Thanks for the Memories: The Ring-billed Gull Rescue

Dr. Kim Everson and CVT Tim Kneeland providing
emergency care for a juvenile ring-billed gull.

Months ago my staff captured these images as an exciting wildlife rescue case unfolded in our veterinary clinic. As with too many things in life, I procrastinated writing my blog post about it because I'd have more time tomorrow. Nearly six months have gone by. That hot August day seems like an unreal dream as sturgeon spearers sit above 30" of ice on a sunny but brittle February day. Yet, now is the perfect time to reflect on "Peter" the fish-hook gull as, with a mixture of sadness and anticipation, we say farewell and good luck to Tim Kneeland, CVT, who soon begins a new chapter in his veterinary technician career.

The morning of Tim's interview, the first ever employee of St. Bernard's Animal Medical Center (!), we were to meet at New Moon Cafe in Oshkosh. Tim was running a bit late, which doesn't bode well for an interviewee but turns out to be highly unusual for him. When he arrived, he was flush with excitement and informed me that a pair of peregrine falcons were nesting nearby and he had been watching for them as part of his volunteer work with Aves Wildlife Alliance. As I had driven to the cafe earlier I had noted an unusual looking bird of prey soaring over UW Oshkosh's high rise dormitories, and thus Tim and I shared our first Aves moment.

Tim's interest in wildlife rehabilitation influenced our veterinary clinic caseload in fascinating ways. To be honest, handling calls from concerned citizens about injured wildlife is a bit unnerving. There are strict rules and regulations regarding which animals can be rehabilitated, who can provide care, where and for how long. Tim became a sort of wildlife ambassador, EMT and ambulance, sorting through the red tape then helping to assess and stabilize various birds and even a baby squirrel before transporting them to Aves Wildlife Alliance in Neenah for continued care.

Removing fishing lure hooks from the gull's nares (nostril).

On a hot August day in 2013, a Wisconsin DNR agent brought us an injured gull found near a Fond du Lac business. As we assessed the bird, Tim drilled into us that it was not a "sea gull" but a ring-billed gull. I had never thought of gulls as anything other than "sea gull" but now I am very conscious of how I refer to gulls! This particular juvenile ring-billed gull--christened "Peter" by veterinary assistant Ashley--had the misfortune of becoming hooked by a fishing lure through its beak and in several places in one wing. It was mildly dehydrated and also had several small scrapes and abrasions from struggling to undo itself.

Administering SQ fluids in the inguinal space (groin).

After determining the extent of its injuries, we consulted with Rebekah Weiss, founder of Aves Wildlife Alliance, who approved the treatment plan. With Tim safely restraining the gull, I used my trusty pink needle-nose pliers to extract the lure hooks from the gull's wing first and then its right nares (e.g., nostril). Ouch! There just is no great way to remove multi-barbed fishing hooks from living tissue. Luckily the hooks weren't buried very deeply, and the young gull tolerated treatment incredibly well. It immediately appeared relieved and more relaxed after the lure was removed.

Next we administered fluids to offset dehydration by injecting a balanced electrolyte solution into its inguinal space (i.e., the "groin" if birds can be said to have such a thing!). We administered a dose of non-steroidal anti-inflammatory orally then left the bird to rest in a quiet, dark place. After work that day, Tim transported the gull to Aves for a week of recovery and supportive care. Fortunately, the gull's wounds healed well, leaving no permanent damage that would impede flight and survival in the wild.

"Peter" the ring-billed gull takes flight over Lake Winnebago.

On August 27th, Tim brought the gull home to Lake Winnebago for release. One of the prettiest pictures I've ever seen is this bird taking flight after its rescue and rehabilitation.

As we say farewell to Tim, I find this image of restored flight imprinted on my memories of hours and hours of shared experiences, challenges and learning leaving me simultaneously nostalgic and hopeful.

Thank you, Tim Kneeland, CVT, for your service and dedication to St. Bernard's Animal Medical Center. We wish you continued success in your career!

No Good Deed Goes Unpunished

Sitting in the clinic refrigerator today is a grim reminder of how dangerous injured and frightened animals can be. 

A neighborhood feral cat shows up with severely injured back limbs, dehydrated and undoubtedly suffering from exposure to the prolonged subzero temperatures. Once coaxed into a travel crate, she is reluctant to leave. When her Good Samaritan tries to remove her from her crate he is bit numerous times -- through the heavy work gloves he wears.

Now we have a horribly injured stray cat with no known history of rabies vaccination and serious human exposure risk. When the helpful neighbors bring her in to the clinic for evaluation the situation has changed from one of trying to figure out a way to fix the kitty to making sure her rescuer doesn't die of rabies infection.

We know the outcome for this poor kitty is not good the moment we peer into the crate. She has extensive degloving injuries on her hind legs where the skin is stripped off the muscle and sags down the limb like loose stockings. The toes on one foot appear crushed. She is severely dehydrated, sadly debilitated. Even with heroic efforts at medical and surgical salvage, her prognosis is grave.

In the best of situations, if a stray kitty bites or scratches a person it needs to be quarantined in an approved facility (like a veterinary clinic or animal control shelter) where it is examined three times by a veterinarian over a 10-day period. If the animal shows symptoms of rabies during this time, it must be euthanized and its brain must be submitted for rabies testing. THERE IS NO OTHER TEST FOR RABIES! If the animal does not show signs of rabies, it will be vaccinated against rabies on day 10 and released.

Knowing what must be done in this terrible situation, but hoping for an alternative, we call the Wisconsin State

Shipping a specimen to the state
laboratory for testing requires careful
attention to very strict packaging instructions.

Lab of Hygiene and local animal control colleagues for confirmation. The answer is the same from everyone of whom we ask the awful question. The kitty must be put to sleep and her brain must be sent to the state lab for testing.

The Good Samaritans quickly grasp the urgency of the situation. In fact, years ago one of the family members underwent the series of post-exposure prophylactic injections after receiving an injury from an animal that couldn't be tested. If this stray cat's test comes back positive for rabies, the person she bit will undergo the series of post-exposure prophylactic injections as well.

While we wait for the results of the rabies test, the bitee will be watching his wounds for sign of infection. Even a non-rabid cat's bite can create devastating infection requiring heavy duty antibiotics and sometimes hospitalization! Any bite or scratch injury should be immediately and thoroughly washed with soap and water (for 10-15 minutes) to reduce the chance of it becoming infected. 

Some major take home messages from this recent event include:

1) Do not handle an unknown injured animal. Even a beloved and gentle pet may viciously bite out of pain or fear. If you cannot safely approach or handle an injured animal, call local animal control for assistance.

2) Do not release or destroy an animal (wild or domestic) which may have bitten a person. Consult your local animal control or public health department for instructions.

3) Keep your dogs, cats (even indoor only), ferrets and livestock vaccinated against rabies. Doing so limits risk to humans but also protects them against exposure through bats, skunks, foxes, raccoon, etc.

4) Do not handle or make pets out of wild animals--even cute orphaned babies. In many places this type of pet is illegal. Species known to carry rabies may not show any symptoms for a long time, but can put people and pets at risk.

5) Despite the miraculous recovery of Jeanna Giese and a very few others, rabies is still a fatal disease if post-exposure prophylaxis is not sought. If you are concerned about rabies exposure or if a bat is found in a room with a young child or sleeping or mentally incapacitated adult, contact your physician or public health department right away. 

6) According to a July 2013 statement by the World Health Organization, more the 55,000 people die worldwide (primarily Asia and Africa) from rabies, and 40% are children under the age of 15 who were infected by rabid dogs. Mandatory vaccination of dogs in the U.S. after World War II has significantly reduced the number of human deaths from rabies in domestic animals. Post-exposure prophylaxis prevents rabies disease in hundreds of thousands of people each year!