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Bald Eagle Patients

Update on Buddy: UPDATE: December 22, 2009
by Dr. Dave McRuer, Director of Veterinary Medicine

Eagle #08-887 was brought into the clinic for a dremeling procedure on Tuesday, December 22. The bird’s upper beak had actually worn a small grove in the lower beak, although this did not affect the bird’s ability to eat.

The dremmel was used to shorten the length of the lower beak and reduce the height of the beak on the left rostral surface. The height of the adjacent margin on the upper beak was also reduced bilaterally. The length of the upper beak was also shortened.

The Wildlife Center of Virginia is currently treating two Bald Eagle patients:
Eagle #09-0298

This Bald Eagle — a mature adult — was found on April 10 in Prince George County, in a field and unable to fly more than about 10 feet. The bird’s flight was described as “flappy” — in that it did not seem to be using one wing. With the assisstance of officers from the Virginia Department of Game and Inland Fisheries, the eagle was rescued on April 11 and transported to the Wildlife Center.

[Animals admitted to the Center are given sequential patient numbers - in the order in which they are admitted. Patient #00-0298 was the 298th patient admitted to the Center during 2009.]

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Upon admission, the bird received a complete examination. Although the bird was generally in good body condition, many primary feathers on the left wing were broken. It also appears that the eagle had suffered fractures of the right scapula and clavicle — an old injury [at least two weeks old]. The bird also tested positive for exposure to organophosphates.

On April 14, the Center’s veterinarians more thoroughly examined the eagle’s shoulder, using a fluoroscope. The vets found reduced mobility in the shoulder, but no arthritic-like changes or complications.

The Center veterinarians re-evaluated the bird on May 11 and were encouraged to find no additional deterioration of the right shoulder, although that shoulder is still tight. The team is encouraged by the growth of new feathers on the bird.

This eagle has been housed in several of the Center’s outdoor flight pens and is in one of the Center’s largest flight pens. However, the bird is now not flying, and the long-term prognosis is not promising. The bird has been placed back on pain medication. Because of concern about breaking emerging blood feathers, the eagle will be on the Center’s “do not handle” list until mid January.
Eagle #09-2531
Photo courtesy of Robin Sexauer

Photo courtesy of Robin Sexauer

This adult eagle was spotted near the mouth of Nassawadox Creek, along the Chesapeake Bay, in Northampton County. The eagle had a wing droop and was rescued by Kathy Cummings on December 27. On December 29 the eagle was transported to the Center by Gay Frazee. Upon admission, Center veterinarians found fractures of the major and minor metacarpals in the eagle’s right wing. The wing was wrapped; the eagle received antibiotics, anti-inflammatories, and pain medication.

The eagle went into surgery on January 4 to pin fractures and was taken back into surgery on January 5 to get better placement of the pins. The eagle spent a short time post-surgery in the Center’s critical-care chamber.
Eagle recovering after surgery in the critical care chamber

Eagle recovering after surgery in the critical care chamber

On January 12 the eagle was moved to one of the Center’s outdoor pens. The eagle has both a wing and body wrap to immobolize its right wing. The bird had its first physical therapy session and had good extension of its right wing; for the time being, therapy will be repeated every four days. The eagle has not been eating well on its own and has lost weight; the vet staff has administered an appetite stimulant [which has worked] and the hope is that being outdoors may also help the bird to relax and eat. An additional round of radiographs is scheduled for January 18.

During 2009, the Wildlife Center admitted 40 Bald Eagles — an all-time high for Bald Eagles patients in a single year — and one Golden Eagle. During all of 2008, the Center admitted 25 Bald Eagles.

NOTE: On January 10 the Center admitted its first Bald Eagle patient of 2010 — an adult bird that had been found, on the ground and unable to fly, on Port Isobel Island in the Chesapeake Bay [Accomack County]. Upon admission, the Center veterinary staff found that the eagle had multiple, serious injuries — to its eyes, beak, chest, and feet. The bird was humanely euthanized.

NOTE: On December 29 the Center admitted its 39th Bald Eagle of 2009 — a large adult female that was found by hunters in Essex County. Upon admission, Center veterinarians found that Eagle #09-2530 had very high levels of lead. Subsequent radiographs found two large [1 cm] pieces of buckshot in the eagle’s gastrointestinal tract — the apparent source of the lead poisoning.

On December 30, Dr. Elizabeth Daut, assisted by Natalia Deveaux and Madis Leivits, set out to remove the buckshot. The first hour-long attempt with an endoscope was not successful; Dr. Daut then operated [a ventriculotomy] and successfully removed the two pieces of buckshot. Center President Ed Clark postlates that this lead shot was injested by the eagle when it scavenged the carcass of a deer that had been shot.

Despite the successful surgery, the eagle continued to decline and continued to show neurological signs associated with exposure to lead. On the afternoon of January 6, the eagle was placed in the Center’s critical-care chamber, which provides increased oxygen concentration and warm temperatures. The eagle was found dead in the chamber on the morning of January 7. A necropsy confirmed that there was no infection or complications at the site of surgery.

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