Animal Ambulance
5 October 2003 13:02![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
denLast night I had a rather panicked call from a friend. "Something horrible has happened to Cuddles! Nan would be upset if she died!" So this morning I packed all my gear into the car and found myself rescuing a young tabby. It looks like she'd been run over, possibly while sleeping under the neighbour's car. The skin and muscle of her right rear leg and gone and I could see the bone of her ankle.
All the vets were closed, it being Sunday, but we caught one in the office and were told to bring the cat around. Vets are the coolest people.
I held Cuddles by the scruff, L. put on my Owl Gloves and held onto the three good legs, while the vet did what she had to do to Cuddles. "There's no bone damage," shouted the vet over Cuddles' noise. She bathed, disinfected and bandaged the wound and it took the three of us to get the little cat back into the rescue box. We did, and in less than an hour Cuddles was back on L's Nan's bed, purring happily and plotting revenge on us.
I arrived home in time to take deliver of a baby Kookaburra, but the bird turned out to be a sacred kingfisher. The irridescent blue feathers were a bit of a give-away. The bloke who brought it around was astounded and said he'd never seen one before. He's rescued it from a bunch of crows. I can't see anything wrong but the bird can't fly, which isn't good. I hope it only has bruised muscles and not a dislocation.
Then 10 minutes ago a bloke turned up with a galah in a box. It was a motor vehicle victim. "We've had him since last thursday. He's eating and drinking okay, but his wing's not getting any better so we thought we'd hand him over to you lot." I bit my tongue, thanked him and lied through my teeth about how we'd take care of the bird. A quick examination revealded a dislocated shoulder and crepitus (a word that discribes the feeling the ends of bones in a break make when they grind together as you feel it) in at least 2 places. I suspect hip damage, too. The bird seemed to favour one leg.
Helped a cat and a kingfisher, and eu'd a galah. 2/3 is okay but I feel like shit, as always. At least I didn't get any holes in me this time.
The boobook owl I rescued is almost ready to be released. His head injury has almost totally healed. H. said she moved him from the hospital box to the flight aviary yesterday, and he's having a big sook about it and won't eat. That isn't a problem uless he refuses to eat for 3 days, but they usually settle into the new cage quickly. He should be back in the bush by the end of the month.
Which is nice.
All the vets were closed, it being Sunday, but we caught one in the office and were told to bring the cat around. Vets are the coolest people.
I held Cuddles by the scruff, L. put on my Owl Gloves and held onto the three good legs, while the vet did what she had to do to Cuddles. "There's no bone damage," shouted the vet over Cuddles' noise. She bathed, disinfected and bandaged the wound and it took the three of us to get the little cat back into the rescue box. We did, and in less than an hour Cuddles was back on L's Nan's bed, purring happily and plotting revenge on us.
I arrived home in time to take deliver of a baby Kookaburra, but the bird turned out to be a sacred kingfisher. The irridescent blue feathers were a bit of a give-away. The bloke who brought it around was astounded and said he'd never seen one before. He's rescued it from a bunch of crows. I can't see anything wrong but the bird can't fly, which isn't good. I hope it only has bruised muscles and not a dislocation.
Then 10 minutes ago a bloke turned up with a galah in a box. It was a motor vehicle victim. "We've had him since last thursday. He's eating and drinking okay, but his wing's not getting any better so we thought we'd hand him over to you lot." I bit my tongue, thanked him and lied through my teeth about how we'd take care of the bird. A quick examination revealded a dislocated shoulder and crepitus (a word that discribes the feeling the ends of bones in a break make when they grind together as you feel it) in at least 2 places. I suspect hip damage, too. The bird seemed to favour one leg.
Helped a cat and a kingfisher, and eu'd a galah. 2/3 is okay but I feel like shit, as always. At least I didn't get any holes in me this time.
The boobook owl I rescued is almost ready to be released. His head injury has almost totally healed. H. said she moved him from the hospital box to the flight aviary yesterday, and he's having a big sook about it and won't eat. That isn't a problem uless he refuses to eat for 3 days, but they usually settle into the new cage quickly. He should be back in the bush by the end of the month.
Which is nice.
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no subject
Date: 4 Oct 2003 20:55 (UTC)Hope the sacred kingfisher makes it through--too bad about the galah. It's too bad they didn't bring him in sooner, although I suppose if there's breakage like that, there's probably nothing to be done no matter when you get him--just don't want the poor thing to suffer and longer.
Go, boobook! Yay!
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Date: 4 Oct 2003 21:07 (UTC)no subject
Date: 4 Oct 2003 21:31 (UTC)no subject
Date: 5 Oct 2003 03:53 (UTC)Scott
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Date: 5 Oct 2003 12:09 (UTC)no subject
Date: 5 Oct 2003 19:05 (UTC)I've only seen a wild kingfisher 3 or four times in my life, and of those I've seen one fishing twice. All were male Belted Kingfishers, which are fairly common and widespead.
Glad to hear Cuddles was repairable:).