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From: ooblick@intercon.com (Mikki Barry)
Newsgroups: rec.birds
Subject: Re: Suburban raptors (and cats, sorry)
Keywords: Injured birds
Message-ID: <1606@intercon.com>
Date: 7 Dec 89 03:40:46 GMT
References: <1596@intercon.com> <17546@dartvax.Dartmouth.EDU> <2341@jato.Jpl.Nasa.Gov>
Reply-To: ooblick@intercon.UUCP (Mikki Barry)
Distribution: na
Organization: InterCon Systems Corporation
Lines: 40

Oftentimes, avian vets in the area will tend to injured wild birds 
without charge.  I've brought in a few to my local vet who has checked
them out and offered advice.

About cat bites, I am told that the bacteria in their mouths is very
nasty to most living creatures that are not cats.  Add to this is the
way they bite their prey.  They don't rip and tear like a dog does
(which actually is better since it causes bleeding that washes out the
bacteria the dog will leave on the animal) they literally inject their
germs into the wound.

My poor husband was attacked by a cat and wound up in the emergency 
room with a hand full of nasty puncture wounds.  He found himself a human
pin cushion with a tetnus shot and antibiotics.  The doctor said that
whenever you get bit by a cat you should get your butt to the doc for
a dosage of antibiotics (no pun intended :-)).

It's much worse for the birds.  Not only do they have less blood overall
to lose, and far more complications from stress than humans do, but their
systems have a much worse time fighting off infection and poisons from
cat bites.  Wildlife rehabilitators often have antibiotics and dosage
information on hand for accident victims.  Vets and the state wildlife
office in your area will have rehabilitators names and phone numbers
available for you to contact and bring your injured birds to.  Sitting
up all night with an injured bird won't do either of you any good if you
don't know exactly what you're doing and have the proper tools available.
I'm not saying that to make anyone feel bad who has taken the time and
effort to try to save a wounded bird.  I'm saying it because the rehab
people are trained (oftentimes better than regular vets) specifically to
take care of wild animals and know how best not to stress them and how to
treat their wounds in the least traumatic way.  And they are oftentimes
very grateful that you care enough to "bother" to take the poor thing
to them.  They also have humane methods to destroy those that can't be
saved and end their suffering.  They have a feel for who will live and
who is suffering needlessly.

I'd love to get into raptor rehabilitation, but I doubt if I could watch
them eat :-)

Mikki Barry