Ask The Vet: Wildlife

Baby birds and mammals are often found and sometimes injured during the spring and summer months.  What should you do if you find baby animals or injured wildlife?

It is not legal, nor often successful, for you to raise and rehabilitate a wild animal and release it into the wild.  For that reason, raising and releasing orphaned animals is best left to a network of professionals with the training, resources and equipment to do this appropriately.  When you seek help through Exceptional Care for Animals and/or Dane County Humane Society, these animals will be raised, treated and released when possible by licensed veterinarians and/or rehabilitators, who often specialize in a particular type of animal (raptors, waterfowl, rabbits, orphaned birds, etc).

Injured animals require much more care.

Because of health concerns, deer and raccoons are not able to handled by most facilities, and there are extreme limits on skunks.  This has to do with disease concerns such as chronic wasting disease, rabies and certain parasites, all of which pose potential harm to those who come into contact with them. 

Whenever possible, the best strategy is to avoid disturbing or injuring wild animals!  Do not allow cats and dogs to molest birds and babies.  Be careful when cutting down trees, where birds may be nesting.  Watch out for concealed rabbit nests in lawns, gardens, and fence rows.  Be wary driving; on wet spring nights especially, turtles may be crossing the road.  Young and starving raptors may feed alongside roads.

For injured or orphaned wildlife: Call

Four Lakes Wildlife Center at the Dane County Humane Society: 608-838-0413, ext 151

Or

Exceptional Care for Animals: 608-274-7772

Turtles.  Turtles are commonly hit by cars.  The damage to the shell, head and internal structures vary, and many can not survive.  But many can be reconstructed and released.  This is an extensive multistep process involving orthopedic surgery, antibiotics, pain management, nutritional support and “body work” that may involve orthopedic screws and wire, fiberglass patches, and epoxy.

Birds.  When trees come down during or after windstorms, it is not rare to have very young birds blown out of the nest.  If they are naked, wet and cold, they need professional help and they need to be protected from predators like your dogs and cats.  Downy and feathered babies that are alert and mobile, but which can not yet fly, are often under the eye of their doting parents, who may not be obvious.  During this fledgling state, they feed and protect.  If you see a bird like this, watch for a reasonable amount of time (4-8 hours) to see if there is regular attendance from a parent bird.  If you are squawked at or the subject of an airborne attack, the baby is still being cared for by the best caregivers of all, the birds parents.  In the case of windblown babies, especially early spring owls, replacing them in the nests is the best strategy and may require the help of animal control officers, firefighters, arborists or others with access to long ladders and the ability to use them safely.

Squirrels.  Baby squirrels also get blown or pushed from the nest.  Unlike birds, once these little ones are on the ground, they will not get help from their parents.   However, sometimes the mother will retrieve the baby and return it to the nest.  If that does not happen, or if they are in immediate danger because of cold and rainy weather, crows, pets, children or other hazards, they need to be rescued.  They need to be carefully scooped up and taken in for care. Squirrels can inflict bites and scratches that may transmit disease.  Squirrels kept at home often imprint and then can never be successfully rehabilitated and released.

Rabbits.  Most baby bunnies with their eyes open are independent.  The best strategy is to protect them from cats, dogs, crows or other predators.  Sometimes this means relocating them.  A disturbed nest will usually be attended by the mother, who only visits twice a day.  You can use a camera trap or set up some twigs or other markers to detect if the mother is visiting.  Lawnmowers inflict often very serious injuries that require euthanasia.

At Exceptional Care for Animals, part of our mission is to assist wildlife in need.  We work with Dane County Humane Society’s Four Lakes Wildlife Center, as well as the DNR, and a network of specialized rehabilitators. 

When in doubt, be sure the animal is not in immediate danger (dogs, cats, children, cars or weather) and call for advice.  Many wild animals, even injured or weak, can seriously injure you;  do not handle them until you have gotten advice on how to do so.