Today's update from CROW:
Lil Guy has been quiet, alert and responsive. He has not regurgitated any food the last couple of days. He was fed soft pieces of rat today- probably didnt need to know that huh.
He was observed to be hock sitting and for the remainder of the time is in the prone position (laying flat with the chest down and back up) and has been moved to a larger enclosure to encourage movement.
Although positive signs, he is still receiving pain medication and remains in critical and guarded condition.
Still working backwards here. The fracture he sustained had already started healing by the time he got to CROW. But, it was displaced i.e. not in proper alignment. Thus, they had to rebreak it (gross I know), pin it in place internally, and apply a plate externally with pins to hold it in place.
Takes 4-6 weeks for human bone to heal. Eagles should be about the same. Hopefully, there is no infection during the process. Then, he faces more surgery to remove the external hardware. Then rehab.
If he is able to use the leg and talon at 100% he will be released back into the wild. His sibling and parents will be long gone by then. But, he can hook up with a group of other juveniles - as they usually do for the first year.
If he does not have full use of that leg and talon, he will need to go to a sanctuary for non releasable eagles.
One step at a time.
The funny news is I think his sibling is missing him. Altho he has all the food provided by the parents to himself, he tends not to eat the tail end of fish. The tails, by hook or crook, were always Lil Guy's.
This weekend, Dad brought a humongous fish for lunch. Brutus ate 2/3's of it. He hid the tail part in the maybe 1 foot square section of nest that is left. Mom came along later and started eating the remainder. Brutus went nuts. He was mantling, puffed up, making enough noise to raise the dead, and actually kind of went after the momma, forcing her to fly off. Others said he was upset cuz he was saving that for later. I think he was saving it for Lil Guy, just in case. He didnt eat it. But, he protected it.
|