An injured male American bald eagle admitted in late December to Sanibel-based CROW, the Clinic for the Rehabilitation of Wildlife, has been on the mend and freedom is not far away for the big raptor.
The adult eagle was found in Cape Coral, unable to fly, and was transported to CROW by one of the clinic volunteers for evaluation.
"Our examination showed that the eagle had a fractured ulna, evidence of lead toxicity and some abrasions on the feet," Dr. Jennifer Comolli , CROW medical director, said. "We've been treating each of these issues over the past few weeks, and are very happy with the progress so far.
The board-certified specialist in zoological medicines said chelation therapy, which uses a synthetic chemical compound to bind with a metal such as lead so that the metal loses its chemical effect, helped resolve the raptor's lead toxicity.
She provided a rundown of the bird’s condition:
“After chelation therapy, the blood levels are now undetectable, and his wing fracture is almost completely healed. Our focus now is physical therapy and flight conditioning, and we're optimistic that he's going to be released back into the wild in the very near future. “
Earlier, the main concern is the eagle’s broken wing.
Since the fracture had already formed a callus — the bony healing tissue which forms around the ends of broken bone — Comolli said that the treatment plan primarily focused on keeping the wing stabilized and performing physical therapy.
The doctor said that ensured that the raptor's wing would retain the necessary range of motion during the recovery at CROW.
The bird underwent four weeks with a wing splint, physical therapy, pain management, and stress reduction. CROW said his fracture is stable, with a strong callous and proper alignment visible on radiographs.
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