ADAM update

Another first for my vet, me and one of the birds in my care. ADAM came in yesterday from Casper after being removed from his nest. Both his siblings had fledged over the weekend but this young bird was way behind them. The parents were upset with his being taken but it turns out he would have surely died staying there.

Xrays this morning revealed that the epiphyseal line in the femur of both legs were out of alignment. Probably from his hitting the ground after falling 18' from the nest. Dr. Becky Prior at Lifetime Small Animal Hospital put both legs where they belong and he's now sporting rigid casts from his toes to his hip. Because he can't stand or move around he's in a sling on a plastic container to maintain a normal standing position. It looks awkward but the sling is soft and he's well supported.

Feeding him is easy altho time consuming because the mice have to be cut into small bite sized pieces. He readily takes them from my forceps and even squeeks as he's eating. Probably not a "thank you" but "more please".

He'll wear these braces for at least three weeks, having them changed every week. Because of his young age it is hoped he'll make a full recovery and be returned to the wild. That will take some time but my fingers are crossed. Ferruginous hawks are the largest hawk and extremely impressive when adults.

UPDATE: Very sad, after his casts came off he was still unable to use his legs altho he tried, as did we all. He was humanely euthanized yesterday. (the 15th)