Raptor Biology

1
Raptor Biology

• General Procedures
• And
• Guidelines

2
Drug Dosages

• Animal weight x Dose x Strength
• 1.2kg/1 bird x15mg/1 kg x 1 cc/ 50 mg 0.36cc BID
• 19 lbs/ 1 cat x 1 kg/2.2 lb x 20 mg/1 kg x 1cc/50
  mg 3.455cc
• 54g/ I bird x 1kg/1000g x 30900mg/1kg x 1cc/
  100,000 mg - .16 cc BID

3
Form and Function

• Try to identify diet from beak or teeth
• Try to predict possible hazards
• Try to determine species

4
Safety is the top Priority

• Avian Restraint
• Gather and check your equipment
• Plan your capture before you try to catch the
  bird
• Dont grab half-heartedly they sense your fear
• Give someone else the job

5
Pole Restraint

• Catch over head and one front leg in animals.

6
Stress

• Physical
• Psychological
• Behavioral
• Fight or flight reaction
• Non specific reaction

• Reaction Nonspecific
• Hair/feather loss
• Slow healing
• High Water Consumption
• Frequent urination
• Muscle tremors

7
Stress

• Causes
• Injury
• Temp changes
• Noise, light, smell
• Unfamiliar environment
• Handling
• Overcrowding
• Thirst, hunger

• How to reduce stress
• Capture quick
• Reduce light and noise
• Natural setting
• Place to hide
• Plenty of water
• Do not over heat

8
Intake Procedure

• Where
• Exact location if possible
• Environment and habitat
• Who
• Found
• Captured
• Handled

9

• What
• Evaluate
• Visual Inspection
• Attitude
• Appearance
• Status in cage
• External
• Weight
• Temp normal 101
• Integument (skin, feathers, fur)
• Neurological (behavior and attitude)
• Eyes and Mucous membranes
• Nares/cere
• Mouth/color

10

• Normal capillary refill is 1 second or less
• Adams tick and flea dust best to use
• Bend tail feathers means bird has been in box for
  awhile

11

• Internal
• Crop
• Dehydration
• Cardiopulmonary
• Muscular/skeletal
• Gastrointestinal /abdominal
• Urogential/rectal
• other

12
Hypothermia Causes

• Wet fur or feathers
• Wind
• Cold surfaces and restraint
• Inability to exercise
• Chemical restraint
• Shock

13
Shock Therapy

• Slow warming 1o F per hour
• Fluid therapy
• Be aware of oxygen and circulatory need
• Heat to fast hypovolemia

14
Hyperthermia

• Overheating
• High temperatures
• Hot weather
• Humid air
• Harsh struggle
• Causes
• Ambient temp
• Muscle exertion
• Metabolic activity

15
Shock- a condition of acute pericardia
circulation loss
16
Traits of Stability

• Quick palpebral or 3rd eyelid reflex
• Normal capillary refill time (1 second or less)
• Muscle mass
• Respiration
• Body temp
• Hydration
• Weight (80-90 or normal or better)

17
Traits of Unstable Animals

• Slow palpebral or 3rd eyelid reflex
• Greater than 1 second capillary refill
• Rectal temp subnormal or greatly increased
• Shallow, quick respiration or open mouth
  breathing
• Marked emaciation (weight 30-50 lower than
  normal for species)
• CNS symptoms
• Unequal pupil dilation
• Moderate to marked dehydration (PVC 60 or higher)

18
PVC

• Evaluates hydration
• Evaluates anemia
• Ability for blood to carry oxygen
• Stamina
• Buffy coat layer may indicate (infection)

19
Physical Factor

• In Mammals
• 107.6 o F (42o C) damage possible death
• 113 o F (45o C) denature of proteins

20
Hyperthermia Therapy

• Cool ASAP
• Water spray or both
• Circulate air and oxygen
• Fluids and steriods

21
Nutrition Calculation

• BMR-Basal Metabolic Rate
• The energy expended only for the physiological
  processes that permit life
• MMR-Maintenance Metabolic Rate
• Daily caloric requirements

22
Balance Ca to P Ratio

• 21 ratio
• How much Ca we add to 40 g mealworms
• Maintenance weight do Kcal/cal

23
Life Threatening Conditions

• No palpebral reflex, 3rd eyelid slow or not
  moving
• Pale mucous membranes
• Slow capillary refill time (greater than 2
  seconds)
• High body temperature (convulsions)
• Low body temperature
• Irregular or no heart beat
• Weight 50 or less than normal for species
• Very low PVC

24
Therapy for Shock

• Warmth
• Fluid
• Steroids

25
Role of the Heart

• Increase blood flow to periphery
• Increase pulse and respiration
• Increase transfer of food and waste at the
  cellular level
• Increased muscle relaxation
• Promotes sense of well being

26
Fluid Therapy

• Method of Delivery
• Oral (PO)
• Subcutaneous (SQ)
• Intravenous (IV)
• Advantages
• Disadvantages

27
Fluids

• Lactated ringers
• Isotonic (IV, SQ, IP, PO)
• 2.5 Dextrose
• Isotonic (IV, SQ, IP, PO)
• 5 Dextrose
• Hyper tonic (IV, PO)
• SQ will cause cell damage
• .9 Normal saline
• Isotonic (IV, SQ, IP, PO)

28
Nutrition Compounds

• Energy
• K-cals
• Easy to understand
• Protein
• Levels vary between animal groups
• Carbohydrates
• Levels vary between animal groups
• Water
• Vital nutrient

29
Reference Materials

• American Wildlife and Plants
• A Guide to Wildlife Food Habits

30
Nutrition

• Vitaminosis
• Hypovitaminosis D
• One cause of Metabolic Bone Disease
• Animals (especially birds) require vitamin D3 in
  their diets (animals D2)
• Can manufacture vitamin D3 if exposed to UVB
  light (not through a window)

31
Metabolic Bone Disease

• Causes
• Not enough sunlight (UVB light)
• Inadequate calcium in diet
• Improper calcium phosphorous ratio in diet (less
  than 21)

• Treatment
• Replace missing element (sunlight)
• Supplement calcium for the same length of time as
  the deficiency at a 21 ratio
• Dont count on a cur once fractures have
  occurred
• Whole food diet

32
Hypovitaminosis B1

• Causes
• Thiaminase in the diet (dead fish)
• Some cases are seen in diets of heart/spleen
• Symptoms
• CNS effect (star gazing)
• Prevention
• Provide a dietary source
• Whole animal
• Properly frozen food
• Provide supplements (food or given directly)
• Treatment
• Injection (work with your vet for dosage)
• Oral (in food)
• Response should occur within hours

33
Hypovitaminosis A

• Causes
• Lack of dietary intake
• Symptoms
• White foci in mouth or throat
• Change in voice
• Lesions
• Associated Problems
• Predisposed to bumble foot
• Kidney failure /gout
• Treatment
• Correct diet
• Injection (work with vet)
• Fat soluble do not overdose

34
Hypovitaminosis B2

• Riboflavin
• Occurs rarely in wildlife rehab
• Treatment
• Supplement
• Response should occur within hrs

35
Hypovitaminosis E and Selenium

• Vitamin E functions as a antioxidant interacting
  with selenium which repairs oxidized tissues
• Long term feeding of deficient (all meat) diets
• Symptoms
• Lesions on deter necrospy

36
Hypovitamin K

• Causes
• Ingestion of warfarin compounds
• Dietary deficiency
• Long term antibiotic use
• Symptom
• Increase blood clotting time
• Excessive bleeding
• Treatment
• Supplement
• Do not over dose -fat soluble

37
Emaciation

• A State of Wasting

38
Category I

• Weight is 90-100 of normal
• Feed oral fluids with 2.5-20 sugar
• Exception Adult ruminant species

39
Category II

• Weight 75-90 of normal
• Feed
• Fluids only for the first 4-8 hours depending on
  case
• Elemental diets-Dilute vital H N, vitamins,
  yogurt, L-glutamine
• Easy to digest diets usually for few days (dilute
  vital HN, AD, strained baby chicken)
• Monitor GI tract before transition to another
  diet

40
Category III

• Weight 50-75 of normal
• Feed
• Fluids only for the first 12-24 hours
• Elemental Diets
• Easy to digest diets
• Monitor GI Tract as in category II
• Gradually begin mixing in pureed regular foods
  when patient is stable and gaining weight

41
Zoonoses

• Diseased passed from animal to man
• Food
• Fith
• Fleas/flies
• Fingers
• Fomite
• Feces

42
Zoonoses

• Bacterial
• Viral
• Fungal
• Parasitic

43
Bacterial ZoonesPlague Yersinia pestis

• Likely hosts rodents, rabbits, canids, felids
• Transmission
• Flea bite or bite from an infected animal
• Prevention
• Personal hygiene, gloves, mask, control fleas

44
Lyme DiseaseBorrelia spirochete

• Host
• Deer
• Squirrels
• Bats
• Opossum
• Mice
• Transmission
• Tick bite

45
Leptospirosis

• Host
• Marine mammals
• Deer
• Skunk
• Transmission
• Direct contact
• Prevention
• Good personal hygiene
• Protective clothing
• Control ticks and fleas

46
TularemiaFranciscella tularenis

• Host
• Rabbit
• Muskrat
• Fox
• Beaver
• Transmission
• Skin contact
• Arthropod bits
• Ingestion
• Inhalation
• Prevention
• Hygiene

47
Salmonellosis

• Hosts
• Mammals
• Birds
• Reptiles
• Amphibians
• Fish
• Transmission
• Fecal/oral route
• Contaminated food
• Contaminated water

48
OrnithosisChlamydic psittaci

• Host
• Raptor
• Transmission
• Inhalation of aerosolized feces or airborne
  agents
• Prevention
• Masks
• Protective clothing
• Proper ventilation

49
AnthraxBacillus anthracus

• Host
• Wild and domesticated vertebrates
• Transmission
• Contact infected animal carcasses
• Inhalation of spores
• Consumption of contaminated meat
• Prevention
• Wear masks, gloves

50
Aspergillosis

• Host
• Raptor
• Foul water
• Transmission
• Inhalation of spores
• Prevention
• Good Ventilation
• Keep cages clean and dry

51
RingwormDermatomycosis

• Host
• Wild mammals and domesticated animals
• Transmission
• Direct contact

52
Viral Rabies

• Host
• Geographical region raccoon, fox, skunk, bat
• Transmission
• Bite
• Prevention
• Avoid contact
• Look for abnormal behavior

53
Hantavirus

• Host
• Deer mice
• Rodents
• Transmission
• Droppings
• Urine
• Saliva
• Prevention
• Good hygiene
• Masks

54
West Nile Virus

• Host
• Avian
• Accidental Host
• Human
• Horses
• Transmission
• Bite from infected mosquito
• Prevention
• Remove standing water
• Repellent with DEET
• Symptoms
• High fever
• Aggressive but weak legged
• Anemia
• Nystagmus

55
Visceral Larval Migrans

• Host
• Dos, Cats, Raccoons
• Transmission
• Fecal and oral
• Prevention
• Proper fecal disposal
• Good clean environment
• Constant de-worming
• Species specific caging

56
Wildlife Rehabilitation Housing

• Standards are for six months or less
• Double door entries are always recommended
• Consider the following when designing a cage
  environment
• Ventilation
• Waste remnant and cleaning
• Temperature
• Light
• Natural History
• Escape possibilities
• Accident Possibilities
• Issues of privacy for the animal
• Issues of behavior

57

• Intensive care housing and incubation.
• Wildlife Rehabilitation Housing
• Raptor
• Perching

58
Euthanasia Guidelines

• The deliberate ending of a life to end suffering.
• You must evaluate the quality of life for each
  and every animal in your care

59
Release Criteria

• The Animal
• Weight
• Age
• Waterproofing
• Acclimation
• Recovery from injuries
• Recognition of natural diet-can in hunt

60
Release Criteria continued

• Recognition of actual predators
• Fear of humans

61
The Environment

• Weather
• Hunting pressures
• Carrying capacity of release site
• Migration status (season)