Post by birdguy888 on Oct 11, 2004 15:41:26 GMT -5
A kid emailed me from Park City, UT today describing the following problem. The passage red-tail is 2 weeks into manning and all of a sudden the legs went limp and the feet/talons are clinched tight with no movement. So, let's see if everyone knows their raptor biology, diseases and ailments. This is a test. What caused it? I'll tell you later exactly what it is caused from.
What it is, is out of my range of abilities. I would describe it to my sponsor and unless it was something simple the bird would be at the vet the same day.
Not sitting in a mews while i emailed around asking questions.
Post by birdguy888 on Oct 11, 2004 18:02:08 GMT -5
I had to tell him where to take it. In Utah, we only have 6 Avian vets.....actual, true AAV licensed avian vets. All of the vets claim to know about birds but they don't know SH!@t when it comes down to it and those ones treat everything with injectible Baytril and Ivermectin .... IDIOTS, I'm telling you! He called my avian vets that I use which for me are 3.5 hours away! He is only about 45 minutes away from them.
Come on Ooby....break out the books and just take a stab at it! LOL I think most people will be surprised about the answer!
I'll take a stab at it. I have seen similar symptoms in waterfowl, prairie chickens, and pelicans. Never in any of our raptors though, thank God. Limp legs and curled feet are usually a sign of WNV.
Post by Master Yarak on Oct 11, 2004 19:38:02 GMT -5
My guess is a seizure. It could mirror wnv. Encephalitis can be caused by lead poison or pesticides. I am 90% certain it was neurological. I will also guess the prognosis is not favorable. If it was caused by anything mentioned above permanent kidney and liver damage are likely. Now do not make wait too long...if you PM I will keep it secret. Yarak
If a man does not keep pace with his companions, perhaps it is because he hears a different drummer. Let him step to the music he hears, however measured or far away
Post by birdguy888 on Oct 11, 2004 21:21:25 GMT -5
Dodes, Yarak...your both wrong. Not WNV because in raptors they can still stand and have full function of their legs and feet, but your right in the waterfowl and other birds, it does make their legs/feet go limp. Not encephalitis either. Remember that is an infection in the lining of the brain in raptors which causes them to be off balance. It also screws with their eyes so that they over shoot their food. Keep guessing my students! I'll give a little hint......I'm sure most of you have used this substance with your birds during training.