Wild baby animals 06/05/2009
This is the season that Veterinary clinics are inundated with phone calls and questions about baby animals. This really cute wild baby animal was abandoned in their back yard as divine sign they are to care for it. Can you take a lifetime on the phone and go over the complete life stages of this species for me? I am such a good provider it will prosper under my amateur care. I understand the good intentions and some of these people do not understand the responsibility and commitment they are walking into. The spectrum of babies goes from baby birds, rabbits, squirrels, ground hogs, and raccoons. The Lord knows how to bait the trap with attractants such as attractiveness and cuddle factor. It is comforting to know there are such caring, well intending clients in our practice. I understand the need to foster and return animals to a healthy state. It is a character issue I have had since childhood.
I did not know then about Baylisascaris procyonis a round worm in raccoons that dogs pick up and act as a carrier for. Baylisascaris procyonis is deadly for primates. It is irreversible in humans if they survive the brain infestation; they are compromised to the extreme. Most human infections are extremely severe and can be fatal. Once humans are infected larval stages are hard to kill. These larvae grow fast and are destructive in confined areas such as spinal cord or brain. The incubation period in people may take 2-3 weeks. It is usually young children playing in a sandbox or finding contaminated berry like seeds and unfortunately eating them. Young children do not comprehend the importance of not putting things or fingers in their mouths. There was one case were teenage girls were out in the woods and came upon a raccoon latrine. Raccoons like a flat surface to eliminate a bowel movement on. As rain and weather act upon the feces organic matter disappears and left attractive "berries" that were covered in Baylisascaris ova.
The incidence of infected people is low but the effects are highly dangerous once infected. The fact dogs can act as carriers without showing clinical signs of infection is an example of species specificity. For what ever reason canines are "protected". Using this information Veterinarians recommend a negative heartworm status and a monthly heartworm preventative which includes medication designed against "roundworms". This medication removes Baylisascaris and will lessen exposure risk to family members. The other option is to worm all raccoons every 30 days. This will never happen. It has been estimated raccoons are infected approximately 80% of the time. To check Baylisascaris out further use this CDC web site.
http://www.dpd.cdc.gov/dpdx/HTML/Baylisascariasis.htm
Some species of animals use a high reproductive rate to perpetuate the species. No one likes to see babies be eliminated in any manner. Rabbits depend on this as they are not good fighters and you can only run so far, particularly if you run in a circle back to where they were flushed from. Baby birds and squirrels do fall from high places. Placing a toddler on a high perch will eventually result in a sudden meeting with the earth. Some times their mothers are watching from a distance. If you see a deceased parent in the vicinity this is a clue this young one needs some assistance. These should be taken to a wild life rehabilitator. Sick and injured critters need evaluation on a case by case basis.
I am reminded every spring of good intentions. This week there was a call from a frantic woman. She had a litter of six baby raccoons she had started to foster and now needed to have them put to sleep. She had called every where. All the listed rehabbers and rescue groups were unable to take them. I am not sure why she needed to get rid of this litter of six. We recommended the Department of Natural Resources. She wanted us to euthanize the whole litter of six while she held them. I refuse to do convenience euthanasias. Animals need to be in need of relief from sickness, incurable medical problems or justifiable injuries. Because these fuzz balls are not what this lady intended or they were not cute or convenient is not reason enough for me. I find any request for mass destruction repulsive and completely deviant from correct social behavior.
I have had some occasional success in repairing wild critters. People need to know that they do not all live for a lot of reasons. The biggest reason is they die of fright. I fixed a fractured tibia (shin bone) on a wild rabbit. These owners were committed to keeping and maintaining this rabbit. This baby rabbit weighed 3. 9 ounces, just under a quarter of a pound. His entire body would fit any dimension in the palm of my hand. He was so small we used # 4 dental radiograph films which are about ¾ of the size of a playing card. Intramedullary pins (rods) used with fractures were bigger than the bone. I resorted to using what is called Kirchner wire to thread through the marrow cavity of the bone. These are sometimes used when human finger bones are in need of repair. It was a tight fit but adequate reduction for healing was done. Most of you have not had the experience of suturing live rabbit skin. You do not realize it has the consistency of wet toilet paper. It took longer to suture the skin back together than repair the fracture. The skin ripped from gripping and holding for the counter pressure required forcing the Kirchner wire out the stifle (knee) and backing into the distal (far) end of the break for anchorage. The wire was planned to not be removed. The fracture in the tibia would heal and the wire would be encased in bone as the leg grew and heal over the entry point. Rabbit had a speedy recovery. The only concern from the owner was two days later it was biting her when she was giving postoperative medications. She wanted to know why. I reminded her it was not used to domestication and it is a wild animal.
This rabbit did great. I thought it was to be rehabbed and released. Four plus months later He was back for neutering. He lived fourteen months longer. He jumped up and was vocalizing. Rabbits can jump and kick so hard they will fracture their spine. He expired prior to getting to the clinic.
For more information about a specific case, consult your veterinarian.