce (the top portion of the shell.) The team decided to get radiographs (x-rays) to evaluate the fracture and the possible lung damage. (A turtle's lungs sit right up against the top of their shell.) While looking at the radiographs, the team found another problem with Godzilla. He had a fish hook somewhere inside his body! Godzilla had surgery to remove the hook, and his shell fracture is beginning to heal. Hopefully, he'll be able to be transferred to a rehabilitation facility soon.
Godzilla's Radiograph from September 29th

Snapping Turtle Surgery

The Fish Hook Removed from Godzilla

Gozilla with Members of his Team

Godzilla on October 14th (You can see his shell fracture in this photo.)

Prairieland Feeds

2009-09-24T14:32:00.003-05:00

The resident raptors will be at Prairieland Feeds this weekend from 9-4 on Saturday and 11-3 on Sunday. Prairieland Feeds is at 303 S Dunlap Ave in Savoy. (From campus, just head out to Neil St and go south. You can't miss it.) Stop by and see us!

Howl at the Moon!

2009-09-15T13:23:00.006-05:00

Howl at the Moon, our fall fund-raiser, will be on Saturday, September 26th. Come out to Harvest Moon Drive-In Theatre in Gibson City to see Disney's G-Force! (secret agent guinea pigs on a government mission)

Bring the whole family (pets included!) $5 per person, kids under 5 and pets free! Gates open at 6:20pm, movie starts at 7:20pm. We'll have door prizes and tons of fun!

Harvest Moon Drive-In is on Route 47, 21 miles north of I-74. Questions? Feel free to email us or call the clinic (217-244-1195) for more information.

Barred Owl

2009-09-08T14:09:00.008-05:00

This owl presented on August 10th. She was lethargic and had blood in both of her eyes. The summer team started fluid therapy and gave her antibiotics to prevent any secondary infections and anti-inflammatory drugs to minimize inflammation. We took a blood sample, and she had a drastically low white blood cell count (leukopenia), as well as electrolyte imbalances. At first, we were unsure whether she would be able to recover. Since then she has gradually grown stronger and more active. The ophthalmology department has also been monitoring her improvement. Two weeks ago, we discontinued all of her medication and she continued to improve. She is definitely visual and her ophthalmologic exam is more normal. Her white blood cell count has risen to within the normal range, and she is more aggressive and eating normally. At the end of last week, we decided she had improved enough to go to a wildlife rehabber, and on Saturday, members of Team 1 drove her up to the Illinois Raptor Center. She was released to a transitional cage with another Barred Owl and will hopefully be back in the wild very soon.

Barred Owl in the Ward

Barred Owl at the Illinois Raptor Center

Illinois Raptor Center photos courtesy of Amanda on Team 1 ; )

Bald Eagle Release!

2009-09-02T14:19:00.004-05:00

Yesterday, we were able to release the juvenile bald eagle!

According to one of the leaders on the team in charge of her case: "She was in good body condition, blood work was all normal and she was eating well. We wanted to release her quickly so she didn't need to be reconditioned for flight. A staff member from the Illinois Raptor Center came out, jessed her up and flew her outside of the teaching hospital so he could assess her flight. He gave her a good assessment and told us we could release her. We took her to back to Danville and met with a biologist for the conservation service in Danville. He took us to the location where she was found. We released her away from the sanitation plant right by a river. We could hear eagles calling while we released her. This sanitation plant takes up 50 acres of a 600 acre forest preserve, so we are hoping she stays away from the plant and uses the other natural areas of the habitat that surrounds her. The release was a huge success and the eagle didn't even touch the ground. She swooped down, flew up over the river, turned right and was out of sight within seconds."

You can read an article about the release in the Commercial News here.

Bald Eagle Flight Test

Bald Eagle

2009-08-25T15:16:00.006-05:00

A juvenile bald eagle presented to the clinic today after being found in a sewage treatment plant. The team washed the sewage off of her and took a blood sample. They will run diagnostic tests on the blood to determine if her organs are functioning normally and the proportions of different white blood cells circulating in her blood.

You'll notice that this bald eagle has dark feathers on her head. Young bald eagles are completely brown. The white head feathers come in when the bird is around 4 or 5 years old.

Wildlife Medical Clinic Organizational Meeting

2009-08-25T10:23:00.002-05:00

Our mandatory orientation meeting is on Thursday, August 27th at 6:30pm in LAC 100.

At this meeting we will give a brief introduction to the wildlife clinic and students will sign up for teams. The clinic is going to have 10 teams this year, each lead by 4 students who have been previously involved with the clinic. Teams are required to provide daily care and assist with procedures (like diagnostics and surgery) for the cases they are assigned . This set-up provides a great opportunity for us to learn from and mentor each other.

If you are a U of I student interested in joining wildlife this year, we'll see you on Thursday!

More Summer Cases

2009-07-28T23:25:00.008-05:00

The wildlife clinic is still as busy as ever. The ward is full of orphaned birds and bunnies, as well as injured robins, squirrels, raccoons and a screech owl. There is another Great Blue Heron in the ward, this time with a fractured right ulna and radius (fractured right wing).

This young raccoon has a fractured right leg. The "putty" on the bottom of his leg is an external fixation device. This holds the bone in place as it heals.

Today, we also triaged a fawn. The fawn came in with puncture wounds that looks like they could have come from an animal bite. The trusty summer staff put an IV catheter in the fawn's leg, gave her fluids and pain medication and bandaged her wounds. In the picture, they are finishing wrapping the wound on her abdomen.

Clinic Update

2009-06-27T01:56:00.008-05:00

The ward has been pretty busy for the last few weeks. With only the two managers, interns, occasional help by students on rotation and a handful of additional volunteers, there is a lot to do over the summer! As always there are some pretty interesting cases, including:

Snapping Turtle

Orphaned Groundhog

Juvenile Cooper's Hawk

Turtle with a Shell Fracture

This turtle presented with a significant shell fracture. We've attempted to surgically wire the shell back together. Turtles heal slowly, but these shell fracture repair surgeries are often successful. Turtle shells are made of bone, and if realigned correctly, will heal similar to any other broken bone.

During Surgery

After Surgery

Yankee Ridge Educational Event

2009-06-13T01:14:00.005-05:00

Before school let out for the summer, two of our resident raptors visited the students at Yankee Ridge Elementary school. Nokomis and Odin visited an art class so the students could practice drawing live subjects. It was a really interesting opportunity for both the birds and the artists!

You can read more about the event here. (Scroll down... the story is toward the bottom of the page.)

The raptors will be at the Springer Cultural Center for the Champaign Park District Summer Day Camp on June 19th and at the Rantoul Public Library at 1pm on June 27th. Stop by and say "hello!"

Clinic Update

2009-06-13T01:01:00.003-05:00

Summer is always a busy time in the WMC, and right now there are a few interesting cases in the clinic.

First, there is a Great Blue Heron with a left wing injury.

We also have a very vocal juvenile Red-tailed Hawk.

This turtle needed to have a feeding tube placed to make sure he gets enough nutrients.

As always, there are a lot of juvenile animals in the ward over the summer. Thus far there have been 12 fawns! This one is recovering in an incubator after being hit by a car.

Current Orphans

2009-05-26T12:19:00.003-05:00

Over the summer, the clinic gets in a lot of juvenile animals. Some of them are injured, some are just too young to fend for themselves and their parents have been injured, some are being removed from dangerous situations (like after being dug up from their nest by a dog or cat) and some of them are healthy orphans who would probably do best if left alone. Our recommendations are to call us only when:
1) you know the parents are dead (evidence of a dead adult nearby)
2) the animal is obviously injured, weak, thin, very cold or sick
3) the animal is covered with flies or insects , or
4) the animal is in unavoidable, unnatural danger.

Cygnet (Juvenile Swan)

Cygnet with his surrogate "mom"

Juvenile American Kestral

Two of our volunteers feeding fawns

Fawns

Summer!

2009-05-20T16:13:00.013-05:00

Summer has begun at the wildlife clinic. All of the students have finished finals, and most of the volunteers have left to begin their summer adventures. During break, the clinic is kept running by the two managers, two interns and a couple of super devoted volunteers. There are quite a few cases in the ward right now, including a couple of mallard ducks, a juvenile swan, some squirrels. rabbits and a great horned owl. A garter snake just presented after being closed in a door and is currently down getting radiographs. With fewer volunteers and the continual influx of cases, summer is always exciting in the WMC!

Juvenile Swan

Mallard

Examining the Garter Snake

Garter Snake Radiograph

The arrow points to the spinal fracture. (Click on the picture to enlarge.)

New Cases!

2009-04-20T20:52:00.007-05:00

Two unusual cases have some into the clinic in the last few days. The first is a juvenile barred owl. The owl is uninjured, and we're planning on transferring her to a rehabber as soon as possible. Young owls imprint very easily, so we're trying to transfer her to a rehabber who has another orphaned owl for her to interact with. For now, we have a mirror in her cage, but we would like to get her out of the ward as soon as we can.

Juvenile Barred Owl

This evening, a badger presented to the clinic. The pager team called in some additional help and was able to do a compete physical exam. We'll be able to better assess the condition of the badger tomorrow when we can run more diagnostic tests.

The Pager Team Examines the New Badger

Clinic Update 4/16

2009-04-16T18:47:00.006-05:00

Activity in the clinic has picked up over the last few weeks. Every team has at least one case they are treating, and some of them are pretty interesting. The yellow-bellied sapsucker is still here, and we also have a woodpecker, a goose, a great horned owl, a turkey vulture and a couple of rabbits and squirrels. We also just got a couple of orphaned pigeons. Remember, young animals usually do best with their mothers, so only bring orphaned animals to us if you are sure they have been abandoned. Mother rabbits may only visit their nest twice a day to feed their young!

Team 4 with their Turkey Vulture

Canadian Goose

Great Horned Owl

Team 5 Rabbit Treatments

Orphaned Pigeons

Yellow Bellied Sapsucker

2009-04-06T15:29:00.003-05:00

This is Fletch, Team 2's Male yellow bellied sapsucker. He came into the WMC over the weekend, and today we confirmed that his right radius and ulna are fractured. We are mitigating the pain with some anti-inflammatories and analgesics, and we have stabilized the fracture with a figure eight wing wrap. I think the red matches his feathers nicely. Fractures usually take a little longer to repair, so we expect that Fletch will not be able to enjoy the spring weather anytime soon. It's been rather busy at the clinic, we have actually seen 3 sapsuckers over the weekend, they seem to be out in force!

Vet Med Open House

2009-04-03T17:23:00.006-05:00

Tomorrow is the Illinois College of Veterinary Medicine's Open House. The whole veterinary school will be open to the public from 9am to 4pm. The WMC will be in the anatomy lab on the first floor of the basic science building. There will be a lot of other interesting animals and exhibits, so everyone should come by!

You can find more information about Open House here.

Great Horned Owl

2009-03-22T23:12:00.007-05:00

This Great Horned Owl (GHO), affectionately called "Styles" by her team, came to us with a fractured right humerus. She had an external fixator placed during surgery to stabilize the fracture, which was then removed a few weeks later once the fracture had healed. In these pictures, the team is measuring the extension of her wing. We cannot release a raptor that cannot fly well enough to hunt, and this measurement is one of the criteria we use to asses the recovery of our patients. Styles' fracture healed well, and she has now been sent off to a wildlife rehabber. Hopefully, she'll be back on her own in the wild very soon.

Educational Events!

2009-03-12T20:24:00.002-05:00

Our resident raptors had two great education events this week. On Tuesday evening, Odin, Nokomis, Noel, Penelope and Pistol attended a meeting of the U of I Pre-Vet Club. The future vets got to hear about the medical history of our birds and some other cases at the WMC. This evening, the birds visited Robeson Elementary in Champaign for Robeson's Math and Science Night. The students were great, and we had a lot of fun. If you want more information about booking an event with our residents, look at the online submission form.

Orphan Feedings

2009-03-12T16:56:00.008-05:00

We feed most orphan species 5 times daily. One team is assigned to feed all of the orphans in the clinic everyday, and the responsibility rotates through all of our teams. This afternoon, members of Team 9 fed our young squirrels.

Orphans!

2009-03-11T16:33:00.004-05:00

Our first group of spring orphans came to the clinic this afternoon. Every spring brings an influx of orphaned birds, bunnies and squirrels to the clinic. Unfortunately, many of the orphans we receive would have been better left alone. Parents will often leave their young for long periods during the day, leading people to think the young have been abandoned. Our recommendations are to call us when:
1) you know the parents are dead (evidence of a dead adult nearby)
2) the animal is obviously injured, weak, thin, very cold or sick
3) the animal is covered with flies or insects , or
4) the animal is in unavoidable, unnatural danger.
If the "orphan" is fat, bright eyed and apparently healthy it is probably best left alone. You can return the animal to its nest (if you can find it) or move it out of the way to a safe location. If a baby bunny's eyes are open or a baby bird is completely feathered, they are typically old enough to fend for themselves.

Orphaned Squirrels

Feeding an Orphaned Squirrel

Doodle for Wildlife Photos

2009-03-10T12:33:00.004-05:00

As promised, here are some of the photos from Doodle for Wildlife. I hope everyone had a great time!

Clinic Volunteers at the Bird Table

Auction Guests Looking at Raptor Art

Odin's, our Red Tailed Hawk, "I" Painting

Silent Auction Packages

Doodle for Wildlife

2009-03-08T20:25:00.003-05:00

Thanks to everyone who joined us at ihotel last night for Doodle for Wildlife! The event was a success, and I hope that everyone had a great time. (I know that I did.) Pictures (and possibly video...) of the event will be posted soon. We really appreciate everyone coming out to support the clinic!

Doodle for Wildlife Registration

2009-02-26T08:46:00.001-06:00

Don't forget to make your reservations for Doodle for Wildlife! Our annual fundraiser will be held on March 7th at the I Hotel and Conference Center this year. Technically, all reservations were supposed to be made by Friday, but I hear that the website will still be open at least through tomorrow (March 2nd).

American Crow Update

2009-02-23T17:31:00.001-06:00

This American Crow originally presented with a fractured left metacarpal. The fracture had unfortunately broken through his skin, resulting in what we call an open fracture. His wing was wrapped and he was started on pain medication and antibiotics. He progressed well for a few weeks, but then injured his wing while he was trying to pick through his bandage. Self-injury is a common complication in the WMC, since the stay in the ward can be stressful for wild animals. Some animals cannot survive the stress of being indoors and handled by human beings, while others continually try to pick at themselves or their wounds. This Crow is still improving, with the team now incorporating some physical therapy into his treatments to try to ensure he retains movement in his wing. In these photos, members of Team 10 are changing the bandage that covers the Crow's wound and re-wrapping his wing to continue to stabilize his fracture.

WMC on The Morning Show!

2009-02-21T00:38:00.001-06:00

This morning Amber Jenne of WCIA 3 did two live segments from the ward to help promote Doodle for Wildlife. If you missed it, you can check out the videos here! (Scroll down the the Amber Jenne Morning Show Segments and click on Doodle for Wildlife.) Thanks to all the volunteers who were in the ward early for the show and to the managers who did a great job promoting the clinic on air!

Resident Education Events

2009-02-20T09:39:00.000-06:00

The resident raptors have been really busy lately. Last week, they had two visits to after-school programs in Mahomet, and this week they visited U of I students at Newman Hall and first graders at Unity East Elementary school. On February 28th, the birds will be at the Krannert Art Museum for their Kids@Krannert family festival. Krannert is displaying prints from the university library's copy of John James Audubon's Birds of America. Stop by and say hello!

Odin, our resident Red-Tailed Hawk

Barred Owl

2009-02-20T09:17:00.000-06:00

This barred owl presented to the clinic with neurologic signs. You can see the head tilt in the photos, and we were also unsure if the owl could see. Over the last week, the team has been providing her with supportive care and anti-inflammatory medication. They even had to hand feed her for a few days. Our opthamology department looked at her eye and determined that she is visual. Her other signs have been improving and will hopefully be able to go to a rehabber early next week!

Barred Owl

Hand Feeding the Owl

Barred Owl in Her Cage

Fox Squirrel

2009-02-12T10:55:00.000-06:00

The Wildlife Medical Clinic accepts injured animals 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. To make this possible, all of the clinic volunteers share the responsibility of being on-call. Once we admit an animal, the team on-call does a thorough physical exam and any immediately necessary treatments for the incoming patient. Sometimes, in order to do a complete physical exam, we need to anesthetize the animal. Wild animals are usually not very cooperative and can become dangerously stressed during them exam. Yesterday, the on-call team did a physical exam on this adult Fox Squirrel under anesthesia.

Doodle for Wildlife Website

2009-02-09T14:04:00.000-06:00

The Doodle for Wildlife website is now active! You can look at some of the celebrity doodles we have received and buy tickets for the event. Click here to check it out!

Fox Bandage Change

2009-02-09T13:56:00.001-06:00

This Red Fox was recently hit by a car. She has a fractured front limb and a laceration on one hind limb. Here, the team has anesthetized the fox so they can change the bandage on her hind limb.

Clinic Update

2009-02-04T23:31:00.000-06:00

The wildlife ward is still pretty quiet this week, though we have added a couple of cases. We now have a Canadian Goose with injuries most likely due to trauma. The goose had surgery on her fractured leg this morning to place an external fixator to help stabilize the limb. By this evening, she was back to her feisty self.

Team 2 with their goose.

Team 10 re-wrapping their crow's fractured wing with a figure 8 wing wrap

Clinic Update

2009-01-27T10:33:00.001-06:00

The ward is fairly quiet this week. We tend to see fewer patients when it's cold, and the last week has been no exception. We do have Freida, a red-eared slider who will be spending the rest of the winter in the ward, a great horned owl, a morning dove, and Neil, an American Crow with a fractured left metacarpal.

Our first WMC executive board meeting of the new year is this evening, and the new members will be taking over their positions. The volunteers who will be leaving their executive positions tonight have done a lot of great work for the clinic over the last year, and the board will definitely miss them!

American Crow

Back from Break

2009-01-21T00:20:00.000-06:00

All of the clinic volunteers are back from winter break, so activity in the ward has picked up this week. We are also getting ready for our annual fundraiser, Doodle for Wildlife. A significant portion of the WMC's budget is raised at Doodle very year. The planning for this year's event has already been going on for months but has now picked up after break. The Doodle website is active and you can check it out here. Some awesome doodles have already arrived, and all the teams are out gathering donations for the auction. We hope you will consider donating an item for our auction or joining us for a great evening on Saturday, March 7th!

Red Shouldered Hawk

2008-12-12T16:20:00.001-06:00

Finals have begun, so all of the WMC volunteers are really busy. A few Red-tailed Hawks and a Red Eared Slider are still here in the clinic. We are also treating a Red-shouldered Hawk in the ward. Red-shouldered Hawks are related to Red-tailed hawks (they're in the same genus) but are found less commonly in Illinois. We don't see them very often at the WMC, so we're excited to treat this one.

Red-shouldered Hawk with a Hood

After the Hood is Removed

Giving Oral Medication

Clinic Update

2008-12-04T20:14:00.000-06:00

A lot has been going on in the clinic lately. On Monday, Pistol, Noel, Penelope and Nokomis went to Robeson elementary school to visit a classroom. The students asked great questions and the birds enjoyed getting out of the ward. On Sunday (12/7), some of our education birds will be at Lincoln Square Mall for a holiday shop fundraiser. They will be there for a few hours in the afternoon, so stop by and say "hello!"

With the semester coming to an end, all of our volunteers are very busy with school. This doesn't keep them from keeping up with cases, though! Right now in the clinic we have several red tailed hawks, a screech owl, red eared slider and a gull. Though we typically have fewer cases during the winter, the patients usually need more intensive care.

We're also beginning the organization for our annual fundraiser Doodle for Wildlife. Doodle will be on March 7th, 2009. If you would like to donate items for the silent auction, please contact the clinic! We already have some awesome celebrity doodles coming and and will let everyone know when tickets for Doodle go on sale.

Screech Owl

Red Tailed Hawk

Robin Release!

2008-11-02T20:44:00.001-06:00

Last week Team 10 released their robin, affectionately known as Spaz. The robin came in with Knemidokoptes, a mite that can affect a bird's legs and beak. The mites were his only medical problem, so he often escaped his cage and flew around the clinic. The Illinois Department of Natural Resources (DNR) occasionally bands robins for one of their research projects, so when the time for Spaz's release came, we gave them a call. They came out, took some measurements of Spaz, banded him and put a transmitter on his tail feathers (with heat shrink tubing). Hopefully, they will be able to track him for the next few months.

Transmitter

Banding the Robin's Leg

Transmitter Attachment

The transmitter attachment is completely finished!

Tracking Antenna on a Car

Robin Release!

Endoscopy!

2008-10-30T08:55:00.001-05:00

At the WMC, we have many of the diagnostic tools of the teaching hospital at our disposal. Our cases often get radiographs (x-rays), bloodwork and dermatology, opthamology and orthopedic consults. Yesterday, Spicy Burrita, a red tailed hawk, had an endoscopy. An endoscopy is a diagnostic test that allows us to see inside of a patient and take biopsies of tissues. Spicy Burrita's team found a suspicious mass on her radiographs and suspects that she might have a fungal infection, aspergillosis. With the endoscopy, they were able to look for the fungus and take a biopsy of her mass.

Dr. Mitchell helps Team 9 with the endoscopy

Case Report- Dark Princess

2008-10-27T14:02:00.000-05:00

Dark Princess is a red tailed hawk who presented over the summer. She came in with several problems, most notably an injured digit. The digit had to be amputated, but otherwise she healed well. We were recently able to release Dark Princess and hope she is doing well back out in the wild.

Dark Princess in her run

Close up of amputated toe

Happy in a tree after release!

More Turtle Treatments!

2008-10-06T11:02:00.000-05:00

Another red-eared slider is still in the clinic. This turtle came in with a fractured shell. The shell repair is going well and hopefully this turtle will also be able to eventually be released.

Giving Fluids to the Turtle

Turtle Shell Repair

PR Event Update!

2008-10-06T10:59:00.000-05:00

The resident birds have been really busy lately. On September 27th and 28th, they went to an event at Prairieland Feeds.

Prairieland Feeds

This past weekend, Nokomis, Pistol and Noel went to the Mahomet IGA, while Odin and Penelope had an event in Monticello. Thanks to everyone who came to visit the birds!

Mahomet IGA

Turtle Releases!

2008-10-06T10:19:00.000-05:00

At the beginning of the semester, we had more turtles in the clinic than usual. In the last two weeks, two of those turtles were released! First, a red-eared slider affectionately named Seabottom. She came in with a hook through her esophagus and some problems with the bottom portion of her shell (called the plastron). We removed the hook and treated her shell for about two months. Two weeks ago, we were able to release her in Crystal Lake park.

Kerry Packing up Seabottom

Seabottom just previous to release

The second turtle release happened this past weekend. Team 7's box turtle came in with an injured leg. The leg had to be amputated, but the turtle was able to get along fine without it. She was taken back to where she was found in Indiana and released. Thanks for the pictures Team 7!

Box Turtle Amputation Surgery

Box Turtle After Recovery

Box Turtle Release

Prairieland Feeds

2008-09-27T22:59:00.000-05:00

The residents were at Prairieland Feed's event in Savoy today. They all enjoyed being outside in the great weather. Odin had a particularly good time and didn't want to get into his carrier at the end of the day! We'll be there tomorrow from 11-4, so come say "hi" to the birds!

Orphaned Bunny Release

Box Turtle

Thanks to teams 7 and 9 for the great pictures of their cases!

Clinic Update

2008-09-11T10:23:00.000-05:00

Last week, the pager team got an unusual call. Animal control brought in a raccoon that had gotten stuck in a sewer grate. They weren't able to remove him from the grate when they found him, so they brought in the entire sewer grate! The grate itself probably weighed over 70lbs, so we had to wheel it (with the raccoon still stuck) down to the ward on a gurney to attempt to get the raccoon free. After some shaving, pulling, pushing, twisting and lots of lubricant, we separated the raccoon from the grate. The animal seemed uninjured, but we kept him under observation for a couple days to make sure he was fit to go back to the wild. We released him over the weekend after determining that he had sustained no injuries from his ordeal.

Settling into the School Year

2008-09-08T21:22:00.000-05:00

Life in the wildlife ward has settled down a bit since school began. All of the teams have been assigned, team leader training is over and now we're back to just concentrating on treating our patients. We have orphaned squirrels and bunnies in the clinic, as well as several turtles (more than usual), a goose, a woodchuck and an orphaned jumping mouse.

The residents are doing well. Nokomis has taken to hooting as everyone who walks into the resident room lately. The birds we supposed to go to Oskee Bow Wow last week, but unfortunately, the weather didn't cooperate. They have two events coming up, though. First, on September 21rst, the will be going to the opening of a forest preserve (more details to follow). Then, on September 27th and 28th they will be at Prairielands Feeds in Savoy. We hope to see some of you at an event soon!

Orphaned Jumping Mouse (only 4.5grams!)

Goose with external fixator receiving foot treatment

Red-Eared Slider

Cleaning up an orphaned squirrel

Welcome Back!

2008-08-26T15:02:00.000-05:00

Students have returned to school (and the wildlife ward) this week. Team leaders have already taken over cases, and the first mandatory WMC team sign up and orientation meeting is on Wednesday, August 27th at 7pm.

Clinic Update 6/4

2008-06-04T23:54:00.000-05:00

The warm weather has brought quite a few patients to the clinic in the last two weeks. We've seen robins, grackles, red-tailed hawks, an orphaned mallard duck, a young Canada goose, bunnies, squirrels, raccoons and a woodchuck! Many have already been treated and released or sent to rehabbers, along with the snapping turtle and turkey that had been with us for awhile. The most interesting current cases include a red-eared slider with a fractured shell, two fawns (one that had surgery to repair a fractured calcaneus!), and a juvenile bald eagle.

The resident birds also attended an event at Washington Early Childhood last Saturday. The school had a carnival themed open house, and lots of students and their parents stopped by to see Nokomis, Noel, Pistol and Odin up close. As always, we enjoyed coming out and talking about the birds and what we do at the WMC.

Feeding an Orphaned Fawn

Woodchuck

Juvenile Bald Eagle
Juvenile Bald Eagle in Radiology

First Week of Summer

2008-05-13T13:26:00.000-05:00

The first week of summer has been pretty quiet in the wildlife ward. Some orphaned sparrows, raccoons and rabbits have come in, but not many new injured animals. The turkey is still here and doing well. The residents are enjoying the nice weather and have been spending their days out in the flight cages.

Flight Cage

Finals Week

2008-05-03T23:09:00.000-05:00

Everything in the clinic is a little hectic because first and second year students have finals this week.

The orphans are still steadily arriving. 22 orphans were sent to rehab on Thursday! With such a high number of incoming orphans, it's important to remember to make sure that any orphans you find are really in danger before you bring them into the clinic.

The residents had an all day event on Thursday as well. We went to St. Joseph Ogden High School in St. Joseph to talk to a science class about the mission of the clinic, how to handle injured wildlife and the place of raptors in the ecosystem. The students were great and got to see the birds up close, as well as examples of casts and feathers.

Orphaned Killdeer

Clinic Update 4/29

2008-04-29T13:52:00.000-05:00

Things have been running smoothly in the clinic this week. The third years have officially moved on to clinics, and the first and second year students have stepped up to help their teams.

The weather has been great, so the resident birds have been able to go out to their flight cages. They are very happy to get out of the ward for a few hours everyday. They also went to Petstravaganza on Saturday and helped introduce more community members to the WMC are our mission. On Thursday, they will be headed to a high school in St. Joseph.

Orphans are coming in and being shipped off to wildlife rehabbers regularly. 5 orphaned raccoons and 4 orphaned rabbits left the clinic for rehabilitation this afternoon. Make sure orphaned wildlife really needs help before bringing it to the WMC!

We also have several interesting cases in the clinic. Currently, we are treating a mallard duck with a right wing injury, a red-tailed hawk, an opossum, a turkey, and a snapping turtle. Lucy, the goose, has finally gone off to a rehabber.

Snapping Turtle

Turkey
Mallard Duck

Doodle for Wildlife

2008-04-23T10:55:00.001-05:00

Doodle for Wildlife, the WMC's annual fund-raiser, occurred last Saturday. Guests had a great time bidding on the silent and live auction items, as well as honoring important contributions to the clinic. All of the resident birds attended the event (including Susie) and their paintings were the hit of the live auction.

Thanks to everyone who attended the event! The Wildlife Medical Clinic sincerely appreciates you support!

Julia with Odin, Pistol, Penelope, Nokomis and Noel

Bidding on the Silent Auction Items

Orphans!

2008-04-17T10:58:00.001-05:00

Now that it's warming up, we are getting a pretty regular stream of orphans into the clinic. Remember, our recommendations are to call us when:
1) you know the parents are dead (evidence of a dead parent nearby)
2) the animal is obviously injured, weak, thin, very cold or sick
3) the animal is covered with flies or insects , or
4) the animal is in unavoidable, unnatural danger.

Parents often leave their young unattended for most of the day and will still care for them if they've been handled by humans. If the "orphan" is fat, bright eyed and apparently healthy it is probably best left alone. You can return the animal to its nest (if you can find it) or move it out of the way to a safe location. If a baby bunny's eyes are open or a baby bird is completely feathered, they are typically old enough to fend for themselves.

Michelle and an orphaned squirrel

Orphaned Mourning Doves

Don't forget to buy your tickets for Doodle for Wildlife! The event is Saturday night. We met last night to put together packages for the silent auction, and we have some amazing items!

Rounds 4/8/08

2008-04-08T17:35:00.000-05:00

Every week, the clinic volunteers get together for rounds. This provides us an opportunity to learn about important topics and occasionally practice our clinical skills. For today's rounds, we practiced suturing on bananas. Everyone had a great time!

Stacy helps Kelly with her suturing technique

Educational Event Update

2008-04-07T18:52:00.001-05:00

Our residents were very busy last week. On Thursday night, Nokomis, Noel and Penelope visited Washington Early Childhood in Urbana for their "Night at the Zoo." The students got to see the birds up close and touch some real owl feathers!

Night at the Zoo:Nokomis

Erin with Noel and Penelope

On Friday morning, Odin and Pistol visited a 6th grade class in Monticello. They helped our volunteers discuss falconry with the students and enjoyed being out in the community.

Saturday was the College of Veterinary Medicine Annual Open House. Five of the residents (Nokomis, Noel, Pistol, Penelope and Odin) perched in the anatomy lab and wowed the visitors. Many people commented that they had never seen the birds so close before but often saw other members of the species in their yards or on the highway. The birds did great, considering the length of the event, and helped demonstrate the importance and beauty of wildlife to thousands of people.

Open House:

Amanda with Odin, Pistol, Penelope, Noel and Nokomis

Finally, Doodle for Wildlife is fast approaching. We have some amazing items in the auction, so don't forget to buy your tickets! Click here for more information or to purchase tickets.

Busy, busy, busy!

2008-04-03T16:20:00.001-05:00

Activity in the ward has really picked up since spring break. We now have 2 Mourning Doves, 2 Red Tailed Hawks, and a young Great Horned Owl. The Barred Owl is still here and doing very well. He should be headed off to a rehabber fairly soon. Lucy, the Canadian Goose, is also progressing and will hopefully be able to leave the clinic shortly.

Treatments:
Red-Tailed Hawk Surgery

Barred Owl

Bumblefoot treatment on a Red-Tailed Hawk

The residents have also been really busy. Odin, Nokomis, Pistol and Noel went to an event on the vet school campus yesterday. The owls have an event tonight and Odin and Pistol have one tomorrow morning. Saturday is the CVM Open House, and all of the birds will be coming out for that too! It's also been warm enough for the birds to start going outside to their flight cages for a few hours, and they have been really excited to spend time outdoors!

Spring Break!

2008-03-16T17:08:00.000-05:00

The College of Vet Med started spring break on Friday, so most of the student volunteers (including myself) are not in the clinic this week. The WMC will still be in operation, however, thanks to the superstar managers and some very dedicated volunteers who will be in Urbana over break. As always, the clinic will be accepting ill, injured or orphaned wildlife 24 hours a day.

Don't forget about the upcoming CVM Open House and our fund-raiser, Doodle for Wildlife! Registration for Doodle is now open, and we are getting ready for a great event.

Educational Event on 3/13

2008-03-14T08:24:00.000-05:00

Last night, Stacy, Allison and I took Noel, Pistol, Odin and Nokomis out to visit Tiger Cub Den 147. The boys asked some great questions and already knew quite a lot about owls! The den also generously donated some supplies from the clinic's wishlist. The birds really enjoyed going out, since they haven't had many events recently and the weather was so nice. Thanks for a great evening Tiger Cubs!

Noel:

It was almost prophetic...

2008-03-11T18:43:00.000-05:00

As I was writing the last post, three orphan squirrels came into the clinic. It looks like orphan season has officially begun!

Spring begins...

2008-03-11T16:32:00.001-05:00

The wildlife ward has been a little slow lately. The three current cases ( a Canadian goose, a Barred Owl and a Red-Tailed Hawk) are all doing well, and the rest of the teams are waiting for a case. Odin, our resident Red-Tailed Hawk, was especially interested in perching on the step ladder today, even when we needed it to finish cleaning his cage! Susie, our resident Harris Hawk, also got to fly around the ward for awhile. She enjoys perching as high as possible and went almost directly to the top of a shelving unit.

Susie:

With the arrival of spring, we know the clinic won't be quiet for much longer. Every spring brings an influx of orphaned birds, bunnies and squirrels to the clinic. Unfortunately, many of the orphans we receive would have been better left alone. Parents will often leave their young for long periods during the day, leading people to think the young have been abandoned. Our recommendations are to call us when:
1) you know the parents are dead (evidence of a dead parent nearby)
2) The animal is obviously injured, weak, thin, very cold or sick
3) the animal is covered with flies or insects , or
4) the animal is in unavoidable, unnatural danger.
If the "orphan" is fat, bright eyed and apparently healthy it is probably best left alone. You can return the animal to its nest (if you can find it) or move it out of the way to a safe location. If a baby bunny's eyes are open or a baby bird is completely feathered, they are typically old enough to fend for themselves.

On Thursday, the resident birds will be going to visit Tiger Cub Den 147 for an educational program. We're looking forward to a great event!

Welcome!

2008-03-04T13:55:00.001-06:00

Welcome to the Wildlife Medical Clinic blog!

This blog will be used to update the public about special events, daily happenings and cases of the Wildlife Medical Clinic.

The WMC is housed in the University of Illinois College of Veterinary Medicine. The College donates clinic space and utilities, but all testing, feed, treatment and surgery costs are covered by the WMC budget. The WMC is a non-profit organization that depends solely on fund-raising, donations, and grants for this operating budget.

The Wildlife Medical Clinic accepts ill, injured, or orphaned wildlife (except for skunks and bats) 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.

We're currently getting ready for our annual fund-raiser, Doodle for Wildlife, to be held on Saturday April 19th. For more information, keep checking http://www.cvm.uiuc.edu/wmc/doodle.html