Dear Friends,
Thanks for all your good wishes and the contacts that you forwarded to me. Unfortunately, when I went home on Friday at lunch to check on him, I could see he was going downhill. I called my vet who gave me another wildlife rehabilitor who is only a town away. I called right away, but she was at work and I got her machine. By the time I got home, he was gone.
I feel sure he had the pneumonia associated with aspirating water that several rescuers have described to me.
The rehabilitor who called Friday night, was such a caring and wonderful lady. She gave me advice on what to do if this ever happens again, until I can get the bird to her.
Basically, handle as little as possible. Do not give food or water. Put the bird in something confining, like a shoebox with the lid on, and put the shoebox half on a heating pad on low. They are generally suffering from shock and need the warmth. Having it half on, half off, will allow them move slightly away if they become too warm. Then, try to find a willdlife rehabilitator asap. Really, it's one of those things that, in retrospect, you think, 'why didn't I research this and having something ready?'. Experience is such a cruel teacher. I hope the basics I outlined above will help someone else save a life.
We buried him under our 100 year old oak tree with a small plant on top for a marker. Poor little guy; it just breaks my heart.
Thanks for everyone's help and good wishes.
Love, Julie
"I hold that, the more helpless a creature, the more entitled it is
to protection by man from the cruelty of man. "
"The greatness of a nation and its moral progress can be judged
by the way its animals are treated."
Mohandas Gandhi (1869-1948)
Paws Come WITH Claws - If you're thinking about de-clawing your cat, you need to re-think your decision to acquire a pet.
Do you Yahoo!?
Yahoo! SiteBuilder - Free, easy-to-use web site design software
