Today was spent on the rehabilitation side. We fed our now 13 raccoons, the new addition we received yesterday, and changed all their bedding plus fed them solids. I did dishes while the other two interns prepared squirrel trays. When they fed squirrels and the chipmunk (whom had surgery yesterday since he broke his leg before we received him) and I fed the squirrel out back that was soft released. Some of you may remember me reffering to him as Satan squirrel because he would always mock charge everyone and make weezing sounds at you. Once he was fed, watered, and given more nuts I returned inside and fed/watered mice. Tried to check and see if the babies were an ounce yet but none seemed to be. They're halfway there though! Before I finished feeding mice I had to draw up 4 Sub Q's for the baby bunnies I had an intern pick up on their way back from Antigo (REGI) with some birds. They were orphaned because the family's dog killed the mother (and also one of the babies). We had 5 total but the rehabber drew up a Sub Q since I forgot how to do it at first.
Sub Q's are basically used as a means of rehydration. It's basically liquid that is drawn up from a bag, heated up under a heating pad, and then inserted directly into the muscles(?) between the shoulder blades. We do this if the rehydration liquid we orally give them does not seem to be rehydrating them quick enough. Sometimes they need that extra boost and usually they are all very peppy after receiving the Sub Q.
Once they were all Sub Q'ed (interns can only watch when it comes to the bunnies due to permits and such) I returned to the kitchen with the other two interns in order to make mash - a mixture of bananas and strawberries that is normally mashed into a mushy state. We just cut them up this time. Its all for our raccoons whom are now big enough to eat with out it all being mashed up. Since the racoons are mostly vaccinated and more on solids then formula we may be weening them off formula for good within the week or so and next step is outside into the big pens. Of course there's details I am missing with the process in between but we shall see what happens when we get there. For now they are all getting BIGGER and still on solids and formula. We only feed at 8am, 4pm, and 8pm though instead of 8, 12, 2, 4, and 8. So the less feeding times truly has helped us get more stuff down on the rehabilitation side. After the mash was mixed up we finished off any charts and took our hour lunch.
I contemplated napping during lunch because of how tired I have been but I have all night to do that. Since I have the day off tomorrow too I figured I would rest up for the most part, except for doing laundry. 6 days working in a row took its toll. Especially when I honestly haven't recuperated from the 5 days off. For the most part I went to bed late and woke up early on just about every day and did a lot of riding in a car or did a lot of driving (9 - 12 hrs depending). Yes I had 5 days off but was I lounging around on any of those days? Not entirely. I can say I successfully pulled through the last 6 days and feel very accomplished. Hopefully the day off tomorrow will truly help me.
After lunch was over with the three of us interns went back downstairs. I think we started to mostly clean. Not sure which order all of the following was done but we gave three of our resident birds exams, fed raccoons mash/dogfood/egg, did dishes in all the rooms, I restocked at some point, and at the very end of the day I took out the trash and compost while the the other two swept and mopped. I also helped prepare squirrel trays while the other two fed them as well. We checked off everything on the list except taking care of tub dishes outside and checking up on all the residents to see if they were all okay. We know the Bald Eagle, Kestrel, two Red-tails, and all of our small owls are but no one checked up on the large owls and Mya the Merlin. I may go out tonight to finally get back into the swing of things when it comes to talking to Errol. She still does not seem ticked off whenever I am around and appears more relaxed during educational tours which is still good in my perspective.
As for bird exams, when we are giving them we basically go out and captured the birds with a sheet and gloves on. We press their wings to their body and grab their talons so they cannot not grasp or bite us. Then we bring them inside to our exam room where we trim their talons and cope their beak. This means we "sand" it down so a tube does not form and they do not A) get their beak caught on anything and B) do not hurt themselves. Our two screech owls both seemed to have bean injuries today so we put wound flush on them to clean our the wound, some triple antibiotic, and then some vitamin E to aid the healing process. We also put Vitamin E on the feet of one screech owl because she was showing some signs of Bumble Foot; a bacteria that eats away at the flesh and all the way through the bone which results in having to amputate the foot. Since it was only the beginning sign we are able to monitor it and thus prevent it from happening before any drastic measures must be taken. Overall the three birds are very healthy and happy. DC the Screech owl did bite me a few times; she was the second bird I ever caught and I actually managed to get some pictures this time. The first bird I ever captured was Ethel our other Great Horned Owl, besides owl, whom is located on the rehabilitation side because she is used as a foster mom.
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| Eddie the Bald Eagle (Juvenile) |
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| Holding DC the Eastern Screech Owl. Thought I was smiling but rather tired today. |
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