What are common severe injuries seen in wild bird patients?
An open fracture is one in which the broken end of the bone pierces the muscle and skin and is exposed to the outside of the body. Bone tissue begins to die and degrade as soon as it is exposed to air, so the two ends will never grow together and heal.
A joint fracture is at or very close to a joint and the healing process can cause a callus to form over the joint’s articulations, freezing it or reducing its range of motion. A wild bird’s ability to fly or walk will be impacted by a joint that can’t extend fully.
Poorly resolved fractures. Fractures in wild birds heal very quickly. Sometimes, bones do not knit together straight enough to allow for normal movement of the limb. Other times, the healing process encompasses a nearby joint and permanently reduces range of motion.
Spinal fracture/severe trauma injuries involve swelling, bruising, or other lesions on the spine. Symptoms of spinal trauma can include paralysis or paresis (partial paralysis) of the legs, and an inability to control defecating.
Neurological symptoms are caused by an injury to the brain or the central nervous system. They can include loss of balance, “stumbling” when walking, “torticollis” (twisted neck), or “log rolling” (when the bird flips over and over and over while trying to right itself). Neurological injuries may improve or they may not, and their likelihood of improvement goes down the more severe the symptoms.
Never assess these injuries yourself on the wild bird. These injuries are very painful, and manipulating the wound can cause more damage and could stop Le Nichoir from healing the injury.