Some people go to McDonalds for lunch

I go to take pictures of an eagle being operated on. WARNING, If you have a weak stomach, don't look at the following pictures.

Everyone was exhausted from the auction the night before and Cindy was fighting a cold from someplace way south of here. So I volunteered to go to the airport and pick this gal up last night. She was caught by our friend Jean Keene, the Eagle Lady in Homer. Jean said it was flighted but had some swelling on its head and blind in one eye. She handed it over to U.S.F.&W. and they sent it on up to us. Just a reminder, ERA Aviation ships these birds to us at no cost.

I was able to pick her up at the airport at 6:30 pm. Cindy had gone home to get some rest but was on phone stand-by just in case. I was taking her back to TLC and doing a quick exam and bedding her down for the night. When I checked her out while still in the kennel, she was really dirty, there was large swelling around her left eye and there was a clear discharge coming from her left nostril. This injury had probably happened in a fight within the past month or so. I called Cindy at home and briefed her. I told her she didn't need to come in and that she (the eagle) will be fine for the night. I put her in a clean mew with fresh water, 392 grams of fresh salmon and said goodnight.

This morning I called Cindy to see how our girl was doing. She told me that we were taking her to Pet Stop to operate. Pet Stop has more up to date equipment and they allow us to use it as long as there is an opening. She said she was going about 11:30 and I said I would meet her there.

I got there just as Cindy and Dr. Todd Palmatier were putting our girl on the operating table. Dr. Todd explained that it was a abscess caused by infection and it needed to be drained. To cut the story short, he drained about 1/2 cup of goo from her. When done she looked noticeably better. There was still some swelling, but you could see more of her left eye. She had to feel instant relief when she woke up.

Cindy loaded her into a kennel and took her back to TLC. I told her I'd stop by later to get a after pix. Sorry about the green in the last pix. The warehouse lighting we have is hard on pictures. But take a look at the before and after and in just a short time you can see quite a difference.

It's too soon to say how much longer she'll be with us. The wound is being left open so it can still drain. She'll going to be on antibiotics for a little while. She also needs to gain weight and get cleaned up some.

So, some well deserved R&R for this girl and lots of salmon.

Click on the photo below for more pix's of the operation. Beware, they are explicit.

2008-03-07